The Second Sunday in Advent
The
Collect.
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LESSED
Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant
that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest
them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever
hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The
First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
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A
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LMIGHTY
God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us
the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son
Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he
shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
¶
This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent,
until Christmas Day.
If we understand the Book of Job with the same mind of Job's three friends, it
will be difficult to understand the truth expressed in the book. It is a common
failing of man to judge the works of God by the wisdom of the world and not of
Heaven. The arguments of Eliphaz and Bildad have shown that their so-called
wisdom is based on worldly wisdom. They declare every pain and suffering of man
to come from God and to be attributable to some hidden sin. All pain,
suffering, and death is attributable to that Archenemy of our Souls – the
Devil, not God! Moreover, do Bildad and Eliphaz consider themselves innocent? As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open
sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison
of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness (Romans 3:10-14) This well describes the friends of Job.
They see the mote in Job's eye, but miss the beam of timber in their own eye.
If they will give counsel, why no base that counsel in the Word and Love of God
instead of some ancient and worldly knowledge? Do we not do the same? Our
speeding on the highway is justified, but the speeding of others is
foolishness? Our ills are sent to the blameless as to Job, but the illness of
others comes as a result of some hidden sin (or so we think). Sorry, I am an
unabashed defender of Job as a man righteous under the mercy and grace of God
and not in his own right.
Job 9
King James
Version (KJV)
9 Then Job answered and
said,
2 I know it is so of a truth: but how
should man be just with God?
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot
answer him one of a thousand.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in
strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
5 Which removeth the mountains, and they
know not: which overturneth them in his anger.
6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place,
and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth
not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens,
and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and
Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
10 Which doeth great things past finding
out; yea, and wonders without number.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he
passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder
him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the
proud helpers do stoop under him.
14 How much less shall I answer him, and
choose out my words to reason with him?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would
I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me;
yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and
multiplieth my wounds without cause.
18 He will not suffer me to take my breath,
but filleth me with bitterness.
19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong:
and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall
condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know
my soul: I would despise my life.
22 This is one thing, therefore I said it,
He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will
laugh at the trial of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the
wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is
he?
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they
flee away, they see no good.
26 They are passed away as the swift ships:
as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I
will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know
that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
29 If I be wicked, why then labour I in
vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, and
make my hands never so clean;
31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch,
and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I
should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us,
that might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and
let not his fear terrify me:
35 Then
would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Job, in the opening verses of this Chapter, admits that he is not free of sin
as charged. None are! The Job asks: "….how should man be just with
God? (9:2b) Our righteousness is a filthy rags before God, so how are
we justified? But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
Certainly, it is plain that we are not justified by OUR righteousness – neither
Eliphaz, nor Bildad, nor Job, nor YOU! For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24) Is it not
amazing that our hope is always anchored in Christ even if we be Job? All of
the Bible is centered on this One central Figure – the Lord Jesus Christ!
Do we know God's Word, but disagree with what God has clearly said in that
Word? Do we believe that we can prevail in an argument against the Almighty,
the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, God? If he will contend with him, he
cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in
strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
(9:3-4) Job knows that regardless the opinions of men such as Bildad, the
wisdom of God is greater. Bildad's wisdom cannot hold a candle to that of God!
We may wonder and inquire of God's purpose in all things, but, whether we know
it or not, God's purpose is wise, good, and just.
Please see how ell Job knows and loves the majesty of God: Which removeth
the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. Which
shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. Which
commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. Which
alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which
maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which
doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
(9:5-10) Even in his torments, Job sees God's great power and beauty. He knows
that the tiniest flower is fashioned by God, but also the great expanse of
space with its innumerable heavenly bodies. Job knows God better than the men
on the Road to Emmaus that day after the Crucifixion. They knew not that God
was with them in Christ, but Job does, indeed, know. Lo, he goeth by
me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not
(9:11) He knows God is near to him even if he cannot see Him with his physical
eyes – much like the blind Fanny Crosby whose beautiful hymns speak so often of
seeing the Face of Christ.
Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What
doest thou? (Job 9:12) Can any question God and His doings? All that we
see, know, have, and lose was created by Him. There is not a single breeze the
blows that did not come from His gentle blowing.
How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with
him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would
make supplication to my judge (Job 9:14-15) Even if we consider
our ways righteous, we must fear the face of the Lord and His Holy
righteousness. He is the great Sovereign of all sovereigns whose displeasure we
cannot risk by attempts to reason with His purposes. How could a grain of wheat
argue with the sower over the depth of its planting? God is NOT our equal – He
is our Judge and Maker!
Please read these words of Job to see if you fully agree: For he breaketh
me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. He will not
suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. If I speak
of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to
plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am
perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet
would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. (Job 9:17-21) Do you
believe that God does anything without cause – without purpose? Do you believe
we have a helter-skelter God? Nonsense! Do you believe that God will not suffer
Job to take a breath? Do you know that every breath Job takes comes by grant of
God? Job is correct that he is condemned by the words of his own mouth, if he
were condemned at all. But God has not condemned Job. He is allowing the
champion of his choice to prove his faith to us. Even human perfection fall so
far short of the glory of god that we must despise that perfection when
contrasted with the perfection of God.
This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect
and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial
of the innocent. (Job 9:22-23) God has not ever destroyed a
single soul. Souls are created for immortality. They shall never die. The only
great difference is the circumstances of their Eternity – either with God in
Heaven, or with Satan in Hell. Job would be right if he makes reference to
troubles befalling both the righteous and the wicked, for they do indeed. Do
you really believe that God laughs at the trials of the innocent? God grieves
that man (Adam in the Garden and every other to be born) brings upon himself
such destruction of hopes through sin. At bottom of the balances, all have
sinned – there is none righteous. Justice is perverted by the wicked, not by
God.
Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and
comfort myself: I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not
hold me innocent. If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? (Job
9:25-29) The plain truth is that Job is using the same measurement for the
cause of his torments as his two friends have used. His days, like ours, are
fleeting as the morning mist. He KNOWS that God will not hold him innocent? He
is wrong! God holds him in the imputed righteousness of His Son, Jesus.
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; Yet
shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he
is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in
judgment.
(Job 9:30-32) Job, like us,
cannot wash his hands of sin – only God can forgive, redeem, and impute
righteousness. We do not hold negotiation with God over our sins. He is the
sole Sovereign and Judge.
Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand
upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify
me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
(Job 9:33-35)Job is wrong here, too, though he will know by faith that there
is, indeed, a daysman (mediator) betwixt him and God – the man, Christ Jesus.
There is no other who can absolve from sin other than Christ the Lord. It is
understandable that Job's faith is shaken and affected by his suffering. This
is not abnormal, but normal. The great test comes in overcoming our doubts and
fears in persevering in faith and trust toward God. I have had more occasion
than Job to quibble over what God's will is for my life, and why God allows
certain hard experiences to fall my way. Looking back from the top of the great
mountain of years I have traversed, I can clearly see God's perfections, and my
shortcomings, at all those points. God taught me through those trials, and He
teaches you, too.
