94. Songs In the Night

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Hymns: RHC 284 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, 335 Keep on Believing, 349 Surely Goodness and Mercy

Job 35:9-16

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. 10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; 11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? 12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him. 15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity: 16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Songs in the Night

OUTLINE

  • Shouldn’t We Look to God in Times of Affliction? (v9-11)
  • Surely We will Find Help in Him! (v12-13)
  • Are We Looking to Him?

INTRODUCTION

Does God not comfort His people? Does He not supply a song in the night? How could God’s people not experience His comfort when they seek Him in prayer? Could it be that it our affliction, we have turned our eyes away from Christ? We have not sought Him as we ought. Have we allowed our focus to be upon our afflction than upon the comfort of our God? Could God forsake His people in their time of need? Surely not!

Let us understand clearly the mind of God and His unfailing care for us.

Romans 8:32-39 (KJV) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the times of our affliction, let us learn to cast our care upon our God and tarry with Him in prayer.

In Luke 18:1, our Lord Jesus instructed, Luke 18:1 (KJV) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 

Indeed, the burdens of life can often be so overwhelming at times that they threaten to rob the believer of his confidence in God’s ability to help him through yet another impasse. 

This parable by our Lord Jesus teaches us the lesson never to give up on the Lord: “men ought always to pray and not to faint”. Prayer is the believer’s power with God. Persistence in prayer is not the natural habit of the believer. Jesus uses this parable to teach this lesson. This parable encourages us to never stop praying even in the toughest of circumstances. Our faith cannot be seen but our prayer life can be seen, it is evidence of true faith. It gives hope to the children of God who are going through any trouble, call upon Him and He will help you. He is always fair, always just, on our part we must make sure we are on the Lord’s side.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, how is your prayer life? How can we fortify our hearts so that when extreme adversity comes, we will not give up on the Lord? Our Lord Himself gives us this parable to help us. There is a saying in times of peace, think war. The preparation of the heart takes time, we need to be convinced and established in our heart the right thing to do so that when crisis arises, we are able to handle them according to Scriptures, receiving God’s blessing.

Elihu here returns an answer to another word that Job had said, which, he thought, reflected much upon the justice and goodness of God, and therefore ought not to pass without a remark. What it was that Job complained of; it was this, That God did not regard the cries of the oppressed against their oppressors (Job 35:9)”By reason of the multitude of oppressions, the many hardships which proud tyrants put upon poor people and the barbarous usage they give them, they make the oppressed to cry; but it is to no purpose: God does not appear to right them. They cry out, they cry on still, by reason of the arm of the mighty, which lies heavily upon them.” This seems to refer to those words of Job (Job 24:12), Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded cries out against the oppressors, yet God lays not folly to them, does not reckon with them for it. This is a thing that Job knows not what to make of, nor how to reconcile to the justice of God and his government. Is there a righteous God, and can it be that he should so slowly hear, so slowly see? [Matthew Henry]

In our parable where our Lord gave the situation of oppressed widow, He tells us that God will surely hear the prayers of His people and help them – Luke 18:7-8 (KJV) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

This is the test of true faith. When we stop praying, we stop believing. When we pray, God gives us faith. Faith keeps us praying and praying strengthens our faith, paradoxical but true. This is the mysterious interplay of man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty. May the Lord find us prayerful! May the Lord find us faithful! May we never give up but always hope in God, continue to trust Him no matter what the situation, for He is in control and He cares for you!

Our Lord now turns His audience from the unjust judge to God Himself, who always do justice and does not fail in showing compassion for believers who suffer. Even the unjust judge will not tolerate pestering how much more our infinitely just Judge? God will certainly respond to His beloved one “his own elect” by making right the wrong that they suffer when they cry to Him. Our God will always do what’s just and right and is filled with compassion to help His children who are suffering. 

God’s respond will be swift and very reassuring, Jesus says, “Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” 

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

The interrogation particle is an inferential question to which a negative answer is expected. Shall He find faith on earth, no!

Jesus concluded with verse 8b, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh”. This is the context. Jesus is speaks of the times of His Coming. For the listeners who lived during Jesus’ time, it refers to His first coming. But for us today, it applied to His Second Coming.

True Faith is Measured by Persevering Prayer (v8c)

Jesus concluded with verse 8c, “…shall he find faith on the earth?” 

Will the believer exercise faith to continually come to his/her Lord in prayer even amidst great persecution, unbelief and apostasy in the times nearing the Lord’s Second Coming? The time is nearing toward the formation of the one world church. Persecution will come when we hold fast to the old time gospel – Jesus only saves! When persecution comes, when we are helpless like the widow against overwhelming odds and enemies, we are exhorted to continue to pray.

True believers will persistently wait with patient trust. Will Jesus find faith on earth? The answer is “no”. What a grave state of affairs for mankind!

  • Shouldn’t We Look to God in Times of Affliction? (v9-11)

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. 10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; 11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

If the cries of the oppressed be not heard, the fault is not in God; he is ready to hear and help them. But the fault is in themselves; they ask and have not, but it is because they ask amiss (James 4:3). They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty, but it is a complaining cry, a wailing cry, not a penitent praying cry, the cry of nature and passion, not of grace. Hosea 7:14, They have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds. How then can we expect that they should be answered and relieved?

They do not enquire after God, nor seek to acquaint themselves with him, under their affliction (Job 35:10): But none saith, Where is God my Maker? Afflictions are sent to direct and quicken us to enquire early after God, Psalm 78:34. 

But many that groan under great oppressions never mind God, nor take notice of his hand in their troubles; if they did, they would bear their troubles more patiently and be more benefited by them. 

Of the many that are afflicted and oppressed, few get the good they might get by their affliction. It should drive them to God, but how seldom is this the case! It is lamentable to see so little religion among the poor and miserable part of mankind. Every one complains of his troubles; but none saith, Where is God my Maker? that is, none repent of their sins, none return to him that smites them, none seek the face and favour of God, and that comfort in him which would balance their outward afflictions. 

They are wholly taken up with the wretchedness of their condition, as if that would excuse them in living without God in the world which should engage them to cleave the more closely to him. God is our Maker, the author of our being, and, under that notion, it concerns us to regard and remember Him (Ecclesiastes 12:1). God my makers, in the plural number, which some think is, if not an indication, yet an intimation, of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead. Let us make man.

It is our duty therefore to enquire after Him. Where is he, that we may pay our homage to him, may own our dependence upon him and obligations to him? Where is he, that we may apply to him for maintenance and protection, may receive law from him, and may seek our happiness in his favour, from whose power we received our being? It is to be lamented that he is so little enquired after by the children of men. All are asking, Where is mirth? Where is wealth? Where is a good bargain? But none ask, Where is God my Maker? [Matthew Henry]

Matthew Henry further observed well, “They do not take notice of the mercies they enjoy in and under their afflictions, nor are thankful for them, and therefore cannot expect that God should deliver them out of their afflictions. He provides for our inward comfort and joy under our outward troubles, and we ought to make use of that, and wait his time for the removal of our troubles: He gives songs in the night, that is, when our condition is ever so dark, and sad, and melancholy, there is that in God, in his providence and promise, which is sufficient, not only to support us, but to fill us with joy and consolation, and enable us in every thing to give thanks, and even to rejoice in tribulation. When we only pore upon the afflictions we are under, and neglect the consolations of God which are treasured up for us, it is just with God to reject our prayers.”

  • Surely We will Find Help in Him! (v12-13)

12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

They are proud and unhumbled under their afflictions, which were sent to mortify them and to hide pride from them (v12): There they cry – there they lie exclaiming against their oppressors, and filling the ears of all about them with their complaints, not sparing to reflect upon God himself and his providence–but none gives answer. God does not work deliverance for them, and perhaps men do not much regard them; and why so? 

They are not sincere, and upright, and inward with God, in their supplications to him, and therefore he does not hear and answer them (v13): God will not hear vanity, that is, the hypocritical prayer, which is a vain prayer, coming out of feigned lips. It is a vanity to think that God should hear it, who searches the heart and requires truth in the inward part. [Matthew Henry]

To be continued…