Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 34 · Verses 14-15 – Verse 16
Verſe 14. If he ſet his heart upon man, if he gather unto himſelf his spirit and his breath;
15. All fleſh ſhall periſh together, and man ſhall turn again unto duſt.
This Argument is further amplified, in theſe Verſes, from this, That if God ſhould purpoſe to take away the breath which he hath lent to men, all of them would quickly return to duſt. In the Original, v. 14. it is, upon him, not, upon man, but that is to be ſupplyed fom v. 15. That man ſhall return to the duſt, if God ſet his heart upon him. Hereby is held out, not only the irreſiſtableneſs of Gods dominion, that nothing can impede what he intends; and the equity and juſtice thereof, that if he ſhould take away even the lives of all, he did but recall his own gift and loan: But his goodneſs alſo, in ſuffering man to live, yea, and maintaining his life, when he is at his mercy daily. So that Job had no cauſe to complain of his afflictions, ſeeing God might proceed further againſt him, even to the taking away of his life.
Doct. 1. Mans breath and life is a borrowed loan, which he holds by Gods gift; For, it is his spirit and breath, Mans indeed by uſe, but Gods, as the Author and Giver of it; and therefore, he gathers it to himſ…lf, when he recalls it as his own gift. Both the words, Spirit and Breath, may ſignifie one and the ſame thing; or the firſt may ſignifie his rational ſoul, and the ſecond, his animal life, common to him with beaſts. However, this ſhould teach men, to make good uſe of their life and breath, and not employ it againſt God. They who look upon their enjoyments as their own, will readily abuſe them, Pſ. 12.4.
2. God may, when he will, take back his own loan, and that eaſily; For, he can gather unto himſelf his spirit and breath. See Pſal. 90.3. and 104.29. And therefore we ſhould not promiſe unto our ſelves long tacks of our life. See Luk. 12.19, 20.
3. Albeit God be not moved with any thing about man, as if it were a great buſineſs; Yet as he doth nothing at randone, ſo we ſhould look upon the taking away of life, as a very ſerious and important buſineſs: Therefore doth he expreſs this act thus, as Gods ſetting his heart upon man. Not that he is ſo taken up, as we are, with weighty buſineſſes; nor yet only becauſe he doth not proceed to do this at randome, but acts in it as a weighty matter, however we do not alwayes ſee that; or, that he ſets his heart in love upon his own people, even when he is cutting them off; But he ſpeaks thus of God, that we may learn to ſet our hearts, and be ſerious about this change.
4. Men by death return to God, either to appear before him in judgement, to receive the reward of their ſin, or to be abſolved by him, and to abide with him for ever; For, he gathereth the spirit and breath to himſelf, Eccleſ. 12.5, 6, 7.
5. Gods Dominion over the lives of men is irreſiſtable; For, if God gather theſe unto himſelf: man muſt periſh, his unwillingneſs will not help him.
6. No perſon hath any priviledge againſt a ſentence of death, when, or, whereſoever, God ſhall be pleaſed to pronounce it; For, All fleſh ſhall periſh together, if he pleaſe.
7. Whatever man think of himſelf in his life, yet death will give him an humbling ſight of himſelf; For, then he is found to be fleſh, and turns again to duſt, from whence he was taken, Gen. 3.19.
8. However men quarrel Gods exerciſing of his Dominion, in ſome caſes; yet, upon a ſerious review, they may rather find cauſe to admire his goodneſs, than to quarrel his ſeverity; For, in anſwer to Jobs complaints, that God had afflicted him, Elihu lets him ſee, that God might cut him off, and not him only, but all fleſh together. And it ſhould be our work to ſtudy ſuch mercies in our ſaddeſt grievances.
Verſe 16. If now thou haſt underſtanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
Elihu having propounded theſe Arguments to the Auditory, doth now, to v. 31. lay them more diſtinctly before Job himſelf. And,
1. He turns himſelf to Job, and calls for his attention, v. 16.
2. He propounds the Argument, taken from Gods dominion and juſtice, v. 17.
3. He amplifieth and inſtanceth it in ſeveral particulars, wherein the exerciſe of dominion and juſtice are conſpicuous; Namely, his dealing with Kings and Rulers, v. 18.19. with People and Nations, together with their Rulers, v. 20 —23. and with mighty men, v. 24 — 28.
4. He recapitulates the Argument, pointing out the efficacy of Gods adminiſtrations, v. 29. and his end in ſome of thoſe acts of his dominion and juſtice, formerly mentioned, v. 30.
In this Verſe, Elihu turns himſelf from the Auditory, and expreſly and particularly addreſſeth his ſpeech to Job, craving that he would give him an hearing, and that he would apply this Doctrine to his caſe, whereby he ſhould give a proof of his wiſdome and underſtanding.
Doct. 1. General Doctrine is not ſufficient to do Souls good, without application; Therefore doth Elihu tell over again to Job, what he had already ſpoken to the Auditory.
2. Mens caſe may be very plainly ſpoken unto, who yet need to be rouzed up to make application; For, though he hath been ſpeaking to this very buſineſs before, yet he muſt direct his ſpeech to Job, end call upon him to hearken to the voice of his words, and apply.
3. In order to application, men ſhould be attentive hearers, to which they need frequently to be excited; Therefore again (after all the former excitations) he calls him to hear and hearken, that ſo he might apply, and be convinced.
4. As men do evidence their wiſdome by being willing to be taught; (For, ſo is here ſuppoſed, that, if he have understanding, he will hear, of which alſo before) So it is not enough to hear, unleſs we underſtand; For, here underſtanding is required with hearing.
5. There is great wiſdome required in taking up the mind of God in his dark diſpenſations, toward his people, and in the World; For, this is the particular ſubject, in hearing whereof he requireth underſtanding.
6. Not only are natural men uncapable to perceive the things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. and weak Saints unable, while they continue ſuch, to comprehend many points of truth, Joh. 16.12. But even men eminently wiſe and godly may have their wits to ſeek, in ſome difficult and trying caſes, and when they are under the power of affliction and tentation; For, this Suppoſition, If thou haſt understanding, imports no denial that Job was wiſe in an eminent meaſure, but that his underſtanding had need to be quickened, and he had need to rid himſelf of thoſe miſts, which involved and darkened his judgement, if he would take up this matter well.