Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 34 · Verses 10-12
Verſe 10. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of underſtanding: Farr be it from God, that he ſhould do wickedneſs, and from the Almighty, that he ſhould commit iniquity.
11. For the work of a man ſhall he render unto him, and cauſe every man to find according to his wayes.
12. Yea, Surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgement.
Followeth, a more particular refutation of theſe expreſſions, by ſhewing how injurious they were to God. All his diſcourſe may be ſummed up in one or two Arguments, taken from the Juſtice, and the Soveraignty and Dominion of God; which ſometime he calls the Auditors to obſerve, to v. 16. and ſometime Job himſelf, to v. 31. and clears and confirms thoſe Arguments, and the Juſtice and Dominion of God aſſerted therein, from ſeveral effects and evidences, that they may the more effectually convince. We find that Jobs Friends had alſo inſiſted upon this Argument, taken from Gods juſtice. See Chap. 8. … But they inferred another Concluſion from it, That Job was wicked, becauſe a righteous God had afflicted him, which Job rejected and oppugned. We find alſo, that Job hath frequently acknowledged and commended the righteouſneſs and dominion of God; and yet Elihu (and God himſelf afterward) inſiſts upon this Argument in refuting of his complaints; to let him ſee, that, however he acknowledged, that God was righteous, and the Soveraign Lord; yet his complaints could not be reconciled with that acknowledgement.
In theſe Verſes (after a repeated invitation to the Auditory, and diſcerning perſons among them, to hearken unto him, v. 10.) we have the firſt Argument whereby he refutes Jobs complaints, taken from Gods righteouſneſs and juſtice, who doth not deal wickedly, nor pervert judgement; And therefore he is not to be quarrelled and complained of, as if he did wrong, and did take away mens judgement, and ſmote them without cauſe, as Job had ſaid, v. 5, 6. In unfolding this Argument,
1. He declares, how inconſiſtent it is with the nature of the Almighty and All-ſufficient God to do wickedly and unjuſtly; and that therefore all ſuch thoughts of him ſhould be rejected with abhorrency and indignation, v. 10.
2. He aſſerts, poſſitively, that his way of rewarding men according to their works, doth abundantly clear his juſtice, v. 11.
3. This his juſt procedure is yet further confirmed, by aſſuring men that he will do no wrong; For being God, even the Omnipotent and All-ſufficient God, he not only cannot be unjuſt, his nature being infinitely holy, and his will the rule of righteouſneſs; but he cannot be preſſed with any neceſſity of doing wrong, which would ſpeak him to be impotent, and not Almighty, v. 12. Withall, as that poſitive aſſertion, v. 11. points out what will be his righteous reward to all men, at laſt; So thoſe negatives, v. 10, 12. aſſure us, that not only he will judge righteous judgement at laſt, when men ſhall receive their final ſentence, but that at no time he is doing wrong to any, however they cannot diſcern ſo much at ſome times, which was Jobs weakneſs and fault.
From Verſe 10. Learn, 1. Men have frequent need to have their attention excited and quickened, when they are hearing the things of God; Therefore, here again (after that exhortation, v, 2.) they are exhorted to hearken unto him.
2. Wiſdome is required to judge aright of God, and to read all his diſpenſations as becometh; and it ſpeaks men to be truly wiſe, when they attain to this: Therefore, Men of underſtanding (or, men of heart, which in Scripture-language is the ſeat of underſtanding; becauſe mens light ſhould affect their hearts) are called to hearken in this matter.
3. Whatever be the practice of thoſe concerned, or how ſlow of heart ſoever they prove in receiving convictions; others ought to hear truth, and to joyn with thoſe who are for it, to convince the ſtubborn: Therefore doth he call to wiſe men to joyn with him, that Job may be yet further convinced.
4. Whatever be the thoughts of mens hearts under tentation; Yet, it is certain, that God can do no injury and wrong to any: For, this is a fixed truth, That wickedneſs and iniquity, or, the committing thereof, are farr from God. See Deut. 32.4. Pſal. 91.15. Rom. 9.14. He is juſt in his diſpenſations, and true in his promiſes, and that immutably. See Pſal. 145.17. 2 Theſſ. 1.5, 6, 7. Heb. 6.10.
5. Gods Almighty power needs not affright men, as if he would abuſe it to injuſtice; For, though he be the ſtrong God (as the name here ſignifieth) and the Almighty, yet, he will not do wickedneſs, nor commit iniquity; or, he will not do injuſtice, which were both wickedneſs and iniquity. See Chap. 37.23. Pſ. 99.4.
6. Mens low thoughts of God contribute much to their miſtakes and quarrellings of his diſpenſations; Therefore alſo doth he call him, the Almighty, to convince Job how injurious he was in reflecting upon ſo high and All-ſufficient a Lord.
7. Whoever they be that complain of Gods diſpenſations, they do, upon the matter, quarrel God as unjuſt; For, ſo is here inſinuated, that Jobs complaints ſaid, God was not juſt.
8. Men ſhould hold that principle of Gods righteouſneſs ſo faſt, that they not only quit it not, whatever ſuggeſtions there be to the contrary, Pſal. 22.3. with v. 1, 2. But do entertain all contrary thoughts with deteſtation and abhorrency: For, ſaith he, Farr be it from God, &c. intimating, not only, how contrary that was to the nature of God, and ſo Abraham preſſeth this Argument, Gen. 18.25. But that he abhorred to think ſo of God; and ſo Paul entertains ſuch a thought, with a, God forbid, Rom. 9.14.
From v. 11. Learn, 1. Gods recompence will, in due time, abundantly clear his juſtice and righteouſneſs; Therefore he ſubjoynes, by way of confirmation of what he had ſaid, v. 10. For the work of a man ſhall he render, &c. intimating, that the righteouſneſs of God will not need alwayes to be evidenced by diſpute, but will at laſt ſpeak for it ſelf in his publick actings, though ſometime his diſpenſations may be ſo wrapped in a cloud, as we cannot diſcern (by reaſon of our weakneſs) that righteouſneſs which is eminent in them. See Pſal. 62.12. Prov. 24.12. and many the like places, marked in the Margin of our Bible.
2. Albeit no good works of men do merit a reward, but only evil works; Yet, all rewards are according to mens works: For, the work of a man ſhall he render to him, and every man ſhall find according to his wayes. This doth not ſeclude Gods Soveraignty in free grace, who doth make them who are evil become good, that he may, through Chriſt, reward and crown his own grace in them; and who may paſs over the ill deſervings of his people, and do them good, Pſal. 103.10. But the meaning is, That God is not injuſt, if he reward men according to their wo…ks, and conſequently, none of Adam's poſterity have cauſe to complain of any hard Lot, ſeeng they deſerve much more; and, That his full and final reward at laſt will be according to mens works.
3. God, in rewarding men, doth not look ſo much to every ſingle act of men, as to their wayes, (as here, mans work, which God renders to him, is expounded to be, his wayes; that is, to the tenour and general courſe of their lives, and to their end in their undertakings, as men chooſe a way to lead them to ſome place. So that, however every the leaſt ſin deſerve eternal wrath, and no multitude of good and excellent things beſide can expiate or cover the leaſt fault in men; Yet, according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace, when men have cloſed with Chriſt, and their hearts are ſincere, and the general courſe of their life is ſtreight (which neceſſarily imports repentance for their deviations) the reward of free grace will be according to their better actings, and not according to their failings and eſcapes. And, upon the other hand, it will not avail men, that they have ſome good practices, if their hearts be unrenewed, and the general courſe of their life abound with ſinful actions. Withall, if God look to mens end in the good they do, their doing of good things for evil and ſiniſtrous ends will come in among the reſt of their ſinful actions, and will be rewarded accordingly.
4. God will make his rewards according to mens works effectual; For, he will cauſe every man (or, man, where the indefinite expreſſion is to be taken univerſally, in this neceſſary propoſition) to find according to his wayes. He will cauſe the wicked find their reward, whether they will or not, and it ſhall find them out in all their lurking places; and he will find it for the godly (as the word may alſo read) and bring it to them, and them to it, when they know not how to attain it.
From v. 12. Learn, 1. Thoughts of Gods righteouſneſs are not eaſily admitted and received, in every time and condition; Therefore this truth muſt be again aſſerted and inculcated. So that men ſhould not only be growing in the aſſurance of truth (and of this truth, in particular) after they have given ſome aſſent to it; but, they ſhould not give over to preſs truth upon their own hearts, albeit they do reject it at firſt.
2. Let men quarrel never ſo much; yet it is an undoubted truth, that God is juſt in all things, and unjuſt in nothing; For, ſurely he will not do wickedly, nor pervert judgement. And we ſhould walk according to this principle, obſerving that all the wrongs and faults are our own, in whatſoever is grievous to us.
3. Who ſo do quarrel the righteouſneſs of God, they bewray their ignorance of his Nature and Attributes; Therefore, again is he called, the strong God, and the Almighty, to refute all theſe jealouſies and ſurmiſes.
4 Men may really acknowledge the righteouſneſs of God, whoſe practices, notwithſtanding, are not ſuitable to their profeſſions; For, Job ſaid much to Gods commendation in this particular, and yet he did not juſtifie God in his diſpenſations toward himſelf as became. Men may be very clear about general and abſtract truths, who yet may be farr enough from acknowledging and ſubmitting to them, when they are verified in their own particular lots. And whoſoever do quarrel, or not ſubmit to, the diſpenſations of God, or do neglect praiſe, even in a ſad condition, they reflect upon the righteouſneſs of God, let them otherwiſe never … much commend it.