Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 33 · Verses 29-30
Verſe 29. Loe, all theſe things worketh God oftentimes with man.
30. To bring back his ſoul from the pit, to be enlightned with the light of the living.
In theſe Verſes, Elihu briefly recapitulates this ſecond Argument, which he propounded, v. 14. and hath been inſtancing in the following Verſes hitherto; And ſheweth, That God makes frequent uſe of thoſe various means of inſtruction, formerly mentioned, for mans good, that he may be excited to renew his repentance, and ſo may not be cut off, but recovered out of trouble, and made to live comfortably. In the Original, inſtead of, oftentimes, it is, twice, thrice, whereby he doth not ſo much point at the three wayes of inſtructing man, which have been formerly inſtanced, as names a certain number for an uncertain, and intimates, that God even frequently renews all or any of thoſe former means, to the ſame godly man, or to divers of them diverſly, that he may prevent their ruine. This Elihu recapitulates for Jobs information, to clear his miſtakes about his own caſe, and to give him a check for his ignorance of what was ſo frequently and ordinarily done about godly men.
Doct. 1. Gods dealings about his people ſhould be ſeriouſly looked upon, and pondered, again and again; For, ſo much doth Elihu's recapitulation of this matter import, that Job ſhould look, and look again, upon it. See Pſ. 28.5.
2. Whatever good be done to, or about, Gods people, by whatever mean or inſtrument, God is to be ſeen as the worker of it all; For, God worketh all theſe things, formerly mentioned, with man.
3. Gods condeſcending to take notice of men, and even of his people, is admirable; Conſidering that man is nothing to him, Pſal. 8.4. and that his diſpenſations toward them are wonderful; For, Loe, ſaith he, God worketh all theſe, &c.
4. It is, in particular, admirable, that God ſhould condeſcend ſo frequently to be at pains about his people; and that, after they have abuſed mercies, and ſlighted means, yet, he will follow them; For, this heightens the admiration, that God worketh theſe, oftentimes, with man; that when Viſions ſucceed not, he will ſend Affliction, and a Meſſenger with it, and will repeat every one of theſe ſo often as need requireth.
5. Gods diſpenſations ſhould be ſtudied and looked upon, not only in themſelves, but with an eye to his end and deſign in them; Therefore he ſubjoynes for what end God worketh all theſe things,
6. Whatever the godly may apprehend; yet God, by all his diſpenſations, minds their good, and they will find that it is ſo, if they improve them well; For, ſuch is his end in all his working, here ſubjoyned, v. 30 See Rom. 8.28.
7. God may bring about his peoples good by means that are not very likely; For, all that working tends to bring back from the pit; Not only viſions, but even deadly afflictions, are ſent to prevent (not only eternal, but temporal) death.
8. Gods kindneſs to his people, and his deſignes in ſtrange diſpenſations, would be better ſeen, if men would ſtudy preventing, as well as delivering, mercies: For, here God not only delivers out of trouble, but brings back from the pit, and prevents his death.
9. As the mercies whereof the godly are deprived by trouble, are reſtored to them with advantage; So thoſe mercies ſhould be more precious in their eyes, when they are thus reſtored: For, man recovered out of deadly trouble, is enlightned with the light of the living. He gets as it were a new life, and he eſteems it ſo, and it is very comfortable and lightſome to him. See Iſ. 38.18, 19.
10. It is a fault, when godly men complain of their lot as ſingular, and ſo make it bitter to themſelves, when it is but ordinary; or, to be ignorant of what ordinarily befalls godly men, and to quarrel, when their lot is but ordinary: For, thus doth he ſhur up his Argument, refuting and quarrelling Jobs complaints, and his profeſſing of his ignorance of Gods mind in his tryal, by ſhewing, that God worketh theſe things, oftentimes, for theſe ends, and therefore he needed neither have been ignorant of it, nor ought to have quarrelled it.