Job 34

Job 34:16-30

Elihu, after praying, resumes his discourse. 1. He keepseth not only the audience, but the assistance of the company, ver. 2—4. 2. He chargeth Job with other indecent expressions, ver. 5—9. 3. He undertakes to convince him that he had spoken amply, by showing very fully, (1.) God’s unmistakable justice, ver. 10, 12, 17, 19, 23. (2.) His yearning dominion, ver. 13—14. (3.) His Almighty power, ver. 20, 24. (4.) His omniscience, ver. 21, 22, 25. (5.) His security against sinners, ver. 26—28. (6.) His ever-ending providence, ver. 29, 30. 4. He teaching him what he should say, ver. 31, 32. 5. He appeals to Job and men of understanding, for the truth of what he had said, and then reproves him for his providence and discontent, ver. 33—37.

a: Further

Babam Chas: 1. Furthermore Elihu answered and laid, 2. “Hear my words, O ye wise men, and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. 3. For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tafteth meat. 4. Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good. 5. For Job hath laid, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. 6. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. 7. What man is like Job, who drinketh up morning the water? 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. 9. For he hath laid, I profteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

9. 1.—9. Elihu, by Job’s silence, encouraged to proceed, resumes his discourse.

10. He addresses the audience. Probably the important debate had been attended by others, besides Job’s friends; or though in the present case they erred greatly, yet might they be, in the general, both wise and good men. He desired to be judged by their wisdom, persuaded his arguments would bear the tell; and those whose taste was most judicious, would best refill them. He proposes therefore to proceed with the subject, that they might come to a right judgment of Job’s case, and consult what were the best advice to give him under his present distress, v. 1—4. Now, Mutual assistance is the means of mutual improvement.

11. He recites the charge which he draws from Job’s assertion, “Job hath laid, I am righteous; not indeed perfectly, but so as not to deserve (he thought) so heavy violations, chap. xxvii. v. 6. And God hath taken away my judgment, chap. xxvii. 2. because he had not appeared to remove his afflictions, or silence the accusations of his friends. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression, chap. ix. 17. xvi. 17—20. He hath laid, it profteth a man making he should delight himself in God. Not expertly indeed; but Elihu infers it as the consequence of his reasoning, chap. ix. 22. xxi. 14—15. not that Job really thought so; but in the raftness of disputes, unguarded expressions give a just handle for rebuke.

12. He expresses his astonishment, that so good a man as Job should lay or infinuate such ill things. What man is like Job, who drinketh up morning the water? Either lay himself open by such words to the storm and contempt of the enemies of religion, or is so free in his reflections upon God, and so liberal of ridicule and contempt on his friends, See chap. xi. 3. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. Not in his conduct indeed, but by uttering such speeches, as deemed to countenance and encourage them in their iniquities. Note, It is a grief to good men when the conduct or conversation of profetious gives occasion to the adversary to speak respectfully, or to the wicked an argument to harden themselves sin.

13. Therefore, hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: “far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. 11. For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. 12. Yes, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. 13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? 14. If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 15. All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

14. 10—16. Elihu had proved, that God in afflicting men designed their good. Here he vindicates him from the charge of wrong, directing his discourse to the company, who, if Job would not hear, might bear testimony to the truth of what he advanced.

15. He asserts that God neither can, or will, do an injury to any man; nor, though sovereign and Almighty, abide his power by a capricious use of it, but with infinite justice deal with every man, giving them according to their works, and rejects the very suggestion of the contrary with the greatest abhorrence, v. 10—12. Note, [1]. As long as a sinner is out of hell, he is bound to lay his hand on his mouth, before a righteous God, and own he hath received less than his iniquity deserves. [2] Though God’s justice doth not here always evidently appear, the day is at hand when he shall be acknowledged just in all his judgments.

16. He proves this by arguments drawn from the sovereign denomination, and irresistible power of God. Who hath given him a charge over the earth? He hath no superior whom he should fear and be influenced by to do iniquity: Or, who hath given man a charge over the earth? hath not God? And can it be supposed, after being so beneficent, he would become unjust? al-

furnedly not: Or, who hath disposed the whole world? with such order and regularity, and filled it with such variety of blestings? How abused then the thought, that he should do wickedly who filleth the whole earth with his goodness. If he set his heart upon man, either as an enemy to visit him, or in strict justice to enter into judgment; if, as he might, he should gather unto himself his spirit and breath, which once he gave, the consequence would be, that all flesh shall perish together, and man, even the whole human race, shall return again unto dust. As we are creatures, he who made may unmake us when he pleases; it is but to withdraw his support, and we breathe our last; and as we are sinners, he would appear righteous if he consumed the earth: But he figures us, and thereby shows how far he is from doing man any injustice, when daily we hold our all, though forfeited, through his mercy.

16. “If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. 17. Shall even he that haitheth right, governs? and will thou condemn him that is most just? 18. Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to process, To are ungodly? 19. How much left to him? that accepteth not the person of process, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands. 20. In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and put away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. 21. For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his gnaigs. 22. “Eher is no darkness, nor shallow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. 23. For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God. 24. He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead. 25. Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. 26. He thisteth them as wicked men in the open sight of others: 27. Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways. 28. So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted. 29. When he giveth quietness, who then can make tremble? and when he hideth for fact, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: 30. That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be enheard.

Elihu appeals to Job, if, or being, he was a man of understanding, for the absurdity of his positions. He admitted God’s government, yet complained he was oppressed; condemning thereby the most just, v. 17. Even to man that is a worm, it placed of God on a throne, it were insolent, and highly improper, though there were foundation for the charge, to call him sin of denial: And rudely to accuse princes or magistrates of oppression and injustice, to whom respect is due from their very flames, v. 18. How much more than must it appear presumptuous to lay such a charge against the king of kings, who regardeth no man’s perish, but with the strictest justice and impartiality, considering all men alike the work of his hands, pronounces sentence, and executes judgment upon them. Now, Great and poor must shortly stand before the same judge, where the greatness of the one, or the poverty of the other, will be no plea for favour or compulsion, but every man shall receive according to his work ix. To begin therefore in Job higher, and more worthy thoughts of God, and a more humble and lowly sense of his own deserts, he suggests the following considerations:

1. God’s omnipotence. The mightiest men are unable to stand before him; death, fodden as terrible, shall oversake them: At midnight there shall be a cry of destruction; and with strokes of judgment invisible, but irresistible, they fall, v. 20. Let the loftiest tremble; they are as easily brought down, and as unable to grapple with the arm of death, as the meanest creature they may despair.

2. His omnipotence. As none are above his judgment, so can none escape his notice. Naked and open before him are all the ways of men; he observes and minutes even the secrets of their souls, v. 21. Though darkness, thick as the shadow of death, he sought to conceal their sins from his all-letting eyes, they are not hid; or though wrapped up within the clotless cells of a uncapped heart, there is not a thought justly there but he knoweth it altogether, v. 22. As, therefore, he will not be unjust, though want of power; so neither can he be through error or mistake. Note, [1] It is the folly of sinners, that they think to hide their sins, as if by concealing them from the eyes of men, they could shade the scrutiny of God. [2] There is not a more awakening consideration, which should affect the sinner’s soul, than that the eye of God is constantly observing his heart, and all his ways.

3. His