Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 30 · Verse 27 – Verse 31
Verſe 27. My bowels boyled and reſted not: the dayes of affliction prevented me.
In the reſt of the Chapter, Job proceeds to give an account of the ſad change that had befallen him, contrary to his expectation. And albeit he had ſpoken of his ſad caſe before, yet he inſiſts here upon it again, by reaſon of his paſſion and preſent reſentment; and that he may more fully and pathetically enumerate the particular evils and dark clouds that had over-whelmed him. This account he proſecutes in ſeveral particulars, in the ſeveral Verſes, to the end of the Chapter.
The purpoſe in this Verſe (as alſo v. 28) being expreſſed in the by-paſt time, ſ…me do take them up as a Commentary upon what he had ſaid, v. 25. Or, a further account of his Sympathy, and that the three laſt Verſes only do give an account of his preſent trouble, notwithſtanding this his Sympathy. And for this Verſe in particular, they expound it thus: That his Sympathy kept his bowels of affection in continual motion and exerciſe, without any intermiſſion; and, that he was prevented by affliction, or ſeldome, if ever, did he paſs a day without ſadneſs, in behalf of ſome one or other. But the words do not ſo clearly bear that ſenſe, and the Original phraſe, in both Verſes, may be as well read in the preſent time. And therefore this Verſe is to be looked on as containing the firſt evidence of his ſad condition, taken from a fruit of his ſickneſs and trouble of mind: Namely, that his pain and grief did ſo continually toſs and affect his bowels, or inward parts, as if he were in a feaver; and that the dayes of affliction did not only prevent him at firſt, or ſtole upon him, before he thought of them (of which, ſee what is ſaid, v. 26. and Chap. 29.18.) but even now they prevent him, and come betwixt him and comfort, and all other thoughts.
Doct. 1. Affliction will make great Oratours in ſpeaking of their miſeries, and will cauſe them dwell much upon that ſad ſubject; For, here, Job cannot get off, but muſt inſiſt again upon this ſad ſubject, as finding no caſe, but in telling he wants it.
2. Much thinking upon, and repeating of the ſame grievances over and over, do contribute to heighten the affliction of the afflicted, and to make new exerciſes unto them; For, albeit Job had ſaid all this before, or ſomewhat to the ſame purpoſe, v. 16, 17. yet he repeats it over again, as a new tryal at every repeating thereof.
3. Albeit pain upon the outward parts of the body, and inward ſickneſs upon the vitals, be diſtinct afflictions, which God oft-time ſeperates, not inflicting the one when he inflicts the other; Yet a godly man may be exerciſed with both at once: For, Job had pain in his bones and ſinews, v. 17. and here his bowels, or inward parts, are affected.
4. Much Soul-exerciſe and grief, accompanying other croſſes, will ſoon draw on ſickneſs and feaveriſh pains; For, Job being in this caſe, his bowels boyled. So that a Goſpel-frame of Spirit is good medicine to prevent theſe waſting Soul-preſſures which accompany trouble.
5. Want of intermiſſions, or breathing times, in trouble, is a ſad addition to the tryal, which yet godly men may taſte of in their afflictions; For, ſaith he, My bowels boyled, and rested not.
6. God will exerciſe his own children till they find their trouble to be an affliction indeed, and he may ſo put them to it, that their time, for a long while, will be remarkable for nothing, but for their bearing of afflictions in it: For theſe cauſes doth he call them, the dayes of affliction, dayes of ſharp ſearching tryals, and nothing but tryals.
7. As it adds to mens affliction, if they be unexpectedly ſurprized with it; So even theſe who are moſt reſolved, may be ſurprized with it when it comes: For albeit they reſolve to meet with trouble, yet they may be ſurprized with troubles ſhaking and pinching them more than ever they expected, and with the exhauſting of all their habitual furniture and reſolution thereby, till new and freſh ſupplyes come from Heaven; For, in theſe reſpects, the dayes of affliction prevented him, Not only had he frequent expectations that it ſhould be otherwiſe, v. 26. Chap. 29.18. But even, notwithſtanding all theſe apprehenſions, Chap. 3.25, 26. he was ſurprized with finding that ſharpneſs in his affliction which he had not dream't of.
8. It is alſo an humbling effect of trouble, that it ſhuts up all paſſages, and hemms in the minds of men, and keeps them poreing upon it ſelf only; So that they can look out no where for caſe, but ſome thought of their ſad caſe is ready to interrupt and take them up; For, thus alſo the dayes of affliction prevented him, as hath been explained.
Verſe 28. I went mourning without the Sun: I ſtood up, and I cryed in the Congregation.
Though ſome (as hath been ſaid) underſtand this Verſe alſo of his Sympathy, That he went mourning for the affliction of others, and that ſo uncomfortably, as if the Sun had never ſhined upon him; and ſo ſeriouſly, that he continued it in the night, when the Sun was down; and that, though he be now forſaken of all, yet, he never met with company, or aſſemblies of people, but he complained of the ſorrows of others: Yet it is more clear to underſtand it as another evidence of the ſad change of his condition. And in this ſenſe ſome underſtand the firſt part of the Verſe, thus, That he was black, and his skin parched and burnt up with trouble, though without the Sun, or, albeit the Sun did not ſcorch him; as it contributes to make people black in hotter Climates. But this interpretation doth not ſuit with his walking mourning, or, in black, as it is here expreſſed; and withall, that of the blackneſs of his skin, is expreſly mentioned afterward, v. 30. Therefore I take Jobs ſcope in this Verſe to be, to point out the vehemency of his afflictions and ſorrows, from two effects; One, That they made him walk in a mournful habit and poſture, even without the Sun, that is, in the night ſeaſon, as well as in the day, and in retired places, whether he went to ſhun the light of the Sun, and all company. The other is, That when he came into any Congregation, or company, out of his retirement, or rather, when multitudes flocked about him, to behold him, he behoved to cry out of his ſorrows before them all; whereas gravity, modeſty, and natural courage, would have prompted him to keep ſilence, if it had been poſſible.
Doct. 1. The ſenſe of Gods afflicting hand will cauſe men, and even ſtout men, mourn and cry, and walk in a mournful poſture; For, ſo it was with Job here. See Pſ. 42.9. and 43.2.
2. Common comforts, ſuch as the light of the Sun, nights reſt, company, &c. will prove but poor cordials to perſons in trouble, whatever lawful uſe may be made of them, to divert or abate the violence of trouble; For, Job went mourning without the Sun, being deprived of reſt when the Sun was down, and ſhunning the light, and all company. So that men ought to acknowledge it a mercy, if they find caſe by any of theſe means.
3. An over-charging meaſure of trouble may ſo preſs men, that neither gravity, modeſty, nor courage, can cauſe them ſmother the ſame, even before others; For, Job stood up and cryed in the Congregation, or, his pain made him that he could not lye, but he behoved to riſe up and roar, or, when he roſe up from his mournful poſture, when multitudes came to ſee him, that he might endeavour in civility to keep company with them, he was forced to roar and cry out before them all. Thus alſo Chriſt was made to cry out of Soul-trouble, before a multitude, Joh. 12.27. with 29. So that they have a great advantage, and ought to acknowledge it as a mercy, who get their ſorrows kept ſecret and hid.
Verſe 29. I am a Brother to Dragons, and a Companion to Owls.
This Verſe, is not ſo to be underſtood, as if theſe were the very formal words which he cryed out in the Congregation, v. 28. But it contains an amplyfication of both theſe effects of his vehement pains and ſorrows, mentioned in that Verſe. Wherein he ſheweth, That, as to his walking without the Sun, his ſolitude was great, being deſerted by all his friends and relations, and himſelf ſhunning all company, like Dragons and Owls, which live ſolitary in deſolate places and wilderneſſes, Pſ. 102.6. and 44.19. Iſ. 13.21. and 34.13, 14, 15. And that, as for his cryes, he breathed out ſorrows in doleful and hideous ſcreechings and howlings, as Dragons and Owls do cry o…t in their ſolitary habitations, M…c. 1.8. In a word, he was become more like a wild man, or, thoſe wild creatures, than any thing elſe.
Doct. 1. God may exerciſe his people with extreme ſolitude in their troubles; partly, while God takes away their neareſt relations (as he cut off Jobs children) or they do all abandon them in their affliction; partly, while they themſelves do affect ſolitude, which is but one of Satan▪ engines to help forward their ſorrows; For, here Job complains, that, in reſpect of ſolitude, he was a brother to Dragons, and companion to Owls.
2. The mournful note of the afflicted people of God may be very doleful and ſad; as here alſo is imported. Their own ſenſe may make their condition very bitter, and God may leave them to their own weakneſs, till they charter like a Crane and Swallow, and mourn like a Dove, Iſ. 38.14. And yet all theſe ſad notes may end in a ſong, as Job found, and Hezekiah alſo, Iſ. 38.19.
Verſe 30. My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burnt with heat.
In this Verſe, we have another evidence of the ſad change of his condition, taken from the effects there of upon his body; Where he ſheweth, That his skin, which in his proſperity and health was white, is now dryed and become black; and that his bones are burnt up with heat, ariſing from the ſorrows and pains both of his ſoul and body. Whence, Learn,
1. It is not the way of Saints to cry out or complain without weighty cauſe, and when they do otherwiſe, it is an evidence they are in an high diſtemper; For, here Job ſheweth, that the cauſe of his cryes and howlings, v. 28, 29. might be ſeen upon his body.
2. Vexation and pain of body, eſpecially when joyned with, or flowing from, vexation of mind, is very intollerable; As here he complains of his bodily pains and diſtempers, eſpecially, becauſe they were accompanied with ſuch a ſurcharge of Soul-troubles, and the effects of them, in part.
3. Even ſtrong and robuſt bodies of men will not be able to bear out under Gods afflicting hand; For, Jobs body here ſuccumbs.
4. God, when he pleaſeth, can ſo univerſally reach mens bodies, that no part ſhall be free of a ſtroke; For, both his skin and bones are affected here.
Verſe 31. My Harp alſo is turned to mourning, and my Organ into the voice of them that weep.
In this Verſe, he ſummeth up the account of this ſad change in his family and eſtate; Shewing that all things were turned upſide down, and that inſtead of Inſtruments of Muſick, whereof he made uſe in the dayes of his mirth, nothing but ſorrow was now to be heard in his family. Whence, Learn,
1. It is not unlawful for godly men to uſe mirth, and be chearful, provided they time it well, Iſ. 22.12, 13. Amos 6.5, 6. and be moderate, and do not place happineſs in it, Eccl. 2.1, 2. For, Job here implyeth, that he had not declined mirth in former times.
2. As Inſtruments of Muſick are very ancient, (For, the Harp, and Organ, or ſome ſuch del…ctable and ſweet ſounding Inſtrument, as the word ſignifieth, were in Jobs dayes, yea, long before him, Gen. 4.21.) So they may lawfully be made uſe of in the lawful expreſſions of our mirth; For, Job made uſe of them in his dayes of mirth and chearfulneſs. And beſide the civil uſe of theſe Inſtruments, they had alſo a Ceremonial uſe in the Worſhip of God, during the Paedagogy of the Law; and it may be Job made ſuch uſe of them alſo, as divers of the Ceremonies were in uſe, even before the Promulgation of the Law at Sinai. But under the Goſpel, though vocal ſinging be enjoyned, as an Ordinance to be ſtill continued, Eph. 5.19. Col. 3.16. Jam. 5.13. Yet there is no Precept for Inſtrumental Muſick, in the Worſhip of God, in the New Teſtament. Nor was it made uſe of in Churches for divers ages after Chriſt; But the Ancients do clearly declare, that it was not to be uſed under the Goſpel, and that it was not uſed in their dayes. And if men bring in one Inſtrument into the Churches, which was uſed under the Law, there can no reaſon be given, why they may not as well bring in all the reſt of them, as Timbrels, Harps, Pſalteries, Trumpets, Cymbals, &c.
3. Not only is the carnal mirth of wicked men juſtly put to ſilence, and turned into doleful howlings and lamentations, Iſ. 24.7, 8, 9. Jer. 7.34 and 25.10. Jam. 4.9. Rev. 18.21, 22, 23. But even godly men, who uſe mirth lawfully, may be exerciſed with ſuch a change; For, My Harp is turned into mourning, and my Organ into the voice of them that weep. So that men are not to expect that ſuch mirth will alwayes continue; And albeit ſuch changes call men to examine their former wayes, yet not alwayes to quarrel their former practice as ſinful, becauſe there is a change of their note and ſong.