Homilist Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped, This is the grandest scene that human nature has ever presented. The world had never seen anything to compare to it. The greatest conqueror that ever won his triumph in Rome was as a pigmy beside the giant. I. THE TRIUMPH OF MIND OVER MATTER. Job's soul seems to soar above what is material. Things which were seen faded from his view, and things which were not seen grew bright and distinct. The dying Stephen saw the Lord Jesus in his vision. But Job was not a dying man. He was in full strength and vigour. It is possible, then, so to triumph over that which is seen and temporal, that even in this world heaven is a reality. II. THE TRIUMPH OF PRINCIPLE OVER SELFISHNESS. Principle and selfishness are always antagonistic. There is a constant warfare going on between these in the universe, in the world, in the soul. Self is too often the victor. But in Job religious principle was supreme. He rose up and worshipped! Selfish human nature would have raved and cursed. The worldly man would have cursed his luck, cursed his foes, cursed the Chaldeans, and cursed everything. There does not seem to have been any struggle in the mind of Job. He seems, by constant patience and by the unceasing habit of giving principle the first place, to have been raised almost above strife and contention. There is a time when contest ceases. Sometimes self, after a few weeks or years, obtains the mastery, and then to self the man habitually yields. But we do occasionally find cases wherein principle is victor, and then homage is paid hereafter unquestioningly to its sovereignty. III. THE TRIUMPH OF RELIGION OVER WORLDLINESS. The world passed out of Job's ken as a factor in his fate. Many would have said, What a strange combination of circumstances! What a terrible coincidence! What an unlucky man! "The Lord hath taken away." Here is a pattern for causalists, who look to minor details instead of to the prime Ruler of all things. This is the true sphere of religion — to east out all else from a man's life — all except God. Then, and then alone, has it triumphed over the world, and sin, and temptation. IV. THE TRIUMPH OF DIVINE GRACE OVER THE DEVIL'S TEMPTATIONS. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,WEB: Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. |
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