Have you ever abhorred yourself? Then you will sympathize with the man in our text.
This mans self-abhorrence, however is astonishing, because of who he was.
He was “perfect and upright.” He “feared God.” He “eschewed evil.” He was the “greatest of all men of the East.” He “offered burnt offering continually.” And to top it all off, there was “none like him in all the earth.” (Job 1:1,3, 5, 8)
It is difficult to think of any higher testimony that could be borne to a man.
The most that the majority dare hope for is to be distinguished among a few, but to be distinguished above all the dwellers of the earth, as Job was, is beyond any mans wildest dreams.
And to think that this testimony was not given, by man, it was God who testified of Job!
In the presence of the most baffling enigma, he held fast his confidence and sincerely maintained his integrity.
Amid his desolating calamities he was able with clear conscience to rebut the charge of hypocrisy.
When the first wave of destruction swept away all of the possessions and even his family, he “fell down upon the ground and worshipped.” (Job 1:20)
His God, Jehovah had given and Jehovah had taken away. “Blessed be the name of Jehovah.” (Job 1:21)
When his wife demanded that Job renounce his God.
Job replied, “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10)
And this is the man who exclaims, “I abhor myself in dust and ashes”!
We might well have expected self-congratulation rather than such utter self-abhorrence.
If any man ever had a right to use the Pharisees words, Job had- “God I thank thee than I am not as other men are”; ( Luke 18:11) yet instead there is the groan, “ I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes”!
Why? It was because Job had seen God in a new way; and when he did so, he saw himself in a new way. “I had heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6)
That is always what happens when we see ourselves in the sight of God.
We can talk no more of our supposed goodness.
The loathsome leprosy of our innate sinfulness stands out stark and ugly, we see that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)
Job was by no means a hypocrite. He had sincerely lived the best he knew how.
But he had been self-righteous. He now was able to see his true condition, and his need for redemption, not only in the sense of atonement and forgiveness, but of inward cleansing.
Do you know anything of self-abhorrence? Do you ever feel a need for cleansing?
Or do you meet those questions with just a shrug of unconcern or perhaps the flush of indignation?
Perhaps then you may be better even than Job?
If we repent of self-righteousness as Job did, we can know this:
The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)
3 comments:
Self Abhorrences is not something Christians need to do past the point of knowing that "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" Romans 3:20
Paul said "We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to" so there is as Ron has said times we need to examine our attitudes and motivations.
God doesn't have a problem with us having money He just doesn't want money to have us. The Word of God says "I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers" God wants us to prosper which is a state of the heart. Being Rich is a state of greed, also a state of the heart. Big difference in the two. One is a scriptural promise and blessing from God, The other is a selfish ambition of greed.
1Tim 6:2 - is talking about words - words that are God's words or words that come from someone's mind. Verse 5, Words that of of this kind, "Useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose, that Godliness is a means of gain. The pharisees had this one down they looked Godly - Jesus called them "white washed tombs!"
Lingering too long on what a dirty rotten sinner you are is not healthy scripturally or physically! The Word of God does command that we examine ourselves. It does not say we need to do some kind of penance or self-punishment to try to make ourself right before God. Godliness mean being God like, or being like God. The scriptures tell us that if we are born again, if we are a child of God then He has made us in His image, like Him. That is not something we have to try to do! We are! He created us like Him.
Thank you for the comments.
I am appreciative of the fact that you and others read the blog, and are beginning to participate.
I confess that I do not know all that there is to know about the glorious Word of God, but I assure each of you that I research every scripture reference that is used.
And I will attempt to use them in the manner intended by those who were priviledged to record them.
Not all who read the blog are Christian nor is the journal directed at Christians only.
I will address the (3 John 1:2) verse in the next blog. In about a week.
And the referrenced verses (1 Timothy 6:5-10). In another blog soon after that.
Thanks again for participating.
In Christ alone
ron krebbs d.d.
I was intrigued to read one of the comments to this blog. While reading the blog I felt an understanding of what happens when someone realizes the holiness of God and the unworthiness of man. God is so holy it is hard to understand and fathom what holy really is and how magnificent it can be. This blog made me think about the realization Job had at a particular moment of just how awesome our God is and then abhorred himself to realize that no one, yes no one, is even close to His holiness. No matter how holy we think we are or others think we are, we still never compare to the holiness of God and are therefore in constant prayer to become more holy day by day.
Quickly, after saying this, to read a comment that deals with money and the amount of it and "we shouldn't look at the dirtiness of man" left me questioning what this person is spiritually battling right now. No where in the blog does it talk of money or talk of the amount of money. The wisdom I received from this blog was to look at my heart and make sure I was still striving for holiness and keeping God higher. I am praying for this person who wrote this money comment in hopes that maybe they need to view some heart issues and read the blog again to see that this is not at all what it was meant to talk about.
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