The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-04-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
International Lesson for April 8, 1898
AAaicfions S1acfiaed- 81

GOLDEN TEXr.-For whom the Lord loveth
He chasteneth-Eeb. 1870.
THE BOOK OF jon "iS admitted. with hardly
. diSSentlent voice, TO be the most sublime
religious poem in the literature Of the world -
Samuel Cox II call that one Of the Crandest
things ever written with pen. A noble book:
all mems book 49, There is nothing written IN
the Bible or out Of it, Of equal literary merit
Thomas Carlyle.
AUTHORITIES authorship OF the Book Of
job is entirely unknown No hint anywhere is
given as To who wrote the book. He is 1.-The
Great Unnamed" inspired by the Holy Spirit
OF God
SCENES FROM JOBS LIFE.
Scene LOB, a wealthy Arab sheik
or prince, IAN ideally perfect man, not
only morally blameless, but also both
sincerely and scrupulously religious,
man whose virtue and piety are beyond
suspicion" He was very wealthy,
with great herds of cattle and a vast
retinue of officers and servants. His
three thousand camels imply that he
was "a prircely merchant, sending out
! large caravans to trade in the cities of
bthe east" He was. too, of princely
heart. visiting the sick and aiding the
poor and blessing the widow and the
/ fatherlcss. He had thus grown into
middle life. His children had grown up
ard settled with their families around
him. Everything was religious, peace
ful and prosperous.
Scene 1.-THE counsels of God
/ We now turn from earth to the unseen
regions above. God is represented as
doing in form what in some spiritual
way He actually does. His messengers
. are gathered from all parts of the
world, among them the adversary,
Satan. "a mocking. detracting, reckless,
/ impudent being. all whose regards CEN
( ter in disqualification" and who,
therefore, having no goodness himself,
does not believe in goodness anywhere.
All goodness has its price, is paid for,
and is therefore only form of selfish
ness. He that believes that there is no
J goodness. no unselfish love, thereby de-
clares that he himself has none. God
points out job as a truly good man.
Satan replies: Docs Job fear God for
naught?" Who would not be good if
he were so well paid for it? As Glory
McWhirls said: Anybody can be good
on FIVE thousand a year" But put
Al-iIll no" siiI lOlIil ill LID I
he hath. and he will renounce thee to
thy face" In order 20 prove that Jobs
piet- was sincere and true, that there
was such thing as real virtue and true
religion, God gave Satan permission to
take away Jobs property and his
family, and leave him poor and desc
: late man.
Scene IN-Job in his home at Uz. All
at once calamity follows calamity in
rapid succession. The divine wall of
protection around his home seems to be
suddenly removed. and all the troubles
of the world rush in and overwhelm the
good man. Job bore the trial as be-
came saint. He could not know why
these evils had come upon him. Clouds
and darkness surrounded the Provi-
dence of God: but he knew that there
was silver lining on the other side,
and that in spite of all God is love.
Scene IE.-The counsels of Heaven.
Job is pointed out again as serving and
loving God in very truth, and not for
pay. But Satan declares that the test
was not complete. Accordingly he is
allowed to torment Job with any phys
zeal ailment, only he must not touch
his life.
Seen. E-Job is now afflicted with an
awful form of leprosy, the elephantia-
sis. so called. either from its likeness to
the rough hide of the elephant, or be-
cause il was monStrouS disease, as
great among diseases as the elephant is
among animals At first, though in
tensely loathsome. it is not very pain
full. so that Job could easily speak with
his friends, but it usually ends in death
in the course of few years. 1t was re-
. garded as a direct stroke from God.
Job had before him only brief life, in
which there was no hope. no comfort.
himself disgusting spectacle to his
friends, and looked upon as an outcast
from God as we'll as men.
Discussion Of the Pro5lem.-The witness
! of Job to the reality of religion and
; virtue and his own discipline and de-
. velopment of character, are worked GU,
} by the discussion of the great problem
of Providence: How can the Affections
of good men, and the prosperity OF
, wicked men. be reconciled with the
goodness of God and His supreme con
, troll?
Three friends, men of ability, chief:
and leaders like Job. came to condole
with Job. and offer him their wise ad
vice El:phaz, 1.-The wisest and oldest,
is from Temap. district northeast o.
Edom. within easy reach of Uz in the
! Hauran Teman was famed for the
0 wisdom of its inhabitants Bildad, thu
t Shuttle, is descendant of Shuah, {
e son of Abraham by keturah. Zophar
e the Naamathite, probably belonged t
= some place east of the Jordan, near thu
3 Eauran. For seven days these friend:
, sat by Job in silence
/ This was the beginning OF long de
, bate. The theory of the friend was:First
e That God. being good and just, mus
2 measure out suffering in proportion t
sin. How else could He be just?
2 Second Therefore, Job must have
o committed some great crime. ''Th'
2 four caIamities occurring in one de-.
|, cannot be an accident. 1t is taken fo
= granted by all-Job, his wife. anc
p his frienHs-that he is for some reason