The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-23
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

A Study OF the International sunday
School Lesson Appointed for April
2, 1893.
Subject: The Affections of job. job, 2:t-IO.
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| indicated Ahove.l
INTRODUCTION.
We are now to have four lessons in the Book
| of Job. Prof A. II. Davidson. ID. D. says of it,
the most splendid creation Of Hebrew poetry"
! The book may be divided into FIVE parts:
l. Chapters and g Satan's challenge.
II. Chapters to 81. JOB, Elipbaz, Bildad,
and Zophar.
| III. Chapters SO to 81 Job and E1ibu.
". Chapters 80 to go, God in whiriwind.
| V. Chapter AZ: 7-i7. Conclusion.
| Job was in great prosperity. 1t was init
| mated that such piety, peace, success were due
| to the sefishness of Job. He knew men would
| get along best by being good, and his piety was
/ a mere financial investment. If he found out
he could get on just as fortunately and he evil,
he would not be so particular about being good.
| If God did not pay him large price, in the
| shape of wealth and happiness. for being viz
tuous he would find it con venient not to trouble
| his mind about rig hte0usDess. II things should
| turn and it prove fact that pis.y is not mar
| ketable-that a sinner could get just as much
| of riches and pieasure-theu Job would put no
restraints on himself. 1t is plain that in Jobs
| day, this matter was not thoroughly settled.
| 1t was important to teach the world that God
| is not buying our recognition of Him and orr
| fidelity to duty by sort of bribing process.
| We must still allow that the general tendency
| of religion makes for material prosperity. And
Gr,1 ufH irfir nd
| poverty, and many evil men rich in stocks of
all sorts.
The sentiment that man is good because it
/ pays and would become evil the moment wick
edness ontbid piety in prosperity, is represent
ed as Tipped by Satan.
| clearly.
| Job is put to the test. VIII he be loyal to
| God when Providence depriyes him of pros
| perity2 If we read the first two chapters of
| the book we shall find Job terribly afflicted, as
seemingly no other man ever was TO greater
| extent. and yet without sin. He grieyed t2:13),
| but we do not consider the act other than the
natural physical effect of great distress.
| Some friends of Job hear of his unfortunate
| condition. They visit with a view of comfort
| ing him. We have account in chapters 3 10 81,
| inclusive. There are three rounds of discus
| sion, in each of which each of the four speaks
| in succession. except in the third round, when
Round LIST, chapters 3-14.
| Round I'd, chapters 1921.
Round Sd. chapters 22-31.
The three friends of Job maintain the then
stereotyped, orthodox. what we might call old
fashioned, ideas of Providence. They fail to
help Job, who stoutiy rebuts all their argu-
ments.
ton of the case. Chapters 32-37.j He does
not accept the views of either Job his three
friends He represents new theories of Proyi-
dence. He however, cannot carry JOB with
him.
No solution satisfactory to Job has been
reached What then? Is God cruel or is there
no explanation? Or may not the matter well
rest for the time being in mystery? Can we
tread in Gods demain trusting him2
God ironically chapters 80 TO AZ: 81 calls on
Job to take upon himself the management of
the universe. Job is ashamed at his own pre-
sumption. God does not explain to JOB, but
the very presence of Deity resolves the riddle
or at iea5ts puts it in such light that Job gets
comfort out of it.
The last II verses show Job moro than re-
stored to former prosperity.
The book is quite dramatic the SHAKESPEARE
of the bible.
1t may not have been written by job but
job is the hero of the story.
The following outline will give summary
ing chapters:
I. Prolog. 1,2, God and Satan.
II. Argument.
B. I5sl, Job and three friends.
C. 22-31,
d. 32-37, Episode. Elihu
e. 37-42:1-6, God and Job.
III. Epilog. ~: III, Conclusion.
AS to the man Job we have no knowledge
He is as deep mystery as was Melchizedek.
So far as we know, that is to say historically,
he was without father, without mother, with
out descent, having neither beginning of days
nor end of life" Heb, 7:3.)
Mrs. Z. Bedell Benz amin once wrote very
plausible argument in support of the theory he
was the Job referred to in Cen, 49,: 13.
1t is generally understood the story is real
history that such man as Job actually existed
that he had the experience indicated; that
various unsatisfactory explanations were sug
gested to him. Moreover, it is held he was
a representative man in all these respects.
Many man has been called upon to go through
practically the struggles which JOB bore. The
fact the Book is so true to life is large part of
the reason why it has such hold on the
Christian heart; why every great theologian
has struggled with its problems; why yet it is
well for US to study its philosophy and dig out
its great truths.
The prolog and epilog of Job are prose; all
the rest of the book is poetry in Hebrew.
Prof. I. S. Bell has put so instructiyely his
conception of the value of the volume we are
now to study for time, We add his words:
"The book of Job was written by an Idumean
of the same family as that of the PheHcians,
while the Greeks were wandering tribes of
barbarians when they did not know even the
existence of such thing as al alphabet. As
work of high cosmcal power, or of the rarest
beauty of thought and felicity of expression, of
widely extended astronomical knowledge, the
book of Job transcends in merit every intel
lectual throb of all the combined ancient civil
cations. AS monument of intellectual power
and grace, this Idumean work may challenge
comparison with any display of mind that has
yet been exhibited by any of the civilizations
We estimate Ionic grace and power by Eschylus
and Sophocles, and English by SHAKESPEARE
What shall be said of the Cushite Arabian mind
that produced. and of the people who preserved
the book of Job? Where have its idylic beauty,
grace and power ever been surpassed? What has
equaIed its cosmical gifts? What ancient work
on the ethical relations Of man toward his Crea- |
tor has more eevating ennobling thoughts than |
this from the people of whom the PhOenicians |
were a family When viewed merely in the dra- |
matte treasures contained in Job. the intellect |
of PhGnician civilization may safely ask to be |