Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 33 · Verse 17 – Verse 18
Verſe 17. That he may withdraw man from his purpoſe, and hide pride from man.
In this and the following Verſe, Elihu gives a more particular account of what God ſaith by dreams and viſions, and what is the ſcope of that inſtruction which he ſeals thereby, v. 16. In this Verſe, we have an account of the more immediate ſcope thereof; Namely, to humble man, and bring him to repentance. As for the firſt part of the Verſe, if we take the word, Purpoſe, in a ſtrict ſenſe, it will import, That man naturally is a purpoſing, projecting Creature; who would lay down his own ſetled way which he means to follow and proſecute, neglecting dependance upon God; That man chooſes this way, that he may exalt himſelf in pride (as is ſuppoſed in the latter part of the Verſe) as Maſter and Orderer of his own affairs; and, That God doth overturn all theſe fine projects of proud men. Not only do the meſſages of his Word ſpeak againſt this evil (and his rod doth actually overturn theſe projects, if the Word be not obeyed) but even the variety of wayes whereby God then manifeſted his mind (all which are comprehended under theſe mentioned, v. 15.) ſerved to abaſe man, and keep him in a continual and humble dependance upon the pleaſure of God in his purpoſes.
But the word muſt be taken in a larger ſenſe, for Work (as it is in the Original) or, ſome evil work and undertaking, from which God withdraws and calls men by his Word, which was then revealed in dreams and viſions. Thus mans work, is all one with his tranſgreſſion, Chap. 36.9. And as for the latter part of the Verſe, And hide pride from man; To hide pride, here, is, to take it away, and withdraw man from it, ſo that it becomes as a thing that is hid and loſt, which appears not, and cannot be found; or, by taking away that which pride feeds upon, to prevent mans pride, and ſo to hide it from him, that he ſhall never find it, nor any thing whereof to be proud. And this is added to the former, either as a particular inſtance of that general, of mans work, which is to be abandoned, Pride being an eſpecial evil work whereof God would have his people free; or, as Gods end in inſtructing man to abandon his evil work, and that, by letting man ſee his work to be mourned for and amended, he layeth his pride, and lets him ſee there is no cauſe for it. In ſumm, the meaning of the whole Verſe is, That the meſſages of Gods Word, even when directed to godly men, tend to lead them to renew their repentance daily, and, by what they ſee of their own evil works, to make them have a low eſteem of themſelves.
To clear this yet a little more, Conſider,
1. The firſt part of this Verſe is conciſely expreſſed in the Original; For the words, From his, are a Supplement, and the Original hath only, word for word, To withdraw (or, cauſe to remove) mans work. Hence ſome render it thus, That man (as the Agent) may remove work; and ſo the purpoſe will run very ſmoothly, That God inſtructs man, v 16. that may remove work, or, abandon evil courſes. But as in the following part of the Verſe, it is God who hides pride; ſo it ſeems clearer to underſtand the firſt part of the Verſe of him alſo, That he, by inſtructions, withdraweth man, &c. And as for the Supplements required to this reading, the Particle, From, is here brought from the latter part of the Verſe (as is not unuſual in this language) to clear the reading, that he withdraws man from work, as well as he hides pride from man. And as for the relative, His (which muſt be ſupplyed alſo in the other reading) it is not only expreſly added, Chap. 36.9. their work; but the ſubject matter neceſſarily implyeth it. For, that God withdraws man from work, is not to be univerſally taken, that God turns men idle from duties of a lawful calling, or, from good works, but only from theſe evil works, which are not the works of God, but their own, as they are corrupt men.
2. It being Elihu's ſcope (as hath been cleared, and otherwiſe he could not ſpeak to Jobs caſe and complaint, whom he acknowledgeth to be a godly man) to give an account of the inſtructions which God gives to godly men by his Word, which was then revealed in theſe extraordinary wayes; We are not to conceive, that this is all, and the only inſtruction which Gods Word affords to ſuch, that they ſhould repent, and be humble: For, his Word is ſent alſo to comfort god…y men. But the meaning is, Partly, that whatever elſe Gods Word ſpeak to godly men, this leſſon, of daily humiliation and renewing of repentance, is ſtill to be taken alongſt with it; Yea, the more God ſpeak of comfort, and things refreſhful, they ſhould learn this leſſon the faſter, as we find Saints have done in their familiar addreſſes to God, Gen. 18.27. and in Gods ſpecial manifeſtations to them, Iſ. 6.5. Job 42.5, 6. Partly, and eſpecially, when good men are in Jobs temper, complaining that God ſhould afflict them who are righteous, then this leſſon is moſt proper for them, to ſilence and put them from their clamours.
3. I ſee no cauſe to apprehend, that Elihu, in propounding this inſtruction to Job, doth intend to charge Job with any particular evil work, ſuch as Abimelech, Gen. 20. and L…ban, Gen. 31. were upon, when God reſtrained them by a dream or viſion; But his ſcope is, more generally, to point out, that this holds true of all the godly (and ſo of Job) that they have daily works, or, out-breakings, from which they need to be withdrawn; and if Job had minded this, he would not have ſwelled ſo high as he did, in his complaints and reſentments about his condition.
From this Veſe, Learn, 1. Even the beſt of men, within time, have corruptions, their crooked byaſſes, works and projects, which are not good; For, ſo is here ſuppoſed, even of godly men, to whoſe condition Elihu is ſpeaking. Godly men ſhould mind this much, and ſtudy their filthineſs, notwithſtanding their privileges, which will let them ſee, that they are Adam ſtill (as he is here called) or have ſomewhat of old Adam in them. They ſhould alſo remember, that this is their own work, as hath been explained. They can neither charge it upon God, Jam. 1.13. nor doth Satan (though a buſie tempter) deſerve all the blame that, oft-times, is caſt upon him; but the true riſe of mans miſcarriage is from his own luſt, Jam. 1.14.
2. Not only have Saints Original corruption to look to, but out-breakings and works alſo, which ſhould be grievous to them, when their weakneſs comes out, and above ground; For, here a godly man hath even a work which is not good; which though it may be extended to ſignifie mans inward projects and machinations alſo, yet moſt properly it ſignifieth thoſe viſible fruits which flow from that inward root of corruption.
3. It is the will of God, that his people do daily renew their repentance for their infirmities and miſcarriages, and that they goe daily to the opened Fountain to be cleanſed from them; For, Man ſhould be withdrawn from this work, and ſhould remove it from him, and turn from it by repentance. Where this is neglected, and we do not call our ſelves daily to an account, it may tend to great confuſion in a day of diſtreſs, and may even bring our reconciled eſtate into queſtion.
4. It is the great ſcope of the Word, whereby God ſpeaks to his people, to draw them to this daily renewing of their repentance; For, God inſtructs by dreams and viſions, to withdraw man from his work. The Doctrine of God approves of no ſin, even in Saints, but teacheth them ſo much the more to aggravate them, as they are committed by them. And as the ſaddeſt meſſages tend not to drive us away from God, but rather to invite us to him; So, moſt comfortable meſſages ſhould quicken and promove our repentance. Therefore we ſhould try our profit…ng by the Word, by our frequency in the exerciſe of repentance; and when meſſages are any way odd and ſingular (as here it was extraordinarily revealed) they ſhould ſpeak the louder to invite to this exerciſe.
5. Repentance for failings ſhould be joyned with reformation, and abandoning of thoſe evils for which men are grieved; For, this diſpenſation tends to withdraw man from, or, cauſe him remove his work. It is ſad when this reformation follows not upon convictions; and yet it may be ſo with Saints, either becauſe their convictions are not deep and ſolid enough, or becauſe they do not put them in Chriſts hand, who only can g…ve a good account of them.
6. Among other evils incident to the people of God, Pride is a ſpecial evil; as here is inſtanced. This is an evil which in others feeds upon empty ſhadows, ſuch as their birth, riches, honours, bodily perfections, ſucceſſes, natural or acquired endowments, &c. But in Gods people it is ready to feed upon their beſt things, their gracer, privileges, ſingular mercies and deliverances. See Jer. 7.3, 4. 2 Chron. 32.24, 25. 2 Cor. 12.7. 1 Cor. 4.7.
7. Whoſoever are not daily calling themſelves to an account for their failings, and renewing their re-repentance daily, but, poſſibly, are murmuring and complaining becauſe of their ſad lots; they are not free of pride, how much ſoever they are cruſhed; For, ſo much may be gathered from the connexion and ſcope, that till men be withdrawn from their work, Pride will not be hid from them, and that Jobs complaints evidenced that he was not free of this evil, and that he neglected the better work, of repenting daily, which would have kept him humble. And this is a certain truth, that no afflictions will humble a man (however they cruſh him) unleſs he be exerciſed with the conſcience and ſenſe of ſin.
8. God is a great enemy to pride, and his Word hath ſufficiently declared, how ill he is pleaſed with it; For, the ſcope of this inſtruction, is, to hide pride from man. See Pſal. 138.6. Dan. 4.37. Jam. 4.6. Prov. 6.16, 17. It is a ſin, which in it ſelf is a folly, 2 Cor. 12.11. a ſin, for which there is no cauſe, ſeeing we do but our duty in our higheſt attainments, yea, not ſo much as our duty, Luk. 17.10. and an evil which declares men to be nothing in reality, Gal. 6.3. It robs God of his glory, Rom. 11.36. and croſſeth his great deſign, of abaſing all fleſh before him, 1 Cor. 1.29, 30. And therefore muſt be hat…ful to him.
9. Albeit proud men bulk much in their own eyes, and great men are much ſubject to this evil of pride; Yet no greatneſs, real or imaginary, doth warrant men to entertain it. For, even Geber (as it is in the Original) the mighty, or, great man, ought to have pride hid from him. If even greateſt of men conſider, that they are vanity at their beſt eſtate, Pſal. 39.5. that they will not long continue what th…y are, but death will level them with others, Pſal 49.10, 11, 12. that the more they have received, they have the ſtricter account to make, Luk. 12.48. and, that pride doth blaſt and provoke God to take away all their excellencies; If, I ſay, they did conſider theſe things, they would find how little cauſe they had to be puffed up with pride.
10. It is the will of God, and the ſcope of his inſtructions by his Word, that men do not pretend to abominate pride, while yet their practice declareth that they hugg it in their boſomes; But that they endeavour to remove it, and rid themſelves of it; For, Pride muſt be hid from man. Which doth not import, that it is ſufficient, that pride be hid and lurking, though it be not mortified and ſubdued; but that it muſt be ſo hid from man, as he ſhall not find it. The phraſe, to hide, ſignifieth ſometime to take a thing quite away, as Job 3.10. It ſeems to be a Metaphor taken from mens burying of theſe things which they deſire not to be ſeen, as Moſes hid the Aegyptian whom he ſlew, Exod. 2.12. Thus that is ſaid to be hid, which is deſtroyed and brought to nothing, Iſ. 29.14. with 1 Cor. 1.19. Now mens ſin is ſaid to be hid two wayes; One is, by a free pardon, when a ſinner hiding himſelf under Chriſts ſhadow, gets his ſins pardoned and covered, Neh. 4 5. Pſal. 32.1. and 85.2. And it is certain that ſuch as repent of their pride, muſt have pardon for their by-gone pride, whatever reformation there be for the futu…e. But this is not principally meant here; For by a pardon, ſin is properly hid from Gods revengeful eye, not from man, ſave in ſo farr as a pardon hides him from the penal effects of his ſin. The other way of hiding ſin, is, when it is hid from the man himſelf; not by keeping him from ſeeing his guilt and inclinations to ſin, but by removing of the ſin from him. And in this ſenſe it is taken here; and it imports, That the man who heeds the inſtructions of the Word concerning his pride, will,
1. Not ſatisfie himſelf with claiming to a pardon, when he is convinced of his guilt in it, but will endeavour to have it removed from him, that the mortification of the evil may be a comfortable evidence of the pardon of …t.
2. He will endeavour to remove it from him with deteſtation, as an evil which he cannot endure to look upon, but it muſt be hid out of his ſight, as is ſaid of the Idols of penitents, Iſ. 30.22.
3. Being ſenſible of his own propenſity to that evil, he will ſtudy to prevent it, by hiding from himſelf all cauſes and occaſions of it, and tentations to it. He will not ſtudy his graces and his privileges, without ſtudying his infirmities, which may be a counter-ballance to him; he will be ſparing to reflect upon his afflictions, at leaſt he will be careful not to aggravate them, leſt his corruption and pride be thereby irritated; and, in ſtudying of his ſad lots, he will be careful alſo to ſtudy his ill deſervings, and the mercies which are continued with him, and the mercies remembred in wrath, which may keep his Spirit ſober.
4. That all theſe endeavours may be effectual, it ſhould be his care to abide under Chriſts ſhadow, that vertue from him may prevent the budding of that evil.
Doct. 11. It may encourage men to hearken to the voice of God in his Word, if they conſider that his quarrel is not againſt their perſons, but their ſins, that he intends not their deſtruction, or to cruſh them, but only their humiliation and reformation; and, that the only loſs they will ſuſtain (if they manage his inſtructions well) is the hiding of pride, and the cauſes and occaſions thereof, from them; For, this is declared to be the ſcope of his inſtruction, which he ſeals unto, and upon man, To withdraw man from his work, and hide pride from man; and men do wrong themſelves, when they make another uſe thereof.
Verſe 18. He keepeth back his Soul from the pit, and his life from periſhing by the ſword.
In this Verſe, Elihu gives an account of a further and more mediate ſcope of the Lords dealing with his people by dreams and viſions, and a reſult of the former; Namely, That the Lord leads them to renew repentance, and to be humbled, that ſo he may prevent their further hurt, if they do it not, even the pit, and ſome violent death by the ſword, or the like violent means. The words, Soul, and, Life, being different in the Original, the firſt part of the Verſe may be underſtood of the Souls going to Hell at death, and the latter part, of the manner of their death, that it ſhall be violent. And albeit godly men (of whom Elihu's ſcope is chiefly to ſpeak) will not actually goe to Hell (nor doth Elihu ſay that here, but rather, on the contrary, that God prevents it) yet their failings, of their own nature, do deſerve it; and therefore God makes uſe of the Word here to prevent it, and if that ſucceed not, he hath the rod, &c. (as after followeth, to effectuate it. Or, the phraſes may be taken promiſcuouſly, the latter explaining the former, That God keeps their Soul, or, Life, from the pit, or, grave and death, and that not an ordinary, but a violent death, which, otherwiſe, they would incurr, if they hearken not to the Word, or leſſer rods. As we find God dealt with Joſiah, whom he cut off in his preſumptuous attempt againſt Pharaoh Necho; and thus did he chaſten ſome of the Corinthians for their miſcarriages, 1 Cor. 11.30.
From this Verſe, Learn, 1. The people of God do therefore run on in their miſcarriages and follies, and do neglect the renewing of their repentance, becauſe they conſider not the hazards which they run by theſe courſes; Therefore are they informed of their danger here.
2. Albeit the eternal ſtate of the godly be ſecured by Chriſt, yet, their failings (and particularly, their pride) do deſerve the pit; and albeit God prevent that hazard to the godly; yet (beſide the fears of their eternal deſtruction) they may be ſharply chaſtiſed, and even taſte of a violent death: For, ſo much is here intimated, That by their miſcarriages, and particularly, by their pride, they run the hazard of the pit, and of periſhing by the ſword.
3. It is one great cauſe of mens miſtaking Gods dealing towards them, that they can eaſily feel and reſent the want of ſome mercies, which they have enjoyed, but they do not ſtudy and remark preventing mercies; Therefore here, leſt men ſhould miſtake Gods diſquieting of them with viſions and dreams, and his putting them to the unpleaſant task of humiliation and repentance, Elihu lets them ſee what hazards are prevented thereby, and that he keepeth back the Soul from the pit, and the life from periſhing (or, paſſing, namely, out of the body) by the ſword, by theſe means.
4. There is nothing ſo ſad, which befalleth the people of God, but it tends to prevent ſomewhat that is ſadder, which otherwiſe would befall them; For, here, all this trouble by viſions and dreams, and the toyl of repentance and humiliation, are put upon godly men, to prevent ſad ſtroaks. See 1 Cor. 11.32. Pſ. 94.12, 13.