Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 15 · Verses 7-10
Verſ. 7. Art thou the firſt man that was born? or waſt thou made before the hills?
8. Haſt thou heard the ſecret of God? and doeſt thou reſtrain wiſedom to thy ſelf?
9. What knoweſt thou that we know not? what underſtandeſt thou, which is not in us?
10. With us are both the gray headed, and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
The third fault which Eliphaz reprehends in Job's diſcourſe and way, is, arrogance and preſumption, both toward his Friends, and toward God. His preſumptuous carriage toward them (in theſe verſes) is inſtanced in his unjuſt arrogating of wiſdom and knowledge to himſelf above them; which he chargeth home very ſharply with pungent queſtions. Here we are to Conſider,
1. The fault wherewith he chargeth him, v. 7, 8. which is, that he reſtrained wiſdom to himſelf, or, accounted himſelf the only wiſe man above then all; and that he did this no leſs confidently then if he had lived not only ſince the firſt man, but even before the hills were made, and ſo had remarked and learned all the experiences of time; or, then if he alone were admitted to be on Gods ſecret Councill, or had ſome ſecret revelation known to none elſe. Theſe two (namely experience through obſervation, and ſecret and peculiar, revelation) were the means of attaining knowledge before the word was written; and therefore he pitcheth upon them, and layeth it to Job's charge that he was ſo arrogant, as if thoſe were appropriated to him alone, or he had them in ſome ſingular way,
2. The groundleſs preſumption that was in this ſuppoſed clam… of Job to wiſdom, may not only be gathered from what is ſaid, that he had no ſingular advantages to make him ſo ſingularly wiſe; but is expreſly demonſtrated, v. 9, 10. That however Job did thus conceit of himſelf, yet they knew as much as he could know, v. 9. if not more, ſome among them being elder then his Father, v. 10. which may be underſtood of ſome of the Diſputants themſelves, who were very old, or of ſome others in their Countrey who were of their opinion, and had taught them theſe things; as Teman (which was the Country of Eliphaz) was indeed a place famous for wiſdom, Jer. 49.7.
As for the truth of this Challenge, and how juſtly this fault was charged upon Job; It ſeems Eliphaz did ground it upon what Job had ſaid, Chap. 12.2, 3, 7, 8. & Chap 13.1, 2. where Job had checked them for their conceit of themſelves, and ſhewed, that their Knowledge was common and obvious; that their Errour might be refuted from the conſideration of very common things; and, that himſelf was not an Ignorant, but underſtood right and wrong in this Controverſie, as well as they. Now as for Eliphaz's Inference from this,
1. Albeit Job was wiſer then they in this Controverſie; yet he was not arrogant, as Eliphaz alleageth; but did only ſhew that their light was not ſo ſingular as th…y fancied, and that himſelf underſtood Truth in this matter.
2. As for the harſhneſs of his expreſſions in declaring this, Eliphaz and the reſt little conſidered his great grief, and the irritations given him, by their imprudence, rigour and falſe Doctrine, which drave him to ſpeak ſo to them.
3. As he did unjuſtly charge Job with arrogance, ſo the Grounds and Principles upon which he aſſerts their Knowledge in this matter, are unſure, as ſhall be cleared; and therefore do not certainly conclude they are in the right.
4. What Job wanted of conceit and arrogance, Eliphaz really had it, in taking it ſo ill that Job ſhould (as he judged) prefer himſelf to them.
Having cleared the words, I ſhall not inſiſt upon what is implied here, of the means they had of attaining knowledge before the Word was written, Namely, Experiences gathered by Obſervation, and extraordinary Revelation, both which are abundantly ſupplied by the written Word, eſpecially when we have ſtill the advantage of Experience to clear and confirm it. Only this may put us in mind, That they had great toil in gathering Experiences for their Inſtitution, which renders us inexcuſable in our Ignorance, who may learn Knowledge more compendiously from the Scriptures. As they needed both Obſervation, and the ſecret of God, to inſtruct them; So men have need of much Experience, and that their life be well improved in thoſe Obſervations, and of much intimacy with God, who would be wiſe indeed. And men may live long in the world, and not know things well, if they had only Experience to lean to, and not the Word (or extraordinary Revelations in their time) to help them. But paſſing thoſe, This purpoſe may teach us theſe Truths,
1. As Man is, generally, proud of all he hath, and filled with a conceit of it; ſo, in particular, there is nothing whereof he is more ready to be proud, than of his wit and parts; For, albeit I will not (as Eliphaz doth) charge th…s upon Job in this debate, but rather upon himſelf, yet it is a general Truth that Man is naturally inclin…d to reſtrain wiſdom to himſelf, 1 Cor. 8.1. It began with Adam and Eve, that they deſired to be as God, particularly, in knowing good and evil, Gen. 3.5, 6. So that, as Humility and Modeſty is nothing natural to us, ſo, in particular, we are to guard againſt affectation and conceit of ſingularity, in the matter of wiſdom.
2. A man that conceits of his own wiſdom, and of himſelf becauſe of it, ſuppoſeth impoſſibilities of himſelf, and boaſts of that which cannot be attained without wonders; For, ſo doth Eliphaz inſinuate, that he who reſtrains wiſdom to himſelf, as if none could compare with him, muſt be the firſt man that was born, and be made before the Hills; which is ſo impoſſible and ridiculous to ſuppoſe, that he layeth it before Job in theſe bitter Queſtions. And albeit Eliphaz miſtook the caſe in particular, nor were any ſuch advantages neceſſary for attaining the knowledg of Truth in this Debate; Yet the General Doctrine is ſound, That the ordinary means whereby God teacheth Man, gives him no ground to boaſt of his ſingular wiſdom, nor can he in reaſon claim to that, unleſs he can prove that God hath afforded him ſingular means. For thoſe queſtions put it undeniably home, that Man cannot reſtrain wiſdom to himſelf, unleſs he were the firſt man that was born, &c. ſeeing others, having the ſame means, may improve them with as good ſucceſs as he.
3. A conceit of wiſdom, and of being ſingular in it, is indeed an evidence of ſhallowneſs and emptineſs; Therefore Eliphaz ſheweth that he, who reſtrained wiſdom to himſelf, v. 8. was but like his neighbours, if not inferiour to them, v. 9, 10, What knoweſt thou that we know not, &c? with us are both the gray … &c. And albeit he miſtook in the particula… … …s a general ſound Truth, That a conceity pro… is defective, at leaſt, in the manner of his knowledge, 1 Cor. 8.2. And for the meaſure of knowledge, if we were indeed knowing, we would think little of what we know, Chap. 26.14. and the effects of ſound knowledge would tend to humble us, and not to pull us up. For knowledge increaſeth ſorrow, Eccl. 1.18. and ſaving knowledge humbleth, Job 42 5, 6. Prov. 30.2, 3.
4. This Text may afford Evidences of mens conceiting of their own wiſdom, which are to be gathered, not from Job's carriage, but, from Eliphaz's way. And,
1. It is an evidence of conceit, when men are ſo puffed up, that they think it impoſſible they ſhould be found in an Errour, or out-ſtripped by others in finding out Truth; As he thinks that Man behoved to be made before the Hills, &c. that would decry their Opinions; and that all muſt be ſecrets, ſimply hid from all others, which they know not.
2. It doth alſo evidence this evil, when men cannot endure to be under-valued, or cried down, in the matter of wiſdom; as he is enraged at Job, for attempting to decry their knowledge. Such a diſpoſition evidenceth that there is an Ulcer there, which may not be touched.
3. It is another evidence of conceit, when men are ſo jealous, that any check…ng of them, or commending of others, doth alarm them, as if they were quite decried and undervalued; For, when Job did only clear the Truth, and let them ſee that their conceit of themſelves was groundleſs, Eliphaz looks on this as if he had reſtrained Wiſdom to himſelf, and quite decried all their abilities.
4. It doth alſo evidence this evil, when men are ſo full of ſelf love, that they are nothing ſenſible of any irritations they give to others, or contempt they put upon them; and yet themſelves do highly reſent the leaſt indignity they imagine to be offered to them; and are ſo blinded, that they can digeſt a beam in their own eye, but cannot endure ſo much as a mote (if it be ſo much) in anothers. For, he cannot endure that Job ſhould ſpeak to their prejudice, as he thought it; and yet he ſpares not to ſpeak contemptibly of him, little regarding or pitying the ſad trouble that was upon him.
Doct. 5. From this challenge we may, alſo, gather ſeveral needful Inſtructions and Cautions concerning mens wrong managing of Diſputes, for finding out of Truth. And,
1. It is a wrong courſe, when men turn from the conſideration of the Cauſe in Debate, to the conſideration of, or reflecting upon, perſons; as here Eliphaz falls upon a perſonal debate, whether Job or th…y ought to be preferred for parts. This may well produce Paſſion and Irritation, but will not find out Truth. And albeit men may be brought to think on Cauſes and Queſtions more ſeriouſly, when they are made to know themſelves, their ignorance, or ill frame of heart; Yet, that is not to be reſted on, as ſufficient to find out Truth.
2. Men take a wrong way of managing Debates, when they think to carry a Cauſe by the conſideration of Perſons or Parties; As he would bear down Job in this Debate, by ſh…ng that whether he looked to their perſons, o… …herents in their Countrey, they were his ma… …iore. For albeit one man may indeed comp…e with another, and, in ſome reſpects, be preferred to him; yet that will not prove his cauſe good, if it be not otherwiſe inſtructed.
3. Men do alſo miſcarry in this matter, when the learning or wiſdom of Diſputants is cryed up, to make men believe that every thing they hold is Truth, becauſe they are more learned then their oppoſites: As here he prefers himſelf and his adherents to Job, in the matter of knowledge, that ſo he might perſwade him he was in an Errour. Whereas ſuppoſe Job had been leſs wiſe then they, yet his reaſons proved he had Truth on his ſide, nor could their abilities prove their Opinion was Truth. For Wiſdom and Learning do not always fall to be on Truths ſide; And we ſhould look to the Arguments in the Cauſe, and not to mens Parts; but ought rather to magnifie Truth, if it defend it ſelf in weak hands.
4. It is alſo a wrong way to find out Truth, when men make a flouriſh of antiquity of Opinions, or of the age of perſons who maintain them, as a clear proof of the Truth thereof; as Eliphaz ſpeaks of their age who maintained his Opinion (and conſequently of the Antiquity of the Opinion) to prove the Truth of it. It is indeed to be granted, that ancient men ſhould be wiſe, and that it is a pity on ancient Opinion, which hath for a long time poſſeſſed many, ſhould not be true; But no Antiquity can prove an Opinion true, unleſs we recurr to the Ancient of Days, and find that it floweth from him. And the Spirit of God is not aſtricted to old or young men; but the one may take up Truth as well, and ſometime better, then the other, Job 32 7, 8, 9.