Job's Lament

(Continued from page 121.)

In passing through our book, we must not fail to note the exquisite beauty of expressions, both of Job and of all who speak. For if the Spirit of God has seen fit to inspire a writing, He would have us note its form as well as its contents. Thus we have in ver. 9, in the margin of our version, "Neither let it see the eyelids of the morning," or ;'.s the clause has been rendered, "Let it not refresh itself with the eyelids of the dawn"- poetry indeed of exquisite beauty.

2. In the second part of his lament (vers. 10-12) Job declares his wish that he had died as soon as he was born, or had been left without care or food. It is sad indeed when one cannot look back to those early days of helplessness with tender thoughts of the loving care that watched over his unconscious hours. Of all creatures, man is the most helpless and dependent in infancy. It is to "hide pride" from him, and to call forth love in his behalf. To curse his infancy thus was to trample upon what is best in our fallen humanity, and shows a soul far from communion with God. Job had forgotten all the past; the sorrow of the present had eclipsed all else. It is painful to read such words.

3. Death is here described as a rest (vers. 13-19) in which all have an equal share-the old and the young, even the unborn babe ; the great and the small alike are at rest; kings whose former palaces have crumbled into ruins, and princes whose vast wealth has all been left, are here at last in profound and equal repose. The wicked cannot trouble them, nor master exact service from his slave ; prisoners and their captors find no distinction in the presence of death, that great leveler of mankind. What a picture it is, reminding one of the dread vision of the prophet who sees Pharaoh, king of Egypt, descending into Sheol to share with the great among the nations their common heritage of death-"which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit" (Ezek. 32:24).

But is this the doctrine, even of the feebler light of the Old Testament, of the future ? Ezekiel did but contrast the former greatness of the nations, now brought low; but Job goes further and puts all in an unconscious sleep, "as infants which never saw light." Is there no distinction between the condition of the wicked and of the righteous after death ? We cannot here go into the Old Testament doctrine of the future state, but the walk with God of His servants, their calm outlook into the unknown future, tell us that they in spirit "looked for the city which hath foundations." The constant contrast between the righteous and the wicked, and their moral unlikeness points not uncertainly to most divergent futures:"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death" (Prov. 14:32). In thus blurring the future, Job shows how far his soul had drifted from the truth of God. In plain language he is longing for annihilation, and we know how materialists and believers in conditional immortality have turned to these and similar utterances for support for their unscriptural views.

Let us contrast these utterances of one temporarily forgetful of the great hope planted in the heart of God's children, with the language of faith in the Old and New Testaments. Job's own words are a refutation of his unbelief here ; " I know that my Redeemer liveth" (chap. 19:25). David also said, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" (Ps. 17:15). Our Lord refutes the Sadducees -with whom Job unconsciously identifies himself- as to the Old Testament teaching regarding the state of the dead:" I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matt. 22 :32). He points out the fearful contrast between the state of the careless rich man and the believing beggar, Lazarus (Lk. 16). And in the full Christian statements of the Epistles, do such words as "Absent from the body, and present with the Lord," or, "Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better," echo Job's unbelieving laments ? We can well understand a need for the chastening hand of God upon him if he is willing to give expression to such thoughts.

4. He longs for death (vers. 20-23). Having pictured death as a state of dreamless sleep, Job gives vent to his longing for this nirvana. He asks why one so wretched as he should be debarred from the repose he seeks. He adds to this the first of his charges against God, calling himself "the man whom God hath hedged in." Similar language is used in Jeremiah's Lamentations, " He hath led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light. . . He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out; He hath made my chain heavy " (Lam. 3 :2-7). But he goes on:-" It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not … It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord " (vers. 22, 26). We fail to find anything like this in Job's words.

In the New Testament we have still greater triumphs:"We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience " (Rom. 5:3); " That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth," etc. (i Pet. 1:7).

5. In his concluding words (vers. 24-26) Job turns from his longing after death to the reasons which make him desire it. His anguish takes precedence of his hunger; he could say with the psalmist, " My tears have been my meat, "and may we not find in the latter connection some explanation of Job's misery:"While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God ?" (Ps. 42:3). Job had lost the sense of God's favor; his sighs gush forth like a torrent because he fears God has forsaken him. Lacking a conscious sense of filial relationship (as was natural in the former dispensation, although truly born of God) he could not withstand the torturing doubt that God had given him over to hopeless misery. This fear had apparently been lurking in his heart-possibly even in his bright days -and now it has come upon- him! In verse 26 he speaks of a fresh avalanche of trouble before real relief from the former anguish had been given:" I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet" (from the former attack), "then' trouble cometh."Our version seems to refer this to Job's condition of former prosperity; he was not dwelling in carnal ease, but walking in the fear of God, when trouble came. While this is in accord with Job's state of soul as comes out later, it seems a little too early to find self-vindication on his part. It seems rather to be the expression of grief at the repeated attacks of misery which he is now suffering; as in the Psalm quoted, he could say, "'All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me." But he does not follow the psalmist and hush his soul into submission:" Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou in God :for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God." Job will yet praise Him, but he knows nothing of this as yet. He closes his wail of unrelieved despair, and his friends begin to speak. S. R.

(To be continued.)