Can His troops be numbered? On whom does His light not rise? Sermons
I. THEIR VAST NUMBERS. We can see no limit to the physical universe. The starry hemisphere dazzles us with its multitudinous splendour, but the telescope greatly increases our idea of its vastness, resolving fleecy mist into galaxies of worlds, and discovering distant suns invisible to the naked eye; and photography carries the process much further, and peoples the interstellar spaces of the telescope with hosts of still more remote stars. It is not reasonable to suppose that all these worlds are destitute of life, that our little planet is the solitary home of living creatures in a terrific desert of dead worlds. But if the material world be peopled, this may be but a small part of the universe. There may be other realms of existence unseen by the eye of sense; there may be material worlds that do not contain properties that can be detected by any of our five senses, although they are perceptible to the different senses of different orders of beings; and there may be creatures of God existing in regions that are not material, spirits that do not require what we understand by bodies. The revelation of Scripture gives us glimpses of inhabitants of other worlds than ours. It is reasonable to think that the great God rules over hosts of such beings. II. THEIR ORDERLY ARRAY. They are armies, not mobs. As the physical universe is regulated by law and maintained in order, it is most probable that the same is true of the unseen universe. All that is revealed about God's heavenly hosts shows them to us in obedience to God's will. It is a human figure of speech that represents them as constituting armies. Milton's poetry, added to the visions of the Apocalypse, have impressed our imaginations with military conceptions of the angelic hosts. But we do not know what tasks may be laid upon those armies of God in subduing the evil of the universe. We may be sure that the vulgar thirst for glory, the pride of brute strength, and the cruel rage of bloodshed that characterize our hideous wars, cannot be found among the hosts of heaven. Therefore the military idea of the angels needs to be received with caution. We are directed rather to the higher warlike qualities, e.g. discipline and obedience joined to courage and strength. III. THEIR DIVINE LIGHT. They all have their light from God. On what earthly multitudes does the sun rise every day l Yet there is light for all. But an infinitesimal proportion of the sunlight and heat is received by our world; by far the greater quantity of it is scattered through realms of space. God's light of love reaches all his creatures. There are no remote and dark regions of the universe that lie beyond his care. As there seems to be no end to the radiation of light when this is not hindered by obstructing objects, so no limit can be discovered to the radiation of God's love. Though the hosts of beings are innumerable, there is a share of God's goodness for each. "Its streams the whole creation reach, 1. That God's eye is upon them, to mark all their debordings. 2. That after their exaltation for a little while, they are cut off. 3. That yet this is done but in an ordinary way, as befalls all others. As the tops of the ripe ears of corn are cut down and gathered in.Learn — 1. Outward safety is in itself a mercy. Therefore men ought to improve this mercy aright, and should be sensible of their ill-improvement thereof, when they are deprived of it. 2. Safety is from God, and gifted by Him. No man can secure himself without God. 3. God in His long suffering and indulgence may set the wicked in safety for a time, for a snare upon them. 4. It is a plague upon the wicked that they rest and secure in the enjoyment of outward mercies. 5. It is, in particular, a plague upon the wicked, that their outward security and safety quiets all their fears, so that they have no doubt of God's favour, or of their own good estate, so long as they are in such a condition. 6. God does not give safety to wicked men because He approves of them or seeth not their wickedness; but He hath an eye upon them all the while, and particularly notices how they abuse these providences. 7. Albeit the Lord be not still punishing the wicked, yet this is sad, that He is still observing and marking all their ways, to call them to account for them in a day of reckoning. (George Hutcheson.). Dominion and fear are with Him. Homilist. I. MOST EXALTED IDEAS OF GOD. He speaks of Him —1. As the head of all authority. "Dominion and fear are with Him." 2. As the maintainer of all peace. "He maketh peace in His high places." Who maintains the order of the stellar universe? He is peaceful in His own nature, and peaceful in all His operations. 3. As the commander of all forces. "Is there any number of His armies?" What forces there are in the universe, material, mental, moral! 4. As the Fountain of all light. "Upon whom doth not His light arise?" He is the Father of lights. 5. As the perfection of all holiness. "How then can man be justified with God?" In this chapter Bildad gives — II. MOST HUMBLING IDEAS OF MAN. He represents him — 1. As morally degenerate. "How can he be clean that is born of a woman?" 2. As essentially insignificant. He is a "worm." How frail in body! He is crushed before the moth. How frail his intellectual powers! Morally he is "without strength." Conclusion — 1. The glorious light of nature. There is no reason to believe that Bildad had any special revelation from God. 2. The unsatisfactoriness of religious controversy. What has been the effect of all the arguments on Job? Not correction of mistakes, but great irritation and annoyance. (Homilist.) People Bildad, JobPlaces UzTopics Arise, Ariseth, Armies, Counted, Numbered, Possible, Rise, Shining, TroopsOutline 1. Bildad shows that man cannot be justified before GodDictionary of Bible Themes Job 25:3Library Whether There Can be Strife or Discord among the Angels?Objection 1: It would seem that there can be strife or discord among the angels. For it is written (Job 25:2): "Who maketh peace in His high places." But strife is opposed to peace. Therefore among the high angels there is no strife. Objection 2: Further, where there is perfect charity and just authority there can be no strife. But all this exists among the angels. Therefore there is no strife among the angels. Objection 3: Further, if we say that angels strive for those whom they guard, one angel … Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Matter of Christ's Body Should have Been Taken from a Woman? God Incomprehensible and Sovereign. What Now Shall I Say Concerning the Very Carefulness and Watchfulness against Sin? "Who... Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies Pertaining to Holy Things? Whether all the Angels who are Sent, Assist? Its Problem The Doctrine of Angels. "All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. " Job Links Job 25:3 NIVJob 25:3 NLT Job 25:3 ESV Job 25:3 NASB Job 25:3 KJV Job 25:3 Bible Apps Job 25:3 Parallel Job 25:3 Biblia Paralela Job 25:3 Chinese Bible Job 25:3 French Bible Job 25:3 German Bible Job 25:3 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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