Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 30 · Verse 17-19
Verſe 17. My bones are pierced in me in the night-ſeaſon: and my ſinewes take no reſt.
18. By the great force of my diſeaſe, is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
19. He hath caſt me into the mire, and I am become like duſt and aſhes.
In theſe Verſes we have the fourth Head, or, Branch, of Job's preſent miſeries; Namely, the great Infirmities and pain of his Body, occaſioned by the terrours of his Soul, and the loathſome diſeaſe of his Body. And,
1. He points out the vehement pain he had in his Body, v. 17. That not onelyonly his fleſh, but his very bones were ſo pained, as if they had been pierced; inſomuch that, not onelyonly in the day, but in the night when men ſhould reſt, he was afflicted with exquiſite pain; and his ſinews, being touched and affected with his diſeaſe, had no intermiſſion of pain, ſo as he could get no reſt. The words, in me, are in the Original, from above me; and ſo ſome read the Text thus, He pierceth (as the verb is ſingular) my bones from above me, that is, God pierceth them by theſe diſeaſes which he ſends from above, or ſo pie…ceth them as if he would pull them away from above, or from out of his body. All comes to one purpoſe, that he had great pain, inflicted by God, as if his bones were broken and pierced, and pulled out of his fleſh.
2. He points out the loathſomneſs of his diſeaſe, v. 18. The Original, in the beginning of the Verſe hath onelyonly thus, By great force is my garment changed. Whether we ſupply it thus, as in the Tranſlation, By the great force of my diſeaſe, or, as others, By the great force of God, all comes to one purpoſe; For God employed his force here by inflicting the diſeaſe, which had ſo forcible effects. And the meaning of the Verſe is, That the violence and loathſomneſs of his ſickneſs was ſuch, as the ulcerous matter, which ran out of his boyles and ſores, did foule and alter the garments which ſometime had been an ornament, and badge of his Dignity. Yea, the filthy matter, drying upon his garments, and making them ſtaffe, or, (before it dryed) cauſing his garments cleave and ſtick to his skin, did binde and ſtraiten his body, like the ſtrait collar, or neck, of his coat: where he alludes to their cuſtome, who had long garments, open only at the neck and foot, Which being ſtrait above, where they put it over their head, could not but be very troubleſome, eſpecially to theſe who had any bodily pain.
3. He amplifieth this loathſomneſs of his diſeaſe, v. 19. from the conſideration of the hand of God in it, and from the effects thereof; Shewing, that God had hereby caſt him into the mire, namely, of this filthy matter running out of his ſores, and ſo had laid him low, as if he had caſt him upon the ground in a mire: And, That he was become like duſt and aſhes, that is, his dried ſcabs and filthy matter upon his body made him reſemble a lump of duſt and aſhes; And withall, his wallowing in the duſt, in his trouble, and his humbling of himſelf before God in duſt and aſhes (as Chap. 42.6.) made his contract more filthy upon his body. Though it may alſo be underſtood figuratively, that he was become baſe and vile in his own eyes, remembering his baſe Original, and that he was but duſt and aſhes, as Gen. 18.27. All theſe may be joyned in one; For it is not to be doubted, but when godly Job conſidered his own filthy and loathſome body, he was thereby led to minde his baſeneſs.
From v. 17. Learn 1. Bodily pain and ſickneſſe is a very ſharp tryal, eſpecially when it is joyned with other troubles, upon a mans minde, name and eſtate; For, here, after he hath ſpoken of the contempt, oppreſſion and terrours, under which he ſuffered, it makes a new Branch of his Complaint, that his bones are pierced in him, and his ſinewes take no reſt. Thus did Satan reckon, that affliction upon Jobs body would try him to purpoſe. chap. 2.4, 5. See, alſo, chap. 33.19. So that we are to prize it, as a great mercy, if we have healthfull Bodies; we ought to beware that we abuſe not health and ſtrength; we ought to reckon that our tryals are not compleat, ſo long as we want that tryal, of pained and ſick Bodies; and, we ought to pity theſe who are exerciſed with it.
2. It may pleaſe the Lord to exerciſe his own dear Children, whoſe Bodies will be eternally glorious, with much bodily pain, even amidſt their other tryals; As here befell Job. This the Lord is pleaſed to do to his Children, not onelyonly that he may chaſten ſome of them for their ſin and folly, Pſ. 6.2. and 32.3. But that hereby he may compleat their tryal, and take proof of what is in them; that he may give proof how much tryal he can ſupport them under; that he may let them ſee how much affliction may be conſiſtent with his love to the afflicted; that, by the lot of ſome, he may warn all to prepare for what may befall them, being thankfull if their tryals come not to that height and extremity; and, that he may teach all, that they ought not to judge what will be the condition of Saints in glory, by what ſometimes they are in this world.
3. Nights reſt is a ſweet mercy, which, ſometime, God may with-hold from his Children; For, Job's bones were pierced in the night ſeaſon. See, alſo, chap. 7.3, 4. and 17.12. Pſ. 77.4. As Saints, who are at peace with God, ought to obſerve it as a mercy, if they get but nights reſt, amidſt their other tryals; and if God with-hold it, they ought to reckon that God denyeth them that ordinary caſe and lenitive, to the end their ſupport and help may be ſeen to come intirely from himſelf: So further, Others, and even Saints in their miſcarriages, may read divers things in this tryal of wanting reſt. As,
1. That it is a check for their too much reſt and quietneſs, little regarding how matters go in the world, which is, ordinarily, the diſpoſition and practice of the moſt guilty perſons; as we finde guilty Jonah was faſt aſleep in the tempeſt, when the Mariners are awake, Jo…. 1.5, 6.
2. That it is a check for their little diſquietting of themſelves with ſeeking of God, but either neglecting it altogether, or taking an eaſie way of it; Whereas David uſed to be at it at midnight, Pſal. 119.62.
3. That it is a fruit of their ſinfull diſquietting of themſelves about the world, which, oft, times, takes from them the nights reſt. See, Pſ. 39.6. Eccl. 5.12.
4. That it is a fruit of their attempting to diſquiet God with their provocations. See, Iſ. 1.24. and, 43.24. Am. 2.13.
5. That it is a fruit of their diſquieting of themſelves ſinfully and exceſſively under trouble, without endeavouring to encourage and compoſe their own ſpirits, as 1 Sam. 30.6. Pſ. 42.5, 11.
From v. 18. Learn 1. Albeit the Lord be pleaſed to put beauty upon our bodies, yet they are but compoſed of very loathſome and vile matter, as he can eaſily diſcover by a touch of ſickneſs; For, ſo doth here appear in Jobs ulcerous and loathſome Body, which defiled his Garments. See Proverbs 31.30.
2. Saints, whoſe duſt will one day be raiſed in glory and incorruption, may yet be very ugly and loathſome in this world; As here Job was, as alſo Lazarus the beggar, Luke 16.20.
3. Albeit it be little matter what be the condition of mens Bodies, ſo the Soul be adorned with grace; Yet it is an humbling tryal, in its own kinde, to have a loathſom Body; Therefore Job here complains of it, how the ulcers of his Body defiled his Garments, and made them ſo ſtiffe, that they hurt him. And when God makes this the tryal of any, it is a Call to them to be humbled.
4. Albeit men do, ordinarily, glory too much in their apparel; yet, as it is appointed to cover our ſhamefull nakedneſs, So, God may humble, even his own Children, with the ſcarcity thereof in time of need, and by its being a witneſs to declare what Bodies it covereth: For, ſo Jobs garments proclaimed how vile a Body he had; and his complaint that they hurt him; doth ſeem to import that he had not variety of them wherewith to ſhift himſelf, but was forced to wear the rayment he had, even when it became ſtiffe and hard, to his no ſmall trouble and pain.
From v. 19. Learn 1. It is good to have conſtant thoughts of God's hand in all we meet with, that we do not miſtake and miſcarry; and of his deſign and purpoſe therein, that we be not ſurcharged with groundleſs fears: therefore doth Job over again (after what he hath marked, v. 11.) obſerve that God did all this, He hath call me, &c. and that he did it to humble him, and make him know what he was.
2. Gods end in humbling tryals, is, to cauſe men know their Original, which is a needfull leſſon to all, eſpecially to dignified Saints, Gen. 18.27. So here, God caſt him into the m…re, that he might know he was duſt and aſhes, being ſo like it, by reaſon of his trouble.
3. It may aſſoile God from all challenges for afflicting of men, that he layeth them no lower by trouble, than they are indeed in their Original; For, Job becomes but like duſt and aſhes, by this affliction, the very thing which he is by his original conſtitution, and which he will be at laſt, when duſt returns to duſt, Gen. 3.19. Eccl. 12.7.
4. It is a very ſweet and comfortable improvement of trouble, when, as God humbleth men thereby, ſo, they are humbled, and diligent in learning that leſſon; For, Job takes with the inſtruction, and became like dust and aſhes, the thing which his preſent condition ſpake him to be.
5. It is not little that will abaſe man, and make him know himſelf, but God muſt let him wallow in trouble, that he may learn that leſſon; For, he is caſt into the mire, and left to wallow there, that he may become like dust and aſhes.