Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 36 · Verse 26 – Verses 27-28
Verſe 26. Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be ſearched out.
Elihu being about to confirm this Argument by inſtances, and ſo to help Job to magnifie theſe works, by pointing out ſome excellencies in them; He, in this Verſe, repeats and premits his general Propoſition, which is his ſcope in all this diſcourſe, Aſſerting that God is unſearchably and incomprehenſibly great, ſo that man cannot take him up. This is to be underſtood of God, not only in reſpect of his Eſſence and Attributes, but even in reſpect of his Works, of which he is now ſpeaking, That he is incomprehenſibly great in his Soveraignty, Power and Wiſdome, which ſhine in them. And this Aſſertion he affirms from the Eternity of God, the number of whoſe years (ſpeaking of Eternity in tearms which frail man is capable of) cannot be ſearched out; and therefore He muſt be farr above our reach and capacity, who are but of yeſterday.
Doct. 1. Such as would take up God aright, as he is in himſelf, and as he manifeſts himſelf in his works, need to have their Spirits elevated, and frequently excited and rouzed up, for that effect; Therefore is a new, Behold, (after that which we have, v. 22.) premitted to this Doctrine. Not only need we to quicken up our ſelves to commend God, when we do know him, as Pſal. 57.7, 8. and, 108.1, 2. But we need excitation to take them up, that we may commend him; as thoſe many, Beholds, (ſo frequently premitted in Scripture to narrations concerning him and his working) do point out. This Point imports,
1. That it is the duty of the people of God, to quicken up themſelves, in thinking upon God, his ſervice, and works; Otherwiſe his name is taken in vain, which is a ſin to which few do advert, if their exerciſe be right upon the matter. And hence cometh that waſting moth of formality, and lifeleſs ſervice, which is the great ſnare of the viſible Church.
2. That our profit, and our getting of our condition, helped, and our caſes cleared, depend much upon the raiſing up of our affections in that ſtudy of God, and of what relates to him, and points him out; For, he excites Job to behold, that his caſe may be cleared. Low and creeping thoughts of God, do leave us in the dark, and may augment our trouble, as Pſal. 77.3. But quickened and raiſed thoughts of him, will help us to get miſtakes cleared, and are a mount on which he will be ſeen, and will make men wonder that they ſaw not better before.
3. Albeit it be our duty and great advantage to attain to this; yet, we are ſlow of heart to take up God aright, eſpecially under tentation; For, Job needs to be excited to it. We are, ordinarily, confident of our own thoughts of God, ſuch as we have at firſt view, and ſo lean to them; But if we conſidered (not only his incomprehenſibleneſs, of which afterward, but) our ill frame of heart under trouble, we would not judge ſo of them, but would rather be ſuſpicious that we forget God, Iſ. …1.12, 13. that we do but proclaim our infirmity, by our conceptions of him, Pſal. 77.7, 8, 9, with 10. yea, are but as beaſts before him, Pſal. 73.22. For tryal puts us in a feaver, and ſurrounds us with many miſts; and while we pore only upon our unpleaſant condition, and through that Perſpective look upon God, we cannot avoid many prejudices and miſtakes. And after we have been bred with much kindneſs, it will not be eaſie for us to acknowledge and ſtoop to his Soveraignty in afflicting us. All which may ſhew, how farr they are miſtaken, who think it an eaſie task to take up God aright, eſpecially under trouble.
4. Albeit at ſome times we get our hearts elevated, to have ſome right thoughts of God; yet it is not eaſie to fix and hold them there; For, here a new, Behold, muſt be added to the former, to recollect and excite Jobs thoughts again. And here two things occurr as cauſes of our unfixedneſs; One is, Our natural weakneſs and inconſtancy; whence it floweth, that we cannot keep up long as any thing that is good, but (with Moſes, Exod. 17.) our hands are ready to fall down. Which may diſcover their folly, who lean to their own diſpoſitions, and do not look upon perſeverance in good as a difficult task, nor do cheriſh what good inclinations they have, by a continual dependance. Another cauſe, is, The power of tentation in an hour of tryal; whence it floweth, that, when our hearts are fixed, they become unfixed again, and (like Saylers at Sea) when we have mounted up to Heaven, we are made to ſink down again unto the very depths; which we ſhould reſolve upon, and ſtudy to be armed againſt it.
5. This our averſion from, and inconſtancy in, right thoughts of God, makes us need help from without, to excite and fix us; As here Elihu doth to Job. And this,
1. May point out, how great and difficult a task the work of the Miniſtry is, even in this one particular, to rouze up, and keep up that frame of heart, which both mens own inclinations, and tentations from without, are ready to pull down.
2. It may put men to try what quickening and fixing they get by the Miniſtry; otherwiſe they will be more deaded by it.
Doct. 2. It is an unqueſtionable truth, That God is great in himſelf, and declareth himſelf to be great, abſolute, omnipotent, infinitely wiſe, &c. by his works; For, here it is repeated, that God is great, as a truth which ſtandeth firm againſt all contradiction. This is a truth ſo frequently inculcated in Scripture, that God is great, (both abſolutely in himſelf, Pſ. 145.3. and in oppoſition to Idols, Jer. 10.10. &c. and to men who dare oppoſe or quarrel him, Job 33.12.) and hath ſo often occurred before, that I ſhall not inſiſt here to clear it. Only, in general, His inculcating of this common truth ſo much upon Job, in this caſe, may point out, That many leſſons, which we think common and obvious, are yet but ill learned by us; And we, in our walk, will be found not to act conſonantly to our very common principles; As might be inſtanced, not only in the matter of our knowing of the greatneſs of God, and walking accordingly, but in many other particulars. And, in particular, for our right improvement of this truth, That God is great; I ſhall not inſiſt on this, that we ſhould ſee him great in his working, and that he is incomprehenſible therein, (both which are Elihu's ſcope here, and will come to be ſpoken of in the next point) but ſhall only pitch upon theſe particulars.
1. That we ſhould admire his condeſcendence, who, being ſo great, takes notice of us, Pſ. 8.3, 4, and 113.5, 6, 7.
2. That we muſt be humble in our converſe with him, conſidering what He and we are, Gen. 18.27.
3. That we muſt not pleaſe our ſelves with the performance of ordinary ſervice to him, Pſal. 48.1. and 145.3. Mal. 1.14. but ſhould be abaſed in the ſenſe of our ſhort-coming, in our beſt performances; as Solomon had low thoughts of his ſtately Temple, 2 Chron. 2.6. and 6.18.
4. That we muſt learn to ſtoop more to his Soveraignty, and not ſuffer his condeſcending love, manifeſted to us at any time, to hide his greatneſs, nor preſume to ſtrive with our Maker.
5. That, being his ſervants, we ſhould know that we ſerve a great Maſter, Pſal. 146.3, 4, 5, 6. Jer. 50.34. So that we need not fear to expect great things in his way, according to his promiſe, Joel 2.21. Of which I have ſpoken before.
Doct. 3▪ It commends the greatneſs of God, that he is unſearchably and incomprehenſibly great, both in himſelf, and in his works; For, God is great, and we know him not. Here, Conſider,
1. Men are under a diſeaſe of ignorance of God; Not only ſuch as the Athenians, who worſhipped an unknown God, Act. 17.23. or the Gentiles, who liked not to retain God in their knowledge, Rom. 1.28. or groſſely wicked men, who labour to fix themſelves in Atheiſme, Pſal. 14.1. But even more generally, men are ignorant of him. Hence …low all diſorders in mens walking; their ſinful ſhifts, 2 Chron. 25.8. their unbelief and ſlaviſh fear, Pſal. 9.10. Iſ. 51.12, 13. their careleſsneſs in his ſervice, Joſh. 24.19, 20. their perſecution of his people, Jo…. 16.2, 3. and many the like miſcarriages; their ignorance of his Omnipreſence making them careleſs to look to their hearts, and their not conſidering of his Wiſdom making them afraid when they are left upon his hand, &c. All which do proclaim, that there is much practical Atheiſme, and ignorance of God in the World.
2. Albeit men do endeavour to remedy this ignorance, yet God remains ſtill unſearchable, Pſal. 145.3. We ſee but his back-parts, and through a glaſs, darkly; And when we think we ſee moſt in his working, and of the reaſons of his diſpenſations, we ſee only but a part of his wayes, and hear but a little portion of him, Job 26.14 Which may cauſe us rather mourn for our own ſhort-ſightedneſs, than quarrel his diſpenſations.
3. Such as do indeed ſee moſt of God, and take him up aright, in his diſpenſations, will be moſt humbled in the ſenſe of their ſhort-coming; As here Elihu is, (We know him not) though he ſaw further than all the Diſputants in this cauſe. By which mark men may try their real nearneſs to God, and their knowledge of him.
Doct. 4. It is a ſpecial proof of the incomprehenſible greatneſs of God, that he is eternal; Therefore it is ſubjoyned, by way of confirmation, Neither can the number of his years be ſearched out. In ſtudying his eternity, godly men, may not only ſee his immutability, Mal. 3.6. and their mercy, that from eternity they were thought upon; and that he will make them eternally happy with himſelf; & wicked men may ſee, that they cannot out-live him, and his enmity againſt them, as they may out-live their other enemies: But they may ſee ſuch deep and eternal counſels in his working, that men (who are but of yeſterday, Job 8.9.) muſt acknowledge their ignorance of them, and that they are but of ſhallow capacities, and ſhort-ſighted for the future, to comprehend all his counſels, who hath guided many well, before complainers (who are but new up-ſtarts) had a beeing.
Doct. 5. Such is our ignorance (and this is one proof of it) that we cannot take up the Attributes of God, unleſs he condeſcend to ſpeak of them in t…arms fitted to our capacity; As here, he expreſſeth his eternity thus, that the number of his years cannot be ſearched out. So alſo, Pſ. 102.27.
Verſe 27, For he maketh ſmall the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28. Which the clouds do drop, and diſtill upon man abundantly.
Followeth, an ample confirmation of this truth, that God is unſearchably great, by many inſtances wherein his greatneſs doth ſhine. In the reſt of this Chapter he produceth an inſtance of the rain, which he propounds in theſe Verſes, Shewing, that the vapours being gathered into clouds, he droppeth down the rain out of them, moderately, and yet ſufficiently. Whence, Learn,
1. The moſt common and obvious works of God are evident proofs of his greatneſs; Therefore doth Elihu prove the former Propoſition by this inſtance of the rain; Wherein God hath made his glory to ſhine, both in the with-holding thereof, at ſome times, and in over-flowing Countries by the exceſs thereof, at other times. And this ſhould make us ſenſible of our great ſtupidity, who ſee ſo little of God therein. And we ſhould be ſober in judging of the things of God, when we find ſuch wonders here.
2. Much of God may be ſeen in the riſe of the rain, or the vapours drawn up by the heat of the Sun, according to the meaſure whereof the rain cometh down. For hence we may gather, That things which are little promiſing may produce much; As exhalations inſenſibly drawn up produce refreſhful ſhowers: That things which are here below among us, being put in Gods hand, may come down in a bleſſing, As vapours drawn up from among us are ſent down again in refreſhful ſhowers: And as vapours, drawn up in heat and drought, do diſſolve in rain; So we ſhould ſtudy viciſſitudes in all things, and that they will ſtill turn in a round, till time have an end; As rain breeds vapours, and vapours produce rain; And that contraries put in Gods hand, will do well enough.
3. Much of God may alſo be ſeen in the manner of ſending rain; Namely,
1. That he will not let the cloud pour out all at once (as in the general Deluge; and when the hail fell of ſuch weight that it killed men, Joſh. 10.11.) but …ifts it down moderately, in ſmall drops of water. And this may ſhew, that Gods moderation, in diſpenſing many of our mercies, is a remarkable mercy in them.
2. That he diſtills the rain upon man abundantly, or, upon many men, as the Original may be read; that is, though he ſift the rain down in ſmall drops, yet it ſerves the turn, and that to many places at once. And this may point out, That ſmall things will do much in Gods hand.