Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 31 · Verses 35-37
Verſe 35, O that one would hear me? Behold, my deſire is, that the Almighty would anſwer me, and that mine Adverſary had written a book.
36. Surely I would take it upon my ſhoulder, and bind it as a Crown to me.
37. I would declare unto him the number of my ſteps, as a Prince would I goe near unto him.
Job having made this fair Profeſſion and Apology, wherein he ha…h produced ſo many evidences of his integrity, ſo ſolemnly confirmed and proved, and being now about to c…oſe this diſcourſe; He breaks out (for further confirmation of all he hath ſaid) in a ſolemn wiſh and deſire, That One, even the Almighty would hear and anſwer him, v. 35. The meaning whereof is not, That he would have God appearing as his Party, either as Plaintiff or Defendant, as Chap. 13.22. (For here he ſpeaks of another Adverſary, or Party.) But that God would appear as a Judge, to give him a fair hearing, and to judge of his whole Cauſe, that ſo he might be vindicated from all calumnies and aſperſions that were caſt upon him. On this condition he profeſſeth,
1. That he would contemn the accuſations of all forts of Adverſaries, and would be content they ſhould write a Volume of them, and produce all they had to ſay againſt him, v. 35.
2. That he is ſure theſe accuſations would tend to his commendation, and ſhould be an ornament and crown, and not a reproach, to him; and he would bring them as ſuch before his Judge, v. 36. For he was ſure their accuſations would prove him a juſt man, ſeeing he had made himſelf no enemies, but ſuch as oppoſed him for his juſtice, and for his fortitude in proſecution thereof, of which he hath been ſpeaking, v. 34. Or, his Friends could charge him with no real crime, but he might glory that he was innocent and free of it.
3. That he would not only defend his integrity againſt all accuſations of Adverſaries; but he would generally lay open his conſcience, and give a reaſon of all his actions, to his Judge, v. 37.
4. That he would not behave himſelf as a guilty man, but as a Princely confident man, in ſo good a Cauſe, both before his Judge and Accuſer, v. 37.
This his confident deſire and profeſſion (ſomewhat like unto that he had deſired before, Chap. 19.23, 24.) doth indeed ſay more to prove his integrity, than all the particulars he hath mentioned before. For what guilty man, being in his right wits, and already, ſo ſharply afflicted, durſt wiſh God to be a Judge, and to have a quick Accuſer, and would not rather ſeek to decline judgement? Yet he carrieth the matter too confidently (for which he is afterward reproved) and without that ſubmiſſiveneſs which is due to ſuch a Judge; though the preſſure of his miſeries, and his unjuſt vexation from his Friends, plead ſome excuſe, or extenuate ſomewhat his failing in it.
From this purpoſe, Learn, 1. As ſincere men will decline no tryal, ſo it is oft-times their lot to lye buried under miſ-conſtructions, without fair hearing and judgement; For, his general deſire, O that one would hear me! imports both that he declined not, but earneſtly deſired, to have his cauſe heard, and his integrity tryed before any Judge whatſoever, ſo he were impartial and indifferent; and yet that he could not get a fair hearing, that his integrity might be cleared.
2. God is the Judge who is moſt eyed by godly men in the matter of their integrity; As being he whoſe teſtimony alone can be leaned unto in this matter, whoſe Tribunal (when he proceeds according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace) a righteous man needs not fear, and who is the Patron of thoſe who are unjuſtly judged by others: Therefore doth Job thus inſtance his general deſire, My deſire is, that the Almighty would anſwer me, or, It is my ſign (or, evidence of my righteouſneſs and integritry) that the Almighty would anſwer me, or, that I deſire him to anſwer, not to his queſtions or pleadings, but to his ſute, that he would give him an hearing as a Judge. See, Pſ. 26.1. and 43.1.
3. The ſupport of a good conſcience, in a trial, is admirable, and to be marked by all, both to invite others to be ſincere, and to terrifie accuſers; Therefore he prefixeth a, Behold, to this deſire, that all might remark how confident he was of his integrity, and how it ſupported him.
4. Even theſe who are moſt righteous, and approved of God, muſt expect not to want oppoſers and calumniators; For, Job intimateth, that he would have an adverſary.
5. When a man is ſincere and upright, though he may expect that obſervers will notice and mark his wayes, yet he may ſleight all they can ſay, when God ſits Judge; For he cares not though his adverſary had written a book. So long as the Book of a Mans conſcience is right, he needs not care what books others write againſt him. See Acts 23.1.
6. Unjuſt accuſations are ſo far from prejudging the integrity of the righteous, that, when they have vindicated themſelves, they clear their righteouſneſs the more, and are matter of their gloriation; For, not onelyonly would he not ſmother them, but take them openly upon his ſhoulder, as no burden; but he would binde them as a crown to him, or, crowns, in the plural number, even ſo many Crowns as Accuſations. This will be the iſſue of all calumnies caſt upon godly men, when either they are aſperſed with the evil they have not done, or when the good they do is called evil; and therefore they need not lye drooping under them.
7. Such as are truly godly men, are exact numberers of their ſteps, that, in ſo far as can be, nothing may eſcape them, and they do not huddle up their walk in confuſion; For, he hath the number of his ſteps, to declare, at leaſt all the kindes of his ſteps, though he could not overtake every particular.
8. God ſhould be ingenuouſly dealt with, by ſuch as would approve themſelves as righteous, in laying out their way before him; For, ſaith he, I would declare unto him the number of my ſteps, at leaſt he would not hide any fault whereof he knew he was guilty.
9. Whatever pain there be in circumſpect walking, yet the comfort of it will be as great, when men look back to it in a day of tryal; For, now it affords Job peace, that he may declare unto God the number of his steps. See Pſ. 44.17, 18, 19, 20.
10. The godly man may have much confidence in coming to God; For, ſaith he, as a Prince would I go unto him. A godly man, who is juſtified, is Iſrael, a Prince with God, and may come boldly to the Throne of Grace, in full aſſurance of Faith; and when he is calumniated, he is a Superiour and Prince over his adverſaries, as having the better of them in the quarrel, and he may come forward to God with an heroical ſpirit. See, Rom. 8.33. Heb. 4.16. and 10.22. Prov. 28.1:
11. It is hard for godly men, when under tentations and afflictions, to manage a good cauſe rightly, and without paſſion and exceſſe; For, Job is too violent here; and albeit he was righteous as to the matter in controverſie, yet it became him to have been more ſubmiſſive before ſuch a Judge, before whom he could not have given ſuch an account of the number of his ſteps, if he had entered in judgement with him, Pſ. 143.2. When men are managing the beſt cauſe in diſpute, they have need to take heed, leſt they miſcarry, and fall into ſome exceſſe.