THE KING’S BUSINESS
709
O s tliite SStœây ®2 The B@@k of J@1b
By REV. V. V. MORGAN Graduate of Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Class of 1913
I. The Champion. (1 :1 , 5, 6 ) . “There was a man in the land of Uz, wjiose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offer ings,. according to the number of them all; for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. “Now there Was a’ day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.” The “sons of God” mentioned are. the angels making their reports. How Satan has access to God is a mystery but never theless a fact. v. 8: “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Think of Job as God’s champion. Bear this thought in mind and it will light' up the whole book. Few men have had the lofty privilege of being God’s champion. II. The Challenge. (1:9-12; 2:4, 5 ). Satan is here in his capacity as the “accuser of the brethren” and he immedi ately challenges God’s estimate of Job. As Satan had no outward grounds for accu sation, he assails Job’s motives. “Doth Job fear God for nought?” He goes on to say that if all the blessings and rewards for his godliness were taken away Job would turn from God. He hints that the
Introduction. The book of Job is most extraordinary and unique. It is probably the oldest book in the Bible if not in the world, perhaps written before the Pentateuch. There is no reference to the Law which would be natural in a discussion of Divine govern ment. Sacrifices were performed by the head of the family instead of by priests. (1:5). This book is a true account of an actual occurrence. Job probably lived about the time of Abraham and was a real person, not a mythical character. In Ezekiel 14:14 we read of Job in connection with Noah and Daniel, who were real persons. Again we find that the Holy Spirit speaking through James (5:11) refers to the patience of Job. Paul, in I. Corinthians 3 :19, quotes from Job 5 :13, beginning with the words, “It is written.” Our Lord, in Matthew 24:28, very evidently refers to Job 39:30, Job deals with the problem, “Why do the godly suffer?” Perhaps no man has ever suffered as much as Job. “Why?” The question is asked many times throughout the book. Many different theories are given, but not one of them answers the question. We must take the book as a whole to find,the answer. Suffering some times is for -the purpose of vindicating a broken law—this is penal. Suffering in eternity will, be judicial and penal. Other suffering is paternal and disciplinary: ( “Whom the Lord loveth He correcteth.") Again, suffering may be for the purpose of purging and purifying, or in order to bring to self-judgment. But Job’s suffer ings were for. a different and higher pur pose—that God Himself might be vindi cated.
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