Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 9 · Verses 5-6
Verſ. 5. Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger:
6. Which ſhaketh her place out of the earth, and the pillars thereof tremble:
Followeth, to ver. 11. a confirmation of this Argument, as it relates to the power of God eſpecially (though not ſecluding his wiſdom) which is illuſtrated and cleared by ſeveral inſtances and proofs thereof, in the Earth and Heaven, in the Seas, Sun and Sta…s, ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. and then all is ſummed up in a general and comprehenſive Commendation of this his power, ver. 10.
From all which, in general, we may Learn,
1. It is the duty of the people of God, to be well verſed in the Book of Nature, and in the ſtudy of the Works of Creation and Providence; For, ſo was Job here. So alſo was David, Pſal 8. & 104. and elſewhere▪ if the very Heathen may learn ſo much of God by this ſtudy, as leaves them without excuſe, Rom. 1.20. How much more may we profit thereby, ſeeing we are helped to read theſe works, by the Scriptures? This ſtudy is a notable help to ſweet meditation and joy, Pſal. 104.34. to lead us to underſtand Gods loving kindneſs, (ſhining, eſpecially in his works of Providence) Pſal. 107.43 and to entertain ſpiritual mindedneſs, Pſal. 139.15, 16, 17, 18.
2 There is no right ſtudy of the Works of Creation and Providence, except when, (without reſting on the works themſelves) the power and wiſdom of God is ſeen to ſhine in them; and we learn a leſſon, of humility and ſelf-abaſement before God, in them. For, ſo much doth Job's ſcope, in this his ſtudy, teach us; which is to demonſtrate, thereby that God is wiſe and mighty, and that to contend with him, and not to ſtoop before him, will never proſper in any mans hand, ver. 4. See Pſal. 8.1.3, 4. This condemns the proud conceit that men have of their own contemplations and ſpeculations about theſe things, when yet they are neither helped to know God, nor themſelves, thereby.
3. Here both ordinary and extraordinary works of God are recorded; To ſhew, that much of God may be ſeen in both: and ſome extraordinary works are firſt ſpoken of, To ſhew that our little ſeeing, or, obſerving of God in his ordinary working, doth ſpeak out the Atheiſm of our hearts, and provokes God to appear extraordinarily. I come now to the Particulars.
In theſe verſes he begins with Earthquakes, whereby God, when he is angry, overthrows and overturns very Mountains; and that ſo ſuddenly and unexpectedly, as if man were carried in his ſleep from one place to another, ver. 5. And not only ſhakes particular parcels of the earth, near the ſuperfice thereof, out of their place, but makes the very lower places thereof, which ſeem, as Pillars, to ſupport the reſt, to tremble. Thus are we to underſtand thoſe Pillars; For, otherwiſe, the whole globe of Earth and Water hangs on nothing, Job 26.7. and is ſupported and upheld only by the Word of Gods power, Heb. 1.3.
From hence we may Learn,
1. In this diſpenſation of an Earthquake, we may read Gods mercy, in making the Earth, in ordinary, a ſettled habitation for Men and Beaſts; and in not making frequent uſe of the ſhaking of it, to witneſs how unworthy we are to live upon it, and to ſpew us out, or ſwallow us up, as Numb. 16.31, 32, 33.
2. This doth alſo demonſtrate the power of Gods Word, which alone upholds the Earth, Heb. 1.3. So that it ſhakes not, except when he is pleaſed to work ſome extraordinary thing thereby: And it ſhould teach us, to lean to this Word, Pſal. 119, 89.—92.
3. There is nothing ſo ſtable that can be fixed, if God pleaſed to ſhake it; He can remove and overturn Mountains, and make plains of them, Zech. 4.7. He can ſhake the Earth out of her place, and cauſe the Pillars thereof tremble. The ſtudy of this is a ſpecial antidote againſt preſumption and ſecurity, Pſal. 30.6, 7. if men conſider that God, who ſhakes the Mountains, Earth, and Pillars thereof, can eaſily over-turn their ſettled like proſperity, can ſhake their inward peace and quiet, yea, can ſhake the very life out of them.
4. God needs not any deliberation, means, or time, to overthrow what is moſt fixed; nor needs faith look to probabilities, in cloſing with the Promiſe; For, He removeth the Mountains, and they know not, ere ever they be aware, So Dan. 5.4, 5. Iſa. 17.14.
5. Extraordinary alterations wrought upon the the creatures are tokens of Gods anger; not againſt theſe creatures themſelves, Hab. 3.8. but againſt ſinners, and particularly, againſt the Enemies of his people, Pſal. 18.7, 8, &c. For, when he ſhakes Mountains, and the Earth, he over-turneth them in his anger. Hence, Earthquakes are either a ſcourge unto ſinners, while they are ſwallowed up thereby (though it ſhould not be doubted but the godly may ſhare in that, at in other calamities) Numb. 16. or preſages of other approaching judgments, Luke 21.11, 12.
6. The ſhaking and trembling of inſenſible creatures, when God is angry, ſerves to condemn men, who are not ſenſible of it, nor will ſtoop under his hand; For, this is alſo Job's ſcope to ſhew that, if God, ſhake the Earth, and the Pillars thereof tremble, then men ſhould be afraid to contend, and ſhould not think to proſper by hardening of themſelves. See Jer. 5.22.
7. When we look upon this ſhaking of the Earth and Mountains, it may ſerve to comfort Believers, and to put them in mind that (however they have their own ſhaking and needful toſtings, yet) their ſtate and happineſs in God is more fixed then the very Earth and Hills; as this work of God is commented upon, Pſal. 46.1, 2, 3.