35. Think Soberly
Hymns: RHC 376 O to be Like Thee; 375 Speak, Lord, in the Stillness; 387 I Need Thee Every Hour
Job 13:1-12
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this,mine ear hath heard and understood it. 2 What ye know, the samedo I know also: I amnot inferior unto you. 3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. 4 But ye areforgers of lies, ye areall physicians of no value. 5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. 6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? 8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? 9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye somock him? 10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. 11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? 12 Your remembrances arelike unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.13Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
Think Soberly
OUTLINE
- Restraining his friends (v1-3)
- Indicting his friends (v4-13)
- Forgers of lies (v4)
- Better to keep quiet (v5)
- Pleading them to stop misrepresenting God (v6-8)
- God will certainly reprove them (v9-10)
- Fear Him (v11-13)
INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul said inRomans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himselfmore highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
To“Think more highly”(huperphroneo from huperphron = over-proud in turn from huper = above, over + phroneo = think) literally means to over think or think above and so to be haughty.The idea is “to over-think,” “to think above,” or “to proudly think.”
But to think soberly – “BUT TO THINK SO AS TO HAVE SOUND JUDGMENT” – Sound judgment (sophroneo from sozo [Vine] = to save {from sos = sound} + phren = mind, which would then literally describe a “saved mind” means literally to be of sound mind.
The idea is to to keep one’s mind safe and sound or to be in one’s right mind. To think of one’s self soberly.
To put a moderate estimate on one’s self. To curb one’s passions. It means to be able to reason and think properly and in a sane manner. It means to have understanding about practical matters and thus be able to act sensibly.
A right estimate of oneself will always be a humble estimate (cf Ga 6:3, 4, 5), a recognition that, in ourselves, we can do nothing (Jn 15:5), but that in Christ we can be used to the glory of God (Jn 15:8).
Galatians 6:3-5 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.
In context Paul is addressing one’s attitude toward spiritual gifts. He wants us not to consider our gift to be of greater importance then another saint’s gift but to have a humble attitude, an attitude which when you know you have it, you have lost it! Humility means putting Christ first, others second, and self last (“J.O.Y.” is Jesus, then Others, finally Yourself). Humility is a lack of pre-occupation with self.[1]
The friends of Job thought they had a hold of Job’s spiritual state before God. They were wrong. And Job had to rightly defend his integrity.
- Restraining His Friends (v1-3)
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. 2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. 3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Job was bold to reason with his friends concerning the falsehoods they have spoken concerning the character of God and the falsehoods that they have spoken concerning him.
Barnes said well, “I would desire to carry my cause directly up to God, and spread out my reasons before him. He felt that God would appreciate the arguments which he would urge, and would do justice to them. His friends he felt were censorious and severe. They neither did justice to his feelings, nor to his motives. They perverted his words and arguments; and instead of consoling him, they only aggravated his trials, and caused him to sink into deeper sorrows. But he felt if he could carry his cause to God, he would do ample justice to him and his cause.”
Indeed, we speak in hindsight, having taken a look at the conclusion of this book inJob 42:7 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.
- Indicting his friends (v4-13)
- Forgers of lies (v4)
- Better to keep quiet (v5)
- Pleading them to stop misrepresenting God (v6-8)
- God will certainly reprove them (v9-10)
- Fear Him (v11-13)
- Forgers of lies (v4)
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
He speaks here to reference to the proceedings in a court of justice. Ye pretend to be advocates for God, but ye are forgers of lies: O that God Himself would appear! Before him I could soon prove my innocence of the evils with which ye charge me.[Clarke]
A physican is to bring about healing through his medical expertise so that the ailment of the patient is treated. It had been a waste of time seeing these “physicans” friends of his who could not treat his sickness instead gave wrong diagnosis of his ailment. What tragedy for the sick person!
b) Better to keep quiet (v5)
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: andhe that shutteth his lips is esteemeda man of understanding.
There is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” Denis Gibson said well “Oh, what sins of the tongue most of us are guilty of! How difficult it is for sinful creatures to control that little member! Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Pr. 18:21).
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Thomas Carlyle called the message of this Proverb, “Silence, the great empire of silence, higher than the stars; deeper than the kingdom of death. Woe to us if we have nothing but what we can show or speak. Bees will not work except in darkness; thought will not work except in silence.””
Proverbs 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
He that hath knowledge spareth his words; and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit (v.27). The word spareth means to restrain, to hold in check. Excellent is literally cool, thus, an excellent spirit belongs to one who is “cool or self-possessed,” quite a different sense from the modern use of “everything’s cool”!
A man of understanding “keeps his head cool, his mouth shut, and his heart warm” (10:19; 15:1).
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
He holds a tight reign on his temper in debate, and gives others a fair hearing (18:13; 25:15). The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools (Eccl. 9:17). Christ was silent before His accusers. He answered nothing (Mt. 27:12). “A little spark blows up one of sulphurous temper; and many coals, great injuries, and reproaches are quenched, and lose their force, being thrown at another of a cool spirit” (Leighton). So there is a time to speak as well as a time to be silent (Jas. 1:19, 3:2).
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
How wise is the one who knows both time and judgment– Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man isgreat upon him.
A Tongue Held: Even a fool when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding (Prov. 17:28). This is the other way he show himself wise, he holds his peace, literally, “one who is silent” and shuts [stops] his lips.
Even a fool who holds his tongue, acts deaf, is no longer a complete fool! His silence is itself a degree of wisdom rather than ignorance, though he is reputed to be a fool. “Silent sense is better than fluent folly!” Fool or not, his silence conceals his folly, and may gain for him a reputation for wisdom! “No one knows that he nothing knows, unless he talks too much” (Old Proverb). Thus the judgments of men can be wrong, counting fools as wise, or wise men as fools. Of course, this must not be the silence of a “sullen spirit” that is only the response of a rebellious spirit, not a cool spirit. Again, there is a silence that is consent. When we arecalled to stand up for truth, silence then is not merely cowardice; it is dangerous sin (Mt. 10:32). There is speech that is folly, but there is silence that is fatal. God knows the hearts and how prone we are to folly. David was under severe personal attack, yet he committed his cause to his God. But I as a deaf man [held peace], heard not, and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope; thou wilt hear, O Lord, my God(Ps. 38:11-15). Because God knows all hearts He cannot be deceived in His judgments as man is in his. The Judge of all the earth shall do right.
c) Pleading them to stop misrepresenting God (13:6-8)
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? 8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
The speeches in this book are conceived as it delivered in a court of justice, different counselors pleading against each other. Hence most of the terms are forensic. [Clarke]
Job entreats his friends that they would be no longer speakers, but hearers; that they would vouchsafe to sit still, and hear what he had to say; though he was greatly afflicted, he had not lost his reason, wisdom was not driven out from him (v13); he had still with him his reasoning powers, which he was capable of making use of, and even before God, and desires that they would attend to what he had to say on his own behalf.
And hearken to the pleadings of my lips– he was capable of pleading his own cause, and he was desirous of doing it before God as his Judge; and begs the favour of his friends to be silent, and hear him out, and then let judgment be given, not by them, but by God himself. [Gill]
e) God will certainly reprove them (v9-10)
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? 10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
As we saw, God did reprove them in Job 42:7 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.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Jesus warned in Matthew 12:35-37 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Jesus indicted the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
- Fear Him (v111-13)
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? 12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.13Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Psalm 119:120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Psalm 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Let the fear of God be in our hearts, let us think soberly. Amen.