GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XXIssue48
/Published occasionally for mourners in Zion/
/Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees;And make straight pathsfor your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.Hebrews 12::12-13/
THE REBUKE OF RELIGIOUS MEN//
//
/And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job,
the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against
thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the
thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you
now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall
pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your
folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right,
like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite
and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD
commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. /
/Job 42:7-9/
The only times that we see the anger of the LORD JESUS displayed
when we examine HIS short ministry upon the Earth, was when HE was
stirred by the disregard for HIS house and the self-righteousness of
the religious leaders of the day. We see HIS anger unleashed (twice)
upon those who made the temple a place of merchandise (see John
2:15; Matt.21:12) and on several occasions in HIS dealing with the
Scribes and Pharisees, pointing out their origins. “/Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44/) “/O
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matt 12:34/)
(see Matt 23:3)We see HIM also issue a stern rebuke to Peter who
unwittingly questioned the necessity and purpose of HIS death at the
hands of wicked men.“/Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him,
saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But
he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art
an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of men.” (Matt 16:22-23/)
The LORD was derided by these same Scribes and Pharisees for
companying with winebibbers, harlots, and publicans. “/And the
Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners,
and eateth with them.” (Luke15:2/) These men and women, with whom HE
companied, were what would be termed by the religious and
self-righteous crowd; immoral sinners. Yet the LORD was not ashamed
to be called their friend. The LORD never openly rebuked or
condemned men for “immorality” as men would define it.Now having
said that, it is obvious that HE hated sin as much as ever, but HE
did not define “sin” as “immorality”.
HE did indeed tell the woman taken in adultery, to go and sin no
more, but only after HE told her that HE did not condemn her. She
was already quite acquainted with her indiscretions and her
worthiness to be stoned according to the Law which she broke.HE
pointed out the error of the woman at the well in Samaria, as HE
told her all that she did and how many husbands she had and the fact
that she was living with a man who was not her husband.HE did not
approve of these arrangements, nor did HE wink at the faults which
could be clearly seen in them. Yet HE saved HIS disdain for those
who thought themselves to be something when they were nothing. /“Ye
hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people
draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their
lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mat 15:7-9)
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe
of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at
a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the
platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” (Mat
23:23-25/) They are much akin to those whom Paul warned Timothy
about, /“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away.” (2Tim 3:5/)
Job had three friends who were in many ways commendable.They seemed
to have a genuine concern for Job when they had heard of the
calamities that had befallen him.They put aside their own needs and
traveled from some distance to where he was in order to mourn with
him and comfort him in his hour of need. (see Job 2:11) Would that
we all had friends of such a mind.They were sincerely touched with
the severity of the trials he underwent and wept at the sight of him
in such distress. (see Job 2:12)They were so moved with sorrow for
his grief that they sat with him and did not even speak a word for
seven days. (see Job 2:13)
They began a discourse with Job only after Job had expressed his
lament and sorrow of heart.Over the course of time, both Job and his
friends conversed about spiritual matters and the manner in which
the LORD is pleased to deal with men.While they spoke many things
which had an element of truth in them, they were never able to
either rightly state the purpose of GOD or the reason and manner in
which HE is pleased to bring blessing and chastening to HIS elect
children.Job received little if any comfort from them because they
were essentially moralistic conditionalists who believe that men can
either earn or forfeit the favor of GOD based upon their
actions.They are the ancestors of modern day preachers who
essentially believe and preach the same in our day. Job did
accurately state their inability to bring comfort and help to HIM as
he called them /“miserable comforters” (Job 16:2/) and /“forgers of
lies, and physicians of no value.” (Job 13:4/)
While Job did not completely comprehend the magnitude of the glory
of GOD in the face of JESUS CHRIST, yet his speech was pleasing in
the LORD’s sight, because the LORD had chosen him as a vessel of
honor, through no activity of Job’s own.He did have some
understanding of the grace of GOD, yet as we see in the final
chapter of the book, he was woefully ignorant of the
LORD.Nonetheless, the LORD commended his speech to the “three
stooges”, pointing out that Job was HIS servant in whom HE was well
pleased, while reminding them of their own ignorance and inability
to come into HIS presence.
We can see several lessons which we might learn from this
situation.Job was a man who was chosen by GOD and made righteous and
preserved by the LORD and not himself.Had Job been judged for his
own knowledge of GOD, he most certainly would have perished.When he
was brought to repentance by the revelation of the LORD, he clearly
stated that he only knew of the LORD by what he had been taught by
others.This is much the same situation that Saul of Tarsus found
himself in.Saul walked in his own righteousness for many years,
proud of his learning, position, and satisfied with his own
obedience, while disdaining those of lesser station.Yet upon the
road to Damascus the LORD revealed HIMSELF unto him, and he was
humbled in the dust, calling HIM, LORD.He was indeed a chosen vessel
of GOD or else he would have perished in his own knowledge and station.
Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar are typical of natural religious men,
who often walk in an outwardly acceptable fashion, possessing
knowledge of religious matters and able to express and discuss
doctrines which they have learned in that religion. Yet they are in
reality poor, blind, and naked before the LORD.Now whether or not
they were of the elect of GOD, we cannot fully ascertain.In their
outward demeanor they were no different than Job or Saul; walking in
ignorance.We do have some hope, however, that they were brought to
repentance.They did comply with that which the LORD required of
them, but then religious men do the same.
Our greatest expectation for their acceptance before the LORD, lays
not in their outward obedience to that which the LORD commanded, but
rather in that they were directed to go to HIS servant Job, that he
might pray for them.In this we see Job as a type of the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, our GREAT HIGH PRIEST who is the CHOSEN VESSEL, in whose
NAME and RIGHTEOUSNESS all must come to find acceptance in the
presence of GOD./“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher
than the heavens.” (Heb 7:25-26/) Have you come unto GOD by HIM?mam
