“My servant Job”

 

THE BOOK OF JOB IN PROSE.

 

This is a book of mysteries

  And may we with delight

Scan all its pages eagerly,

  And pray to God for light.

To those who seek, He will unfold,

  The truth so valuable,

Thus giving to them, for reward,

  Riches unsearchable.

These riches money cannot buy,

  Silver nor gold can gain,

God’s prophets to us prophesy

  This knowledge comes through pain.

To keep the Word: not only hear,

  Then shall the Lord direct,

Our feet in paths of righteousness,

His work of grace perfect.

He leads in paths unknown to man,

  And with unerring skill,

Doth keep him in afflictions great,

  To work His sovereign will.

Job does ascribe the praise to God,

  The creatures small and great;

He does the fall to us unfold,

  The consequence of sin;

Human depravity describes,

  The evil heart within;

And many other truths we find,

  Redemption, God’s great plan,

Through Christ, His Son, Eternal love,

  Is thus revealed to man.

Creation, Fall, Redemption, too,

  Man’s salvation vital,

Come within the book of Job,

  All are most essential!

 

SATAN’S CHALLENGE FOR THE MASTERY OF

HUMAN LIFE AND ITS AFFAIRS.

 

  “Then Job answered the Lord and said,

Doth Job serve God for nought?” Job.1.9.

  “Doth Job serve God for nought?” This

Remark and question discloses the

antagonistic purposes of Satan concerning

the claims of Jehovah upon human life and

its affairs. The following poem of

this extraordinary and beautiful

narrative in the book of Job is composed

and designed to show forth the

Sovereignty of the Lord Jehovah.

 

God on the throne, invisible,

Almighty, Holy Terrible!

His right of sway is here denied

But, when by love to man allied,

Can Satan take man from His grasp?

Can Satan God’s love-tie unclasp?

We must acknowledge then His right

Though Satan still God’s claims will fight.

We must the Word of God uphold,

Though trials come a thousand-fold.

For God is Just, yea Faithful He,

Unto His own Word eternally.

 

GOD IS FAITHFUL.

 

  God’s faithfulness is questioned by

Satan, as well as the faithfulness of

Job (chap. 1. 9-11). As though the

precious blessing which Job had received

was the main cause of his fidelity, love,

and trust in God! There is the inference

(which is a slight upon the character of

God) that God could not keep Job apart

From the continual bestowal of His

Favours upon him.  Also upon the

character of Job that he would no longer

trust God if these blessings and favours

were removed from him.  So God purposed

to seal His truth, and the faithfulness

of His servant, by permitting Job to be

sorely tried.

 

Man’s hope and happiness doth lie

Beneath Jehovah’s panoply.

The fear of God doth make man wise,

Above the clouds of sin to rise.

Possessing God, Eternal Wealth,

His Law of Life a Law of Health –

How best shall we the way describe,

Of God with man of every tribe?

Now Sin and Satan doth annoy,

Which takes away from man his joy?

The mystery of godliness,

Of purity, and righteousness?

Iniquity, with all its pain?

‘Tis God alone Who can explain!

Also the strange controversy

Of Satan – man’s Adversary?

With God the Lord, the Infinite,

Sought he to usurp God’s Own Right?

 

Shall he the Lord of Life dethrone,

And God’s creation call his own?

Does He reject God’s sovereignty,

Who is from all Eternity?

Nay, Nay, God’s challenge he must face,

And meet man on the ground of grace!

If he the human race doth own

Then Calvary shall make it known!

 

“Doth Job serve God for nought?” said he,

In doubting Job’s integrity.

But more did Satan yet infer

When he to blessings did refer;

For God had kept Job night and day

Not did Job from His presence stray,

But would God Satan now deny

The faith of Job in fire to try?

Or would He let unchallenged be

The Head of all Apostasy?

To Satan, He at once gave leave,

The greatest plot he could conceive,

That Satan should God’s servant prove

In righteousness, in faith and love!

To this, also did God reply:

“He’s in thy hand, though not to die,

But save his life, this My decree,

A trophy of My grace to be!”

 

So, to the conflict, Job was pressed,

In great calamities distressed;

Borne down with grief, affliction, too,

Job unto God remaining true.

Blow after blow of Satan’s rod;

Still faithful Job did worship God.

The first controversy did end;

And Satan hoped to make Job bend

In unbelief to God’s own Word,

Though with his lips Job blessed the Lord.

Job manifested righteousness,

No words of curse did he express.

 

Again with Satan God did meet,

And with these words the Lord did greet.

(The Great Arch-Fiend, who was so nigh

To God in Princely state so high,

Until he lost his first estate,

Defying God the Potentate):

“My servant Job,” consider now,

“Will he unto thy purpose bow?

 

Throughout the earth thine eyes may scan;

He only is the perfect man!

None like him in the earth, not one,

In him My Light of Love hath shone!

The one who feareth God always,

Eschewing evil night and day;

He holdeth fast integrity,

Although in sore adversity!

Against him movedst thou My Hand

Though he in righteousness doth stand!”

 

Thus Satan, in controversy,

Was angry full of jealousy,

That God’s Own Servant did Him prove

A God of Righteousness and Love!

Then Satan said: “Yea, skin for skin,

Job keepeth true his life to win;

But, by Thy hand, touch flesh and bone

And Job no longer will Thee own!

Yea, he will curse Thee to Thy face,

And spurn Thy love, Thy truth, Thy grace!”

But Satan’s words were lies, thus proved,

For Job, though sad, was still unmoved!

 

My reader, here’s word for you,

Within this narrative so true,

Behold the works of God with men,

For he doth speak by voice and pen!

“Doth Job serve God for nought,” say ye,

With Lucifer, man’s Enemy?

The truth, with Job, yourself may know

That worship is not empty show;

Those who in truth doth worship God,

Shall walk the path that Job hath trod!

A path of blessing, though through pain,

The crown of righteousness to gain.

Profitable is godliness,

It bringeth peace and happiness.

Both in this life, and that to come,

The earthly and the heavenly home!

Job did not serve the Lord for nought,

For God’s Own Work of Grace was wrought.

We reap whate’er we sow in life,

The seed of evil, sin and strife;

With all its pain, and misery,

And punishment, eternally.

Or seed of love of God, so kind,

Longsuffering meekness of mind;

Its fruit of faith, of hope, of peace,

With songs of joy that never cease!

Unto ourselves, or God we live,

But He returns more than we give,

When we the Lord of Life enthrone

His choicest blessings are our own!

 

Did God and Satan thus agree

To put Job in such agony?

Could we the truth of this define,

So deep and unexplored a mine

Of sufferings excrucible,

Experience which was terrible!

This question therefore brings a doubt,

For Job was once so “hedged about!”

This question answered, and the next,

If we but read aright the text!

The Scripture is infallible,

Though human mind insensible

Unto God Law, and Life, and Love,

Unless the Spirit, Heavenly Dove,

Doth help us clearly understand

The providence of God’s Own Hand:

Who worketh all things for our good

The we accept His Saviourhood!

This trial came by Sovereign Right,

Because God’s Word Satan did slight

Concerning Job’s integrity,

And God’s own Grace and Sovereignty!

 

Composed by

 

Clarence Bentley.

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