• 13 Dec, 2025 *

In today’s sermon Calvin wraps up on Job’s first speech, containing his lament, and then he discusses the opening remarks of the first Comforter. Eliphaz begins his first speech. Calvin summarizes this beginning as follows “[Jobs] fear of God was only appearance and his purity was only hypocrisy because he is overwrought and cannot accept patiently the correction God is sending him.”

Here is what I am thinking having just read this sermon. I am moved to think about how I believe no one truly cares about me. Ha! Too much Dostoevsky, perhaps? But, here is the thing, I don’t even think that it’s bad that I think that way. Three statements, (1) I wasn’t born thinking that, I have changed into that way of thinking as life has progressed, (2) I don’t even think that feeling this way is bad, after all if everyone vigorously pursued self-reliance, not at the expense of others but rather to not rely on other people, I think the world would be better, and (3) I am learning that I am, ultimately, wrong. More on (3) later.

Calvin draws out a number of themes all of which are interesting. One surrounds his stark statement “we must not expect more than God promises”, meaning lets take to heart both what God promises to do for us, but also be aware that there are things that God never promises for us, I.e. wealth and comfort in this lifetime.

However, the main theme concerns self-reliance in the following way. We must be our own teachers or pastors. Perhaps it is fueled by Eliphaz missing the mark so poorly in attempting to comfort Job but Calvin mentions being your own teachers, I.e. self-reliance, multiple times and often with characteristic scriptural references, notably Heb. 12:12 and Isa 35:3 (twice).

It begins with “A man of faith examines himself. He knows his sins.” And then goes unto “we must not wait for others to speak but that each of us must be his own teachers”. And then “let each of us also be his own personal preacher”, and then “Let us each learn to be our own master and teacher”, followed by “I must instruct myself”, and lastly “we must show that…we were good and faithful teachers of ourselves”.

What does a great self-taught sermon look like? Well, is a great delight that in this very sermon, number 14 on Job, Calvin indirectly tells us what a “hot sermon” (here I am using hot to mean useful, instructing galvanising) should contain. He actually tells us what a “cold sermon:” contains, so I am just reversing the logic. It’s a simple three step plan for the hot sermon, it should contain (1) exhortations, (2) mention of vices, and (3) enthusiasm. It should humble us. Not just show us what’s good and say “move in that direction” but rebuke us and make us humbled before God. Importantly, we are told, when we instruct others, we should do so “from our hearts”, by which I think Calvin means we should instruct based on lessons that we have had to learn or experience ourselves. Which is not what, apparently, Eliphaz councels. Eliphaz is, in this regard, hypocritical which is funny because hypocrisy is what he charges Job with.

So, self-teaching, self-reliance, and why my third point (above) is wrong. Calvin tells us that we are not, obviously, alone. Amazingly, God does care about me and, very practically, I have the scriptures to guide me. I must make the most of this thought today. It is also true that others do actually care about me - I have to do a better job of letting them in and acknowledging that.

Quotes:

“…the faithful will always be in doubt, but they will continue at rest.”

“…we must know fear and worry…. Yet we know we can only fall on our feet because we are sustained by God’s hand.”

“If he [God} allowed us to go without punishment, the result would be our destruction.”

“…we do not consider what is within us when we counsel others, admonish or rebuke them. Each of us can do that, even the most idiotic among us.”