Job 1:1-3 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God… Here we have fearing God added to perfect and upright. Observe hence — I. MORAL INTEGRITY AND MORAL HONESTY, WITHOUT THE FEAR OF GOD, CAN NEVER RENDER US ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD. God delights in nothing we do, unless we do it in His fear. Not to wrong man because we fear God, is an argument of more than man. II. HOLY FEAR CONTAINS IN IT EVERY GRACE WE RECEIVE FROM GOD, AND ALL THE WORSHIP WE TENDER UP TO GOD. Fear containeth faith, and fear containeth love too. III. HOLY FEAR KEEPS THE HEART AND LIFE CLEAN. The fear of the Lord is clean (Psalm 19). Clean not only in itself, formally clean, but effective: it makes clean, and keeps clean the heart and life. Fear is an armed man at the gate, which examines all, and stops everyone from entering that is unfit. It stands as a watchman on the tower, and it looks every way, to see what is coming to the soul; if evil come, fear will not admit it. (J. Caryl.) Parallel Verses KJV: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. |
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