The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-04-13

thee and be instructed! No questions are pro-
posed. the expression Of this sentiment being
al that IS intended by the repetition of the
words"
lt may be they are uttered in repetition of
Gods declaration TO show how Just God was
IN utieTaE them. God hal cause so TO speak
then as much As bad Job now
OF the idea away be. have done with human
ac visers. They Eave failed. Hereafter I will
seoS thee for my explanations
g. / have heard Of thee By the hearing Of
the ear. " 81 / have been taught Of thee
IL IS likely Job bad religious parents He had
eonveEsed with others as to God. For years he
had beard more or less about religious things
as then understood. As n consequence he had
reached certain conclusions as 10 the concerns
Of the soul and the dealings of God with NOR
tais. All this. however, was in the form Of
theory aud creed.
Z. Now mine eyes see thee. ". 81 I have
had personal experience. There may be
reference TO the manifestations of God in the
whlrlwind and the accompanying words from
heaven. He felt the force of two senses, hear
ing and seeing. and may add third, feel
ing. 1t does not seem God had been seen By
Job other than in the wonderful demOnstra-
tiOns and declarations.
8. | abhor myself. " g. It has always
been the case that the more men learn Of God
the less complacent they become. lisa, 6.5.j
He is holy; men find themselves sinful He is
powerful; men are puny. He takes in eterni-
ty; men can hardly in their ideas go beyond
the present hour. DIR. kendrick SAYS: "As
soon as n man sees God for himself gets a per-
sonal sense of Gods holiness, ali the comforta-
bic complaceucy in which lie may previ-
ous.y have been living is destroyed. He eau
no longer regard with satisfaction the respecta-
bIllty of his life, on which he has prided HIM
self; he now perceiges that in the light of
f-rrff- ii
the standard of Gods holiness he is utterly
condemned"
9. Repent in dust and ashes. fV6.) Com
pare josh, 7:6; Jonah, 3: s. 6, 10; Mic, L 10,
1t was an oriental custom. when one felt sad or
repentant, to cover himself with sackcloth and
scatter ashes over his face and clothing There
IS significance in externals. Some churches
dress their places Of worship in coIors accord
ing to seasons; as, e. g., black on Good Friday,
white on Easter, etc.
10. These words. ". ~ To wit, chapters
80 to Al, inclusive
II. 1t is clear not only Eliphaz is included
in Gods disapprovaI. va but also Bildad and
Zopbar The last two are meant by "thy two
friends" ". H. Eiihu is not included, and vet
God did not approve all that Elihu had said
Eliphaz alone is mentioned by name Gin V. ~.
Why? 1t has been judged he was the oldest of
the three or the greatest in rank. Great re-
spect was paid to said two items in considering
men. Then, he may be mentioned because he
led off in each round Of discussion fact how
ever, due to greater age or wealth or position.
Verse shows plainly all three were included
(2:1l)
IL. Wrath kindled. (Y.7) Matthew Henry
remarks: They thought they had spoken
wonderful well. and that God was beh01den to
them for pleading his cause, and owed them q
good fee for It; but they are told that, quito
contrary, he is displeased with them. requires
from them sacrifice, and threatens that other
wise be will deal with them after their folly.
! Many times God is angry at that in US which
we ourselves are proud Of and sees much amiss
in that which We think was well done"
IL. Not spoken of me the thing that is right.
(N.7) All along the three claimed Job must
have done some great wrong Job knew no
was not perfect, but he was not conscious of
personal sinfulness warranting such severe az
Fiction. He knew, too, there were persons who
were greater sinners, and yet who escaped any
marked punishment. He therefore, drew the
conclusion there must be other reasons for
human affiction than punitive purposes.
God is our Father and maintains corrective
and disciplinary care of US. Had God so treated
Job on account of his sins, il would have been
easy to show be is very unfair and very partial.
But God has reasons, far-reaching and perhaps
| at present inexpiicable, in his dealings with
US. We must trust him. "He is too wise to
err and too good 20 be unkind." Standing boz
| tween Gods All-wisdom and mans AIl-limited-
/ ness, Job did not presume to explain, prefer
ring to lie in Gods Hand and await the results
| of 0mniscieuce.
| He is better TO me than all my hopes
| He is better than all my fears;
I He makes a bridge of my broken works.
And rainbow of my tears"
! Il As my servant hath. v.7.) Compare
| this with / GILL 2:3-5. Job bore the awful
| ordeal and at the end received Gods approval.
| 10 Seven. (V. g. In Scripture seven is
used to indicate complete number-all that
| is required to meet the case. (Nu., 23:1 Rev,
Id, IL, Is, 2O)
| t. We have in V. 8 job as type of Christ "a
Mediator. Il IT,, 2: 81
/ H. Offer up for yourselves (V. 81 It is
supposed by some that this direction shows job
lived in days before the LeYitical law went into
/ operation. Prior TO that the patriarchS acted
as priests for their respective families. '(Gen.,
4:4; $50; 12:7)
IL. Burnt Offering. Wy Such an offering
was an admission of sin and recognition of
| atonement or OF the doctrine that remission Of
sins comes from the shedding of blood. DR..
| Kendriek notes thus: sit will be the natural
! instinct Of a forgiven and so forgiviug heart
| to pray for others. even for those who have
| been, as Jobs friends had shown themselves
| toward him, unkind and unjust. If they
| did their part-confessed their sin against
| God by Offering sacrifice, and their wrong
| done to job by Offering it through him as
worthier than themselves-they might count
| upon Jobs disposition and readiness to do his
| part in the way of affectionate intercession on
their behalf"
10. Turned the captivity. Henry says.
| brought him out from the bondage of affiic-
ton to his former state of prosperity. Such a
metaphorical use of the phrase would naturally
arise in times when captivity, one of the most
| dreaded evils. was not an uncommon calamity"
20. Twice as much. (Y. 10) Compare this
verse with 1:3, and notice the items are ex-
actly doubled. In both eases we are, however.
doubtless to understand only round numbers.
| Conclusion
We may say, with Jeremy Taylor, Suffering
/ is a title to an excellent inheritance"
| Spring Cleaning.