Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 19 · Verses 11-12
Verſ. 11. He hath alſo kindled his wrath againſt me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.
12. His troops come together, and raiſe up their way againſt me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.
The Sixth proof and inſtance of his miſery (wherein he alludes to a mighty Kings making war againſt his Enemies, or rebellious Subjects) is, That God ſeemed to deal with him in wrath, as with a Rebel and Enemy, v. 11. and, accordingly had let looſe afflictions, and Satan, the Sabeans, Chaldeans, the Wind and Fire, and other Inſtruments of his trouble, which irreſiſtibly hemmed him in, like ſo many Troops raiſing up Trenches, and drawing …nes about their beſieged Enemies, v. 12. While Job ſpeaks here of Gods wrath kindled againſt him, and Gods accounting him an Enemy, he doth not hereby abſolutely contradict what elſewhere he ſpeaks concerning his own integrity, and his faith in Gods favour. For by faith he ſtill cleaves to this, that he is a righteous man and beloved of God; though in his complaint he ſometime ſpeak this language of ſenſe, that God was wroth, and looked upon him as an Enemy.
From the firſt part of v. 11. He hath alſo kindled his wrath againſt me: Learn,
1. The deareſt of Saints may be under ſad apprehenſions of Gods anger and wrath; For, ſo was Job here, and David frequently. They may not only be really under fatherly diſpleaſure, but …ad afflictions, joyned with tentation, weakneſs and deſertion, may cauſe them tremble under the ſenſe of wrath. And this,
1. Should cauſe Saints not ſtumble, if they be ſo exerciſed. They may have a ſure intereſt in the love of God, whoſe eyes and thoughts are held fixed upon wrath.
2. It ſhould make them careful not to judge by ſenſe, which is raſh, and judgeth by appearance, and not by the Word, and repreſents our condition worſe then it is.
Doct. 2. Apprehenſion of wrath is moſt dreadful Saints, and puts the cap-ſtone on all their other ſorrows; Therefore he joyns this to the reſt of his grievances, with an alſo, as an over-charging addition to them. See Chap. 13.24. And this gives us a ſure evidence of Saintſhip, and that it is but our ſenſe that affrights us, when we are moſt affected with wrath of any thing. See Iſa. 64 5.
3. This alſo contributes to make the apprehen-of wrath ſad, eſpecially to Saints.
1. That it is not lying buried under the aſhes, but kindled and broken out. And indeed, wrath, when it is deferred, or but apprehended at a diſtance, may ſeem but little in reſpect of what men will find it when it breaks out. Then it will be found unſupportable, Iſa. 33.14. Pſal. 90 11. And Saints will ſee cauſe to lament that they apprehended it ſo little, till it came to that iſſue.
2. After wrath hath been revealed againſt the Elect in their natural condition, or againſt converted Saints for ſome particular faults, and it hath been buried again, and God reconciled with them; It cannot but be ſad that it ſhould kindle up again, and that after they have taſted of kindneſs and ſweet imbracements, they ſhould again fall under the laſh of wrath; As Job here apprehends it. This is matter of ſad regret, Pſal. 85.3. with v 4.5.
3. This alſo heightens the ſadneſs of ſuch an apprehenſion, that it is his wrath, and that he hath kindled it againſt them, whoſe way, many time, with his people, is, not to ſtir up all his wrath, but to quench and take it away, Pſal. 78.38 Iſa. 57 16, 17, 18. and that he, who is their hope and refuge in all their troubles, Jer. 17.17. ſhould become their party, Iſa. 63.9, 10. Now albeit all thoſe ſad ſights be but Saints apprehenſions and tentations, or at moſt, there is only fatherly diſpleaſure in their lot; yet, from this we may gather, That true Saints cannot endure to have God their party in anger, on any terms; and it will be no ſmall grief to them in ſuch a condition, that evidences of diſpleaſure have not been ſeen before-hand in the Word; and it will ſadly affect them in their diſtreſs, when they remember it was ſometime otherwiſe with them, as is ſaid in another caſe, Lam. 1.7. In all thoſe reſpects Job complains of this here.
From the laſt part of v. 11. He counteth me to him as one of his Enemies (wherein he clears and explains the former, that God looked upon him as an Enemy, and ſo let out wrath upon him, or ſtrokes which ſeemed to ſpeak wrath) Learn,
1. Such as are indeed Enemies to God, are obnoxious to wrath, which will break out at laſt in ſad effects; For, ſo much doth the connexion betwixt thoſe two import. Where God accounts a man an Enemy, there he hath wrath, and this wrath will break out in hoſtile acts, ſuch as thoſe which made Job apprehend wrath, and that God counted him an Enemy. See Pſal. 7.11, 12, &c & 75.8.
2. However men may bear out under the harſh judgments of men, who neither are infallible, nor can judge of mens eſtate; Yet God is Supreme Judge, whoſe ſentence is always juſt and irrepealable; For, Job looks here to what he counted him to be; and though he was not ſhaken by his Friends miſtakes, yet this is matter of ſad complaint, that (to his ſenſe) he counted him to him, or in his judgment, as one of his Enemies.
3. It is the ſaddeſt of wrath that is let out on Enemies, and which cometh from God looking on the party, whom he purſues, as an Enemy; For, this aggravates end heightens his ſenſe of kindled wrath, that it comes upon him as an Enemy. In reſpect of this, Fatherly diſpleaſure is a deliverance and mercy, as being mixed with, and flowing from love. And Saints ſhould read it ſo, and bleſs God that it is ſo.
4. Saints may look upon their lot as inflicted on them as Enemies, when yet it floweth from real friendſhid; For, Job miſtook in this, there was neither wrath nor enmity in all this. Saints are thus affrighted, becauſe they cannot diſcern Gods tender heart, which may be warm toward them, when his hand ſeems to ſpeak ſeverity, Jer. 30.14. with 31.20. Therefore it is a ſweet ſtudy wherein Saints ſhould be much exerciſed, To know how much of croſs diſpenſations may conſiſt with love, yea, and flow, from it; To know that all real diſpleaſure is not pure and unmixed wrath; That Senſes language under trouble is Apocryphal, and not to be credited; and, That we may read much from our ill deſervings and guilt, in our trouble, which yet Gods love doth not intend in it, as not purſuing our pardoned guilt, nor chaſtening becauſe he hath a quarrel, though we deſerve it ſhould be otherwiſe.
From v. 12. (wherein he clears how he thought God purſued him as an Enemy) Learn,
1. Where God hath a quarrel, we need not doubt but he can avenge himſelf, ſeeing he hath forces in aboundance to proſecute his Controverſie: For, here there are Troops to ſend out againſt an Enemy.
2. Afflictions, tryals, oppreſſors, &c. are Gods Armies ſent againſt man, though not always in wrath, yet to ſubdue Rebellion, and make him ſtoop; Therefore are thoſe called his Troops, to ſhew that he, as Supreme General, hath them at his command, to cauſe them come and go at his pleaſure; and that as Armies are ſent out to ſubdue Rebels and conquer En…mies, ſo they are imployed to bring and keep us in ſubjection to God. And therefore we ſhould be careful that they get their errand, leſt he ſend out more Troops againſt us, Lev. 26.21, 22, 23, 24, &c.
3. God, when he purſueth men by afflictions, is irreſiſtible; For, thoſe Troops raiſe up their way againſt him, and encamp round about his Tabernacle. So that it is to no purpoſe to ſtruggle or contend with ſuch a diſpenſation; but it is our only ſafety to ſtoop.
4. When ſad afflictions come upon Saints, it is not eaſie for them to avoid thoughts that God is angry, and looks upon them as an Enemy; For, becauſe of thoſe Troops, Job ſuſpects that wrath is kindled, and that God counts him as one of his Enemies, v. 11.