Expositor's Bible: The Book of JobWatson, Robert A. (Robert Alexander)
Religion
Expositor's Bible: The Book of Job
Watson, Robert A. (Robert Alexander)
Bible. Job -- Commentaries
All things God can do, and where His purposes are declared there is the
pledge of their accomplishment. Does man exist?--it must be for some end
that will come about. Has God planted in the human mind spiritual
desires?--they shall be satisfied. Job returns on the question that
accused him--"Who is this darkening counsel?" It was he himself who
obscured counsel by ignorant words. He had only heard of God then, and
walked in the vain belief of a traditional religion. His efforts to do
duty and to avert the Divine anger by sacrifice had alike sprung from
the imperfect knowledge of a dream-life that never reached beyond words
to facts and things. God was greater far than he had ever thought,
nearer than he had ever conceived. His mind is filled with a sense of
the Eternal power, and overwhelmed by proofs of wisdom to which the
little problems of man's life can offer no difficulty.
"Now mine eye seeth Thee." The vision of God is to his soul like the
dazzling light of day to one issuing from a cavern. He is in a new
world where every creature lives and moves in God. He is under a
government that appears new because now the grand comprehensiveness
and minute care of Divine providence are realised. Doubt of God and
difficulty in acknowledging the justice of God are swept away by the
magnificent demonstration of vigour, spirit and sympathy, which Job
had as yet failed to connect with the Divine Life. Faith therefore
finds freedom, and its liberty is reconciliation, redemption. He
cannot indeed behold God face to face and hear the judgment of
acquittal for which he had longed and cried. Of this, however, he does
not now feel the need. Rescued from the uncertainty in which he had
been involved--all that was beautiful and good appearing to quiver
like a mirage--he feels life again to have its place and use in the
Divine order. It is the fulfilment of Job's great hope, so far as it
can be fulfilled in this world. The question of his integrity is not
formally decided. But a larger question is answered, and the answer
satisfies meantime the personal desire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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