The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-05-04

JOBS Comforters -came to him an
the up-shot Of their counsel was 2
summed up in the opening speech {
Eliphaz, the Temanite, that the fea
OF God was his confidence, that hi
hope lay in the integrity of his WAYS
for Job was asked to remember who
ever persisted being innocent? O
where were the upright cut Off" Ac
cording to Eliphaz's observations. the,
that plowed iniquity and sowed troubl,
/. reaped the same, by the breath O
/ God they persisted, and by the BIAS
: OF his anger they are consumed" II
other words the doctrine OF Elipba,
and his two friends is, that all calam
lty IS judgement of sin-but this is
made a source of hope for Job thro
confession and submission: while the
doctrine of Elihu, the fourth friend is
that calamity is at least warming and
therefore he appeals to Job to repent
AS have just said, such was the doc.
trine, the theology Job had himself
believed, but as he was not conscious
OF any unrighteousness his faith be-
came shaken and would have been nj
terly destroyed, save that we find him
being lead steadily forward. until in
the final revelation he sees God as He
is, face to face. But throughout the dis
cussion, in which Job and his friends
argue from every possible point of
view, he persists that he is innocent.
and finally appeals to God himself.
when he says:
l know that my Vindicator liveth.
And that he shall stand up at the last
upon the earth;
And after my skin hath been thus des.
troyed,
Yet without my flesh shall I see God.
Whom l shall see on my side,
And mine eyes shall behold and not
another.
The argument is thus carried for.
ward among them, until finally while
Elihu, the fourth friend, is speaking
and charging upon the infinite distance
between God and man, the greatness
OF God and mans inability to maintain
his cause against such power, a vio-
lent storm begins to bear down upon
them; the DICTATOR becomes frightened
at this new evidence of God power and
wrath, and his arguments grow inco-
herent. rambling and hysterical. And
Just here the Lord speaks out CT the
whirlwind and asks of Job: who is
this that darkeneth counsel by words
without knowledge" In other words, |
who is this who is talking so much up
o1 a subject of which he knows moth |
ing, of something of which he is en- |
.irely ignorant? The Lord then reveals |
himself to Job and says, mark you,
hat Job was right and that his auth |
)rdox friends were wrong in their !
heory that He was affecting Job for
lis sins. This is not my personal in
'erenoe, for these are the words with |
which we might conclude to what
night be termed the negative answer
o the question as to the source of
And the Lord said unto
1liphaz, the Tamanite, my wrath is
lindled against thee and thy two
riends, for we have not spoken of me
he thing that is right as my servant
lob hath and my servant Job shall
ray for you for him will l accept, least
deal with you after your folly. And
be Lord turned the captivity of Job
when he prayed for his friends. And
he Lord also gave Job twice as much
S he had before
It is certain then that the book OF
oh was W"itten-among other things,
for the purpose of denying
he horrible doctrine or rather super
tition, that disease, pestilence and
are evidences of Divine dis
avor and declare the righteousness
nd unworthiness Of those thus attic
ed. The voice out of the whiclwind
avs that such a theology is folly"
Bat there is also positive as well
S a negative revelation in the book
f Job And 1t is this positive truth
hat is Of personal, direct and vital
lterest to US. It is this. We must
office all thro the progress of the
rama that Job is asking, as millions
ave asked since and millions are ask
1g today, WHY? He pleads to know
he why. Why this affection. why that
nat calamity, why that sorrow, why
ne loss of property, why the murder
f his servants, why the death of his
hildren, and why this horrible, loath-
ONE, grinding leprosy that was upon l
i'm. He reaches out in every direc-
on. he summons to his help all his
isdom, all his strength, and his pow {
r of heart and mind, all his sexper- !
,nce in life he calls to his aid, but all !