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permitted it,
and is therefore respon–
sible!
Now in the long conversation that
followed berween J ob and his rhree
friends - a conversarían occupying
rhe nexr 34 chaprers in che Bible -
J ob's friends blamed J ob's suffering
all on Job. T heir idea was a good deal
like whar many people believe roday.
Since God is good, ir was impossible
ro amibure rhis evi l ro God.
Bur Job conrinually denied his
friends' allegations. Conri nually, he
upheld and maimained his own righ–
reousness. He amibured ir all, rightly,
ro God -
_yet, without imputing any
blame or fault
ro God. J ob undersrood
God's grear purpose being worked
out here below!
And iris important thar we under–
srand! For here Job, as one single in–
dividual , is used as an illustrarion for
our learning. He is rypica l of all rhe
mass suffering we see abour us in this
world roday!
God Enters the Ar gumenr
Finally, afrer all rhese long conver–
sarions run rhemselves our, God
Himself rakes a hand in rhe conversa–
rían.
Now we begin ro see why chis af–
Ricrion had come ro J ob.
"Then rhe Eremal answered J ob
out of a srorm, saying:
" 'Who darkens my design with a
cloud of rhoughdess words? Confront
me like a man ; come, answer rhese
my
questions'"
Oob 38:1-3, Moffim).
Lec me inrerrupr here wirh an in–
reresring sidelighr explanarion which
rhrows lighr on rhe conversation ro
follow. Sorne authoriries believe thar
Job was rhe archirecr and direcror of
che building of che Grear Pyramid -
srill roday one of the largesr buildings
on earrh, and, prior ro che consrruc–
rion of che W oolworrh building, the
rallesr. Thar J ob was proud of bis
righreousness is plain. Thar he also
mighr have been puffed up over con–
srrucring rhe world's grearesr build–
ing dears up much rhar God now
says ro him.
Job was roo well aware of his righ-
PlAIN TRUTH
Jonuory
1973
reousness. God now proceeded ro de–
fiare his ego. Can ir, rhen, be possible
rhar God now compares H is crearion
of rhe earrh, and
all
rhar is, ro che
compararively insignificanr accom–
plishmenr of building rhe Grcar Pyra–
mid? Ir's inrcrcsring ro keep chis
possibiliry
in
mind.
"'When
1
founded che
earth,'"
God opened up on J ob, " 'where were
you rhen? Answer me rhat, if you
have wir ro know! Who measured
out che earrh? - do you know rhat?
Who srrerched che builder's line [on
ir]? Whar were irs pedestals placed
on? Who laid che corner-srone, when
che morning-srars were singing, and
all che angels chanred in rheir íoy?'"
(Verses 4-7.)
Ir
is significanr rhar a pyramid is
che only kind of building on earrh
where che cornersrone is che rop srone
- che Jase scone laid - ar the com–
plerion of che building! And here
God represenrs che symbolic "corner–
scone" of che earth as being laid ar irs
complerion - when che angels
shoured for joy!
And so God continued ro deflare
poor Job. Job may have been che
mosr righreous man on earrh - yer
how
insignificant
he was,
compared to
God!
Man was creareq
to need
God! Man
cannor live his full life, fulfill his mis–
sion, or be happy, unless he keeps
himself in his righr relationship wirh
God! That is the very firsr lesson man
needs ro learn and keep ever in mind!
A firsr principie
in
characrer - in
che purpose of our exisrence - is ro
exalr and worship only God, ro
humble
che self, ro realize man's urrer
helplessness, and his coral
DEPEN–
DENCE
upon God!
"'Who helped ro shur in che
sea,'" God asked, "'... when 1
swaddled ir in clouds of darkness,
when l fixed irs boundaries ... saying,
Thus far, and no furrher! Here your
proud waves shall nor pass?' " (Verses
8-11.)
" 'Have
you
ever roused che morn–
ing, given direcrions ro che dawn?
... Whar parh leads ro che borne of
Lighr, and where does D arkness
dwell? Can
you
conduce rhem ro their
fields? ... Have
you
grasped earrh in
all irs breadrh? How large is ir? Tell
me, if you know rhar" (verses 12-18).
" 'Can
you
bind up che Pleiades
[cluster of srars] in a cluster, o r loose
rhe chains of Orion? Can
.you
direcr
che signs of rhe Zodiac, or guide che
consrdlacions of che Bear' Can
you
control che skies? Can
you
prescribe
rheir sway over che earrh?'" (Verses
31-33.)
God does a!J these rhings. How
mighry is God ! And how linle, how
weak, how imporenr and insignificanr
is man - yes, even the mosr righ–
teous man, J ob! How Job muse have
begun ro shrivel up
in
bis own esci–
mation! Smaller and smaller J ob
shrank, as God conrinued. Job didn't
seem roo imporranc, now.
" 'Who chen,' " God is nor
rhrough yet - " 'is able co scand be–
fore ME? Who hath prevenred me,
that 1 should repay him? Wharsoever
is under rhe whole heaven is mine'"
Oob 41:10, 11 , A.V.). And so God
concinued ro bring clown J ob's self–
righreous imporrance - and ro show
che unmacched, awesome magnirude
of God, rhrough four whole chapcers,
before He finished .
And by rhe rime God finished,
Job's esrimarion of himself was
exactly ni!. AJI rhrough his conversa–
cían wirh hi s chree friends, Job
scoutly mainrained
his
own righteou.r–
ness
-
his seif-imporrance! Even
chough Sacan had raken away bis
wealth, bis children - even rhough
reduced ro a pi ciful sighr , covered
wich nauseating boi ls - J ob 's own
righceousness he sroutly mainrained! .
Job was able ro maincain his case
againsr Sacan - againsc his friends.
Buc now he could nor answer God.
Job's rrouble was noc whar he had
done,
but what he
was
-
SELF-RIGH–
TEOUS!
The
self
in Job had never died!
In jusc 5 verses of J ob's convcrsa–
rion, he used a personal pronoun
17
rimes ro refer ro himself Gob 27:2-6);
and in che 29th chaprer alone, he used
39