God's Servants in Unfavourable Surroundings
J. Caryl. Job 1:1-3 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God… I. GOD HATH HIS SERVANTS IN ALL PLACES, IN THE WORST PLACES. There was never any air so bad but that a servant of God might breathe in it. Here God had a choice piece, even in the land of Uz, a place of profaneness; here was Bethel in Bethaven, a house of God in a land of wickedness. Lot dwelt in Sodom, Joseph in Egypt. II. IT IS A GREAT HONOUR AND A HIGH COMMENDATION TO BE GOOD, AND DO GOOD AMONGST THOSE THAT ARE EVIL. III. GRACE WILL PRESERVE ITSELF IN THE MIDST OF THE GREATEST OPPOSITION. It is such a fire as no water can wholly quench or put out. True grace will keep itself sound and clean among those who are leprous and unclean; it is such a thing as overcomes all the evil that is about it. As all the water in the salt sea cannot make the fish salt, but still the fish retains its freshness; so all the wickedness and filthiness that is in the world cannot destroy, cannot defile true grace; that will bear up its head, and hold up itself forever. (J. Caryl.) Parallel Verses KJV: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. WEB: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.