The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 197

CMM/ul, hope in toil; the respect ancl homage of frienda and n1if,Of'e, For there 1B ROroe- thing magnetic in piety and goodness; it seems a kind of amber which attmcta to Itself, Buch will be, ever are, the fruits of a hen.rt free from guile, and at peace with God. Zophar'e ent.husiaetic picture ie fitted to kindle a love of virtue n.nd piety; but ita exclu~ion of the facts and relations of life renders it but partially true, like the mn.1.ima of his two fiit>nds. We must be content to foel the.t there is a truth, e.nd a very deep a11<l Divine truth, in this sequence, without denying that there are complications of thia truth with others, as in the case of Job, which God and eternity can n.lone unravel. VI. DAnK PIOTURS, IN OONTRAST, OF THE WICKED. (Ver. 20.) 1. The languor of vain loudng. 'l'heir eyes waste and consume with watching e.nd tears for a dawn that never comes (cump. Pe. vi. 7). 2. Escape from the prison of their woe ia denied. 8, Hope and life are t-0get.her extingoished.---.J. • crs. l~.-&lj-wmpl,arency corukmned. Even the lowly and humble are liable ~ over-estimate t~eir own goodness, and the more so if roused to self-justification. All 1mpe_rfect human Judgments, given a.s Job's were, under the influence of deep feeling, are h~ble_ to ~ c~lo~red, to be overdrawn and extravagant. Job's long speech in his ?wn Justificat10n 1s liken~ by Zophar to a torrent. Zophar, like his companions, may JU<l!!e Job hanibly, wherein lies his error and theirs; but his words have a vein of truth in them. He is right in condemning the self-complacent, who can prate freely of his own goodness, whether he is judging Job rightly or wrongly. " I. SELF-<JOllPLAOENCY A.P'l' TO BORY ITSELF IN A.. llroLl'ITUDE OF WORDS. It would almost seem that the mere abundance of Job's answers to all the accusations raised e.ga.inst him excites his friend's retort. Yet how true is it that the self-complacent one, willing to justify himself, finds arguments in abundance I And, being on his defence, he is liable to view things with a prejudiced eye. The man "full of talk" is in danger of burying truth in "the multitnde of words." The greater need for guarding against the perils of exaggeration by how much many words are used. A strict watch necessary when the tongue runneth over. •, II. SELF-COMPLACENCY SHOWN ESPECIALLY IN BELF-TUSTJFICATION, This the point of Zophar's accusation. 'l'his the constant danger. A man at peace with _himself, rightly or wrongly believing in hia own innocence, is most liable to justify himself. The lowly self-accused spirit is freed from this especial danger. Self-justification shows the standard by which life is judged to be a low one. As men rise in goodness, and so in their clearer discernment of the true nature of righteoUBnese, they are bowed down in self-abasement. '£he self-justified has but & poor and very imperfect standard of right before his eyes. "Shall no man make thee ashamed?" Therefore- Ill. SELF-COMPLACENCY BIDES THE JUDGllENT OF Goo FRO.I[ THE EYES. The man comes up to his standard. He is open to no more teaching. His "doctrine is pure ; " he is "clean "-at least, in his own "eyes." Such a man in danger of perverting judgment. To close the eyes to the Divine judgment upon the life, even though that judgment he severe, is to do irreparable harm to the character. Let the true light shine, though it reveal faults of the gravest kind and bring down the pride of men to the very earth. Zophar may not intend to accuse Job of intentional lying, but he· does e.ccUJ!e him of error. Men must err in their judgmente if the standards. by which they judge are false. The eye blinded by self-complacency cannot see that which, if clearly seen, wo:ild condemn. JV. 8ELF·CO.MPLACENCY REBUKED BY AN ACCURATE VIEW OF THE DIVINE JUDG- HENTS. To this Job was ultimately brought. We see him in the process-in the way, If God "speak," if he" open his lips," his wor<ls a.re sure to condemn. If he shows "the secrets of wisdom," then would appear his gracioUB forbearance, and, even in th., case of the he.avily afflicted, it would be revealed that he "exacteth Iese than iniquity deserveth." One day the clear light will shine, and not Job only, but every perplexed and suffering son of .Adam, will see that the Lord ie gracioUB and merciful, that he_ does not render to man the whole fruit of hie evil doings. He remem~rs the frailty and error of men's judgwentll, and is patient and forgiving.-R. G.