Job 33

Notes

Ver. 3. I shall not speak from passion or prejudice, as others have done before me; but from a sincere desire of doing thee good, and in such a clear manner that thou mayest be fully convinced of the truth of what I say. 4-6. I am a man like thyself, fit to reason with thee on equal terms, and inclined to plead the cause of God against thee. 7. There is nothing about me to terrify or torment thee. 8-11. Nor do I intend to charge thee with hypocrisy, but with uttering of self-justifying language, dishonourable to God, as if he had dealt more severely than was just with thee. 12, 13. Let thy former life be as holy and unblamable as it will, yet thou art certainly culpable in quarrelling with the dispensations of God, who is infinitely superior to thee in every respect, and accountable to none for his conduct. 14-18. Nay, so dull are men that, when God takes repeated pains in dreams, visions, or the like, to instruct them effectually for their humiliation and eternal salvation, they do not take notice of, or do not understand, his meaning. 19-22. Hence, for their awakening to a proper attention, he severely afflicts them, till they are brought to the very point of death. 23, 24. If then, by the instruction of some faithful minister, and especially by the instruction of Jesus Christ, the unparalleled Angel and Interpreter of the new kingdom, the afflicted man be brought, not only to discern the equity of God in afflicting him, but to discern, and by faith apply, Jesus' blessed righteousness to himself, God intimates to his soul a full and free redemption through that all-inclusive atonement. 25, 26. In consequence hereof not only the man's body and mind recover their wonted health and alacrity, but he is enabled, with boldness and success, to pour forth his requests before God, who allows him the comfortable sense and gracious reward of that righteousness imparted to or implanted in him. 27, 28. While God exactly observes, the man, all influenced by cordial gratitude, shall publicly confess his sinfulness of heart and life, and that the due reward of his deeds has never been rendered unto him; and shall profess his full assurance of faith, that God has redeemed him by the mighty power of his Son's blood, and will bestow his fulness of grace and glory upon him.

Ver. 3. [It appears to me that Elihu here contrasts his own motives and form of address with those of the three friends who had preceded him. They spake ignorantly, bitterly, and reproachfully; Elihu, on the other hand, addresses Job in words of well-meaning kindness and sincerity. Delitzsch translates the verse thus:—'Sincere as my heart are my utterances, and knowledge that is pure my lips declare.' P.]

Ver. 4. [The twofold nature of man is here indicated—the material organization and the spiritual soul. The Spirit of God made—moulded and framed—the body of clay; then the breath of the Almighty breathed into the moulded framework gave it life. The body was made, not created; the soul was created, not made. The spirit of man was a direct emanation from God. P.]

Ver. 6. [Yet though in God's stead, a body is prepared for me of clay like thine own, so that while my arguments convince, my terrors may not affright, alluding to what Job had said, ch. 9. 34. C.]

Ver. 23. [A messenger—Christ the Angel of the covenant, Mal. 3. 1. An interpreter—Christ as a prophet, preaching the gospel to the poor and afflicted, Lu. 4. 14-32. One among a thousand—Christ as a leader and commander, Is. 55. 4. His uprightness—his duty, as was shown to the jailer at Philippi, Ac. 16. 31. C.]

[Ver. 9-11 are the statements attributed by Elihu to Job. They are substantially accurate, as may be seen by comparing them with ch. 9. 21; 16. 7; 12. 4. The tendency of Job's arguments was to indicate that as an innocent man he had been exceptionally if not unfairly treated. Elihu shows that there was a grand fundamental error in all his speeches, for God alone is pure, and all men are guilty before him. P.]

Ver. 18. [The first object of God in putting man through a course of discipline is indicated in ver. 17, 18—it is to free him from the dangerous sin of carnal security and pride. God warns him in dreams and visions. P.]

Ver. 22. [Ver. 19-22 indicate another mode in which God is pleased to instruct man. It is painful and exhausting to the body; but the final result is glorious. The same great truth is embodied by our Lord in his parable of the vine:—'And every branch in me that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' It is also embodied in the statement, 'Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.' P.]

Ver. 30. [This is a summary of God's gracious design in all the chastenings and afflictions which he sends upon his elect. It is to redeem them from sin's power. Elihu just develops the same principle which the apostle Paul enunciates; that 'all things work together for good to them that love God.' P.]

Reflections.—We ought seriously to hear out a discourse before we form a judgment on it. And they who speak for God ought to speak with great deliberation and plainness. Those who are in great trouble ought to be tenderly, as well as convincingly, dealt with. And yet a faithful testimony must be borne against the dishonours which we see or hear done to God by even the greatest of saints. In the rage of temptation or dispute, or in the depth of trouble, they often speak things very unadvisedly; and yet their words are apt to be taken in a worse sense than they meant them. To make us conceive aright of God's providence we must carefully keep in view his infinite greatness, sovereignty, grace, and wisdom. And there is great need to keep our heart with all diligence, that even in our dreams we may enjoy profitable fellowship with and instruction from God, which may humble our pride and secure the salvation of our soul. For God, at his pleasure, makes the most fearful changes upon the bodies or minds of men. But honourable to God and profitable to men are sanctified troubles. They lead to Jesus and his word as our instructors; to Jesus and his blood as our atonement and ransom; to Jesus and his law as our way in which we must walk; in our grateful returns for his mercies. They render our sins bitter and heavy, and our deliverances admired, and instigate us to invite others to a share of his goodness. And often God brings men through great tribulation to their comforts on earth as well as to their glories in heaven. Departures from God issue in ruin unless he recover us by grace. And so manifold are his admonitions that, if we perish, our ruin lies at our own door. The wiser men are, they are the more humble and willing to learn; and the more desirous to be undeceived if they have been mistaken.