Job 23:13-17 - Homiletics

Job to Eliphaz: 3. A meditation on the Divine Being.

I. LOFTY THOUGHTS CONCERNING GOD .

1 . The unity of the Divine nature. "For he is in one mind;" literally, "for he is in one" (verse 13). The interpretation which regards this as an allusion to the absolute majesty and undivided essence of the Deity, as in the sublime monotheistic confession of Israel ( Deuteronomy 6:4 ), though not accepted by all expositors, is yet pronounced by most to be perfectly admissible. How far Job had attained to a perception of the unique personality of the Godhead, as containing more hypostases (persons) than one, may be a subject of controversial discussion. But an utterance like the present seems to mark off Job by a wide gulf from ancient polytheistic idolaters. Job, his three friends, and doubtless many more besides, were monotheists, who held by the grand doctrine of the unity of Goal, which had descended to them in the line of primitive tradition, and which was subsequently republished to Israel from the summit of Mount Sinai. Nay, such passages as those which speak about a Daysman ( Job 10:1-22 :33), a heavenly Witness ( Job 16:19-21 ), and a Kinsman Redeemer ( Job 19:25 ), seem to intimate that Job at least, in his ecstatic moments, had caught a glimpse of the doctrine of a plurality of Persons in the Godhead, just as throughout the Old Testament generally the same doctrine is found lying in embryo, though not fully or distinctly revealed (cf. Genesis 1:1-3 ; Psalms 2:7 ; Psalms 33:6 ; Psalms 110:1 ).

2 . The immutability of the Divine purpose. "But he is in one," i.e. one purpose or determination, e.g. towards Job. Hence adds the patriarch, "Who can turn him?" (verse 13), meaning, nothing could deflect him from his fixed resolution to treat Job as a criminal. Dropping out of view the misconception which gave tone and color to all Job's representations of the Divine Being, the truth which remains, that the supreme God is unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth, and therefore invariable and unalterable in his decrees and purposes, is in accordance not only with the teachings of Scripture ( Numbers 23:19 ; 1 Samuel 15:29 ; Psalms 102:27 ; Proverbs 19:21 ; Ecclesiastes 3:14 ; Malachi 3:6 ; Acts 15:18 ), but with the dictates of reason. A Being not absolutely perfect in himself cannot be Divine. But a Being in himself absolutely perfect cannot be affected by anything from without or within so as to render him either less or more perfect than he is. Hence absolutely and in himself he must be" the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." If upon any of his dispensations towards the creature changes seem to pass, these changes, having been fixed and determined from the beginning, are in no degree inconsistent with his immutability. Whatever further alteration appears to surround his decrees is the result of change or variability in the creature.

3 . The irresistibility of the Divine power. "And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth;" literally, "And his soul desireth, and he doeth" (verse 13). Not only does the Supreme Intelligence act in accordance with a plan, but he has power adequate to carry into complete realization every item and detail of that plan. Nay, with such ease does he accomplish his purposes, his resources being unlimited, that he has simply to speak and it is done, to command and it standeth fast ( Psalms 33:9 ), or, as here represented, to form a wish and proceed to execute it (cf. Psalms 115:3 ; Isaiah 46:10 , Isaiah 46:11 ; Jeremiah 32:17 , Jeremiah 32:27 ; Daniel 4:25 ; Ephesians 1:11 ), without apprehension of defeat ( Job 9:12 ; Job 11:10 ; Job 41:10 , Job 41:11 ; 2 Chronicles 20:6 ; Isaiah 43:13 ); or failure ( Job 42:2 ; Genesis 18:14 ; Luke 1:37 ; Ephesians 3:20 ).

4 . The particularity of the Divine decrees. "For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me" (verse 14). What the Divine mind had preappointed as Job's portion, the Divine hand was engaged in carrying out. The plan of the universe is one that provides for attention to individuals. Nothing is too vast for infinite wisdom and power to comprehend or execute; nothing too mean and insignificant for the Divine mind to notice, or the Divine hand to govern. The falling of a sparrow equally with the dissolution of an empire has a place in the programme of the world which is prearranged by God. The portion of the feeblest saint on earth is as truly prepared for him as is the place that shall be filled by a nation or a race.

5 . The universality of the Divine government. "And many such things are with him." Possibly Job meant that God had many more applications and calamities of a like description wherewith to torture him; but the interpretation is not wrong which understands Job to say that his case was not exceptional, that his sufferings formed part of a great plan in which others besides himself were embraced; that, in fact, the supreme Ruler was exercising over mankind at large the same sort of irresistible sovereignty as over him, Job. And certainly the thought should in some degree mitigate the stroke of affliction when it falls on us, that no strange thing has happened to us, but only such as is common to men ( 1 Peter 4:12 ; 1 Peter 5:9 ).

II. MINGLED FEELINGS TOWARDS GOD .

1 . A sense of awe. "Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him" (verse 15). If the thought of an all-powerful, irresistibly and universally decreeing God arrayed against Job possessed him with inward fear and confusion, terror and dismay, much more should such emotions fill the minds of men who are as yet in their natural condition. And though in the case of such as have made peace with God there is no occasion for inward trepidation, slavish terror, or paralyzing fear, yet even they must find it difficult to contemplate the Divine character as above depicted without a consciousness of awe, without a feeling of profound veneration. So David remembered God, and was troubled ( Psalms 77:3 ). Christ's followers, however, have no need to be troubled by thoughts of either the Divine character or presence ( John 14:1 ). "Perfect love casteth out fear" ( 1 John 4:18 ). And we have received not the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" ( Romans 8:15 ).

2 . A consciousness of weakness. "For God maketh my heart soft" (verse 16), i.e. deprives it of strength, makes it faint and feeble ( Deuteronomy 20:3 ; Isaiah 7:4 ; Jeremiah 51:46 ). The effect produced on Job by a contemplation of the Divine character as an all-wise, irresistibly powerful, moral Governor, who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will, is not infrequently experienced by serious minds. Nothing impresses men with a conviction of his feebleness like a vivid realization of the power and wisdom of God as displayed in the material universe ( Psalms 8:5 , Psalms 8:6 ); nothing affords a glimpse into his spiritual worthlessness and insufficiency like a luminous presentation before his soul's eye of the moral majesty of God ( Isaiah 6:5 ; Luke 5:8 ; Revelation 1:17 ). Indeed, the human heart never either breaks or becomes dejected, discerns its weakness or realizes its insufficiency, until it comes in contact with God, e.g. Moses ( Exodus 4:10 ); Isaiah 6:5 ; Job ( Job 42:6 ).

3 . A feeling of perplexity. As understood by our translators, Job (verse 17) expresses amazement that God had not cat him off "before the darkness" of affliction had come upon him; i.e. either that God had kept him alive solely for the purpose of inflicting on him such mysterious suffering as he then endured (cf. Job 3:10 ), or that God had not removed him while at the height of prosperity, and in visible enjoyment of the Divine favour. So good people are often puzzled to understand why, in the providence of God, they should have been reserved for this or that particular ca]amity; and why, being what they are, sincere and humble followers of God, they should be treated with as much severity as if they were his foes. But this, of course, results from imperfect knowledge of' the special design and gracious benefits of affliction.

4 . A deficiency of faith. Otherwise interpreted, the language of Job (verse 17) asserts that what confounds him is not the external darkness covering his face, surrounding him on every side, and threatening to engulf him but the reward thought that God is against him. And just here Job evinces a lack of genuine trust, or spiritual confidence, in God. Had Job been as honest towards God as he was just towards himself, had he given God as full credit for sincerity as he claimed for himself, he would never have accused God of dealing with him as an enemy, but, rather than impeach God's immutable love towards his faithful followers, would have sought another solution for the mystery of his sufferings. Learn:

1 . The proper study of mankind is God.

2 . The immutability of God is as full of comfort to God's people as it is of terror to God's adversaries.

3 . When God's purposes have been revealed, whether in providence or in grace, they should not be resisted, but received with meekness and submission.

4 . Only one Being in the universe, viz. God, can do what his soul desireth; every other is dependent upon God's will.

5 . No man can be truly said to be the architect of his own future, since every man's lot is assigned him by God.

6 . When a saint is afraid of God's presence, he has either taller into sin, like Adam ( Genesis 3:10 ) and like David ( Psalms 30:7 ), or has misconstrued the character of that appearance, like the apostles ( John 6:19 ).

7 . The breaking or the bruising of a sinner's heart is a work for which only God is competent.

8 . There are worse calamities than death to a good man; e.g. the loss, or supposed loss, of the Divine favour.

9 . Whatever befalls a child of God on earth, he should never part with faith in his heavenly Father's love.