Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 22 · Verses 12-14
Verſ. 12. Is not God in the height of heauen? and behold the height of the ſtars how high they are.
13. And thou ſayeſt how doth God know? can he judg through the dark cloud?
14. Thick clouds are a covering to him that he ſeeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
In theſe verſes we have the fourth Argument, taken from Job's ſins immediately againſt God, where… he ſuppoſeth him guilty; And particularly, A…heiſme, and denial of a Providence, or, that God cares for things below. In proſecuting this argument,
1. He premits a General Truth, v. 12. That Gods Habitation, or ſpecial reſidence, is in the height of Heaven, or, the higheſt Heavens, the height wherof may be gathered from the height of the …tars, which yet are below that glorious habitation.
2. He propoundeth Job's ſuppoſed fault, v. 13.— That God doth not know, nor take notice of things below, which he propounds by way of queſtion (How, or, what doth God know?) as ſuppoſing that Job thought it impoſſible to ſolve that doubt, and clear the difficulty.
3. He ſubjoyns the ground upon which he ſuppoſeth Job did entertain ſuch an impious thought; which being propounded by way of qu…ſtion, v.—13. is poſitively expreſſed, v. 14. That the great diſtance and dark clouds intervening betwixt the higheſt Heavens and Earth, do impede Gods ſeeing of things below; And he is ſhut up in Heaven, without taking notice of humane affair…, but walking idly on the circuit of heaven, above the clouds. For further clearing of this purpoſe.
1. It would be conſidered what is the Scope of Eliphaz, in premiting that general, v. 12. For it may be looked upon a… the ground, upon which he refutes Job's ſuppoſed crime of Atheiſm. And indeed, if it be taken in a ſound ſenſe (not that the infinite God is ſhut up and included in the higheſt Heavens, Jer. 23.24. but that he manifeſts himſelf in a ſpecial manner preſent there, as upon the Throne of his Glory) it is a truth that may refute all ſuch Atheiſtical thoughts. For, if the Stars do reach us with their light, though they be very high, and have but borrowed light; Much more doth God, who reigns over all, and is all light, behold all things from the Throne of his Glory. Pſal. 11.4. & 33.13, 14, 15. But if we look to the reaſons ſubjoyned to that Atheiſtical concluſion, v. 13, 14. where the ſame things are repeated in ſubſtance, which are premitted, v. 12. the words may be looked on as the principle and ground from which he ſuppoſeth Job did deduce his concluſion, and which is more largely inſiſted on in the following verſes. This Eliphaz in the entry premits, as a truth which he owns in a ſound ſenſe, though he deny the Inference and Concluſion deduced from it. And ſo the ſcope of this charge, in ſum is, as if Eliphaz had ſaid; Becauſe this is a truth, That God in a ſpecial manner dwels in the higheſt Heavens, v. 12. therefore thou gathereſt that concluſion from it, That God doth not know or notice things below, v. 13.— And thoſe Arguments, alſo, (taken from the thick clouds that intervene, and the diſtance betwixt Heaven and Earth) to prove it, v. 13, 14. But thou doſt not conſider, that it contains a Refutation of thy Errour, and doth not bottom theſe Arguments which thou wouldſt found upon it.
2. If we conſider the charge it ſelf, it is unqueſtionably an horrid iniquity, to deny a Divine Providence in humane affairs, as wicked men do, Ezek. 8.12. & 9.9. Yet,
1. It is unjuſtly charged upon Job, who did conſtantly aſſert and acknowledge the Providence of God, as appears throughout his ſeveral diſcourſes. And it ſeems the riſe of this accuſation was only this, that Job aſſerted that God dealt otherwiſe with the godly and wicked (afflicting the one, and ſuffering the other to proſper) than his Friends judged to be agreeable to his holineſs and juſtice, which, in the judgment of Eliphaz, was to deny a Providence.
2. Suppoſe that Job had been overtaken in ſome tentations of this kind, and that it was his great ſin ſo to do; Yet, this would not prove Eliphaz's concluſion, that Job was a wicked man, ſeeing truly godly men may be overtaken with ſuch fits of tentation and diſtemper, Pſal. 37.10, 11.
Having cleared the words, from v. 12. as it contains a General Truth, Learn,
1. God is high and glorious, having the higheſt Heavens for his Throne, and the place where he eſpecially manifeſts his glory; For, in this ſenſe, it is true, That God is in the higheſt Heavens, Iſa. 63.15. & 66.1. Which ſhould lift up our hearts to him, and fill us with high thoughts of him, and of his glory and power, Lam. 3.4. Pſal. 123.1. Iſa. 63.15. ſhould cauſe us admire his condeſcendence, who ſtoops to notice us, Pſal. 113.5, 6, 7. ſhould cauſe us fear and reverence him in our addreſſes to him, Eccl. 5.2. and, ſhould teach us that he needs not things below, as being above their good, or, evil.
2. We cannot take up God in his glory and excellency, immediately and directly, till we come to our Country and habitation; For, here the height of his habitation is pointed out to us by the height of the Stars.
3. As, the creatures are ſet before us, that we may ſtudy their excellency, (For, he bids him, Behold, or, ſee the height of the Stars how high they are;) ſo their excellency is rightly ſtudied, not when we reſt or doat on them, but, when we draw ſome practical uſe from that ſtudy; and particularly, when we are helped thereby to ſee and acknowledge the glory and excellency of God: As here we are taught: See Pſal. 8.3. & 19.1.
From Job's ſuppoſed fault, v. 13.—Learn,
1. All the hurt men can reap by troubles, is nothing to this, when they are driven thereby to ſin; As here is ſuppoſed Job was, ſee Job 36.21. That is the thing Satan chiefly drives at, and therefore afflictions ſhould be looked on as touch-ſtones of tenderneſs.
2. Atheiſm is the groſſeſt of all evils; as here is alſo ſuppoſed, in that his accuſation is added to all the former, as the cape-ſtone of them all. When this is once given way unto, it ſtrikes at the root of all Piety and Obedience, Pſal. 73.11, 13, 14. And therefore it ſhould be eſpecially guarded againſt, as alſo every wrong thought of God, particularly in trouble, Iſa. 40.27. & 49 14. as evidencing our pride and ignorance, and obſtructing the Conſolations of God.
3▪ Albeit men do not ſimply deny a Deity (as ſome do, at leaſt in practice, Pſal. 14.1.) yet they may be guilty of Atheiſm in denying and queſtioning a Providence; For, that is the Atheiſm here charged upon Job, (ſee alſo Pſal. 10.11. & 73.11. & 94.7.) That God doth not know, or, doth not exerciſe a Providence or Government in the world; For, to know, is here put for the whole acts of Providence, It being neceſſary that God do firſt know the affairs of the world, and what is done by men, if he do recompenſe them accordingly. To deny this Providence is in effect to deny that God is God. And Satan will bend his endeavours to drive us to this, as at all times, that he may embo…den us to ſecurity and ſin, Ezek. 9 9. Zeph. 1.12. ſo eſpecially in trouble, that he may cut ſhort all our pains in ſeeking to God: and may deprive us of that comfortable ſight of ſad lots, that we are ſtill in Gods hand in the midſt of them. Only we would beware of ſuch a ſight of Providence in trouble, as drives us away from waiting upon him, 2 Kings 6 33.
4. This ſin of Atheiſm is very hainous, not only when men entertain the thoughts of it, and fix it in their hearts, Zeph. 1.12. but eſpecially when they have the impudence to ſpeak it out, and ſay it; as here is charged upon Job, ſee Iſa. 40.27. And when men do only ſuppreſs, and not mortifie, theſe wicked thoughts of their hearts in proſperity, they will readily break out in trouble; and hereby God is juſtified, who hath afflicted, when men do proclaim their own ſinfulneſs under troubles, Ezek. 14.22, 23.
5. It is a ready way to turn men Atheiſts in the matter of Providence, when they limit God, and preſcribe how he ſhould adminiſtrate the affairs of the world; and if God act not according to their mind, they are ready to queſtion whether there be a Providence at all: For, albeit Job was free of this crime of Atheiſm, ye… Eliphaz's Principles were ſuch as did not a little reflect upon, and queſtion Providence. For, he judged (as hath been cleared) that what Job aſſerted concerning Providence was, in effect, Atheiſtically to deny it; which imports that it was his opinion, that if God guided the world, as Job ſaid (which indeed he doth) he could not but queſtion whether God did guide it at all.
6. It doth alſo contribute not a little to beget Atheiſtical thoughts about the Providence of God, when men will not believe things, becauſe they cannot ſee the way how they can be; For, thus doth he propound Job's ſuppoſed fault, not only, What, but, How doth God know, conſidering the diſtance and darkneſs that interveen betwixt him and us? Such do little conſider that his ways and thoughts are above ours, Iſa 55.8, 9. and that his way and paths are in the Sea and great Waters, Pſal. 77.19.
7. Such as do once entertain Atheiſm, will eaſily fall into fouleſt miſcarriages toward men; For, however he wronged Job, yet this General is true, that if once a man deny the Providence and Knowledge of God, it is no wonder to ſee him guilty of all thoſe crimes charged upon Job, v. 5, &c. See Ezek 9.9. Pſal. 14.1, 2, &c. And, indeed, the wicked courſes of men do proclaim their Atheiſm, which, if they believed a God, or, a Providence, they durſt not commit. For, though they had not ſ…ith to commit themſelves, in keeping Gods way, to his provident care; yet the fear that he in his Providence would reach them, might in reaſon deterr them from provoking of him.
8. It is a great injuſtice in debates, to brand and load mens Principles with odious and falſe conſequences; As here, Job's debate, concerning Gods adminiſtring of the affairs of the world, is branded with Atheiſm. Thus, becauſe we aſſert Gods Providence to be univerſal, and do aſſert a decree of Election of ſome, and Reprobation of others, men ſpare not to averr that we make God the Author of ſin, and do decry his love. Becauſe we cannot grant a corporal and carnal preſence of Chriſt in the Sacrament of the Supper, we are charged with the denying of the power of Chriſt, and the truth of his Word, &c. But we ſhould take heed leſt we meaſure Truth by ſuch odious conſequences.
From the falſe grounds of this ſuppoſed crime, as they are ſuppoſed in that Principle, v. 12. and expreſsly deduced and enlarged, v.—13, 14. Learn,
1. An evil courſe, or ſin, is then moſt dangerous and odious, when it is mens light and principles that lead them to it, and they think they have reaſons to juſtifie it; as here, it is ſuppoſed as an aggravation of the crime, that Job not only denies Providence, but thinks he can juſtifie his denyal by ſtrength of Argument. This alſo added to the ſin of Jonah's paſſion, Jonah 4 9
2. Greateſt Atheiſts do carry a conviction and refutation about with them, in their very boſoms and principles; For, that General Aſſertion, v. 12. upon which he ſuppoſeth that Job bottomed his Argument, doth refute an Atheiſt, as hath been cleareed. And mens vexing of themſelves, and keeping themſelves throng with ungodly courſes, that they may drive away thoughts of a Deity, Providence, and Judgment to come, doth clearly evince that the contrary thoughts do haunt and trouble them much.
Mens Atheiſtical thoughts are bottomed only upon their carnal miſtakes, and their meaſuring of God by themſelves, and by their ſhallow conceptions; For, ſo are we taught by the Arguments here produced, which amount only to this, That becauſe God is ſaid to dwell, in a ſpecial manner, in Heaven, therefore he is only there, and the diſtance and intervening darkneſs do hinder his ſight and knowledge, and turn him idle; all which are groſs miſtakes, flowing from mens low conceptions. See Zech. 8.6. And therefore if we take him up as God and not man, who is infinitely exalted above what we can conceive, it will refute our diſtempers and miſtakes, Iſa. 55.8, 9.
4. In oppoſition to theſe miſtakes, we ought to fix upon theſe Truths.
1. God is ſo in Heaven, as he is not ſecluded from the Earth, Jer. 23.23, 24. We may even feel after him, in the works of his Providence, Acts 17.27, 28. and ſhould eye him as preſent where-ever we are, Pſal. 139.7, 8, &c.
2. There is no impediment, of darkneſs, ſecreſie, &c. that can hide men good or bad, and their ways, from God; For even darkneſs is as noon-day to him, Pſal. 139 11, 12. He ſeeth us when we ſee not, nor mind, him, nor believe that he ſeeth us.
3. God is not an idle ſpectator, or walker in the circuit of Heaven, but an actor in things below, John 5.17. Which we ſhould ſtudy, acknowledge and improve.