88. To Bring Back His Soul
Hymns: RHC 325 A Shelter in the Time of Storm, 326 Like a River Glorious, 331 The Haven of Rest
Job 33:29-33
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. 31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak. 32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee. 33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
To Bring Back His Soul
OUTLINE
(1) Through the Repeated Pricking of the Conscience and the Pain of Suffering (v29-30)
(2) Yielding in Submission of God’s chastening (v31-33)
INTRODUCTION
How does God save a man? Whether God speaks through the conviction of the Spirit upon the heart of a guilty conscience (v14-18) or through the pain of suffering (v19-26), God does so with the purpose of saving them “from the pit” and giving them “the light of the living”, the salvation of their soul.[1]
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: 20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. 21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. 22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. 23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: 24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. 25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: 26He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
(1) Through the Repeated Pricking of the Conscience and the Pain of Suffering (v29-30)
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
Our Creator God is calling for our attention. When we would be frightened enough to be discomfited and realize we need the power of God to heal and help us. If God exist and this is real and true, then it will be a great loss if not appropriated. When a man is willing to turn away from himself and his self-indulgence and then to the living and true God, this will be the beginning of deliverance and salvation.
God want to deliver the forlorn soul “from the pit” and giving him the light of life. There is this repeaded engagement of the conscience and suffering to draw a soul to God, and closer to Him.
Elihu tells us that God speaks through the misery of a guilty conscience and through the pain of suffering. We are to yield and submit to His chastening hand in drawing us closer to Him.
Christopher Ash said well, “Unlike the comforters, Elihu is not accusing Job of concealing his sin, nor does he “read” Job’s suffering as evidence of Job’s sins. But he says that Job is wrong to accuse God of not speaking. This accusation has come from Job because of his sufferings; and yet Elihu says it may be precisely these sufferings that are the voice of God to him! I may think that because I am suffering, God is not speaking to me; but he is, and my sufferings may be His voice! And His purpose in my sufferings is gracious; that it is that I may be rescued from death and restored to life.”[2]
Matthew Henry also observed well, “… showing that God’s great and gracious design, in all the dispensations of His providence towards the children of men, is to save them from being for ever miserable and bring them to be for ever happy (v29-30). All these things God is working with the children of men. He deals with them by conscience, by providences, by ministers, by mercies, by afflictions.
He makes them sick, and makes them well again. All these are his operations; he has set the one over the other (Job 33:1; Ecclesiastes 7:14), but His hand is in all; it is He that performs all the things for us.
Job 33:1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider:
God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
All providences are to be looked upon as God’s workings with man, his strivings with him. He uses a variety of methods to do men good; if one affliction do not do the work, He will try another; if neither do, He will try a mercy; and He will send a messenger to interpret both. He often works such things as these twice, thrice; so, it is in the original, referring to Job 33:14.
He speaks once, yea, twice; if that prevail not, he works twice, yea, thrice; he changes his method (we have piped, we have mourned) returns again to the same method, repeats the same applications. Why does he take all this pains with man? It is to bring back his soul from the pit, (v30).
If God did not take more care of us than we do of ourselves, we should be miserable; we would destroy ourselves, but he would have us saved, and devises means, by his grace, to undo that by which we were undoing ourselves. The former method, by dream and vision, was to keep back the soul from the pit (v18), that is, to prevent sin, that we might not fall into it.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18 KJV)
This, by sickness and the word, is to bring back the soul, to recover those that have fallen into sin, that they may not lie still and perish in it. With respect to all that by repentance are brought back from the pit, it is that they may be enlightened with the light of the living, that they may have present comfort and everlasting happiness.
Whom God saves from sin and hell, which are darkness, He will bring to heaven, the inheritance of the saints in light; and this He aims at in all His institutions and all His dispensations. Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst thus visit him! This should engage us to comply with God’s designs, to work with Him for our own good, and not to counter-work Him. This will render those that perish for ever inexcusable, that so much was done to save them and they would not be healed.”
In the book “The Problem of Pain” the writer C.S. Lewis tried to answer the question “If God is good and all-power, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?”
CS Lewis wrote in the preface of his book, “… the only purpose of the book is to solve the intellectual problem raised by suffering; for the far higher task of teaching fortitude and patience I was never fool enough to suppose myself qualified, nor have I anything to offer my readers except my conviction that when pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.”
He tells us a Christian perspective to suffering – how it teaches fortitude – courage in pain and adversity and patience – the capacity to accept, tolerate delay, problems or suffering without being annoyed and anxious.
And he tells us we can help others overcome suffering and pain by encouraging the afflicted to have the courage to face it, and to show compassion and sympathy toward the afflicted which express the love of God through us that ultimately point the person to see the love of God in action giving the gospel to share the gospel.
And oftentimes, it is through suffering that men’s heart is made tender to see God.
There was a man who was happily married and all set to join the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in California, USA, as a Asian language instructor, when cruel “hand of fate” (as it is described) struck, robbing him of the most precious gift of sight. He realized that he was becoming blind. Frantically seeking doctor after doctor, treatment after treatment, was of no avail.
He testified, “The thing I had dreaded most had come! I felt as if both my body and spirit were bound together and thrown into the dark hell of despair. I was on the road to death all alone. There was no one who could walk with me; not even my own mother, my wife or my two loving daughters. I screamed out, “Oh God! Why are you going to take the light away from me? What have I done to deserve this?” Sinking deeper into despair I cried to God, cursing Him and at the same time imploring Him. Of all people, why me? Why? Why? And soon, he realized that another ailment has struck him, his one hearing ear was going deaf, too. He tested by clapping his hand.
Plunged into his world of darkness, his wife and children deserted him. He was left to face the future alone. He was alone at home. The house was dark and silent as a tomb. This useless body was hardly worth living for. He attempted suicide. He thought a razor blade was a good idea but unfortunately there was no blade in it. He struggled and found the blade but could not find courage to cut through the vein on his neck to do the job.
He wrote, “while my body and mind were engrossed in the suicidal attempt, I suddenly lost consciousness, and fell to the floor.” He took a chair and a rope sling from the ceiling and was about to hang himself.
“John! John!” I heard someone calling me. Not thunderous and loud but continuous, the voice seemed to fill up the room. Taken aback, I opened my eyes to see the bright light shining in my room and sweet-smelling fragrance filling it. Still ringing around me, the voice continued to shout my name, ordering me to get up.
“Who are you?” I blurted, and did not quite realize that I could miraculously hear and see. “Where are you?” Frantically waving my arm, I asked over and over again.
“I am Jehovah you God. Don’t say you are all alone because I am always with you. You will know that you are not alone. Read page 320 of the Old Testament; it belongs to you.”
“What page?” I asked.
“Page 320,” the voice repeated, fading away and disappeared into the air. The bright light that filled his room and the voice were gone and again I found myself in complete darkness.
“John, John.” I could hear the voice again and again, and I seemed to see the bright light, too. Whether in a dream or not, I could not tell. I was breathless and overjoyed with excitement.
“I am not alone. He is with me,” I said to myself. He clearly told me that He was Jehovah, my God. It really puzzles me why God manifested Himself before me when I was not seeking Him Thirty-seven years of my life, I had not had any personal experience of knowing God, or ever seeking to know Him. Going to church, singing in the choir and saying public prayers were mere outward gesture of pretension and habit. Moreover, God had been totally left out of my consciousness. He had been forgotten for a very long time. How and why He appeared to me at this crucial time to tell me that He was still with me at this crucial time to tell me that He was still with me was something I just did not know. He said He would prove Himself. It couldn’t be real. It was incredible! My heart was pounding from the incident. God’s message for me was on page 320 of my Old Testament. I had better read it right away.
I found the Bible and rushed out of the house. Right then, I noticed that my hearing was restored, for I could hear the footsteps of the people walking on the streets. I yelled to the people who passed by.
“Excuse me – you who are passing by right now.”
“What can I do for you?” was the voice of a youth who must have been on his way to school. I am sorry to bother you. As you can see, I am blind and I want to ask you a favour.” After I told him my story briefly and asked him to come into my house to read to me from the Bible on page 320; he opened it and said, “Joshua, chapter one.”
“Joshua chapter one?” I have never paid attention to this chapter before. I begged him to read it for me.
Joshua 1:5 … as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee…7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest… 9 … Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
The student went on to the end of the page with gladness, noticing my delight in hearing the Word. The voice of the student gradually changed into the voice I heard in that bright light and was talking to me personally! I could hear, “Be strong and very courageous, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” over and over again. The boy left me after finishing the chapter and I was by myself once again.
This time I knew I wasn’t really alone, though, because He was with me and He would not forsake me. This new found faith and dependence on God filled my heart with joy overflowing! A spring of hope, happiness and strength seemed come from the bottom of my heart. This joy I had was something I had no known before, and it now knew no bounds. Spontaneously, the hymn burst from my mouth, “Though friends forsake me, Jesus still loves me. Jesus is my friend, He is the only one. Though the world may change, Jesus will remain true to me.” Tears flowing, I sang this hymn over and over.
The more I thought of what the Lord told me through those Bible verses, the more strength and courage was built up in me, even if the ever-present pitch darkness surrounded me. With the overflowing of joy within me, the darkness seemed to disappear. He remembered me in my distress and told be to be of good courage because He would never forsake me. The assurance He gave me would always be there to comfort me!
Be strong and be of good courage… With the power that comes from God, Joshua was able to lead the Israelites to the land of Canaan, for he alone could not have done it. Joshua was merely a weak man, had God not been with him. He believed that only the power of God could help him and because of his faith, he performed a great miracle.
He testified, “In the past, I tried to draw strength from my knowledge, talents and money – all of which were secular, transient values; now they were of no value at all to me in my crisis. Those indeed had been obstacles placed between God and me, so I could not find the true light I was seeking. I said the repentant prayer: “Father, forgive me for my ignorance. I know now that you are the only source of all power and that it cannot come from any other source in the world. Please help me to have power to overcome this despondency I feel because of my blindness.”
Is there any meaning for the life of the blind person? What is the purpose of life for the blind people like me? I was assured that God would help me find the goal of my life. Physically I had lost my sight, but how blessed I was to find the new light – the Saviour Jesus Christ. God had no way to showing me the way while I just sat around doing nothing. No! He dared me to move on and take a brave step forward, looking for the light. It was as though He was commanding me to rise and go toward the Promised Land across the Jordan River, where there is milk and honey for His chosen people, the Israelites. Out of a dungeon of darkness, I was ready to emerge and seek out what I was called to do in this world.
God brought him to a bus depot, at a train station. He was a destitute. No one cared for him. But there was a newspaper and shoe shine boy who saw his pitiful state and brought him to his home, more a squatter where he stayed with his grandmother. Though he had little, he offered him his best. He was deeply touched by the love of this boy. He shared his story from his childhood and how he became blind. The boy said to him, “You are a lucky man! I really envy you.” He was taken aback as to what he really meant by envying. He found out that the boy envied him because he went to school and learned as much as he wanted. “You just don’t know how lucky you are to be educated.” He envied my education and wanted to learn so badly to the extend that he ignored my handicap.”
“You may be envious of me, but my learning has no use now.” I was talking to myself, too. “Look at me! I am just a beggar roaming in the streets.” This boy insisted he was wrong. “You can say that because you are satisfied with your knowledge. I am different. You talk about the practical use of learning. It doesn’t matter whether I can use it or not.” “So, you really want an education.” The boy bought a set of uniform and has been waiting for the day he could wear them to go to school. I bought several books also. It just feels good to have them around while I dream this dream. You may not understand how I dare to dream the impossible dream when I can hardly afford food. I know I am crazy but I cannot help yearning for my dream.” As he talked, his voice quivered with emotion.
The train depot, they are precious memories. There I had the taste of human love and concern and my spiritual eyes were opened. God had His eyes on me. God seemed to have planned every detail of my journey. The Lord, my Saviour, showed me the light in the lowly places.
He thought that he has lost his usefulness but now he found he had found someone to whom he could be of some help. I was useful after all. I was given a golden opportunity to show my love and concern through teaching the boys what I had learned in school.
He was moved to watch this boy trying to give away what little he had. The new light was shining in my dark corner giving meaning to my meaningless life.
God reached down and lifted him from the depths of despair to fulfil his father’s dream, that he should become a preacher of the gospel. Through years of hard testing, Rev John An today heads the New Light (Presbyterian) Church of the Blind, New Light Evening School, New Light House for the blind. He edits the New Light Braille Magazine.
As I read the biography of his “Blind Korean Pastor”, it gave me an idea of what the Apostle Paul was going through when he was struck down by the bright light from heaven on the road to Damascus, persecuting Christians.”
Wherever the believers fled after the martyrdom of Stephen, which he seemed to have played some official part, he pursued them, not only in Palestine itself but even to Damascus. To the synagogues of that city he carried a letter from the High Priest, authorizing him to arrest and bring to Jerusalem any who might have sought refuge in the ancient city of Syria. The write of the High Priest was respected in the synagogues of the Empire, and his authority in religious matters was upheld by the Roman power. It was on his journey to Damascus that Saul was confronted by the vision of the risen Christ which wrought such a change in his life and made him henceforth the most valiant champion of the faith he had tried to destroy.
The Apostle Paul’s conversion alone in the view of a lawyer in the 18th century, is sufficient prove Christianity to be a divine revelation. He set out with his other lawyer friend to disprove the Christian faith, his friend to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and him, the Apostle Paul’s conversion. He came to receive instead Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. He saw that this faith is real.
(2) Yielding in Submission of God’s chastening (v31-33)
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak. 32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee. 33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
Elihu concludes by repeating his appeal to Job to heed his voice, the appeal with which he began (33:1-7). As well as speaking urgently and strongly to Job to listen, he says that His motive is “to justify thee,” to see Job stand tall and straight before God (v32). Elihu comes aloneside Job; he is on Job’s side. Even as he rebukes Job for speaking out of turn, he wants the best for Job.[3]
In the testimony of the Apostle Paul’s conversion and commission, we saw Jesus working to cause this man to yield to Him.
Jesus appeared to the man Ananias in a vision and instructed him to go to help this man Saul blinded and waiting for his coming.
Acts 9:10-12 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
The way was prepared for Paul’s reception by Christians in Damascus by the Lord’s appearing to Ananias. The words of the Lord to him describing Paul as a “chosen vessel” have stuck to Paul ever since.
It was the same in that encounter by this blind Korean pastor. In his latter years, he recognized that, without his knowing it, he hand been set apart by God for the work of the gospel even before His birth and education, he was also a Roman citizen, and his privileges as such stood him in good stead more than once.
Galatians 1:15-18 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Although born a Roman citizen in the Greek city of Tarsus in Asia Minor, he was brought up by his Jewish parents not as a Greek but as a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, being sent to Jerusalem to be trained at the feet of Galmaliel, the great leader of the Pharisees whom we have already met as s counsellor of moderation. The pupil showed little of his teacher’s moderation. As a Jew of Cilicia, he may well have attended the synagogue where Stephen debated, and heard those arguments which were bound to undermined the whole religious structure of Judaism. In Saul’s mind, as penetrating as Stephen’s, saw the irreconciliability of the old order and the new, and he set out on his career as a vigorous champion of the old order, resolved to stamp out the revolutionary movement.[4]
Philippians 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Acts 26:15-18 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
He was struck down, blind, with a heavenly commission. He understood in his heart that this Jesus is real. It was the same for Sahdu Sundar Singh and Dr John Sung.
How much he must suffer for my name – The Lord also informs Ananias that this one who has inflicted much suffering on Christians now will experience much suffering himself as he carries out his divinely ordained mission. Saul/Paul himself enumerates the variety of ways he eventually suffered for the cause of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:23-33 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, inperils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
CONCLUSION
God does speak to His people. God’s silence troubled Job deeply. Elihu comes to Job’s comforters and tells them of the voice of prophecy, whuch will be the God-given and necessary voice to shed light on Job’s sufferings. And he comes to Job and tells him of the voices of conscience and of suffering, by which God speaks to save. By implication he calls upon Job to listen to the voice of God coming to him in and through his sufferings and let this voice do its gracious work of preserving Job from pride. Job needs to be humbled under the mighty hand of God.[5]
Amen.
[1] Christopher Ash, Job – The Wisdom of the Cross, Crossway, 2014, 340.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid., 341.
[4] F. Davidson, The New Bible Commentary, Billing and Sons Ltd Guildford and Esher, 1954, 911.
[5] Christopher Ash, Job – The Wisdom of the Cross, Crossway, 2014, 341.