Job 13

Job 13:5

Seeing The King I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee.—Job 13:5.Once upon a time there lived in a far-away land a poor man who had one little son. The boy’s mother was dead, and as he had no brothers or sisters to play with he was often very lonely.Not very far from where the boy lived was the palace of the great King. But although his sovereign lived so near the boy had never seen him; for this King had the power to make himself invisible, and it was only those whose eyes had been touched with a certain eye-salve who could behold him.Now the boy’s father worked for the King and he went twice every day to the palace. In the morning he went to get orders for the day’s work. In the evening he gave an account of all that he had done, and received the royal pardon for the mistakes he had made.The boy always looked forward to the hour when his father came home at night. For then the man took him on his knee and told him stories about the King, and of how great, and wise, and kind, and good he was.And he told him, too, about the beautiful palace and how some day, when his work was done, he was going to live there with the King always, and never be hungry, or cold, or tired any more.Sometimes the boy asked why his father worked for the King, and the father always answered, “Because I love him and he loves me and has done so much for me.

Although I am only a poor man he calls me his friend, and it is always the King’s friends who work for him. First they are his friends and then they are his servants—not because they have to be, but because they want to be.” The boy used often to puzzle over that answer, but his father always said, “Some day you will understand.”Now the more his father talked about the King, the more the boy wished to see him.

It was all very well hearing about him, but how much better it would be to see him for himself! But his clothes were very old and shabby and he was afraid to enter the royal presence in rags.One night his father had been talking to him as usual and at last he could contain himself no longer. “Oh, Father,” he said, “I wish I could see the King.” And his father replied, “Then you shall see him.” The boy could hardly believe his ears. “May I really and truly go and see him?” he asked. “Are you sure he would really wish to see me?” “Why, of course,” replied the father, “do you not know that the King has issued an invitation for anybody to come to him who wants to come?” “Then why doesn’t everybody go?” asked the boy. “Ah,” said his father, “that is because some people are so foolish as not to want to go.”The boy felt very happy that at last he was really and truly going to see the King, but suddenly he remembered his shabby clothes. “Oh, Father” he said, “I can’t go in these rags and I have no money to buy new ones. I’m afraid I can’t see the King after all.” But his father answered, “Don’t you know that he would rather have you come just as you are?” “And when shall we start?” asked the boy. “May we go tomorrow morning?” But his father replied, “No, we shall start to-night. It is never too soon to go to the King.”So they set out for the palace in the darkness and at last they reached the gates. The father gave the password to the sentry and immediately the gates were opened and they found themselves in a large courtyard. Crossing this they reached the palace and the father led his son through some corridors till they came to the King’s presence chamber.

The door was shut, but the man knocked and immediately a kind voice said, “Come in.” They entered at once and the little boy felt very excited and rather shy.But when he got inside he was much astonished. The room was beautiful, far more beautiful than he had ever imagined, but to all appearance it was empty.

At one end stood the throne, but apparently it was vacant. Then he remembered the eye-salve, and just at that moment his father spoke. “I have brought thee mine only son, oh gracious King. He desired to see thee and to know thee.” And the kind voice replied, oh, so gently, “Welcome, little boy, I have been waiting for you, and I am glad you have come so soon. They call me ‘the Friend of little children’ Would you like me to be your friend?”And the little boy fell on his knees before the throne and said, “Indeed, oh great King, it is too much to ask, but if thou wilt be my friend, then I shall be thy servant all my days, even as my father is.” Then the King replied, “Little boy I am your friend. Put your hand in mine.”So the boy put out his hand although he could not see the King and immediately he felt it grasped by a hand that was kind and strong. Then his eyes were touched and something that was darkening their vision fell away, and he saw the King in his beauty.The boy bowed his face to the ground but the King lifted him up.

He set him on his knee, and put his kind arms round him. And he told him how much he had loved him and longed for him to come to him, and how, now that he had once found his way, he must return very often until the day arrived when he should come to live with him for ever.

Then he set him down very gently and bade him “Good night,” and the father and son set out on their homeward way.But the presence of the King seemed to go with them, and all the way something was singing in the boy’s heart. And at last he said, “Oh, Father, you didn’t tell me half of how good and great and loving he was. It is far, far better to know the King than just to hear about him. And now he is going to be my friend too!”Boys and girls, there is a great King who wants to be your Friend. You have heard about Him often from your father and mother, from your minister or your teacher. But there is something far better than hearing about Him and that is seeing Him and knowing Him for yourself.

There is no comparison between the two.Do you know Him like that? It is never too soon to begin to know the Friend of little children and He invites everybody to come to Him.

How can you make Him your Friend? Just by putting your hand in His. Then He will anoint your eyes with the eye-salve of faith and love, and you will see Him in His beauty. And He will lead you safely through life’s joys and sorrows and temptations till at last He brings you to dwell with Him for ever where you will behold Him face to face.

Job 13:25

A Driven Leaf A leaf driven to and fro.—Job 13:25 (AV).If you take a country walk just now, or go down any road where there are trees, you will find my text. It may wear a crimson dress, or a brown one, or a gold, but it will be there sure enough along with many others of its kind.Have you guessed the text, I wonder. It is “a leaf driven to and from.” You will find it in the Book of Job, but I’m not going to tell you the chapter or the verse because I want you to look for it.I was watching some of those leaves the other day and they gave me a message to take to you. Would you like to know what they said?1. Well, first they said, “Tell the boys and girls to be glad.”They were such happy little fellows and they seemed to have so very little to make them happy. I wondered if they never felt dull.

But they answered, “Not in the least! We’ve had a fun time all summer up in the sunshine and the breeze, and this is a little bit of a let-down, but what’s the use of worrying?

There’s a nice gust of wind, so we’re off for a scamper.”And away they went rolling and frolicking, dancing and prancing down the path.And so the leaves driven to and fro say to you, “Be glad.” If you cut your finger, or break your toy, cheer up! The world isn’t coming to an end because of that. Keep a bright face when things go a bit wrong. That’s the plucky thing to do. It isn’t always the people with the fewest troubles who smile the most.2. But next the leaves driven to and fro said to me, “Tell the boys and girls to have a purpose. Just look at us. We are at the mercy of every wind that blows.

Sometimes we are scuttled away in one direction, then we are whisked away in another, and next minute we are whirled round and round in a circle. We have no stability of our own, and so we are influenced by the first breeze that comes along.”And they added, “We are just a picture of the people who have no purpose in life, the people who are easily led astray. They are very lovable often, but they have no high aim of their own, and so they just do exactly what those around them are doing. They are influenced by whatever wind is blowing. If it is a good wind they are good, but if it is a bad wind they are bad. So tell the boys and girls to have a purpose.”3. And lastly they said, “Tell the boys and girls that God has a purpose for them. God has a purpose for us if we will lie still and rest.

He will make us into a warm blanket to cover the seeds and the plants from the winter cold. He will send the rain and the snow and the worms to work on us and to turn us into food for the plants; and we shall be built up into some beautiful flower, or some fresh green leaf next summer.“And God has work for the boys and girls too if they will lie still and rest. If they will come to rest in Jesus, if they will make up their minds to be His disciples and let Him do with them as He will, then He has a glorious work for them to do. He can use even them to make the world a better and a happier place, to make His kingdom of love come on earth.”

Job 13:27

A Prisoner In The Stocks Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks.—Job 13:27.If you had lived a hundred years ago you would have been better able to appreciate this text. The punishment of the stocks has quite gone out of fashion, but if you had lived then you might often have seen a man sitting on a bench on the village green with his ankles and perhaps his wrists thrust through a wooden board in front of him. And possibly a crowd of little village boys would stand around making fun.If you had asked anybody why that man was sitting there, they would have told you that he had been found guilty of some small offence—such as trespassing or disturbing the peace—and that he had been put in the stocks for a few hours as a punishment. Away in the New England States they even put people in the stocks for Sabbath-breaking. I fancy they would require a large supply of stocks nowadays if that law was still around!Now I don’t think the stocks could have been at all a comfortable form of punishment. I think you and I would have much preferred being put into prison for a day and being kept on bread and water.

There you were set, with the boards firmly fixed down on your ankles and wrists, and there they sat for hours with your arms and legs held in one position until it pleased the powers that were to let you out. You must have felt very stiff and sore before you were released.In our text Job says that God has put his feet in the stocks.

What does he mean by that? Well, I think he just means that God has hedged him in on every side, that God has fixed him down in a certain position and that he can’t move out of it. He can’t alter his life, he can’t alter his circumstances. He must just submit to God’s way for him.Now don’t you think we are often placed very much as Job was? Our feet are put in the stocks.At home we are often prevented from doing the things we want to do, and we don’t at all like it. We want to go out on a certain day, and we have a bit of a cold and the rain is pouring, and mother says, “No, you must stay at home,” and we feel very sullen.

Or we are reading a book or a website that we know we ought not to be reading, and father comes and takes it from us, and we are very angry. Or mother forbids us to make friends with certain boys and girls, and we feel very annoyed.

Father and mother put our feet in the stocks.At school it is just the same. We have to conform to certain rules, we have to prepare our lessons— unless we wish to be left hopelessly behind—and sometimes it is all very irritating. The schoolmaster puts our feet in the stocks.And often the same thing holds good in life. We want to go out into the big world and fight our way, we want to do grand things and exciting things, and we are compelled to stay at home. We have brains; we want to go to the university or enter a profession, and we have to help father in his workshop to make money to buy bread and butter for the younger ones. We are clever, or artistic, or musical, and mother needs us at home to sweep and dust and wash the dishes.

Or perhaps we are just fixed where we are by poverty, or ill-health, or a sick relative. God is putting our feet in the stocks.

It is very hard to bear, and we are inclined to rebel.Now if your feet are in the stocks (and I think everybody’s are in one way or another), will you try to remember this? When we are restricted like that it is always for one of two reasons, and both of them are good.1. Sometimes our feet are put in the stocks to keep us out of danger.When the present King of Spain was six years old he had a birthday, just like every little boy or girl; but as he was an only child and a very important person besides, he received a great many presents. Among the presents were dozens and dozens of boxes of beautiful sweets. Everybody seemed to be trying to out do everybody else in the grandeur of those confections.When the king saw them he wanted them all at once. His mother said, “No,” but she gave in to him so far.

He was allowed to have one sweet out of each box. The rest were put past to be given away.

The king began his feast, but before he had got half round the boxes he turned very sick and ill. For days he lay between life and death, rand it was only the good nursing he received that brought him round again.The coloring matter that made some of the sweets look so attractive and pretty was slightly poisonous. If the Queen Mother had been wiser and had restricted her son to half a dozen sweets, all might have been well, but in the mistaken kindness of her heart she had allowed him a large number, and the result was nearly fatal.Now when father and mother forbid you to do things you want to do, when they take away dangerous books from you, or keep you from bad companions, they are really removing poisoned sweets out of your reach. Some day you will realize what they have done for you and will thank them, although just at present you may find their restraint very hard to bear.And God is just like father and mother. When He puts our feet in the stocks it is always for our good. He often puts them there to keep us back from the things that would hurt us.

We may not be able to see it now, but some day we shall know and understand, and we shall thank Him for His wisdom and loving-kindness.A famous minister tells the story of a little boy who wanted to go out one afternoon. The rain was falling fast and his governess suggested that they should pray for the rain to stop, but the little fellow asked, “Do you suppose God wants it to rain?” “Yes,” replied his governess. “Then,” said the small boy, “I think it would be safer to let Him have His own way.”Yes, it is always safer to let God have His own way.

He is far wiser than we are, and far more loving, and He will never send us anything that is not for our good.2. Sometimes our feet are put in the stocks to make us stronger and better and more useful.A South African minister tells us about a wonderful vine he saw growing out there. Never had he seen such a luxuriant vine. It spread far and wide and climbed over everything within its reach, but—it had no fruit. Do you know the reason? It had not been pruned.

It had been allowed to grow just as it liked, and it had grown all to leaves and tendrils.And when father and mother restrain us and restrict us, when God puts our feet in the stocks, it is often to make us better, and purer, and stronger.Don’t rebel then, boys and girls, when things don’t go just as you want them. Take it sensibly, take it like a big boy or girl, and you will become strong, and brave, and pure.

Job 13:28

A Moth-Eaten Garment A garment that is moth-eaten.—Job 13:28.I want you to take a good look at what I have brought you today. It is a cashmere shawl belonging to an old lady who is a friend of mine, and she very kindly lent it to me as a text for you.If you looked at the shawl from a distance you might imagine it was very beautiful, but if you came a little closer you would see that it is all riddled with small holes, just as if a great many bullets had gone through it. I hope some of you can see the holes from where you are sitting.Now I wonder who made these holes in the shawl? Well, my friend forgot to put any camphor in the drawer where she laid away her best shawl, and later along came Mrs. Moth looking for a nice, soft, warm place to lay her eggs. When she found the shawl she exclaimed, “Why, here’s the very thing!” and she lost no time in setting to work.Shortly after, out of each egg popped a little grub, and as he came out to the world he said to himself, “I’m really most awfully hungry.

I must have something to eat.” So he at once proceeded to eat the thing nearest to him, which happened to be his particular corner of the shawl. And that is how the holes came in the cashmere.Now I think that our characters are a little like this moth-eaten shawl.

They were meant to be beautiful and useful, but some destructive moths have eaten into them and spoiled them. I wonder what the names of these moths are? I think they are bad habits, and unkind feelings, and wicked thoughts.1. There are two ways in which these moths spoil our character—first they spoil its beauty, and second they spoil its usefulness.(1) They spoil its beauty. If you came a little nearer you would see how the moths have spoiled the beauty of this shawl. It is made of a lovely, soft, fine wool and must have been very nice to look at once upon a time, but now nobody would wish to wear it as an ornament. It is altogether spoiled. And it is just like that with bad habits.

They make ugly holes in our character. You often meet people who would have been very noble and grand and beautiful if they had not allowed a wicked temper, or an unkind feeling, or a bad habit to get the better of them.(2) And besides spoiling the beauty of our character, these wicked little moths spoil its usefulness. A garment that is badly moth-eaten is of no use. It is quite rotten and tears when we pull it.Now I think we should all like to be of use to somebody in the world, but if we let those wicked little moths eat into our nature I’m afraid we won’t be able to do much good. They will weaken our character until nobody will be able to rely on us.2. Shall I give you two recipes to help to keep away the moths?(1) First, be busy.

You know it is when clothes are laid away idle that the moths come to them. I read a poem the other day about a lady who owned a very beautiful garment.

It was so beautiful that she thought it was too fine to wear, so she laid it away carefully in a drawer. Guests came to the house but she received them in sober raiment. The poor and the orphaned came and she gave them pity, but she never cheered them with a sight of the beautiful garment. It lay wrapped up in a napkin in the dark drawer, its beauty all hidden. And then a feast-day came and she took out the garment meaning to wear it. But when she shook out its wonderful folds she found that the moths had been busy with it, and that its beauty and its usefulness were gone for ever.

And the writer of the poem ends with these two lines—Into the folded robe aloneThe moth with its blighting steals.One of the best ways of keeping good is to do good. If you are busy helping and serving others and making use of the talents God has given you, why then, you have very little time to harbor wicked thoughts or grow bad habits.

The boys and girls that Satan loves to get hold of are those who have no aim in life and too much time on their hands. He usually finds them an easy prey. So the first recipe is—“Be busy.”(2) And the second is—“Use plenty of camphor.” If you keep plenty of camphor among your garments the moths will be afraid to come near them. And what camphor shall we use to keep the moths of bad habits away from our characters? The camphor of prayer. God will never refuse to help us if we ask Him, and when we have this remedy at hand we should all use it.3. But I’m afraid that in spite of all our efforts there will still be a few moth-holes in the garments of our characters, for all of us began to let the moths have their way before we could even walk or talk. What are we to do then?

Are we to go through life with our beauty and our usefulness always a bit spoilt? Sometimes when you have made a big tear in your coat or your dress, mother mends it so you can hardly see it, but even mother isn’t clever enough to get rid of the holes in the moth-eaten garment.But Jesus can mend the holes in the moth-eaten garments of our characters. He, and He alone, can do it because He alone has lived the perfect life, and He has suffered and died to make us good. He can take away all the ugliness out of our lives and put our mistakes right, and He can present us at last faultless before His Father’s throne with exceeding joy.