Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 19 · Verse 19 – Verse 20
Verſ. 19. All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved, are turned againſt me.
The Fifth and laſt Branch of this complaint and inſtance, is, That his dearly beloved and boſom friends did abhor him, as an hypocrite, and not a godly man, and did turn againſt him, to weaken his hands, and ſhake his confidence. This part of his complaint is chiefly to be underſtood of his three Friends; and in the laſt part of the verſe he ſpeaks of the perſon in the ſingular number, This man whom I loved, though the Verb be in the plural number, they are turned againſt me. An uſual change of number in this language, to be underſtood diſtributively, that every one (even to the leaſt one) whom he loved, was ſo changed; or, thereby, he would reflect particularly on Bildad who ſpake laſt, that he, among the reſt, was thus eſtranged.
Doct. 1. Though godly prudent men be friendly and civil to all with whom they converſe; yet they make diſtinction of friends, and do admit but ſome only upon their ſecrets and counſels; As here Job, beſide thoſe, v 13, 14. had his inward friends, or, men of his ſecret, as it is in the Original. There is no ſmall need of Gods guiding in our choice of friends, whom we may truſt, from among all our familiars.
2. Intimate and boſom friendſhip muſt be entertertained by love; For, his inward friends were they whom he loved, to whom he expreſſed much affection at all times, for entertaining of his friendſhip, and whom he conſtructed well of, ſo long as he could. See Prov. 18.24.— Where friendſhip is ill entertained, it juſtly ends in diviſion and alienation.
3. Deareſt and moſt intimate friends may forſake a godly man, when God hath him to try; and though ſome friend ſtick cloſer then a brother, Prov. 18.—24. Yet even ſuch a friend may fail in a time of tryal: as Job here found. Some of the godlies boſom-friends may be but gilded Hypocrites, who will diſcover what they are in a tryal, Pſal. 41.9 & 55.12, 13, 14. Others, though godly, may be alienated upon their own miſtakes; as thoſe Friends were. This may put godly mens friends in mind, that in times of tryal they are tryed, no leſs than their afflicted friends. And it may alſo warn godly men that, let them chooſe, or entertain their friends never ſo well; yet they will not get them kept when God hath them to try, but they will be left on God alone, 1 Sam. 30. 6. Pſal. 142.4, 5. And when this is the lot of any godly man, he ſhould remember that it hath been already tryed in Job's experience.
4. It is the greateſt outward cruelty that Saints can meet with, to be deſerted (and much more to be oppoſed) by intimate friends in a ſtrait; as not only leaving them helpleſs, but diſcouraging them: Therefore Job complains of this laſt, as the moſt ſharp of that kind, that thoſe did abhor and turn againſt him. Men ſhould take heed of inflicting ſuch a cruel ſtroke, and of unjuſt prejudices and miſtakes, whence this cruelty will flow.
5. As for their carriage toward him, abhorring and turning againſt him; Had Job been an Hypocrite, as they ſuppoſed, this had been but their duty: As it is the duty of godly men to abhor hypocriſie no leſs (if not more) than other evils; and to ſet themſelves againſt Hypocrites, to convince them of the evil of their way. But Job being a godly man, this their carriage may point out a threefold cruelty in friends to their friends in affliction.
1. When they deny them ſo much as a room in their affection and pity, as abhorring them.
2. When they miſconſtruct the afflicteds caſe as abominable, when it is nothing ſo; and ſo diſcourage them under the ſadneſs of it; This is alſo imported in their abhorring of him.
3. When they not only think thus of their condition, but turn oppoſites, and do avowedly ſet themſelves to diſcourage them, and weaken their hands; as they turned againſt him in their diſcourſes.
Verſ. 20. My bone cleaveth to my skin, and to my fleſh, and I am eſcaped with the skin of my teeth.
The Eighth & laſt proof and inſtance of his miſery, is, The waſting of his body and ſtrength, with out ward pains and ſores, and inward anxieties. His miſeries hitherto mentioned are not all that which grieves him. Had he but a whole skin and body under all the former preſſures, it had been ſomewhat. But not ſo much as that is left him; His bone cleaveth to his skin, and fleſh, or, as to his fleſh, that is, as of old his bones clave to his fleſh, ſo now (his fleſh being gone) they cleave immediately to his skin: or, they appeared now through fleſh and skin both. And how univerſal this decay and diſtemper of his body was, is apparent from what he ſubjoyns, that he was eſcaped with the skin of his teeth, or, nothing was left him of his body, free of pains and ſores, but his gums and lips, which were left him to complain of his miſeries, and, as Satan thought, that he might blaſpheme God. In expectation whereof, he touched not his mouth and lips with thoſe boils, that he might not liſp it out.
Doct. 1. It is a ſad and trying lot, when outward tryals are joyned with affliction upon mens own perſons; For, Job doth complain of this conjunction, that he was both tryed by croſſes from without, and from his own body. A weak body is a great burden to a mans ſpirit, hindering it to exerciſe its functions, in reference to that, or any other tryal.
2. Saints may expect ſuch a conjunction of tryals as this; For, ſo was it with Job, who, beſide all his other tryals, had ſcarce any part of his body free. God will not have his people promiſe themſelves exemption from any tryals, or complication of tryals, which are common to men; nor will he have them excepting any thing in themſelves, as if it muſt be freed from a tryal; or beholden to any thing in themſelves for their ſupport.
3. This condition of Job's body, and his complaint about it, may teach, That bodily health is a mercy, which whoſo do not prize, nor are thankful for; but rather abuſe it, are exceedingly guilty. And, that our vigour and bodily ſtrength are but little worth that we ſhould do at upon them, ſeeing they may be ſoon blaſted; as Job here found. See Pſal. 39.11. & 102.3, &c.
4. Albeit Satan intend our ſliding by the conveyance of our tryals, yet God can over-rule all to a bleſſed end; For, whereas Satan left him the skin of his lips, for an ill end, God over-ruled it, that thereby he might be able to utter his precious and profitable exerciſe. And whatever ſucceſs Satan have in his deſigns about Saints (as ſometime Job's tongue ſpake raſhly,) yet in end he will miſs of all deſigns that he hath upon them.