Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 30 · Verse 20
Verſe 20. I cry unto thee, and thou doſt not hear me: I ſtand up, and thou regardest me not.
The laſt Head, or Branch, of Jobs preſent miſeries, is, his ſenſe of Gods anger, and heavy hand, in all his calamities. Of this he gives three Evidences, to the end of the Chapter, in recounting whereof, he ſpeaks ſometime to God, and ſometime of him.
The firſt Evidence of Gods anger in his calamities (in this Verſe) is, the ill ſucceſs of his prayers; and that when he prayed, he was not heard, and when he inſiſted, he was not the better, but rather the worſe handled. For clearing of the words, it is to to be conſidered, That the negative particle, Not, is not expreſſed in the Original, in the end of the Verſe, where it is only, Thou regardeſt me, or, lookeſt upon me. But though it be not expreſſed, yet it is to be repeated from the former part of the Verſe, as is uſual in this Language; Compare Deut. 33.6. Pſ. 9.18. 1 Sam. 2.3. Pro. 25.27. Iſai. 38.18. and other places, where this particle muſt be repeated to make up the ſenſe. Others do read the words without the particle, and that variouſly; Some thus, Thou lookeſt upon me, and doſt no more, but art only a ſpectatour of my miſeries; but that reading doth not expreſs the Emphaſis of the Original word. Some read them by way of Interrogation (which muſt be reſolved negatively) thus, Doſt thou regard me? Or, Expreſs any pity and compaſſion to me? Surely, none at all. And ſome read them thus, Thou markeſt me, Or, ſingleſt me out, to puniſh me yet more; as is ſubjoyned, v. 21. All theſe readings are to one purpoſe, and do ſhew, that when he perſevered in prayer, he was not noticed, but, inſtead of a comfortable anſwer, his afflictions were continued and increaſed.
Doct. 1. Albeit, in many reſpects, it be ſweet to Saints, that they have to do with God in trouble; yet, ſometimes, through their weakneſs, it wants not its own bitterneſſes that it is ſo: For, here Jobs having to do with God, reſolves in a complaint, when he reflects upon his ſucceſs.
2. Whatever complaints our ſenſe ſuggeſt to us of God; yet it is our beſt not to run away from God, but to goe to him, and lay them out before himſelf; For, Job here tells God the bittereſt of his reſentments, ſo alſo, v. 21, 22, 23. It is a good errand to goe to God, and tell him our tentations, for that is a complaint of them, and it is Child-like, and an evidence that tentations have not quite overthrown us, when we take that courſe with them.
3. It is the bleſſed advantage of godly men, that, as their loweſt condition doth not hinder them to pray, ſo, their trouble leads them to leave themſelves upon God, to ſee the need of prayer, and of fervency in it, if they will practice accordingly; For, ſaith he, I cry unto thee, as knowing that he was warranted to pray, notwithſtanding his deep diſtreſs, and being careful to improve that liberty in fervent prayer and crying. See Pſ. 50.15.
4. Saints in trouble will not get reſting on the work of prayer, unleſs their prayers be heard alſo; For, ſo is here imported, that he was put to look if God did here his cry. See Pſ. 5.3. Yea, it is the ſaddeſt of Saints afflictions under trouble, if their prayers be not heard, conſidering both their preſſing need, and that it ſeems to ſpeak God angry, when he doth not hear; as will be after marked.
5. Although it may ſeem ſtrange to Saints, not to be preſently heard in trouble, conſidering Gods promiſes, Pſ. 50.15. and 55.17. Luk. 18.7, 8. Yet, God, in his deep wiſdome, may ſeem not to anſwer, or really delay to anſwer, the cryes of his needy people; For, I cry unto thee, and thou doſt not hear me: In the Original it is, Thou doſt not anſwer me; For, Job doubted not but he heard him, though he did not evidence ſo much by granting his requeſt; But (notwithſtanding all his cryes) let his Friends, his Oppreſſours and Scorners of him, deal as they pleaſed with him. See Pſ. 22.1. and 69.3: Lam. 3.8, 44. Of this ſee more on Chap. 22.27. Only, when we get not ſatisfactory anſwers to our prayers, in being delivered from our preſſures, let us labour to get it made up, in quietneſs of ſpirit, 1 Sam. 1.18. in ſtrength and ſupport to bear our preſſures, 1 Cor. 10.13. Pſ. 138.3. and the want of a deliverance from them, 2 Cor. 12.8, 9. in grace to make uſe of the delay, and to reap good fruits of it, (ſuch as, quickening yet more to prayer, humbling of us, purging of our droſs, meekneſs under ſuch a lot, ſenſe of our ill deſervings, &c. which are better than many anſwers and deliverances) and, in faith to believe that God will come in due time, before our caſe be deſperate, Hab. 2.3.
6. It is the duty, and will be the practice of godly men, when in a right frame, not to give over prayer becauſe they are not anſwered, but to perſevere at their duty; For, notwithſtanding he was not heard, yet, ſaith he, I ſtand up, in the poſture of a ſupplicant, Jer. 15.1. and that I may preſent my caſe before thee. Gods not anſwering of our prayers is no call to us to give over, (as we are, oft-times, ready to conclude) but rather that we ſhould pray on, Pſ. 88.1, 13, 14. For (beſide that there is hope in waiting) what ſhould a needy Saint reſolve to do next, if he give over prayer? Preſent ſinking, or running to a ſinful ſhift (with Saul) would be the iſſue of ſuch a reſolution. But however matters goe, the beſt of it is to reſolve to dye at Chriſts door, rather than take our anſwer, and goe away, as 2 King. 6.33. For whatever be our lot, it is good if we be not deſerted as to duty; and though our hands may be weakned in going about it, and ſometimes many paſſions may be raiſed, yet it is good to get up and be doing, and to let our diligence witneſs how we are affected with our wants, and how we adhere unto, and depend upon God, however he ſeem not to pity us. And they who thus continue to pray, when they are not anſwered, who wait on, when they are delayed, and do purſue, when God ſeems to flee, are acceptably and commendably employed; as the woman of Canaan found in the iſſue, Mat. 15.
7. Such as would acceptably perſevere in prayer, ought to be the more earneſt at it, that an anſwer is delayed, or ſeems to be denied; For, ſo much alſo doth his ſtanding up, as an earneſt ſupplicant, import. See Luk. 22.44. This is one of the ends wherefore the Lord delayeth to anſwer the prayers of his people, even that he may train on their affections, till they become ſick of love.
8. It may pleaſe the Lord to exerciſe his people, even when they perſevere in earneſt ſupplications after delayes and refuſals, with yet more delayes and refuſals, and, it may be, with harſher uſage, the more they inſiſt: For, ſaith he, I ſtand up, and thou regardeſt me not; Or, markeſt me, to afflict me yet more, as hath been explained. Saints may not only get no anſwers to their prayers, but more rods, yea, wrath, may ſeem to meet them in the face, when they continue to pray on, Pſ. 80.4. Without this, we will not be well enough tryed and refined.
9. Want of ſucceſs in prayer, eſpecially when men inſiſt and perſevere, notwithſtanding they are delayed, will very readily irritate even godly men; For, here it is Jobs bitter complaint, that God did not regard him, but did mark and ſingle him out, to inflict more upon him, when yet he is ſo earneſt and inſtant in prayer. It is true, he doth not directly quarrel Gods faithfulneſs in his promiſes; yet his weakneſs appears in expoſtulating about this delay and hard uſage. So that godly men had need to be upon their guard in ſuch caſes; For no anſwer, or a ſad anſwer of prayers, after long wreſtling with diſcouragements and continuance at that duty, cannot but try them narrowly; and they may expect that their weakneſs, meeting with ſuch a tentation and exerciſe, will be ready to break forth.
10. Whatever be the weakneſſes of Gods people in extremities, yet it is not their way to complain for trifles, or things of ſmall moment; For, Job complains not but upon this ground, That in ſuch an extremity, when all were running him down, God did not notice nor hear him, though he cryed ſo earneſtly to him. So that they are farr more inexcuſable, who, upon every light account, preſume to be clamorous in their complaints.