Job 8:13 - Homiletics

The hypocrite's hope.

I. A STARTLING DEFINITION . The hypocrite is:

1 . An ungodly person. He has an outward pretence of piety, but in reality be is destitute of true religion.

2 . A forgetter of God. It is not necessary that his impiety should take the form of flagrant wickedness. That might be easily detected, and would be altogether inconsistent with an appearance of godliness. It is enough that he simply forgets God.

II. AN AMAZING REVELATION . The hypocrite finds himself possessed of a hope, i.e. of God's favour and of eternal life; which hope is:

1 . Like the papyrus, the fruit of his prosperity, wholly dependent on external circumstances.

2 . Like the spider's web, a flimsy, unsubstantial edifice, deftly fashioned out of his own imagination.

3 . Like the gourd, complacently self-satisfying.

III. A FEARFUL PREDICTION . The hypocrite's hope shall perish:

1 . Like the papyrus, it may droop suddenly.

2 . Like the spider's web, it may be destroyed violently.

3 . Like the climbing plant, it will be blasted shamefully.

LESSONS .

1 . Examine well the grounds on which our hope of heaven rests.

2 . Seek to be possessed of that good hope which comes through grace.