The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL %.

]. Then job answered the Lord and
said" After time the three men ceased
10 answer Job, because he was righteous in
his own eyes and justified himself rather
shan God (chapter xxi, l, y. Then to the
end of chapter xxxvii we have the wise and
weighty words of Elihu (the name signifies
"God Himself) speaking on Gods behalf
lxxxvi, o, to which Job makes no reply
From xxxviii, l. to XII, a. 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 81 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 herr, and so did Moses and the 10
spies and hosts of others Gen. xviii, 10. IA;
Mum. xi, 2l-23; xiii, 81, 3S). Let us also be
lieve that no purpose of God can be frus-
trated Cps. xxxiii, II; lisa. xiv, pa, and since
His ways and thoughts are as far above ours
as heaven is above the earth Qsa. ", 8, 81
let US away with ours however attractive
to ourselves and be filled with His, which
are sure Of accomplishment.
g. "Who is he that hideth counsel with
out knowledC p Therefore have / uttered
that | understood not; things too won
derful for me that / knew not" The
words of Jehovah had taken hold of him
(chapter xxxviii, 2, 81 and laid him low, ex-
posing his folly. Elihu had spoken wisely
when he said, I'VE cannot order our speech
by reason Of darkness" chapter xxxvii, ~
And the Holy Spirit through Paul ASSUMES
us that ''in us-that is, in our fesh-dwell-
eth no good thing !" and 1--WE are not suffi-
cient Of ourselves to think anything as of
ourselves" (Rom. vii, Is; II Cor iii, 5)
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and ! will speak
| will demand of thee and declare thou
unto me-" Job had talked thus foolishlv
xii, 22), and God had given him back his
own words (xyxyiii, s. Il, y, and it would
seem that Job now quotes them in deep
humility and self condemnation, for he he'd
already said: Il will lay mine hand upon
my mouth. Once have l spoken, but will
not answer. Yea. twice, but will proceed
no further" (xl, 81.
s. II have heard 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, a told us in the parable of the
sower that it would be so. The question
for us is, How do hear?" For the Saw
Jour teaches Us TO take heed how we hear
and what we hear" Mark iv, 24 Luke viii,
49, 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
SoiI Cd nd
drink" (Ex xiv, ID The key TO these
sayings is probably found in John /, Is
6. Wherefore abhor myself and repent
in dust and ashes" This is a wondrous
change from chapter xxx, where in replying
TO Bldad and singing his own praises he
uses the prOnOuns l. 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 a man of unclean
lips" Daniel said, "All my comeliness
was turned to corruption in me-" And
even John fell on his face as one dead lisa.
vi, 3; Dan. X, viii; Rev. i, xviii The right
eousness of Christ makes ours to appear as
droSs and filthy rags phil iii, s; lisa. Xiv,
o. 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 L, but Christ, who liveth I'm
me-" Not /, but the grace of God, which
was with me" (Gal. ii, 20; Cor XIV, lO). 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. Is; Heb. xiii, 20, 21).
Z. And it was so that, after the Lord had
spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said
to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kim
died against thee and against thy two
friends, for ye have not spoken of Me right,
as My servant job" We are to give an &C
count of our words, and if by our words we
honor God He will honor us (Nlath. xii, Sc;
i Sam. ii, 30) What a 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
preach? Do we magnify His grace and in
every way by word and deed exalt the Lord
Jesus Christ.
s. Therefore take unto you now seven
bullocks and seven rams, and go to Ny
servant Job and offer up for yourselves
burnt Offering and My servant Job shall
pray for you" There is no forgiveness of
sin without the shedding of blood, for it is
the blood that maketh atonement for the
soul CHeb 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, ~. 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 lisa. 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 job"
Note the grace of God to these men and
how He made known TO them the way of
the forgiveness of sins. But it would have
availed nothing if they had not done as
commanded. Many know the way of life
who do not accept that lifo, and many more
who are true servants of God, as Job was,
waste much precious time in fruitless talk
10. And the Lord turned the captivity of
Job when he prayed for his friends; also
the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had
before" The rest of the chapter is the de
tailed statement of which this is a sum
mary: One hundred and forty years of life,
twice the allotted span Cps. xc, 10), the
same number of sons and daughters CHAP
ter i, q, which, with those gone before,
would make the double As to all his cat
tie, they were literally doubled. Then see
in verse IL how all his relations and &C
quaintances brought him presents and