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TRUE HUMILIATION
THESE are the words of a man whom God had pronounced “perfect and upright.” As a fallen descendant of Adam, he partook of the corruption of our common nature: but as a child of God, he was one of the most eminent of all the human race. It may be thought, indeed, that this confession of his proved him to have been guilty of some enormous crime; but it evinced rather his great advancement in the divine life, and his utter abhorrence of all evil. Doubtless there was just occasion for this acknowledgment, because he had transgressed with his lips in arraigning the conduct of Providence towards him: but, if they were suited to his case, much more are they so to all those who possess not his high attainments.
We shall consider the words as expressing,
I. A discovery then made—
Job had certainly low views of himself upon the whole [Note: Job_9:20; Job_9:30-31.]: yet he had spoken in too unqualified terms in vindication of his own character [Note: Job_10:6-7; Job_16:17.]. Instances of this Elihu had brought to his remembrance [Note: Job_32:2; Job_33:8-12; Job_35:2.]; and God himself testified against him in this respect [Note: Job_38:2; Job_40:2-8.]. Job had repeatedly expressed his wish, that God would admit him, as it were, to a conference; and had expressed his confidence that he could maintain his cause before him [Note: Job_23:1-5; Job_31:35-37.]: but now that God did interpose, he saw how much he had erred, and that all his former confidence was presumption. He now saw,
1. That his conduct had been sinful—
[Being conscious of the integrity of his heart, in relation to the things which his friends had laid to his charge, he had done right in maintaining his innocence before them: but he had erred in maintaining it to the extent he did; he had erred in imagining that he had not merited at God’s hands the calamities inflicted on him; and, above all, in complaining of God as acting unjustly and cruelly towards him. These workings of his heart he now saw to be exceeding sinful, as betraying too high thoughts of himself, and great irreverence towards the God of heaven and earth, “in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and who chargeth his angels with folly.” This sin therefore he now bitterly bewailed.]
2. That his whole heart was sinful—
[He did not view his conduct as a mere insulated act; but took occasion, from the fruit which had been produced, to examine the root from which it sprang. He now traced the bitter waters to their fountain-head, and discovered thereby the bitterness of the spring from whence they flowed. This was altogether a new discovery to him: he had no conception how desperately wicked his heart was, and that the evils he had committed would have broke forth with ten thousand times greater violence, if they had not been restrained by the grace of God. The rebellion of which he had been guilty now proved indisputably to him, that he was of himself as prone to sin as any of the human race, and that, if he differed from the vilest of mankind, he had nothing to boast of, since he had not made himself to differ, nor did he possess any thing which he had not received as the free gift of God [Note: 1Co_4:7.]. This is the true way of estimating any individual sin [Note: Psa_51:3; Psa_51:5. Mar_7:21; Mar_7:23.] — — — and in this way alone shall we ever attain a just knowledge of ourselves.]
But we must further view his words as expressing,
II. An acknowledgment of the truth then discovered—
“Out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spake.” Feeling his sinfulness, it was an ease, rather than a pain, to him to confess it before God and man. Behold here,
1. The ingenuousness of his confession—
[Here were no excuses made, nor any suggestions offered to extenuate his guilt. He might have pleaded the weight of his sufferings, and the falseness of the accusations brought against him: but he saw that nothing can excuse sin; and that, whatever palliatives may be adduced to lessen its enormity in the sight of man, it is most hateful in the sight of God, and ought to abase us in the dust before him. That his sin on this occasion was an exception to his general conduct, did not at all change, in his estimation, the malignity of it: on the contrary, the enormity of it would appear in proportion to the mercies he had before received, and to the profession of piety he had before maintained.
Now thus it is that we also should acknowledge our vileness before God. Doubtless there may be circumstances which may greatly aggravate our transgressions; and these it will be at all times proper to notice: but it is never wise to look on the side that leads to a palliation of sin: self-love is so rooted in our hearts, that we shall always be in danger of forming too favourable a judgment of ourselves: the humiliation of the publican is that which at all times befits us: nor can we ever be in a more becoming state than when, with Job, we “repent and abhor ourselves in dust and ashes.”]
2. The dispositions with which it was accompanied—
[He submitted to reproof, and acknowledged himself guilty in relation to the very thing that was laid to hit charge. This is a good test of true and genuine repentance. It is easy to acknowledge the sinfulness of our nature; but for a man, after long and strenuously maintaining his integrity, to confess his fault before the very people who have vehemently accused him, is no small attainment: yet did Job confess, that he had repeatedly offended, both in justifying himself, and in condemning God. Moreover, he declared his resolution, with God’s help, to offend no more [Note: ver. 5.]: and by this he manifested beyond a doubt the reality and depth of his repentance. Of what use is that penitence that does not inspire us with a fixed purpose to sin no more? Humiliation without amendment is of no avail: “the repentance which is not to be repented of” produces such an indignation against sin, as will never leave us under the power of it any more [Note: 2Co_7:10-11.]. May we all bear this in remembrance, and, by the entire change in our conduct, “approve ourselves in all things to be clear in this matter [Note: 2Co_7:10-11.]!”]
Address—
1. Those who entertain a good opinion of themselves—
[How is it possible that you should be right? Are you better than Job, who is represented by the prophet as one of the most perfect characters that ever existed upon earth [Note: Eze_14:14; Eze_14:20.]? or if you were subjected to the same trials, would you endure them with more patience than he, of whom an Apostle speaks with admiration, saying, “Ye have heard of the patience of Job?” Know, then, that whilst you are indulging a self-righteous, self-complacent spirit, you betray an utter ignorance of your real state and character, and are altogether destitute of true repentance. Moreover, to you the Gospel is of no avail: for, what do you want of a Physician when you are not sick; or what of a Saviour, when you are not lost? O put away from you your Laodicean pride, lest you be rejected by God with indignation and abhorrence [Note: Rev_3:17-18.]. But if, notwithstanding this warning, you are determined to hold fast your confidence, then think whether “you will be strong in the day that God shall deal with you,” or be able to stand before him as your Accuser and your Judge? Be assured, that if Job could not answer his God in this world, much less will you be able to do it in the world to come.]
2. Those who are humbled under a sense of their vileness—
[We bless God if you have been brought with sincerity of heart to say, “Behold, I am vile.” If you feel your vileness as you ought, then will all the promises of the Gospel appear to you exactly suited to your state, and Christ be truly precious to your souls. Whom does he invite to come unto him, but the weary and heavy laden? What was the end for which he died upon the cross? Was it not to save sinners, even the chief? Yes, verily; “it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation [Note: 1Ti_1:15.]” — — — But whilst we would encourage all to come and wash away their sins in the fountain of his blood, we would caution all against turning the grace of God into licentiousness. Many, in acknowledging the depravity of their nature, make it almost an excuse for their sins. Their acknowledgments may be strong; but they are attended with no tenderness of spirit, no deep contrition, no real self-lothing and self-abhorrence. Brethren, above all things guard against such a state as this. Whilst you are ignorant of your vileness there is hope that your eyes may be opened to see it, and your heart be humbled under a sense of it: but to acknowledge it and yet remain obdurate, is a fearful presage of final impenitence, and everlasting ruin [Note: Rev_16:9; Rev_16:11; Rev_16:21.]. If you would be right, you must stand equally remote from presumption and despondency: your vileness must drive you, not from Christ, but to him; and when you are most confident of your acceptance with him, you must walk softly before him all the days of your life.]