Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 20.

AtNb VI tuo f-cssob, oOD XIII, l-lO-NIem-
DRY Verses, 8, 8-Golden Text, Jas. v,
IL Commentary by the Rev. ID. Nj.
stearns-
!. Then Job answered the Lord and
said" After a time the three men ceased
to answer Job, because he was righteous in
his own eyes and justified himself rather
than God (chapter xxi, 30. Then to the
end of chapter xxxvii we have the wise and
weighty words of Elihu (the name signifies
God HimselfD speaking on Gods behalf
(xxxvi, q, to which job makes no reply
From xxxviii, /, to xii, 81, Jehovah speaks,
and now for the first time since the three
friends stopped, with the exception of chap
ter xl, 3-5, Job makes reply, but we shall
hear him as an entirely different man from
the one who made reply to Eliphaz and the
others, giving them as good as they gave
him.
2. II know that Thou canst do every.
thing, and that no thought can be with
holden from Thee" 1t is good and help
full thing to believe that God can do every
thing, and that nothing is too hard or won.
derful for Him der. xxi, ~. Sarah
stumbled here and SO did Moses and the 10
spies and hosts of others Gen. xviii, 10, "A;
Mum. xi, 2l-23; xiii, 81, 33). Let us also be
lieve that no purpose Of God can be frus-
trated (Ps. xXxiii, III lisa. xiv, 24 and since
His ways and thoughts are as far above ours
as heaven is above the earth lisa. ", s, 9)
let US away with ours, however attractive
to ourselves, and be filled with His, which
are sure of accomplishment.
8. "Who is he that hideth counsel with
out knowledge? Therefore have | uttered
that ! understood not; things too Won
derful for me that l knew not" The
words Of Jehovah had taken hold of him
chapter xviii, 2, 81 and laid him low, ex-
posing his folly. Elhu had spoken wisely
when he said, 1--WE cannot order our speech
by reason of darkness" (chapter xxxvii 19).
And the Holy Spirit through Paul assumes
us that lin us-that is, in our fesh-dwell-
eth no good thing" and I'VE are not suffi-
cient Of ourselves to think anything as Of
ourselves" (Rom. vii, IS; II Cor ill., 81
4. Hear, | beseech thee, and | will speak.
| will demand of thee and declare thou
unto me" Job had talked thus foolishly
| xiii, 22), and God had given him back his
own words (xXXviii, 3; xl, y, and it would
seem that Job now quotes them in deep
humility and self condemnation, for he had
already said Il will lay mine hand upon
my mouth. Once have | spoken, but will
not answer. Yea, twice, but will proceed
no further" (xl, 4, g.
8. II have beard of thee by the hearing OF
the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee" 1t
is to be feared that much hearing of the
| gospel is merely hearing by the ear. In
fact, He who is perfect in knowledge
| (xxxvi, ~ told us in the parable of the
sower that it would be so. The question
for us is, How do hearf" For the Say
Jour teaches us to take heed how we hear
and what we hear" Mark iv, "a; Luke viii,
| lS) AS to seeing God, it is written,
blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God" (Math. V, s. But God said
| to Moses There shall no man see Me and
| live" (Ex. xxxiii, 20). And yet again it is
said They saw God and did eat and
drink" (EX. xiv, ~. The key to these
sayings is probably found in John i, 49,
g. Wherefore abhor myself and repent
in dust and ashes" This is a wondrous
change from chapter xxx, where in replying
to Bildad and singing his own praises he
uses the pronouns |, me, my about SO
| times. In the presence of God the hottest
men are made to feel ashamed. Isaiah said,
Woe is me, for | am II man of unclean
lips" Daniel said "All my comeliness
was turned to corruption in me-" And
even John fell on his face one dead lisa
| vi, 5, Dan. Y, viii, Rev. /, XVIII The right
eousness OF Christ makes ours to appear as
dross and filthy rags phil iii, S; lisa. Xiv
6) while the serving of Christ makes ours
to appear as not worthy of mention. The
language Of the self emptied man will be in
| the line OF this verse, or that of Paul, when
he says: Not |, but Christ, who liveth in
me-" Not |, but the grace of God, which
was with me" Gal ii, 90; Cor XIV, 10Y. 1t
is God who worketh in us both to will and
to do of His good pleasure, and it is our
place to let Him, yielding ourselves fully to
Him phil ii, ID; Heb xiii, 90 2l).
/ And it was so that, after the Lord had
spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said
to Eliphaz the Temante. My wrath is kin
died against thee and against thy two
friends, for We have not spoken of Me right,
as My servant job" We are to give an ac-
count of our words, and if by our words we
honor God He will honor US (Math. xii, So;
| Sam. H. 30 What Il word is here for
every teacher and preacher--do we say
what is right Of God? Do we honor Him.
telling of His salvation from day to day? Is
it His righteousness and this only that we
preachY Do we magnify His grace and in
every way by word and deed eXalt the Lord
Jesus Christ.
s. wherefore take unto You now seven
bullocks and seven rams, and go to My
servant Job and offer up for yourselves a
burnt offering, and My servant Job shall
pray Tor YOU Inere Is no forgiveness OF
sin without the shedding of blood, for it is
the blood that maketh atonement for the
soul Heb. tx, %; Lev xvii, ID But,
blessed be God, there is forgiveness for all
who come in true penitence Not by the
blood of bulls and goats, but by His own
blood He hath obtained eternal redemp
ton for us Heb. tx, 10y. Observe also
how He deals with those who touch His
| servants-they must obtain forgiveness
from God, and they must also be humbled
before those servants of God whom they
have touched Let the afflicted and perse-
cuted rejoice in Isa. liv, II, and in great
quietness and confidence commit their case
to God and let Him see to it,
9. $50 Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad
the Shuttle, and Zophar the Naamathite
went and did according as the Lord com
manded them. The Lord also accepted OBJ"
Note the grace of God to these men and
| how He made known to them the way of