Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 34 · Verse 33 – Verses 34-35
Verſe 33. Should it be according to thy mind? He will recompence it, whether thou refuſe, or whether thou chooſe, and not I: Therefore ſpeak what thou knowest.
In this Verſe, Elihu preſſeth the former counſel and advice by a ſtrong Argument, which ſome do ſtrangely put upon the wrack, by looking upon ſome of the words as ſpoken by Elihu in his own perſon, and ſome of them as ſpoken by him in the perſon of God, as if God himſelf, were immediately ſpeaking of himſelf. But the Tranſlation comes neareſt to the Original, and the ſumm of the Argument is, That it was beſt for Job to follow his advice, ſeeing, otherwiſe, God would not be at his diſpoſal, but would take his own way to recompence his folly, whether he liked it or not. To this the words do well agree. Wherein,
1. He propounds a very pungent Queſtion to Job, Should it be according to thy mind? Or, Should it be from thee? That is, whether thought he it juſt that he ſhould have the diſpoſal of himſelf and his lots; ſo that God ſhould deal with him according as the preſcription ſhould flow from himſelf, or according as he did carve out and were ſatisfied, and no otherwiſe.
2. He anſwers the Queſtion himſelf, by an aſſertion, He will recompence it (namely, Jobs folly and raſhneſs) whether thou refuſe, or whether thou chooſe: That is, whether he conſent or not, or be well or ill pleaſed, God will requite his folly and miſcarriage, unleſs he follow the advice he hath given him.
3. He ſubjoynes a Negative, and not I; which may relate, either to that of recompencing, that it is God, and not Elihu, who will recompence him, and therefore he ſhould conſider, who is his party; Or, to that of refuſing and chooſing, and ſo it imports, that Elihu would be farr from taking Jobs way of it, to be a chooſer and refuſer, or, a preſcriber unto God.
4. Upon all this he inferrs a Concluſion, Therefore ſpeak what thou knowest; that is, See if thou canſt defend thy ſelf againſt thoſe former challenges mentioned in this debate, and give reaſons why God ſhould not recompence thy folly; and if thou find thy ſelf unable for that, then follow my advice. So that this provocation and challenge imports, That when Job had ſaid all he could, he would produce nothing which might warrant him to expect any ſafety but in taking his counſel.
From this Verſe, Learn, 1. It is naturally incident to the Sons of men, that they preſume to be carvers of their own condition, and would have their will in every thing; For, he ſuppoſeth, that Job, among the reſt, aimed at this, to have things according to his mind, or, from with him. As men naturally incline not to be ſubject to the Law of God, in the matter of their duty, Rom. 8.7. So neither to the will and good pleaſure of God, in the matter of their lot. And hence flow their pride, diſcontentment, impatience, &c. when they get not their will.
2. Whatever be mens inclinations that way, yet their own conſciences, when ſeriouſly put to it, cannot own nor approve of ſuch preſumption; For, Should it be according to thy mind? ſaith he, referring the matter to the impartial and ſerious verdict of Jobs own conſcience.
3. God will not cede or be ſubject to mens paſſions and humours; but, whether they will or not, he will take his own way; and ſo, will make them patient perforce, and let them ſee that they will gain nothing by impatience; For, Whether thou chooſe, or whether thou refuſe, he will recompence.
4. So long as men are impatient, and ſubmit not to the will of God, their afflictions are not ſimple tryals, but chaſtiſements, if it were but for that their folly and preſumption; For, therefore doth he tell Job, that God, by the continuance of his affliction, is recompencing thoſe his miſcarriages. So that impatient perſons ſhould look upon this their guilt as purſued, even in their (otherwiſe) moſt cleanly tryals.
5. Impatient perſons ſhould conſider that God is their party, who will prove too hard for them; and when Meſſengers are ſent to them with hard tydings, they ſhould look to God, and not to the Inſtruments, in them; For, ſaith he, He will recompence, and not I.
6. It is alſo to be pondered, that, whatever men do in their paſſion, yet, ſober minded men will be afraid to preſume to preſcribe unto God; Therefore doth Elihu decline that, as hath been explained.
7. When men have ſaid never ſo much in defence of their own preſuming to preſcribe unto God, they will loſe their cauſe; For this Concluſion, Therefore speak what thou knoweſt, is a defiance to Job to produce any thing, which might infringe what he hath ſaid, as the following Verſes do further clear.
Verſe 34. Let men of underſtanding tell me, and let a wiſe man hearken unto me.
35. Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wiſdome.
Theſe Verſes contain the ſecond part of the Concluſion; wherein (as before) he appeals to wiſe and judicious men, whether Job can be aſſoyled and declared not to have ſpoken imprudently, in his complaints againſt God? And albeit Elihu propounds this by way of deſire, that ſuch may reſolve him whether it be ſo, or not; Yet, it implyes a confident aſſertion, that wiſe men will tell him, or, hearken, and aſſent to what he hath ſaid concerning Jobs folly in his diſcourſes: And ſo ſome read the words, Men of underſtanding will tell me, &c. This is here ſubjoyned with relation to what he ſaid in the end of the former Verſe, to intimate, that, however Job might endeavour to ſay much for himſelf; yet men of undeſtanding would not agree with him.
Doct. 1. Albeit men ſhould ſtand for truth, were they left alone; Yet it is no ſmall encouragement to be countenanced in the maintenance of truth; And this is a duty, which men owe to the friends and lovers of truth; For, he appeals to others, not becauſe he reſolved to ſubmit the truths, which he had learned from God, to the verdict of any man, but becauſe it was their duty to own him, for the truths ſake which he defended, and becauſe it would not only be an encouragement to him, but a more effectual mean to convince Job, if many wiſe men concurred in opinion againſt him.
2. Whatever be the opinion of weak and witleſs perſons, even though, otherwiſe, they have ſome goodneſs in them; Yet, it is enough to the friends of truth, if godly and wiſe diſcerning perſons (who are beſt able to judge of intricate caſes, and are bound to employ their parts and abilities for God) do own and countenance them and their opinions; Therefore doth Elihu appeal to men of underſtanding, or, heart, (See on v. 10.) and to a wiſe man.
3. Even wiſe men, in their fits, may ſpeak and act very fooliſhly; For, ſo Job ſpake without knowledge. Yea, they may play the very beaſts in an hour of tentation, Pſ. 73.22.
4. Wiſe men, when they are not engaged in a debate, and ſo over-powred with paſſion, will never juſtifie mens paſſionate carriage toward God under trouble; For, in this he is ſure, Men of underſtanding, and a wiſe man, (be there one or more of them) will condemn Job, and will tell him, and hearken, or, aſſent to him, th…t Job hath spoken without knowledge, &c. So that it is no wiſdome to bear, even with wiſe and godly men, in their follies. Yea, when godly men play the fool, it is an act of wiſdome, as well as of pity and charity, to admoniſh them; As Elihu here doth, and calls to wiſe men to concurr with him in it.
5. Such as would convince men of faults committed in their paſſion, will need to inculcate the conviction much upon them; Therefore Elihu tells this reproof twice, repeating and diverſifying the expreſſions, Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wiſdome. Where it is intimated, that both knowledge, or, light, and wiſdome, or, prudence, are neceſſary in mens walk; and that prudence may correct much, wherein ſimple light will be ready to miſcarry.