Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 34 · Verse 7 – Verse 9
Verſe 7. What man is like Job, who drinketh up ſcorning like water?
Followeth the third part of the Chapter, or Elihu's Refutation of thoſe expreſſions; which he doth,
1. More generally, by pointing out the abſurdity and groſs conſequences thereof, v. 7, 8, 9.
2. More particularly, by commending and demonſtrating the Righteouſneſs and Soveraignty of God, which thoſe expreſſions ſeemed to contradict. And theſe he both propounds to the conſideration of all unbyaſſed perſons, v. 10 — 15. and layeth them before Job, in particular, ſo amplifying and enlarging them, as might convince him of his miſcarriage, v. 16 — 30.
So in the firſt place, and before he proceed to the proper Arguments for refuting of Jobs expreſſions, he premits (in this, and the two following Verſes) a more general acount of his thoughts of them, and how much he deteſted them; as evidencing Job to be an odd man, who ſo greedily followed ſo ridiculous a courſe, v. 7. and who did ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked too much by what he had ſpoken, v. 8. Particularly, by his ſpeaking to the diſadvantage of piety, v. 9. In this Verſe we have to Conſider,
1. Jobs ſingularity in this fault, What man is like Job? The meaning whereof is, not that there was none ſo groſs and wicked as he, even in this particular miſcarriage; (For wicked hypocrites have reviled Gods providence and diſpenſations more directly and groſly, Iſ. 58.3. Mal. 3.13, 14, 15.) but, that there was none like him, all things conſidered, in miſcarrying ſo farr, being a man ſo eminently godly.
2. A general account of his ill carriage, in this, that he drinketh up ſcorning like water. See the like phraſe, Chap. 15.16. Here I do not take ſcorning actively, that Job was turned a ſcorner, (though indeed he did ſometime taunt his Friends, and did ſpeak it reverently of God and his providence; and to be ſuch a ſcorner, or any thing like it, is a very hainous ſin, Pſal. 1.1. Prov. 1.22.) But paſſively, and as a due Epithete of the matter which he ſpake, that it was ſcornful and ridiculous; As it was indeed ridiculous to offer to decry the righteouſneſs of God, and to aſcribe righteouſneſs to himſelf, while he denied it to God, in the ſenſe which hath been often cleared. This his fault is further aggravated, that he drank this like water; that is, as a thirſty man will drink water (which was their ordinary drink in thoſe times and places) greedily and abundantly, to refreſh himſelf, and quench his thirſt; ſo Job very greedily, earneſtly and frequently, perſiſted in this courſe, and the more he was irritated by his Friends, the more he went on in it, as if it had been a refreſhful ſubject, and an eaſe to him to vent his paſſion againſt God and his diſpenſations.
From this Verſe, Learn, 1. It is a great kindneſs to deal freely and fully with Gods people, in telling them their faults; to prevent their being ſo blinded, as not to ſee them, or their being cheated and deluded with a conceit that they are but ſmall faults, when indeed they are groſs: Therefore doth he deal ſo roughly with Job, that he may drive him from thoſe fits of folly and paſſion. Wherein he doth not evidence any want of charity, in putting his expreſſions upon the rack, and putting the hardeſt conſtruction upon them that any miſtaker could faſten upon them (which is his ſcope in theſe ſharp expreſſions, and foul conſequences which he draweth from his words, in theſe Verſes; for he doth not charge Job with all theſe, as if he intended them) but doth evidence his love, in letting him ſee what might be made of his expreſſions, that ſo he might mourn for them. It is better that Friends deal thus in time, than that God and mens own conſciences do it afterward, little to their comfort.
2. Even ſins which ſeem ſmall, when well ripped up by a ſpiritual diſcerner, or tender conſcience, may appear very groſs and hainous; For, ſo doth Elihu conſtruct of Jobs complaints.
3. Sins are nothing the leſs hainous, that they are committed by godly men; but their falling in ſin doth aggravate it, and the more eminent they are, their ſin is the greater; For, ſaith he, What man is like Job? When godly men do that which other Saints, or the generation of Gods Children, uſe not to do; or when they ſpeak to the prejudice of God, or of holineſs, which they ſhould commend; or when they perſiſt in any fault (all which were Jobs faults here) their being godly perſons, doth not extenuate, but aggravate, thoſe miſcarriages.
4. Albeit ſin be but a ſad ſport, yet even the wiſe and ſolid children of God may, in their fits of tentation, be very abſurd and ridiculous in their miſcarriages; As here is charged upon Job, that he did drink ſcorning, or, did that which was ſcornful and ridiculous. Yea, Saints may, in ſuch caſes, prove very beaſts, Pſal. 73.22. Which may very much humble them, when they conſider it.
5. It is, in particular, a very ſcornful and abſurd thing, for a man to offer to bear out his own righteouſneſs, to the prejudice of the righteouſneſs of God in his diſpenſations, or to contradict our profeſſion by our practice; For, thus did Job drink ſcorning, by crying up his own righteouſneſs to the prejudice of the righteouſneſs of God, by which practice he contradicted what elſe-where he ſpake to the commendation of God.
6. When men once engage in a ſinful courſe, it will eaſily grow upon their hand; and godly men may perſiſt long, and be very eager, in their miſcarriages, if their tentation continue: For, Job drank ſcorning like water.
7. Mens eagerneſs and obſtinacy in an ill courſe is a great aggravation thereof; For thus doth he aggravate Jobs fault, that he did not only meddle with ſcorning, but did drink it like water.
Verſe 8. Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
In this Verſe, Elihu doth yet further point out the evil of Jobs complaints, ſhewing that, conſequentially, and upon the matter, he joyned iſſue with wicked men. Not that he will faſten upon him that he is wicked, or, that he intended wickedneſs in his complaints; But that, if his complaints were narrowly examined, they could not but be found ſcandalous, and to homologate the principles and opinions of prophane men, as is further cleared in the following Verſe. Hereby, as he explains how ſcornful Jobs way was, it being a repugnancy, and a ridiculous thing, that a man ſhould be aſſerting his righteouſneſs, and yet walking in the wickeds way: So he affrights him from ſuch courſes, and invites him to be humbled for them, by leading him to conſider, that, whatever he might ſay for his complaints, yet they ſeemed to ſadden godly men, and to harden the wicked.
Doct. 1. Albeit all men be ſinners, and even the wicked may pretend that their faults are but infirmities; Yet there are wicked men, or, men of wickedneſs, contradiſtinct from ſimple ſinners; as here is inſinuated.
2. It is the character of wicked men, that they make no conſcience of any kind of ſin, were it even iniquity, and that they make a trade of ſin, and are workers af iniquity; as here we are alſo taught.
3. It is a great ſin, and will be ſo eſteemed by godly men, when they are in a right frame, to joyn, in any meaſure, with wicked men in their ill courſes; For, he would rouze up Job to abhorr his way, by ſhewing him that it was, a going in company with the workers of iniquity, and a walking with wicked men. Whereby he means, not ſo much a fellowſhip and keeping company with wicked mens perſons (which is not ſimply unlawful, if men have a calling thereto, however it be full of ſnares) as a joyning with them in their courſes.
4. Even godly men, in an hour of tentation, may goe out of their way, and play odd pranks; whereby they may ſeem to juſtifie, or joyn iſſue with wicked men, or do or ſay that which may occaſion their hardening in their way; As here Job ſeemed to joyn iſſue and walk with wicked men, while he wronged the righteouſneſs of God, and ſaw not the advantages of piety ſo well as he ought.
5. It is good ſervice to let godly men ſee the evil of their way and complaints, to humble them, and drive them from them; For, therefore doth Elihu point out Jobs carriage to him in ſo ugly a ſhape, to make him abhorr ſuch a courſe, which did ſo much gratifie wicked men in their way.
Verſe 9. For he hath ſaid, It profiteth a man nothing: that he ſhould delight himſelf with God.
In this Verſe, Elihu doth not ſo much point at any particular expreſſions of Job (as he did, v. 5, 6.) as prove & confirm, theſe general accuſations, v. 7, 8. by ſhewing what, conſequentially, might be gathered from theſe his former expreſſions, and others like them. For when he complained ſo hard of Gods dealing with him, a righteous man; and had elſe-where ſaid that God deſtroyed both the righteous & the wicked, Chap. 9.22. and had ſpoken ſo much of the wickeds proſperity, Chap. 21.7, 8, &c. and of his own ſad adverſity, Chap. 30.26. and frequently elſe-where; What could any hearer gather, but that he reckoned that there was no advantage to be reaped by piety? It is true, Job ſpake only of temporal events, that they come alike to all, Chap. 9.22. which was a truth he had warrantably maintained againſt his Friends; Nor is it to be conceived, that Job meant that there was no advantage in piety, even in this life, though godly men be afflicted: But Elihu puts him to conſider how that aſſertion, attended with ſo vehement complaints about his lot, to which he was driven through the heat of contention, did ſo overcloud all, as the Auditors might conceive he ſaw no advantage in piety, ſince he, a godly man, complained ſo bitterly, as if all were gone, becauſe he was afflicted.
Doct. 1. It is the duty of thoſe who would prove their piety to be real, to converſe, and be much with God; to do this, not only out of neceſſity, but to delight in God, and to keep communion with him; And (for this end) to ſtudy to be well pleaſed and ſatisfied with God, and his diſpenſations; as the word alſo ſignifieth.
2. Whatever men think, either in proſperity, Chap. 21.14, 15. and 22.17. or in adverſity, Mal. 3.14, 15. yet there is a real advantage in piety, 1 Tim. 4.8. and 6.6. For, he quarrels Job, as contradicting this truth without cauſe. For (beſide the eternal reward) piety hath advantage in this life, that it brings a man ſolid peace in all conditions, and that all things are ſanctified, bleſſed, and done in love, to godly men.
3. As it is a ſin in any, ſo a godly man, eſpecially, will think it ſo in himſelf, to ſpeak or do any thing to the diſadvantage of piety; For, he uſeth this as a ſtrong Argument to convince and humble Job, that he ſaid, It profiteth a man nothing, that he ſhould delight himſelf with God.
4. Even godly men may fail and come ſhort in their due eſteem of piety, when either, for a time, they ſlide, and caſt out with piety, as Pſal. 73. or when, in an hour of tentation, they cannot ſee the advantages of piety, by reaſon of their preſent preſſures; As here he chargeth upon Job. So that to love piety in weal and woe, and not to regard our profit, ſo God may be honoured, is a noble victory, and an evidence of a man in a good frame.