"Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die! Sermons
I. IRONY IS TO BE FOUND IN SCRIPTURE. There is great variety in the style of Scripture. Almost every modification of language is to be found in the Bible, consecrated to some holy purpose. Even the faculty of humour is utilized, as in the incident of Balaam's ass (Numbers 22:28-30), and in St. Paul's recommendation that the woman who will not wear a veil had better complete the exposure of her head by being shorn (1 Corinthians 11:6). The prophets abound in irony. Christ used irony in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-20). II. THERE IS A PLACE FOR IRONY IN DISCOURSE. Some evils can be best met just by being exposed. Now, irony is a method of showing a thing in an unexpected light, so that, while admitting all its claims, we make it apparent that those very claims are absurd. Slight failings will be best castigated with simple ridicule; more serious ones, if they are not great sins, with grave irony. III. PRETENTIOUSNESS ESPECIALLY PROVOKES IRONY. Each of Job's three friends has now spoken. Though they were not alike in attainments nor in natural dispositions, they agreed in their dogmas and in their judgment of Job. A tone of conscious superiority and irritating censoriousness rings through all their speeches. This not only vexes Job; it prompts an ironical retaliation. It is dangerous to make grand pretensions. Humility is a great security, and when humility is lost, we lay ourselves open to attack on the ground of our assumptions. Pretentiousness does not only thus provoke ironical replies; it best meets its merited castigation by these replies, which humilitate it in a most unanswerable manner. IV. IRONY IS A DANGEROUS WEAPON FOR A CHRISTIAN TO WIELD. It may be a lawful weapon- There are times when it can be used in the cause of righteousness with tremendous effect. But there is great danger lest the employment of it should destroy "the greatest thing in the world" - love. There is always a tendency to push it too far, and to go beyond wholesome rebuke in the direction of cruel scorn. This is distinctly unchristian. Moreover, as Job's friends did not understand him, possibly he did not understand them. If so, his irony may have been too severe for justice. We should be careful that we are in no error before we venture to use irony against our brother. Even then, zeal for righteousness should be tempered by brotherly kindness. V. GOD DISPLAYS IRONY IN PROVIDENCE. The Greek tragedians saw irony in fate. Man's greatness was shown to be a very small thing, and his boasted success a mere bubble. The old classical idea was dark and hard, for it did not take into account the Fatherhood of God. But within God's infinite purpose of love there is room for irony. By the slow unrolling of the course of events, the boasting of the pretentious ends in confusion. God humbles his creatures in their pride and vanity, giving them sudden falls, by means of which they cannot but feel their helplessness and littleness. The monarch is choked by a fly. Such things are not done vindictively, or in scorn; but because we are mined by boasting and saved in our humiliation. Thus the ugly weapon of irony may prepare us for the healing grace of the gospel. - W.F.A.
Behold, He breaketh down. Homilist. Perhaps Job uses this lofty language concerning God for two reasons.1. To show that he could speak as grandly of the Eternal as his friends had spoken. 2. To show that he had as correct and extensive a view of God's agency as they had. He gives them here at least six different ideas of God's agency. I. That it is ACTIVE BOTH IN THE MENTAL AND THE MORAL WORLD. II. That it is DESTRUCTIVE AS WELL AS RESTORATIVE. "Behold, He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again." III. That it EXTENDS TO INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS TO COMMUNITIES. "He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening." IV. That it is ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN AND RESISTLESS. V. THAT IT OPERATES IN THE UNSEEN, AS WELL AS IN THE VISIBLE. "He discovereth deep things out of darkness," etc. VI. THAT IT IN NO CASE APPEARS TO RECOGNISE MORAL DISTINCTIONS AMONG MEN. Not a word does Job here say about the righteous and the wicked in relation to God's agency. His object being to show that God did not treat man on the ground of moral character. (Homilist.) People JobPlaces UzTopics Die, Doubt, Truly, WisdomOutline 1. Job maintains himself against his friends that reprove him7. He acknowledges the doctrine of God's omnipotence Dictionary of Bible Themes Job 12:2Library Whether, for Salvation, it is Necessary to Believe Anything which is Beyond Natural ReasonWhether, for Salvation, it is Necessary to Believe Anything which is Beyond Natural Reason We proceed to the third article thus: 1. It seems that for salvation it is not necessary to believe anything which is beyond natural reason. For it seems that what naturally belongs to a thing is sufficient for its salvation and perfection. Now the things of faith are beyond natural reason, since they are unseen, as was said in Q. 1, Art. 4. To believe in them is therefore unnecessary for salvation. 2. Again, … Aquinas—Nature and Grace Whether the Eternal Law is Known to All? Whether it is Necessary for Salvation to Believe Anything Above the Natural Reason? Whether Prudence is in us by Nature? Whether There is Knowledge [*Scientia]? Whether Derision Can be a Mortal Sin? Whether Craftiness is a Special Sin? Whether Prophecy Pertains to Knowledge? On the Interior Man Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men Job Links Job 12:2 NIVJob 12:2 NLT Job 12:2 ESV Job 12:2 NASB Job 12:2 KJV Job 12:2 Bible Apps Job 12:2 Parallel Job 12:2 Biblia Paralela Job 12:2 Chinese Bible Job 12:2 French Bible Job 12:2 German Bible Job 12:2 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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