PREFACE
The Book of Job is an excellent Book to study to get insight, comfort and spiritual strength to get through the rough days on the way to Heaven. Job's experience tells us how bad things can get on the journey. We are living on earth, not in heaven, and earth is a battleground. Job got through the days of suffering and the nights of sorrow - how ? This Book tells us how. We learn from it not only how to understand and help others, but also how to get help from God for ourselves. Perhaps the greatest lessons of the Book are to prove that Christians can have a ' disinterested faith ' ( contrary to Satan's sneer in ch.1:9) and that God's promise will be kept, the promise to keep them enduring to the end ( Heb. 7:25). - Someone prays for us, and His prayer never fails ( John 17:24).
My thanks again to my friend Harry Woods for all the technical aspects of putting this book together.
James Clark. MA MSc MEd MTh.
AUGUST 1
" How then can man be justified with God ? " Job 25:4.
" How then, seeing He sees all his ways and works, all his secret and open sins ? However righteous a man may be in his own sight or the sight of others, he cannot of himself be justified in the sight of God ( Ps.143:2). But Job knew his living redeemer and believed in Him for righteousness...justified in the court of God by faith." ( J.Gill) Sinners can do no acceptable works to justify themselves, only the finished work of Christ is accepted by God in order to justify a sinner ie. to give them Christ's work as a gift, received through faith. To ignore this fact is to remain under eternal condemnation for sinning against God. There is no ground for self-confidence, only the need to rely upon Christ for all, including for sanctification after justification ( 1 Corinth.1:30. Acts 15:9 & 26:18).to be ' born of a woman ' ( vs.4) is to be born a sinner - everyone is, who is descended from Adam ( Rom.5:12). How can we keep the Law when we are born lawbreakers ? To be justified by ourselves ( our works) and to be justified by God are two different things. One will last forever, one will not. The Pharisee, relying on his works as a way to pacify God's wrath, dies thinking, " Have I done enough ? " Many ' die peacefully ', according to the obituaries - but was it peace with God ? ( Rom.5:1). Christ can give you peace, ' peace by the blood of the cross " ( Coloss.1:14,20).
AUGUST 2
" To whom hast thou uttered words ? " Job 26:4.
Job told them that their words to him were cruel, prejudiced and unsympathetic. Job's friends show us how NOT to comfort people in distress. They also demonstrate the insufficiency of human comfort alone in the spiritual realm. They dwelt much on his sinfulness, but offered no hope, and we need hope if we are to look ahead and away from ourselves - there is a Gospel, and they neglected it. The afflicted person is highly sensitive to every word and look from those around her. Tender patience, even silence, can give assurance of kindly feeling towards the suffering. These friends of Job were unqualified counsellors, unlike the One who can ' be touched with a feeling of our infirmities '. ( Heb. 4:15). " The Apostle Paul has left us an excellent rule by his own practice ( 1 Corinth. 9:19,23). He carefully observed the temper and state of his hearers, striving to frame his speech accordingly, yet he did not compromise with any in their sin. (J.Caryl) They commended Job to God's justice and not His mercy ; there is no comfort in the Law apart from Christ's fulfilment of it on our behalf. The Words " It is finished," are given to heal the greatest wound, to comfort us under the greatest distress, that of conscience. Job saw that only God could be relied upon to bring him through this torment, and addressed himself to Him. " Cease from man, " said God ( Isaiah 2:22).
AUGUST 3
" Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering." Job 26:6.
Job refutes his critics yet again. He knows about hell, " It is in His presence and under His Providence, Ps.139:11,12. " ( M.Poole) Nothing created can be covered from the sight of God. God sees the invisible world - the grave, the departed souls, the angels, the minds of all, the future. Nothing is hidden from Him ( Heb.4:13) but there is much hidden from us. Like the blind.we must rely on Him to see for us. God is everywhere present at the same time.
The Lord knows all and Job cannot confess what he has not done ! He has a clear conscience ( ' a good pillow ' said one ) regarding their charges against him, and he refers his accusers to God. It is a good sign when you can do that." The reason why hell is called destruction is because those cast into it are undone for ever. There is great mourning there, but no godly sorrow, which alone works repentance to salvation ( 2 Corinth. 7:10). His power and providence reach to, and rule over all things, even over those things most remote and unknown to man. " ( J.Caryl) " God's justice is the outworking of His holy nature." ( W.Wiersbe) - this is why a hell exists for unrepentant sinners. But where there is repentance, there is life ( Acts 11:18 ), life in Christ.
AUGUST 4
" Lo,these are parts of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him? " Job 26:14.
We can only understand a small portion of the works and ways of God ; because He is infinite, and we are not. Continuous power goes forth from Him, and His actions are all done wisely, whether seen or unseen. His power is as thunder to us, an irresistible force, making many afraid. " Such power pertains to the nature of God ( Ps.62:11). No acts of mercy, justice or wisdom can be exercised by Him without power...We cannot have a conception of God unless He is most powerful as well as most wise. He would not be god if He cannot do what He wills and performs all His pleasures. if we imagined Him to be restrained in His power, we imagine Him to be limited in His Essence - (we would have made for ourselves a false God )." ( S. Charnock) We can only see the ' surface ' of God's ways. " Beware of people who claim to know all about God, for their claim is proof that they neither Know God or themselves." ( W. Wiersbe)
Our lack of knowledge should humble us. " The mind of Aristotle is but the ruins of an Adam," said an old bishop. Losing the image of God at the Fall involved losing the true knowledge of God, no matter how limited that original knowledge was. What little we now know of God is corrupted by indwelling sin ( John 1:5. Rom.1:20,21), and so we need to be taught ( again) by God ( John 6:45) ; this He promises to His people. The great God is involved in the lives of little people, is this not a great wonder ?
AUGUST 5
" Lo, these are parts of His ways." Job 26:14.
" These are but the ripples. Hell ( vs.6) and the human heart, a miniature hell, are open to his view also. He hangs the earth upon nothing ( vs.7) ; a statement made thousands of years before science ' discovered ' it. The Spirit of truth is always in advance of the discoveries of men. He binds up the waters in His thick clouds. ( vs.8) These are great water-carriers, rolling along the heavens, bound together with invisible hands, and cannot drop water until He orders it. behind all the laws and forces of nature Job sees the throne of God. (vs.9. Ps.97:2)). God sets limitations upon every earthly thing, whether waters or humans ( vs.10). He can also use nature to benefit His people when He wills it ( vs.12 refers to the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21).
He smites through the proud ( vs.12) ; His wisdom and power smites down the arrogance of man. The carnal mind is a proud mind, and does not like to be subject to God; human wisdom always opposes His His ( Rom.8:6,7). The Holy Spirit was involved in the first creation and He is involved in the new creation (vs.13). He who beautified the heavens can beautify thy life also. The old serpent, the devil, is a dangerous but defeated foe ( vs.13), all the more dangerous because he knows his time is short. What a mighty God our God is, when these are but the parts, the fringes of His ways ! ( J.Smith )
AUGUST 6
" All the while my breath is in me, the spirit from God is in my nostrils." Job 27:3.
In this chapter Job's faith rises to God ( 2 Corinth.4:17). The word " God " is mentioned 7 times in this chapter. These are our highest and most comforting thoughts. At creation our soul, our spirit from God, enables us to breathe ( Gen.2:7). At death the soul is breathed out ( the last breath, cf. Matt.27:50) to return to God who gave it, while the body rests lifeless in the grave ( Ps.22:29. 146:4)). " This breath is a very precarious thing, and can easily be stopped. Nor shall it always continue upon earth." ( J.Gill) There is a first breath here and a last breath here. The creation of the soul is the creation of the self. Each of us has a distinct personality, a distinct consciousness and awareness of oneself and others ; but not yet of God at birth - the Spirit's work is to make us aware of God through Christ. The soul has personal relationships but comes into this world alienated from God by Original sin. As each person grows, he or she develops the consciousness of guilt, that uneasy feeling that something is wrong with us inside. It is only when they know with Job, " My Redeemer lives," that this feeling of guilt is replaced by a sense of peace with God ( Rom.5:1. 8:1). Now the soul knows Him " in whose hand is our breath." ( Daniel 5:23).The soul " lies deeper than thought or feeling or will ; it is that which thinks and feels and wills." ( G.Steven) While we breathe,we should remember God ( Ps. 150:6).
AUGUST 7
" For what is the hope of the hypocrite ? " Job 27:8.
The hypocrite does have a hope, reinforced by his prosperity in the world and the resulting feeling inside of worldly security. But on what ground, by what authority has he this hope ? Peter reminds us that we must have God-given reasons for our hope ( 1 Peter 3:15) for that hope to remain when God takes the soul out of this world. Many cries of disappointment and despair arise from souls a few seconds after death ! Riches and earthly reputations will not profit anyone at death ; there is only one anchor that will hold in the storm ( Heb.6:18,19). Many have nothing to hold onto when they die, but the Christian has One holding her. Job's friends are trying to take away his hope, and he turns the question back on them. What is there to rival his hope in the Redeemer ? All other hopes are temporary and empty, none are based on what God has said in the Word, unlike Paul and others ( 2 Tim.1:12). The hypocrite's hope is presumption, and we must make sure of hope our own ( 2 Peter 1:10) - we cannot afford to be mistaken in this. We have only one life - is it joined to Christ's ? " Here Job proves himself to be no hypocrite." ( J.Trapp)
AUGUST 8
" Will he delight himself in the Almighty ? Will he always call upon God ? " Job 27:10.
The godly man, the man in harmony with God, delights ( Ps.111:2,4) " in the contemplation of His existence, His perfections, His Law and His government."( A. Barnes) he delights in the mercy of His God through Christ and calls upon Him constantly for his daily needs, for soul and body, for time and eternity. Such will defend God's character and commend Him as our chief happiness. This is not enough for the hypocrite, he looks for more than this. Our view of God will affect our entire life. " The hypocrite fails and falls short ; for though he cries to God, he does not delight in Him...In Psalm 78 the prayers of the hypocrite are called ' flatteries'. ( J.Caryl) Those who departed from the Lord after following for a while were called " disciples " ! ( John 6:61,66). Many only pray when trouble comes upon them ; and when the trouble departs, so does prayer. The genuine believer, even when joy departs, continues in prayer, often more earnestly ; even though their prayers may be ' ragged', they will persevere. Hypocrites are always deficient in private prayer. Prosperity and adversity are both temptations to leave off prayer; Job continued through both. Prayer and life are bound together. Paul knew the difference between the hypocrite and the believer in prayer by experience ( Acts 9:11) - do we ?
AUGUST 9
" This is the portion of a wicked man with God." Job 27:13.
What is wickedness in the eyes of God ? It is a life without faith, and without faith there is no love for or hope in His Son, Christ Jesus. ( Heb.11:6. Ps.2:12). It is a life without God, in thoughts and lifestyle ( Ps.9:17. Ephes.2:12). Many have escaped the judgement of men, but they cannot escape God's. " There is a portion of wrath which God has a purpose to give out to him." ( J.Caryl) Prosperity under God's Providence is no safe indication of god's favour ( cf. Job and rich man in Luke 16). The wicked man also has no satisfaction in this world, and his inner sense of security is unstable. All that he attempts cannot answer his spiritual problems.The private sinner shall at death be put to an open shame ( Isaiah 66:24.Daniel 12:2). The only remedy is repentance ;the Bible declares there is mercy in God for repenting sinners ( Ps.130). without repentance, the sinner shall find that most of his punishment comes after death, and not before it. Alas, so many give up the next world for this one, living as if this was the only one.
" Faith and piety will look to the end of life." ( T.Robinson). " Rehearse your deathbed," said Rutherford. Deliverance shall be found in the grace of Christ, alone.
AUGUST 10
" There is a path which no fowl knows." Job 28:7.
This chapter shows the foolishness of pursuing things in the world without seeking ' the one thing needful.' There is a path through this world into heaven which not even the eagle can see ; the world cannot see it either, such is the blinding power of sin to spiritual and eternal realities. Christ is the Way and the ' Forerunner ' ( Heb.6:20). He made this way and has left us a map, His Words in the Bible. The Holy Spirit gives the light by which we see the guidance, otherwise we are reading the Bible in a dark room. It is an old way ( Jerem.6:16 ) and many have gone before us( Ps.107:7. Heb. 12:1) ; they have not just ' departed ', they have arrived. Many are repelled by the simplicity of the way of salvation, or by the imperfection of the pilgrims on that way. They are not sinless, but they are forgiven through Christ, justified by faith and are non their way to sinless perfection with Christ ( Heb.12:23)
Unless we are on this way we cannot arrive there. The Word marks out the path and the boundaries of it ( Ps.119: The Lord said, 'Follow Me.' He also warned us about any other way, it shall perish and those on it ( Ps1:6..2;12). This is not a way made by human works. No, this way has been finished by Christ's work ; it is the only way, made and accepted by God ( Isaiah 35:8,9) Are we on this way ? If we are following Christ according to His word, then we know we are on it.
AUGUST 11
" His eye sees every precious thing." Job 28:10.
Like the miner, God digs into a man's heart and finds any precious thing there. It is not there by nature, so He must put it there if He is going to find it. Our view of the heart is limited but He sees all. He knows what is in man ( John 2:25). God sees in the sinner the seed ( if planted by the Holy Spirit) which shall yet develop. He also has children ' yet unborn ' ( Ps.22:31 ) , who have been chosen in Christ from eternity ( Ephesians ch.1). They shall be effectually called in time by the Father to follow the Son and be preserved by the Spirit ( from within). Faith in Christ is precious, and God sees whether this motive for living is there or not. " The praise is not in the deed done, but in the motive and manner of doing it." ( Anon.) " Motives are seeds, from which spring deeds." ( Anon.) We all make mistakes, but God sees the intention of the heart, and this is pleasing to Him ( 1 Chronicles 22:7).
God also sees the ( certainty of the ) end from the beginning ( Acts 15:18). ' The' day of small things ' is often despised ( Zech.4:10), but it is out of small things that great things come; eg. the NT church began with 12 disciples ( Acts 1). God also sees the end of our own pilgrimage, our race, battle and sanctification. Glory in heaven is the end of sanctification begun on earth ( Philipp.1:6). Those who follow Christ are heading towards the place which was made and meant for them ( John 14:2,3). Faith is rare,and is precious.
AUGUST 12
" But where shall wisdom be found ? " Job 28:12.
" This thought of the impossibility of men's arriving, by their own unaided powers, at any comprehension of the Divine plan in the administration of the universe, is illustrated with great beauty. An apt figure is taken from the art of mining.Men can discover the precious and the useful metals, though they are hidden deep underground. They will descend into the bowels of the earth, and push their shafts remote from the habitation of men. And, regardless of the obstructions that block their way, and of the gathering streams that hinder their progress, and of the obscurity that reigns in these dark abysses, they cut a passage through the rocks and beneath the mountains, to the treasures which they are seeking.But there is a far greater treasure which cannot be thus ( in this manner) obtained ; a treasure which neither silver or gold can equal, and which vastly exceeds in worth the most valued of jewels. No ingenuity of men, and no search, however prolonged or anxious, can ever discover it." ( W.H.Green) No, God must reveal it to sinners.
AUGUST 13
" But where shall wisdom be found ? Job 28:12.
" Wisdom is the right use of knowledge." ( Spurgeon) There is a natural wisdom and a heavenly wisdom ( 1 Corinth.2:4ff. James 3:17). God has revealed His wisdom ( 1 Corinth.1:30), His Son shall teach it. No human effort avails ( vs. 13,21), but His people have the promise that God Himself shall teach them ( John 6:45. Ps. 51:6)). Mankind is busy exploring nature and themselves, but the heavenly Guide is neglected. Few seek to know God ( Rom.3:17), and Christ is the great revelation of God ( Prov.8:12-27). Man knows nothing of this wisdom until the Lord reveals it, but there is a neglect of things that are revealed. We must also accept that some knowledge is withheld by God ( Deut.29:29). Many are puffed up by the little they know, but God in His Fatherly care will keep His people humble. The Lord will keep nothing from us which has the tendency to make us more holy, humble and fit for communion with Him.Some things are placed beyond the children's reach because they can be harmful to them." ( John Kitto) We must patiently wait until we reach heaven to learn there what is not given to learn here. Job was suffering things beyond his comprehension, and we must accept that we may not know all the reasons for our suffering in this world. However,we have enough wisdom to go forward with. Man's wisdom has failed to give him peace, security or hope.God's wisdom gives all this and more.
AUGUST 14
" Where shall wisdom be found ? " Job 28:12.
" Job denied that God's ways in Providence towards men, whether in giving prosperity or adversity, afforded any indication of a man's character. His friends contended that it did, and concluded that Job was a wicked man. Job, on the contrary, contended that there is a depth in God's ways which surpasses moral scrutiny. He allowed that man had found out many things, including things below the surface, but the mine where wisdom grows was not being explored. The depths of Providence are still beyond human reach. It is hid from the eyes of all living, even from the most lofty minds. A perfect comprehension is the prerogative of God only. He only who made all things can comprehend His own designs.The wisdom of the world would intrude into things beyond their understanding. Moses warned the people that we are to confine ourselves to what God has revealed in the Bible ( Deut.29:29). Instead of man perplexing himself with things too high for him ( Ps.131), let him ask, ' Where is the good way, that I may walk in it , and find rest for my soul ?' ( Jerem.6:16).
AUGUST 15
" Where is the place of understanding ?...God understands the way thereof . " Job 28:12,23.
" Wisdom is not something we can put on like a garment. Wisdom is character.
It is the quality of being wise ; it is a condition of the heart, and has to do with our relationship to God. It begins with fearing the Lord ( vs.28), and grows as the knowledge of God increases. Job had ' Christ the wisdom of God ' in his mind when he spoke. Men have no difficulty in finding the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God, but a man is not truly wise until he becomes a partaker of the wisdom of God.
Where is this knowledge of God to be found, this wisdom of heart which glorifies God ? It has an unearthly origin ( vs.13,14). It cannot be bought ( vs.13,15), like. a university course ; it is found in Christ ( Coloss.2:3), and therefore is freely given. Nor can it be equalled by any other wisdom ( vs.17,19). There is no joy like finding this wisdom in Christ Jesus, there is no substitute for it. It is a quality of power ( vs.22), to save the sinner from destruction and death. There is a way to acquire it and a way to follow in it ( vs.27, 28). Only God can give us this understanding ( vs.23)." ( J.Smith)
Where is it to be found ? Only in Christ Jesus. It is wisdom to know God's Son."
AUGUST 16
" When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder. " Job 28:26
" Hence it is that it rains upon one city and not upon another ( Amos 4:7). The rise of rain out of vapours drawn up by the heat of the sun and the generation of it in the clouds is no less wonderful than the use of it is necessary for the refreshing and fattening of the earth. These showers may seem to arise and to be carried up and down at random, but Job assures us that God makes a decree, a statute or a boundary for them, and that He gives or withholds rain at His pleasure." ( J.Trapp) Likewise the thunder ( Ps.29:29:1,2), and the lightning strikes where He wills. Job could remember that day from his own experience ! ( ch.1) The times, measures and purpose of the rain, whether for growth or for destruction, are all appointed. It ought therefore to be prayed for, and God be thanked for it ; our food depends on it. " He decreed within Himself that He would give it, for rain is His gift alone." ( J.Gill)
AUGUST 17
" And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom." Job 28:28.
" I am wise if, morning and noon and night, I cherish within me the grace of reverence and fear. How is this fear of the Lord expressed ? I do it if I watch against critcizing His adorable Providence. It is not always easy to prevent my heart making its complaints. But I maintain His fear if I quell them as they rise, and worship Him in all He does. The fear of the Lord also keeps us from murmuring against His utterances in His holy word. There are sharp reproofs, uncompromising verdicts and awful penalties in this Book. There are mysteries which will not surrender their interpretation to my intellect. This is. designed to teach me a profounder humility and more vigilance ; and also to remind me that I see but the fringes of His ways. The fear of the Lord also makes us examine our worship, its frequency, vitality and absence of formalism. Let me bow down before Him. while I love Him ardently, let me always revere Him - I must put off my shoes from my feet, as Moses ( Exodus 3:5)." ( Alexander Smellie)" Many have lots of knowledge, but they have no wisdom on how to use it. Therefore we are to ask God for it always (James 1:5). " ( R.Stedman)The fear of the Lord is ridiculed these days, but it is necessary to have it ( even in heaven, Rev.14:7) if we are to be genuine Christians ( Isaiah 11:2).
AUGUST 18
" And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the lord, that is wisdom." Job 28:28.
Some think that, in the first instance, this was said to the first man, and this is a reminder to all his posterity. Certainly, if Adam had continued in that sinless fear, he may not have sinned. However, as we are now fallen, human wisdom or fear is not up to the task of avoiding sin ( Ps.111:10.Prov. 1:7. 9:10.) " The fear of the Lord is true religion, the right worship of God, both inward and outward, is all which comes under this name." ( M.Poole) " All speculative knowledge is either, in itself, injurious or, through the corruption of the human heart, dangerous. But this wisdom from God tends to humble and thus to profit the soul." ( A.Fuller) To apply the Word of God to our lives is to exercise wisdom. Pride is the great barrier to spiritual wisdom but the holy spirit can remove this barrier ( Ephes. 1:15 -23. Prov.11:2).
Because the believer is under a Covenant of Grace and not of works, what God requires from the sinner is given to him through Christ ( Ezek.36:27. Isaiah 11:2). This fear has a positive and a negative effect ( Job.2:3), to cleave to the Lord and also to avoid evil. This fear of the Lord is rare in the church nowadays and its great absence is the main reason for its decline into selfishness and worldliness. God's wisdom is given to us to restore us from rebellion and to maintain our reconciliation and harmony with Him. He knows best.
AUGUST 19
" Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom." Job 28:28.
" This chapter may be seen as Job's rebuke to the shortsighted wisdom of his antagonists." ( G.L.Archer) By asserting God's wisdom, he shows that he has it. All of man's achievements have failed to provide a satisfying explanation of life and how we are to live that life. Everything is subjective and ' situational ', carrying no authority but their own. If they make a god, it is in their own image. So long as man thinks his wisdom is superior to God's in the Bible, he will never make spiritual progress. True wisdom is to submit ours to His ; this is what the fear of the Lord will do. It is a childlike faith, to learn from God and not to presume to know more or better. In the path of obedience we shall learn more ( John 7:17). A life without God is described in Ecclesiastes 1: 4-11. It is by contrasting God's wisdom with man's, as in this 28th chapter, that we see how limited and earthbound man's intellect is ; looking for answers from creation and not from the Creator. Medical research informs us that man only uses 10% of his brain -This should tell us something !
AUGUST 20
" Oh that I were as in months past ! " Job 29:2.
Job that his life would continue each day as it always had, but he is now shattered at the contrast. What he missed most was his sense of communion with God ( 5). he missed ' walking in the light ', but our present comforts here are but as candlelight (vs.3) when compared to heavenly happiness, the eternal future. " The madness of the world is seen in despising and neglecting this communion. " ( T.Robinson) Communion with God was the foundation of Job's life ( and of his contemporary Abraham's life Gen.18:17, and ours John 15:15. Ps.25:14), and he was prayerfully fighting for it. His circumstances made him think less of a happy future and more of a happer past, mournfully. This is always a temptation in suffering - to compare and contrast, to look back and not forward.
There can be a sudden change in our condition in either way, happier or sadder. We live in a sea of changes until we reach the other shore. Our encouragement is not from our circumstances but from the Lord ( 1 Sam.30:6. Heb.13:14). Comparing the present with the past - does it help us to move forward ? No, not as much as comparing the present with the future. ' I am not what I ought to be, nevertheless I am not what I was, but I am not what I shall be ! ' ( John Newton). " But thanks be to God who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ ! " 1 Corinth.15:57).
AUGUST 21
" Oh that I were as in months past ! " Job 29:2
In prayer my soul drew near the Lord, and saw His glory shine ;
And when I read His holy Word, I called each promise mine.
Then to His saints I often spoke of what His love had done ;
But now my heart is almost broke, for all my joys are gone.
Now when the evening shade prevails, my soul in darkness mourns ;
And when the morn the light reveals, no light to me returns.
My prayers are now a chatt'ring noise, for Jesus hides His face ;
I read, the promise meets my eyes, but will not meet my case.
Now Satan threatens to prevail, and make my soul his prey.
Yet, Lord, Thy mercies cannot fail - O come without delay ! ( John Newton)
AUGUST 22
'" As in the days when God preserved me." Job 29:2.
But God was still preserving him ! He was not only alive, he was alive with hope. Despite his words, he did not give up. His own power was gone, but he was 'kept by the power of God,' ( 1 Peter 1:5) ; kept against Satan, sin, self and his ' friends'. If we appreciated more the number of enemies we have we would appreciate the faithful power of God more. It would be naive to think that we shall not suffer, sometimes greatly, but it would be unbelief to question God's promise to preserve us ( Ps.121). Life is an endurance test, but the believer has protective company, a ' Greatheart ' to accompany pilgrims. The believer's suffering is temporary, not so theirs who have rejected the eternal Comforter." Job acknowledged God in his adversity as he did in his prosperity ( 26:11). They will never bear affliction well who have not learned to bear prosperity well, acknowledging God in both. The one will not be rightly borne when God has not been sought and served in the other." ( James Durham) he also notes that " It is also a mistake to construct God's presence and absence by outward evidences and dispensations ( of Providence)." All our safety is from the Lord, it is a one-way promise.
AUGUST 23
" Oh that I were as in months past ! " Job 29:2.
Charles Simeon regarded Job's condition as the result of backsliding ( as did Spurgeon, Morning and Evening 11th August ).
" To look back on our lives is often profitable, but often attended with much pain, especially by one who, from a life of spiritual peace and joy, has fallen into a state of darkness. What can produce this ? Firstly, a neglect of personal private duty ie. reading, meditation and prayer. These are all necessary to the welfare of the soul. Bodies cannot maintain vigour without exercise and neither can souls ( Matt.13:12). Secondly, it is often the result of indulging some secret sin ; this ' grieves ' the Holy Spirit ( Ephes.4:30). Sin opens up a spiritual gap between God and us, and ought to be closed with repentance. Thirdly, becoming entangled too much with worldly affairs will also drain us of spirituality ; indeed it can produce a weariness with spiritual things. Too much of the world is not good for us ! There must be a degree of separation, else spirituality becomes impossible. Too much of the world will dampen our zeal for God and also the sensitivity of our conscience.
We must keep eternity in our focus and not the world, our faith must look predominantly at the things which are not seen ( 2 Corinth.4:7. Heb.11:1). Return then in dependence upon His promised mercy ( Hosea 14:1-4) - then it shall be with you ' as in months past.' Indeed, your last days shall be your best."( Charles Simeon). ' Keep yourselves in the love for God.' ( Jude 21)
AUGUST 24
" When His candle shined upon my head...when the Almighty was yet with me." Job 29:3,5.
" This may be understood of outward prosperity, sometimes signified by a candle ( ch.18:5,6. 21:17), but rather it is the light of grace, the true light, which had shined upon him and in him, but now not so clearly. This was the light of His countenance ( Numbers 6:25,26 ) which he had before enjoyed, that comforting display of His love and his clear view of his interest in it, the enjoyment of His blessing. Nothing was more desired by him than this, which he enjoyed in times past. " ( J.Gill)
By His light Job had walked through darkness. By the light of the Word of God he had walked through darkness without fear, but now he was struggling through the darkness of affliction and tribulation. Clouds of darkness hindered him, and the shadow of the prince of darkness was seen. He had difficulty inseeing his way ahead and sent up prayers of lamentation. It seemed that the gracious presence of the Almighty had been withdrawn ( ch.23;2,3,8,9), his comforts were now empty. But the supporting presence of God was not gone, this could never be lost. His children were no longer with him, but both they and he, the children of God, were safe in the hands of the Father ( Ps.4:8).
AUGUST 25
" Then I said, I shall die in my nest." Job 29:18.
" This saying by Job some make to be a fault, as it was likewise in David when in his prosperity he said, ' I shall never be moved.' ( Ps.30:6).But others see this as commendable confidence in Job, grounded upon God's promises. But we must also carefully guard against backsliding, as Bernard of Clairvaux reminds us. David, by a slight deviation in his course...ran upon the rocks." ( J.Trapp) It does seem that Job relied upon continued prosperity without reckoning on the effects of bearing a cross. However, in the end ( ch.42:16) his desire was abundantly realized. There is an uncertainty about earthly riches and comforts ( 1 Tim.6:17) and therefore we are advised to ' lay up our treasures in heaven.' Job may be referring to dying in peace, and certainly this is promised to those ' dying in the Lord.' Job was a man approved and commended by the Lord, but even he could take his eyes off his destination and look for undiminished happiness here on earth. But then, if we had this, would our desires to be with Christ in heaven be as strong ? Too many settle down here, but God will shake the nest of those whom He loves. " Make no nest here, for the forest is destined for fire," said Rutherford. We read of many in Obituary columns who " died peacefully ", but was it peace with God ? It is how we finish that matters, and the finishing line may be today !
AUGUST 26
" My glory was fresh in me." Job 29:20.
" My perceptions ought to be fresh. The thought of the Father, whose greatness and gentleness are both infinite. The thought of the Son, in whose Incarnation life, death, resurrection and endless reign there are wonders upon wonders. The thought of the Holy Spirit, whose powerful work and patient purifying has so many aspects : our privileges and duties in the kingdom of grace and glory. Should all this not absorb us ?
My prayers also ought to be fresh. There are so many gracious gifts, daily needs, interactions, and helps to be given. Am I not furnished with numberless themes for prayer ? My words and activities also ought to be fresh ; every day is different, the ocean of life changes its face each day. There was an old man stationed in his wheelchair at the window, looking out to his garden each day. His grandchildren asked him,' Are you never tired of seeing the same view ?' His was the wisest answer, ' I have never seen the same view,' he said. "( A.Smellie)
AUGUST 27
" And now I am their song ! " Job 30:9.
What a change ! ' But now...and now...and now...' ( vs.1,9,16). They make up songs about Job, as if he were a special. famous criminal. They did the same with Christ Jesus,Psalm 69:12. They showed no sympathy to Job( vs.10), their singing was not a lamentation with empathy ; it was not a Psalm of Lament. They could sing with cruelty in their hearts. The world and false religions still rejoice when Christians are persecuted for for following the Lord, but this shall be reversed after they die ( Matt.5:11,12). " All their talk was about Job, and at every turn would use his name proverbially for a hypocrite, or a wicked man. Likewise, Christ became a proverb in the mouth of the Jews, Psalm 69:11). " ( J.Gill)
Job was abhorred and they spat in his face ( vs.10). If the Master suffered this, his disciples must expect the same treatment from the world ( Isaiah 50:6. Matt.26:67. 27:30). We see the sufferings of Christ, but do we see the shame there. " Blessed be the Man that was there put to shame for me." ( Bunyan's Pilgrim). On the cross we see what sin deserved.
" Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned He stood."
We bear a cross in following Christ, this identifies us as His. It may feel very heavy sometimes, as Job knew, but it is not as heavy as His !
AUGUST 28
" They abhor me...and spare not to spit in my face." Job 30:10.
" The scope of God in the afflictions of His people is not their hurt but their good, it is not to destroy them for their sin but to destroy sin in them, not to withdraw Himself from them but to draw them nearer to Himself. all the hurt that the Lord intends by affliction is to get rid of our dross, to bring us away from those things that intend our eternal ruin." ( J.Caryl) What wisdom and goodness there is in this ; this is something we shall not clearly see until we look back from eternity, but God, of course, sees it all in advance. We are not to despise this chastening from the Lord ( our natural reaction ), it is child-discipline ( Heb.12:5,6) and intended for our good ( Rom.8:28). The purpose of the Lord is to restore his people from straying, as sheep are prone to wander. It sometimes takes the form of ' aversion therapy ', the shock afterwards, especially in conscience, of treating sin lightly and walking into it. Job was being humbled, and how he prayed, how he meditated on God's purpose towards him. Many simply want to get out of affliction, but the spiritual believer also wonders what he can get out of it. " What will this do for me ? I must accept it, what can I learn from this experience ? What strategies can I use against the assaults of temptation and the tempter himself ? Did I recognise, acknowledge that I needed to be brought back, brought closer to God ? " We are enabled to accept suffering in this world (Heb.12:4), we must expect it. It is an unfair world, but God shall deal with us honestly, and for our good. " Faithful are the wounds of a Friend." " Grace never grows more in an afflicted heart than in a day of trouble." ( J.Caryl)
AUGUST 29
" The days of affliction have taken hold of me." Job 30:16
" The grave is the general rendezvous of mankind." ( J.Gill) Job is exhausted now, weakened by sleeplessness and constant pain. Jeremiah was no stranger to this also ( Lament.1:12,13). Job had been apprehended by affliction, and he did not think he would escape its grasp ; he thought it would be lifelong. There is a kind of infallibility produced by despair ie.the sufferer says, ' No change is possible in the future.' We can become like the one who ' gave himself over to despair.' ( Eccles.2:20). This kind of pessimism enslaves the mind, like 'My enemy shall never be defeated,' or ' I shall never escape this hurtful trial.' Discouragement sets in, and becomes a habit. But is God not to be trusted ? Do His promises depend on circumstances ? Some things may not change, but our attitude ought to change. What about the man who gets up in the morning and says, " Shall I trust God today or not ? " Aurely to put that question is to answer it !
To endure means ' to keep going forward under a great weight.' It is an ' upward calling ' the Christian has ( Philipp.3:13,14), and even the same load feels heavier when you are going uphill. There is a ' Hill Difficulty ' at the end of each valley in life. The troubles that afflict the just are many, but God says they shall be delivered out of them all in the end. ( Ps.34:19). The consequences of sin, and living in a sinful world, shall be gone forever. Job had his own kind of Gethsemane, we all do if we are to be conformed to the image of Christ ( Rom.8:29). Society and the visible church had cast Job out, but God had not, and never would ( John 6:37).
AUGUST 30
" I cry to Thee, and Thou dost not hear me." Job 30:20.
" This greatly added to his affliction, that though he cried to the Lord for help and deliverance, yet he turned a deaf ear to him. And though He undoubtedly heard him, He did not answer him ; at least not in the way he desired or expected. Crying is expressive of prayer, and implies distress and also vehemence." ( J. Gill) Job stood in prayer ( Matt.6:5), sometimes in silence ; it is the posture of waiting. But there was not just no answer, things became worse. This is a great test for faith. Some will give up praying when this condition comes, whereas it will stir some up more to pray, to cry more.
There are times when you do not think your prayer gets outside the walls, it is just words spoken in an echo of emptiness. But we are not to judge our prayers by their quality. Broken words come from broken hearts, and the Lord said He would look to such ( Isaiah 66:2. Ps.51:17), whether their reception in heaven registers with us or not. How did Job know that God did not hear him ? Was it not because he received no immediate deliverance ? Faith must accept that our prayers do not rule God, and we must pray that God would rule our prayers,
" Thy Will be done." And may we have the strength of patience to abide by His decisions.
AUGUST 31
" For I know that thou shalt bring me to death." Job 30:23.
The earth is like an immense graveyard for the bodies of mankind. " We begin to die as soon as we are born," said Augustine ie. we are always dying and each day brings us closer to the grave. Job is a dead man walking, watching others on the same path. Young people hardly think about death, it seems far away to them. And yet there is more certainty about death than there is about life. As we think more and more about death, as we see more and more of the end of the road travelled. Much has been written about death, and if people are indifferent to it, it is but a mask to hide their real thoughts. Despite attempts to 'delay' death, time brings us irreversibly towards it ; there is no going back. Both ways, the broad and the narrow ( Matt.7), go through the graveyard on the way to eternity.
Job's ties to earth have nearly all been broken. He is like the ship, tethered now to the dock with only one rope, waiting for the command, " Cast off." Faith is eternal, it goes on through death. Meanwhile, it is wisdom to number our days ( Ps.90:12 as God has already numbered them. Every day brings us closer to Home ( Rom.13:11), and we think about it more and more. It would be strange if Christians professed faith but thought little upon their destination ; we were not made to remain here, to settle down here. We have been given the faith to go forward and meet death, it is a defeated foe ( 1 Corinth.15:55), and must bow as we go through the gates into the celestial city.