20. Jobs repentance

Job’s repentance And now Job’s lesson is learnt. He goes a little further — he says, ’I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes’.

What was Job’s repentance? Was it a change of mind from paths of drunkenness and uncleanness? Was he deeply sorry for a life of open sin and immorality? Oh, no! this was not Job’s case at all. He was a true man of God; and had spent one of the most moral and upright lives on record. Like Paul, as touching his life among men, he had a blameless life, such as not one in ten thousand can speak of.

Then of what did he repent? He repented of this: his striving to establish his own righteousness. God was now revealed to him, and he abhorred himself — himself! Does my reader abhor himself? — all that exalts himself, all the religion that tries to make himself just before God as Judge?

I say, Do you abhor all that would set up man, as a son of Adam? And especially, do you hate this, because it would rob Christ of His excellency? Have you learnt that all this is striving against God, and, therefore, most hateful? The apostle had learnt this — yes, he had learnt Job’s lesson, and felt deeply Job’s repentance. He could look back at his whole religious life, at his zeal, and his blameless life as a Jew — a Pharisee, and whatever exalted Paul, he could trample under foot. He says, ’Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.Butwhat things weregain to me, those I countedloss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; thatI may know him, and the power of his resurrection’ (Php 3:1-11).

What a complete conversion this is from the religion of self, to the righteousness of God. Has my reader thus done with self? Do you see such excellency in Christ, that you can say with Job, ’Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself?’ I say, have you really been turned from the religious strivings of the old man against God?

What a change was this for Job, when the lesson was learnt, that there was nothing in himself but vileness. ’And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before’. If he had lost seven thousand sheep, now he has fourteen thousand; and so of the camels, and oxen, and asses. And surely the believer has got twice as much by Christ, in resurrection, as he lost by Adam in death. Human innocence is lost through sin. Divine righteousness is won in Christ through grace. An earthly garden of delight is lost. Heaven’s eternal joy is found. In a word, I is lost; Christ is found. I am dead; Christ lives. I am buried; Christ is risen. I could never be just before God; Christ is my righteousness, and God my Justifier.

What a calm, after such a storm. What divine comfort, after such bitter sorrow. Ah, what settled peace this gives to the soul — to give up all strivings and pretensions to be just in myself, and to know I have perfect justification and righteousness in Christ risen from the dead. Shall I not justify God in the glorious redemption He has wrought? The more I am occupied with God’s wondrous plan of justifying me, a poor sinner, the more will my soul be filled with joy in God.

Beware, then, of every effort to set up man in the flesh — death is written upon it all. Henceforth may we know the joy and power of our resurrection-standing, so entirely in Christ. For whilst in Adam man is utterly lost in sin, and has no power for righteousness; and whilst the law only brought out transgressions, and pronounced a curse on man; yet now, the believer is not only in the risen Christ, entirely without sin and condemnation, but, being risen with Christ, and having the Spirit of God, he has now power, even the power of resurrection, and of the Spirit of God, against all sin.

Thus, if Job lost his sons and his daughters in death, he now received them, as it were, in resurrection. Their very names are full of meaning. He called the name of the first, Jemima, which means “handsome as the day”. The name of the second was Kezia; which is, Cassia — one of the sweet perfumes of the sanctuary. And the name of the third, Keren-happuch, meaning “childof beauty”. ’And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job’.

Sin has indeed marred all that was so beautiful, so fair, in that old creation, of which Adam was the head. But, oh! how shall I speak of the risen Christ, Head of the new creation? Fairest of ten thousand thou! Thy beauty, Lord, and glory! how spotless, fair! How holy, precious, divinely sweet! The perfume of thy name is as ointment poured forth! And have I so long vainly sought to find perfection in the Adam-flesh? Oh, let death pass upon it all, and have it all — all that I am, with sin so foul! I gaze upon thee, Lord of resurrection, and abhor myself! And is all that thou art, mine? Thy beauty and thy glory — the perfume of thy holy person, all mine? Is all this the portion of every sinner saved by thee? Yes, this is conversion! To let go all I am in death, and now to stand for ever in the everlasting bloom, the freshness, the sweetness, the fair beauty of thee, my risen Lord! May God bless the henceforth of your life, my reader, as He blessed the latter end of Job! Abhorring all that is of self, with your eye fixed on Jesus, may your soul repose in God your Justifier; and thus your peace shall flow like a river. Gazing in the face of the adorable Jesus, may your path be brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.

Charles Stanley