The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ
to the Gentiles.
[January 6.]
The Collect.
|
O
|
GOD, who by the leading of a star
didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we,
who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy
glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave
In today's devotion on Chapter 16, Job expounds upon what one should expect,
and NOT expect, from a friend. In the opening two verses, Job declares that all
he has heard from his three friends is nothing new to his ears, but rather
common knowledge; however, instead of being faithful comforters, his three
friends are on a binge of condemnation – the very opposite of what a friend in
need should expect. We all make mistakes in life often not related to
intentional sin, but how often our friends and companions come forward with
railing accusations of how our sins have resulted in our misfortune.
Job alleges that the words of his friends are vain. He wonders at the bravery
of ignorance on their part, for ignorance is surely brave. 4 I
also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap
up words against you, and shake mine head at you. 5 But I would strengthen
you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
Every belligerent fellow can condemn and accuse, but a true friend will seek
diligently for words of comfort. There are ways of framing our words to have an
opposite effect even if the meaning is constant; for example: If I tell a young
lady that her face is "enough to make time stand still"
I will have a good effect on her disposition; but if I say, "Your face is
enough to stop a clock" the result will not be at all
favorable even though the two phrases technically have the same meaning.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I
forbear, what am I eased? When Job openly states his case, even
greater words of condemnation fall from the mouths of his friends. If he
remains silent, the same result ensues. He is saying to his friends, "What
must I do or say; not do, or not say; to gain the sympathy of a friend?" 7
But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my
company. 8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a
witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to
my face. "My deep despondency now is matched by my physical
appearance" says Job. "I look like an aged wreck, and I am, indeed,
an aged wreck inside." If you would feel my heart with comforting words,
the outside appearance might, as well, assume that happy countenance. It is
much like one of our favorite verses of Psalms – Purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalms
51:7) The same principle applies here: God purges with a purgative (hyssop) our
inner heart first; He then washes our physical appearance to match the beauty
within.
Job finally, abandons tact and speaks his real mind regarding those who present
themselves as friends. He makes direct reference to them as `enemies.' 9 He
teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his
teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. 10 They
have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek
reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. To
whom do you believe Job makes reference as his enemies if not Eliphaz, Bildad,
and Zophar? Job has a cross to bear. Have you, too, born your cross which you
are commanded to take up daily? Every devout Christian will have moments not
unlike those of Christ upon the cross – perhaps not physically, but certainly
spiritually. How very like the Calvary experiences of our LORD to the words Job
utters here. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have
beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a
ravening and a roaring lion. (Psalms 22:12-13)
If the world loves you, it must not recognize anything of Christ in you. 11 God
hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the
wicked. 12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath
also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his
mark. These words are precise and true. God has delivered Job into
the hands of the ungodly (Satan and his allies) but only with qualified
limitations. IT is likely that the three friends of Job do cherish his
friendship just as did Peter when he counseled the Lord against His perfect
will: From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how
that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then
Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this
shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me:
for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
(Matt 16:21-23) We often play the part of the devil with the best
intentions. We all know the old adage, "The streets of Hel are paved with
good intentions." It is too often so. Remember that old roaring lion of 1
Peter 5:8. He takes the innocent lamb from the outermost edge of the flock
which was in perfect peace. He grabs it by the neck with his teeth and shakes
it mercilessly to break its neck and to end the struggle. Satan will render the
child of God just as paralyzed as a broken neck if we fall into his strong
teeth.
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins
asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. 14 He
breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. 15 I
have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
These are much like the words of Jesus on the cross: For dogs have
compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my
hands and my feet. (Psalms 22:16) Job recognizes the hand of the devil
behind the words of his friend and seems now to directly address his grievances
to the sole agent of his suffering –Satan. His words are prophetic, as well, of
the suffering of Christ. Christ was the One perfect and complete Sacrifice for
our sins - without blemish and without sin. Yet he suffered as no other has
ever suffered – for us!
16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the
shadow of death; 17 Not for any injustice in mine hands:
also my prayer is pure. This is the shared fellowship of
suffering with Christ that Job experiences. He is righteous in God's eye. He
has done no evil of which he is accused – yet he suffers as one condemned in
sin. Perhaps many good Christians, in the final struggle and throes of death,
pray for the relief of the grave. The grave is not feared by them, but viewed
as the doorway to their reward in Heaven. 18 O earth, cover
not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. There will never
be a cry of pain from the grave of those who die in the Lord. Life is in the
blood, and the grave cannot extinguish the life of a saint.
19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my
record is on high. Job declares that his innocent is already
determined by that Magistrate on high – his name is recorded in the Book of
Life while the wicked have no name at all written in the parched earth of Hell
for one needs no name in Hell.
Instead of offering words of sympathy and comfort to Job, his friends scorn
him. Does this not epitomize the meaning of a "fair weather friend?" 20 My
friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. If
we give our tears to God, He will keep them in his bottle. (Psalms 56:8) God
will take upon his own shoulders our grief's and miseries if we will only offer
them to Him.
Job posits a question that is truly a great prophecy: 21 O that
one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
Have you considered if this prophecy has yet been fulfilled? Have you remembered
our One intermediary between God and man – Christ Jesus, our Lord – whose death
on the cross tore the Temple Veil from top to bottom making a direct access for
us to the Throne of Grace? No other intermediary will suffice but Christ! What
comforting words we read from John's first epistle: And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is
the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) Christ has even defeated our Accuser
and has taken a retainer as our Advocate – and at such as time as Satan has
been cast into the Lake of Fire.
22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence
I shall not return. These might be the words of every man and woman
born upon earth. None shall return to this dreary and sin-filled world.
All have an inheritance of eternal duration – either Heaven or Hell. Life is
short, and even seventy or eighty years are a few short years compared to our
eternal destiny. Job might consider, rightly, that the vain words of his
friends are only a tiny ripple on the seas of eternity, and they ARE! No one in
Hell will reminisce of the happy moments and time on earth – they can only be
distracted by a constant pain – both physical and spiritual; but the
Heaven-born soul shall be full of happy memories of his First Love on earth,
and he shall be comforted by His beauty and glory moment by moment. Have you
that assurance, dear Reader?
