Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2557
“The Almighty hats vexed my soul.” Job 27:2.
THE word, “who,” was put into this verse by the translators, but it is not needed. It is better as I have read it to you, “The Almighty has vexed my soul.” The marginal reading is, perhaps, a more exact translation of the original—“The Almighty has embittered my soul.” From this we learn that a good man may have his soul vexed. He may not be able to preserve the serenity of his mind. We think and think rightly, that a Christian man should “glory in tribulations, also,” and rise superior to all outward afflictions. But it is not always so with us. It is necessary, sometimes, that we should be “in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Not only are the temptations needed for the trial of our faith, but it is even necessary that we should be in heaviness through them. I hardly imagine that the most quiet and restful Believers have always been unruffled. I can scarcely think that even those whose peace is like a river have always been made to flow on with calm and equable current. Even to rivers there are rapids and cataracts, and so, I think, in the most smoothly-flowing life, there surely must be breaks of distraction and of distress. At any rate, it was so with Job. His afflictions, aggravated by the accusations of his so-called friends, at last made the iron enter into his very soul and his spirit was so troubled that he cried, “The Almighty has embittered my soul!”
It is also clear, from our text, that a good man may trace the vexation of his soul distinctly to God. It was not merely that Job’s former troubles had come from God, for he had borne up under them—when all he had was gone, he had still blessed the name of the Lord with holy serenity. But God had permitted these three eminent and distinguished men, mighty in speech, to come about him, to rub salt into his wounds, and so to increase his agony. At first, too, God did not seem to help him in the debate, although afterwards He answered all the accusations of Job’s friends and put them to the rout. Yet, for a time, Job had to stand like a solitary champion against all three of them and, against young Elihu, too. So he looked up to Heaven and he said, “The Almighty has embittered my soul. That is the end of the controversy. I can see from where all my troubles come.”
Advancing a step further, we notice that in all this, Job did not rebel against God, or speak a word against Him. He swore by that very God who had vexed his soul. See how it stands here—“As God lives, who has taken away my judgment, and the Almighty, who has vexed my soul.” He stood fast to it that this God was the true God. He called Him good, he believed Him to be almighty—it never occurred to Job to bring a railing accusation against God, or to start aside from his allegiance to Him. He is a truly brave man who can say with Job, “‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.’ Let God deal with me as He will, yet He is good and I will praise His name. What if He has vexed my soul? He has a right to vex me, so I will not kick against the pricks. Let Him grieve me, let Him put gall and wormwood into my cup if so it shall please Him, but still will I magnify His name, for He is good and only good.” Here is the strength of the saints—here is the glory which God gets out of true Believers—that they cannot and will not be soured against their
God!
Now go another step and notice that this embittering of Job’s soul was intended for his good. The Patriarch was to have his wealth doubled and he, therefore, needed double Grace that he might be able to bear the burden. He was also to be a far holier man than he had been at the first. Perfect and upright as he seemed to be, he was to rise a stage higher. If his character had been deficient in anything, perhaps it was deficient in humility. Truly Job was no proud man, he was generous, kind and meek, but, possibly, he had a little too high a notion of his own character, so even thatmust be taken away from him. Other Divine Graces must be added to those he already possessed. He must have a tenderness of spirit which appears to have been lacking. He must become as gentle as a maid. As he had been firm as a man of war, consequently, this bitterness of soul was meant to help him towards perfection of character. When that end was accomplished, all the bitterness was turned into sweetness. God made the travail of his soul to be forgotten by reason of the joy that came of it. Job no longer thought of the dunghill and the potsherd, and the lost sheep, and the consumed camels—he only thought of the goodness of God who had restored everything to him, again, and given him back the dew of his youth and the freshness of his spirit.
Child of God, are you vexed and embittered in soul? Then bravely accept the trial as coming from your Father and say, “The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?” “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Press on through the cloud which now lowers directly in your pathway—it may be with you as it was with the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, “they feared as they entered the cloud,” yet in that cloud they saw their Master’s Glory and they found it good to be there. Fear not, have confidence in God—all your sorrows shall yet end in joy and the thing which you deplore, today, shall be the subject of tomorrow’s sweetest songs. The Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see no more forever. Therefore, be of good courage and let your hearts be strengthened.