Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 15 · Verses 27-28 – Verse 30
Verſ. 27. Becauſe he covereth his face with his fatneſs, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28. And he dwelleth in deſolate Cities, and in houſes which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
In theſe verſes, this deſperate attempt of the wicked man is amplified from the cauſe and reaſon driving him to it; Which is, his abuſe of outward proſperity; in pampering of his own body, and caring only for back and belly, v. 27. and in making a prey of the poor, by acquiring and building up ruinous habitations, which the poor owners could never have repaired, v. 28. Herein, no doubt, Eliphaz reflects (but unjuſtly, as Job often clears) upon Job's former proſperity and purchaſes, and upon his Childrens feaſts, of which, ſee Chap. 1.4.
From the General Doctrine of theſe verſes (paſſing his reflection) Learn,
1. Albeit the Lord can give proſperity to his own Children, and bleſs it to them; Yet, ordinarily, it proves a ſnare to our corrupt hearts, and eſpecially to the wicked; For, this is the root of all his miſcarriage, becauſe he covereth his face with fatneſs, &c. And albeit adverſity, alſo, will bring forth the naughtineſs of wicked mens hearts, Iſai. 8.21. yet this is their ordinary ſnare. See Deut. 32.15. Hoſ. 13.6.
2. Proſperity is then, eſpecially, a ſnare, when it drives men to fight againſt God, and to imploy the advantages they have by it, that way; For, that is, in particular, his miſcarriage here, Becauſe he covereth his face, &c. therefore he runs upon God, and ſtretcheth out his hand againſt him, v. 25, 26.
3. They do improve proſperity ill, and are ready to improve it yet worſe, who make no other uſe of it but to pamper themſelves therewith; For, it is the wicked mans ſin, and a cauſe of his other preſumptuous miſcarriages, that he covereth his face with fatneſs, that is, pampers himſelf ſo, that nothing but fat is to be ſeen; and maketh collops of fat on his flanks, that is, he feeds himſelf till his body become a ſwelled, unweildy, fat lump. See Pſal. 17.10. & 73.7. To be fat or lean, conſidered ſimply in themſelves, is nothing, as to a mans ſtate and condition before God; For a lean man may be wicked and proud againſt God, and a corpulent man pious and humble. But here fatneſs is pointed at as a mans ſin, in ſo far as it is an evidence of his pampering of himſelf, (which yet always it is not, for ſome ſober perſons may be corpulent, and riotous perſons of a ſlender conſtitution.) In which regard; as it is a great burden, to a rational man, to ſpend his time in feeding of his body, and to load himſelf with ſuch a burden; ſo it is his great ſin alſo, Rom. 13.14. Phil. 3.19. and an evidence that the Spirit of God is not well entertained; And therefore pampering of the body is oppoſed to our being filled with the Spirit, Epheſ. 5.18. Yea, in this men are beneath, and worſe then, the brute beaſts, who are content with that which may ſuffice nature.
4. Albeit it be not ſimply ſinful, but rather lawful, for men in power and place to build houſes more ſtately and ample then others; nor yet is it ſimply ſinful to repair deſolate Cities and Houſes in a Land: Yet this becometh ſinful, when either men are exceſſively ſumptuous in their buildings (See Amos 3 15.) or, eſpecially, when they raiſe themſelves, their Poſſeſſions and Habitations, upon the ruine of others, and take occaſion of their meanneſs and inability, to make advantageous bargains for themſelves: This is a ſin, and an ill way of getting or uſing of proſperity, here hinted at, v. 28.
5. Such as, by reaſon of their eminency and proſperity, get their hand over other men, may very readily be emboldened thereby to lift up their hand againſt God alſo: For, he who riſeth upon the poor mans ruines, v. 28. will hazard to oppoſe himſelf againſt God alſo. v 25, 26. Thus proſpering Uzziah attempts to offer Incenſe, 2 Chron 26.16.
Verſ. 29. He ſhall not be rich, neither ſhall his ſubſtance continue, neither ſhall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
Unto this account of the cauſe of the wickeds miſeries is ſubjoyned (in the third Head of this Narration, contained in this and the following verſe) yet more of their miſery, eſpecially in reſpect of outward plagues and judgments. This Doctrine we are alſo to underſtand with the former cautions, That it holds true that all the wicked deſerve thoſe judgments, and accordingly ſome of them are made to ſmart under them; though it be not univerſally verified of them all, that they come under this laſ…; nor yet are the godly exempted from the like exerciſe, as it is a furnace to try them.
In this verſe the wicked mans miſeries are held out in negative terms, to ſhew that he ſhall miſs of his aim in theſe purchaſes, mentioned, v. 28, wherein we may obſerve this Gradation.
1. He ſhall not be rich; that is, he ſhall never attain to that meaſure of riches he projects; or, though he acquire much (as is ſuppoſed, v. 28.) yet he ſhall never account himſelf rich, nor find that in it which he expects in riches.
2. Though he attain to ſo much wealth, and ſo much ſatisfaction in it, as makes him account it ſubſtance, yet it ſhall not be ſtable, nor continue, with him.
3. Though it continue for a time, in a ſtate of ſeeming perfection, yet he ſhall not be able to perpetuate it, (or, extend it, as the word ſignifies) on Earth to his Poſterity.
Whence Learn,
1. As it is not in mans power, of himſelf, to get wealth, Deut. 8.18. So God, oft-times, croſſeth the wicked, that they find not what they ſeek in their hunting after wealth; For, he ſhall not be rich. Not a few of them are kept beggers ſtill, for all their ill ſhifts; all of them do imagine ſo much happineſs in having riches, that, for moſt part, when they get moſt, they are the more miſerably diſappointed, of their expectation, Eccl. 5.10, 11. And none of them have any ſolid contentment, which is only tree wealth. See Luke 12.15. 1 Tim. 6.6.
2. Notwithſtanding the frequent diſappointments which the wicked get of this kind; yet, ſometimes alſo, the Lord ſeeth it fit to let them glut themſelves with vain imaginations, that things of the world are better then indeed they are; that their diſappointments may be ſo much the more bitter, when they come at laſt: For, ſo is intimated here, that ſome of them get wealth even till they come to count it ſubſtance (or power and ſtrength, as the word alſo ſignifies, whereby they think they are able to do great things) and perfection or a completed thing, even an Idol busked to their mind: And all this is given them, that their lot may be more bitter, when God overturns them.
3. Though wicked men get their will, and more, ſometime, of wealth; Pſal. 73.7. Yet as riches are but that which is not, and without a ſubſtance (whatever they dream to the contrary) and abides not for ever, Prov. 23.5. So this will eſpecially be verified upon the wickeds ill purchaſe; For, his ſubſtance (the oppreſſours, of whom, v. 28.) ſhall not continue.
4. Albeit the wickeds proſperity may continue longer, not only then they deſerve, but than the godlies patience will, oft-times, allow; yet the fulneſs and ſplendour thereof ſhall not be continued to them and their poſterity, but their Idol ſhall be broken: For, Neither ſhall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
Verſ. 30. He ſhall not depart out of darkneſs, the flame ſhall drie up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth ſhall he go away.
In this verſe is declared, more poſitively, what evils ſhall come upon the wicked man. Namely,
1. That he ſhall be caſt into calamity and poverty (for ſo, darkneſs, may be taken here, with relation to what is ſaid, v. 29.) which ſhall be unavoidable and inextricable, ſo that he ſhall not get from it.
2. That the wrath and judgments of God ſhall conſume his fruitful eſtate and poſterity, as the branches of a tree (which do fitly reſemble both his Children and outward eſtate) are conſumed by fire.
3. That when he hath lived to ſee all this, God will breath out his final diſpleaſure againſt him, and deſtroy him. In all theſe, there are ſad (though unjuſt) reflections upon Job's hopeleſs-like condition, whoſe goods were conſumed (ſome of them) by a fire from Heaven, and his Children by a Tempeſt of wind, and himſelf ready to be conſumed.
The General Doctrine Teacheth,
1. Trouble and calamity is very dark and dreery to the wicked, eſpecially after they have been in proſperity; For, here it is called darkneſs, after that warm and bright Sun-ſhine, v. 27, 28.
2. The wicked have need to hold Proſperity faſt, when they have it; For when they are in trouble, they have no aſſurance of an iſſue, and, at laſt, their troubles will be endleſs: So much may ſafely be gathered from this, He ſhall not depart out of darkneſs. See v. 22.
3. A ſtroke is then ſad when wrath is in it, as it fares with the wicked in their troubles; For, that is meant by fire, or a flame, frequently in Scripture; and it is here marked as an addition to his calamity, that wrath ſends it on, and accompanieth it.
4. Mens greateſt enjoyments, their Children, proſperity, &c. are as little able to ſecure, or ſtand out, againſt wrath, as branches, or twigs, are to endure the fire; Therefore it is ſaid in theſe borrowed terms, the flame ſhall drie up his branches, To ſhew how eaſily wrath can conſume and ſuck all the ſweetneſs out of theſe enjoyments, as a Thunder-bolt blaſts the branches of a Tree, when it lights upon them.
5. As ſinful and wicked man draws plagues on himſelf and his enjoyments; So God hath many ways whereby to plague him. When he hath conſumed his Family and enjoyments, he hath plagues and death to ſend upon his perſon, till he go away out of the world; ſo much are we taught here, where the word rendered, to go away, ſignifieth to retire, or, go back. It ſeems to point at his running upon God, v 26. which, when death comes, he will be forced to give over, and make his retreat.
6. Gods Power and Indignation can as eaſily cut off men, as one can breath, or by a puffe of his breath blow away a feather; For, by the breath of his mouth (that is, when he lets out his anger) ſhall he go away. See John 18.6. & compare Job 4.9.