Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 33 · Verses 6-7
Verſe 6. Behold, I am according to thy wiſh in Gods stead: I alſo am formed out of the clay.
7. Behold, My terrour ſhall not make thee afraid, neither ſhall my hand be heavy upon thee.
Some read the firſt part of v. 6. thus, I am, as thou, of God, the ſame in ſubſtance with what followeth in the Verſe, and an intimation that he is his fellow-creature. But our Tranſlation rendereth it better, and ſo it is the laſt Argument preſſing attention, and an amplification of the two preceding Arguments, That Job could not now decline to hear him, and plead his cauſe with him, if he had any thing to ſay, ſeeing, in his appearing, God had granted him that which he had ſo often deſired. For he had often deſired to plead his cauſe with God himſelf, provided that he would not appear terrible to him, nor bear him down with his great power, and ſad afflictions. See Chap. 9.32, — 35. and Chap. 13.18, — 22. And now he had his deſire; For he is ready to appear as a Champion for God, and in his ſtead (having his Commiſſion for that effect, from an impulſe of the Spirit upon him) and being of the ſame mettal and mould with himſelf (being formed out of the clay, in the creation of the firſt man, as well as he) he needed not fear his terrour, nor would he cruſh him with his power.
Doct. 1. Men may obtain many of their paſſionate deſires, and yet be much humbled when they are granted; For, here Job gets his will, Behold, I am according to thy wiſh (or, mouth, that which thou ſpake and deſiredſt with thy mouth) in Gods ſtead; and yet when all this is granted, he loſeth his cauſe, as to any thing he had to plead againſt God, and is humbled for his miſcarriages, however he prevailed in his cauſe againſt his Friends.
2. God needs not (except he pleaſe) appear in terrible Majeſty, to put paſſionate men to ſilence; ſeeing he can make a weak man, like themſelves, beat them; For, however Job thought he might hazard to debate, even with God, and might expect to prevail; yet, Elihu, a man like himſelf, offers to put him to ſilence in Gods ſtead; as indeed he did, however God thought fit to appear himſelf at laſt, that he might put the cap-ſtone upon what Elihu had begun to do.
3. It is mans great mercy, that, ſeeing he could not endure that God ſhould appear in glorious Majeſty, to ſpeak to him, (Exod. 20.18, 19.) nor the more glorious miniſtry of Angels; God is pleaſed to employ weak men in his ſtead; For, ſaith Elihu, as a Meſſenger ſent of God upon this buſineſs, Behold, I am in Gods stead. Which ſhould both teach theſe Meſſengers to deal with thoſe with whom they have to do, as in Gods ſtead, 2 Cor. 4.17. and 5.20. And ſhould teach others to reverence them as the Ambaſſadours of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 4.1. Gal. 4.14. And not to deſpiſe them, becauſe they are men of like paſſions; conſidering that God, in employing ſuch, condeſcends to the weakneſs of men, who cannot admit of other Meſſengers.
4. Thoſe who are employed in that eminent truſt, of ſpeaking in Gods ſtead, ought to be well ballanced with humility, leſt, being puffed up, they fall into the condemnation of the Devil, 1 Tim. 3.6. For, ſo is Elihu ſenſible what he is, even formed out of the clay, when he is thus employed in Gods ſtead.
5. Men will be helped to humility, by conſidering their baſe and vile Original, common to them with all men; and that (however God put ſome luſtre and beauty upon all men, and more eminently upon ſome, by conferring ſpecial gifts and employments upon them, yet) men are nothing elſe but (as it were) ſo many bitts and parcels of that clay of which Adam's body was formed, and a parcel of that breath which was breathed into him; For, (ſaith he, pointing at a ſpecial motive of humility) I alſo (as well as thou and others) am formed, or, cut, out of the clay, as v. 4. he had ſpoken of his Soul and Life in tearms taken from the creation of the firſt man.
6. Such as ſtudy their baſe Original well, will not abuſe their eminency in any Office, to deal untenderly with perſons, or to be terrible to thoſe who are of the ſame Original with themſelves; Therefore he ſubjoynes, Behold, my terrour ſhall not make thee afraid; whereby, as he intimates that Job would get ſatisfaction to his deſire, when he wiſhed to plead with God; So, he gives an account of his own reſolution to manage his employment equitably and tenderly.
7. It is the will of God, that no greatneſs, power or dreadfulneſs, of one party in a debate, do prejudge truth, or the freedome of the other party in managing their defences; For, ſo much is intimated (beſide his reflexion on Jobs propoſals when he deſired to plead with God) in this promiſe, My terrour ſhall not make thee afraid, neither ſhall mine hand be heavy upon thee.