Job 11:13-20 - Homiletics

Zophar to Job: 3. An exhortation to repentance.

I. THE ACTINGS OF PENTIENCE .

1 . Preparation of the heart. "If thou prepare [literally, 'direct'] thy heart '" i.e. towards God. True penitence is a heart-work, beginning in the heart, relating to the heart, and carried on by the heart, though not without Divine assistance ( Proverbs 16:1 ).

2 . Elevation of the soul. "If thou stretch out thine hands towards him," i.e. God; the lifting up and stretching forth of the hands being a common devotional attitude ( Exodus 9:33 ; Ezra 9:5 ; 1 Kings 8:22 ), and hence a frequent biblical symbol of the outgoing and ascending of the soul to God in prayer ( Psalms 63:4 ; Psalms 143:6 ; Isaiah 1:15 ). Such exercise implies a sense of the soul's need of God, a yearning of the soul after God, a perception of the soul's distance from God, an inward persuasion that this distance may be diminished, if not entirely removed, and the human soul again be at peace with God, and a fervent application that such confidential and loving relationship between the two may again be restored.

3 . Reformation of the life. "If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles." This, no less than the two preceding, is indispensable to a complete work of penitence. Mere amendment of the external walk and conversation does not amount to, and will certainly not serve as a substitute for, the cleansing of the heart. On the other hand, the work of inward purification, though it could stand alone, would not suffice without a corresponding rectification of the daily life. True repentance consists in sorrowful acknowledgment of sin, and tearful supplication of mercy, followed by a steadfast resolution after new obedience. Beginning in the heart with the detection of sin, and proceeding to the lip with the confession of sin, it terminates in the life with the renunciation of sin ( 1 Samuel 7:3 ; Psalms 34:14 ; Isaiah 1:16 ; Isaiah 4:1-6 :7; Jeremiah 7:5 ; Matthew 3:8 ). And this renunciation must be complete.

II. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE PENITENT .

1 . Cheerful confidence before God. (Verse 15.) Instead of cowering sorrow-stricken and shame-covered, like a trembling criminal, before his judge, filled with confusion and unable to lift up his head ( Job 10:15 ), Job would be able to stand erect and firm, like a molten statue sitting squarely on its base, with no trace of tears upon his countenance, and no stain of punishable guilt upon his conscience. Nothing fills the soul with trembling and apprehension, or relaxes the cords and sinews of the heart, like a sense of unpardoned sin ( Psalms 38:8 ). Nothing sooner shades the brow with gloom, or banishes the light of joy from the countenance ( Genesis 4:5 , Genesis 4:6 ; Luke 18:13 ), than the loss of Divine favour. On the contrary, nothing so effectually restores serenity of aspect and courageousness of soul to the individual as a consciousness of pardon. When the spot of guilt is removed from the conscience, the tear of sorrow is soon wiped from the face. A forgiven penitent may afterwards encounter affliction; but, sustained by the peace of God which passeth understanding, he can even joy in tribulation ( Romans 5:3 ).

2 . Perfect happiness in himself. (Verse 16.) That complete exemption from adversity would infallibly attend the repenting transgressor, was incorrect; that the inward comforts and enjoyments of the pardoned sinner would so surpass his former anguish as to cause it to be entirely forgotten, was as precious and consoling as it was true. The greatest happiness attainable or conceivable on earth is the joy of salvation, the joy which no man taketh from its possessor, the joy unspeakable and full of glory, which springs from a sense of acceptance with God. However deep the iron of conviction may have been driven into the penitent's soul, however bitter the anguish that may have racked his spirit, the moment the stricken heart is visited with a sense of Heaven's favour, it "remembereth no more the anguish for joy" that it has been forgiven. The only thing that can effectually drive out sorrow from the soul is the entrance of Heaven's joy.

3 . Radiant prosperity in life. (Verse 17.) Job's after-career should be one of unclouded prosperity , which should shine around him with a brilliance outdazzling the noonday sun, and should never know decline or diminution; if it did, that decline would only be a gentle shading down as from meridian splendour to morning brightness, that diminution but a temporary obscuration, to be followed by the breaking forth of dawn. All this is, of course, true of the path of the just, only when spiritually considered.

4 . Complete security on earth. "And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope." This marks the ground of the good man's confidence. Assurance of God's favour to an Old Testament saint was equivalent to a guarantee of permanent prosperity; to a New Testament believer it is tantamount to a promise of spiritual enrichment. Hence hope inspires the Christian with a feeling of security ( Psalms 31:24 ; Psalms 146:5 ; Romans 5:5 ; Ephesians 6:17 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ). The following clauses indicate the completeness of the saint's confidence. "Yea, thou shalt dig about thee [or, 'look around thee, inquiringly,' searching into all possibilities of danger, and finding none], thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid." So did David ( Psalms 3:5 , Psalms 3:6 ; Psalms 4:8 ), and so may all God's people, however circumstanced.

5 . Growing influence among men. "Yea, many shall make suit unto thee;" literally, "shall stroke thy race," or caress thy cheeks, by way of flattery or supplication, perhaps both ( Proverbs 19:6 ). A remarkable testimony to the influence of piety, which "would be more respected if it were more known" (Hutcheson). God's Israels have power with men as well as with God ( Genesis 32:28 ), and Christ's followers are the salt of the earth ( Matthew 5:13 ). Hence the favour and friendship of saints and of the Church are frequently coveted and even solicited by the unbelieving and ungodly ( Genesis 26:26-29 ; Psalms 45:12 ; Matthew 25:8 ).

III. THE DOOM OF THE IMPENITENT .

1 . Bitter disapointment ' "But the eyes of the wicked shall fail," shall waste away with vain and anxious looking and longing for help which cometh not. He who expects God to either visit him with benign salvation or bless him with temporal prosperity while indulging in sin, is cherishing an ill-grounded hope. God may do the latter for wise purposes of his own; the former he cannot do. To anticipate that he will is to entertain a foolish dream ( Job 8:14 , Job 8:15 ).

2 . Certain destruction. "They shall not escape;" literally, "their refuge perishes from them." As wicked men will not reach the good they look for, so neither will they avoid the evil they are afraid of. "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished;" "The expectation of the wicked is wrath." Sooner or later calamity will overtake and overthrow the ungodly ( Isaiah 13:9 ; Malachi 4:1 ; Ephesians 5:6 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ). Thanks to Divine grace, a refuge has been provided for the penitent—God himself ( Psalms 46:1 ), or the hope of the gospel ( Hebrews 6:18 ); but "how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" ( Hebrews 2:3 ).

3 . Final despair. "Their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost;" literally, "the breathing forth of the soul or life," i.e. it shall cease, and become utterly extinct. "The expectation of the wicked shall perish." "A wicked man's hope is but a cold coal, and an evanishing thing. It is but like a sob or two of a dying man, and then he is gone" (Hutcheson).

Learn:

1 . True happiness and true religion begin at the same point and in the same thing, viz. penitence.

2 . When a soul returns to God in penitence, God never fails to return to it with prosperity, if not temporal and material, at least spiritual and eternal.

3 . Though true piety does not look for a reward on earth, it most commonly finds one.

4 . The damnation of the impenitent is as certain as is the salvation of the penitent.