Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 19 · Verse 21
Verſ. 21. Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
In this and the following verſe is contained Job's Concluſion of his Second Argument; wherein, from all that he hath ſpoken by way of complaint, he inferrs that it was not their part to be ſo cruel to him who was thus afflicted: and ſo he chargeth home upon them, what he had complained of them, v. 19. This concluſion is propounded, Partly, by way of Petition and Requeſt, v. 21. that they would do the duty of friends in pitying him, who was ſo afflicted by God. Partly, by way of reprehenſion and challenge, v. 22. that they ſhould purſue him ſo ſeverely, whom God was purſuing, and had brought very low; and that they were not content that God had thus afflicted him, unleſs they added more to it.
In this verſe we have his Petition and requeſt for pity, which he doubleth, to teſtifie his great diſtreſs, and urgeth it from the conſideration of the hand of God upon him, and from their profeſſed relation of friendſhip to him; whereby he inſinuates that, ſince his caſe pleaded for pity at their hands, they were exceeding cruel, who not only neglected that duty, but violently oppoſed him.
Whence Learn,
1. God may deal ſharply with his deareſt Children, and his hand may be upon them, for tryal and correction, and for the exerciſe of his Soveraignty; and they muſt not expect always to find ſenſible love-imbracements; For, Job, is put to complain of the hand of God upon him.
2. It is God only who hath Supreme hand in the tryals of his people, as in all other Providences, Am. 3.6. And it is their ſafety, in all that befalls them, to ſee the hand of God, and not Satan, or other Inſtruments, carving out their lot, that ſo they may be comforted (as well as humbled) when they conſider in whoſe hand they are. Therefore, though Satan and other Inſtruments had an hand in Job's tryal, Chap. 1. & 2. yet he looks only to the hand of God.
3. He calls it a touch, which expreſſion, though elſewhere it be made uſe of to extenuate a ſtroke. See Chap. 4.5. And ſo the expreſſion would ſpeak Job not exceſſive, but ſober, in his complaints (as we ought to be while we are living men, Lam. 3.39.) and yet ſenſible, that the leaſt touch of God makes him cry. But this Interpretation ſutes not with Job's caſe, who doth not extenuate his troubles, but rather exceeds in his complaint. And therefore I take this expreſſion to point mainly at the event of Gods ſtroke, that it was ſuch a one as had touched him home, and made him feel it, and ſmart under it. And it teacheth, That, as a touch of Gods hand is enough to undo man; So, where he is pleaſed to aſſault, he will reach and touch; So that men will not get it ſhifted Obad. v 4. nor will they be able to find eaſe under it.
4. Whatever comfort it afford, yet to a Child of God, it is very ſad, to lie under Gods afflicting hand; For, as ſeeing of the hand of God (as hath been marked) affords ſome ground of comfort in trouble, ſo it alſo repreſents ſuch a caſe as humbling: And therefore Job ſums up all his affliction in this, The hand of God hath touched me. It is very ſad to a Child of God, and will affect him, that God ſhould deal ſo with him, eſpecially if his ſtrokes be alſo ſharp; and Saints may try their Piety, by conſidering how they ſtand affected with a ſight of Gods hand in their Rods. And if this be ſad to the godly, much more will it be ſad to the wicked, when they fall in the hands of the living God, Heb. 10.31.
5. When Gods hand is ſadly lying upon any of his Children, deareſt friends cannot help, they may well pity them, and it is well if they do not worſe; For, whatever ſupply friends may afford in ſome outward neceſſities, yet in ſuch a condition as his was, all that can be expected and craved of them, is, pity; It is only Gods coming and appearing that will heal ſuch ſtrokes of his own hand. And Saints ſhould not miſtake though, among all their friends hands, and notwithſtanding all their pity, their afflictions continue, till God come.
6. It is much to an afflicted man, if he find ſimpathy and pity among friends; For Job craves, have pity upon me, as a favour and kindneſs. They who meet with that in trouble, ſhould prize it as a favour which is not afforded to every one in the like caſe, Pſal. 69.20. And they are not idle, nor uſeleſly imployed, who are buſie at ſimpathizing with the afflicted, though they can do no more.
7. Friendſhip and profeſſed love obligeth men to the duty of ſympathy with their friends in trouble; For, Job claimeth it upon this account, Have pity upon me, O ye my friends.
8. Though they had grieved him, and proved unfriendly; yet here he calls them Friends at firſt, and pleads and entreats that they would do duty for time to come; This he doth, not only to check them, who were friends, and neglected duty; but, being abaſed with the ſenſe of all his miſeries before enumerated, he at firſt ſpeaks thus calmly and pitifully to them, as not willing to reſent injuries, if they would return to their duty; though in the next verſe knowing their diſpoſition, he ſpeaks more ſharply. This teacheth, That when Saints are themſelves, they are very calm in their paſſions, they do not eaſily break bonds of friendſhip, nor caſt oft relations, and are willing to digeſt injuries, if they could ſee them any way refrained from for the future.
9. The doubling of his ſute, from his great and preſſing neceſſity, teacheth,
1. That as we ſhould not make too great noiſe of our troubles, nor let our clamours be above our real neceſſities; So we ſhould alſo come up to our need with our earneſtneſs; For, ſo doth Job double his requeſt in diſtreſs.
2. That whatever be the judgment of on-lookers, or unconcerned perſons, yet diſtreſſed Saints ſtand in great need of ſympathy; Therefore doth he ſo earneſtly call for it.
Doct. 10. Saints may miſs and earneſtly ſeek; and yet not find, ſympathy, even from their godly friends; As Job found here. His Friends Principles led them neceſſarily to endeavour to humble him, rather than pity him; and God had him yet to humble further, though not upon the account they went upon; and therefore all expreſſions of pity are withheld from him.