PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Job
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 615,689 words · 663 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 601
plainest decle.re.tions of Scripture (Gen. i. 1), barmonie;es more 1iuctly than any other theory with the dictates of re&Son. 2. A perfectly fonisked work. .Aa in the Mosaio cOt1mogony Elohim is represented ae beginning, oorrying forward through auccesslve 11tages, and oornpleting the prepe.ration of the newly made …
878 wordsSECTION 602The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 602
But nil these were comprehended by eternnl wisdom. How immeasurably foolish then must it be for:mnn to prestlme that he either can, or ought to be a.hie to, unde~stan,i the moral u.dministre.tion of o. world of whose original construction he ie entirely ignorant I Nothing Is better calculated to humble the pride of hum…
1,254 wordsSECTION 603The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 603
Vers. 12-15.-Jehovah f,o Joo : the first answer-the examination: 3. Conffling the light. I. THE LIGHT oF THE MoR:i.-mo THE RERV ANT OF Gon. 1. The light of the morning i.s a servant to some 011e, It is under the commandment of a Superior. , Ji:;very movement that it makes proclaims it to be under law. Modem science …
500 wordsSECTION 604The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 604
11 Let light be," Bnd light was. The law it recognlzee Bnd ful6le ie that of him who eet. the eun in the he,wens to give light upon the earth. II. TnE LIGHT OF THE MOR!....ING THE ENEMY OF EVIL·DOERB. 1. The expressive mda- :phor. The light, personified BB B powerful servant or minister of God, is represented as co…
866 wordsSECTION 605The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 605
f ~ incognita ie the eountry beyond the tomb. Nor has man yet been able to explore the innermost recesses of the earth. Hie investigations e.nd resre.rchee have been con- fined to the earth's cruet, poseeesing e. thickness of only R few thousand feet. Whether the cent-ral substance of the globe is R solid m&l!II or …
886 wordsSECTION 606The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 606
therefore, Gotl has power to hide, he must likewise know what be hides. 3. The'!J are all of his directing, It ie God who bide the fountains of the ocoan spring, who sa)s to tbo light, "Bo distributed across the face of the earth," who charges the snow to fall upon tho ground, who causes it to rain upon the wilderness …
834 wordsSECTION 607The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 607
• Oould gre&t men thunder As Jove himself does, Jove would ne'er he quiet., For every pelting, petty officer Would use his heaven fol" thunder I" (' 'Mee.sure for Measure,' net ii. ec. 2.) But the tbunderholte of the sky, the electric currents of the air, the innumerable forces of the gl?be, &rt' 11,ll obedient t…
774 wordsSECTION 608The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 608
and let us reason together," is the gracious invitation of him who iB Eternal Reason amidst the wild clamours of our passion e.nd despondency. At the same time, Lhi; revelation of the majesty of God humiliates and purifies the recipient of it, teaching him hie own littleness and Jimito.tion in presence of this fulness …
812 wordsSECTION 609The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 609
the Divine eecrets of exiBtence. With what keen irony does Jehovah rebuke the 1.1ciolist.6 of every age in ver. 21? Shall abort-lived man presume to know the begin- ning aod eo11roe of anything? What though we may have cleared up some childlike confu!!iona of thought, have introduced some method and system into our …
887 wordsSECTION 610The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 610
teleologlcBl or evol11tionary, in so far as it is a true theory, i.e. correctly repreM!nts the facts of observation, it oan and mu,t lend itself to natnral piety, to the confirmation of t.be great truths of religion. Separate the wild guesses of some ecientific men from the sober theories of an accurate science, the…
924 wordsSECTION 611The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 611
Ver. 1.-..11 tMophany. At length Job has bia wish. He has been longing t.o meet with God 1md praying for God to reveal himself. 'l'he time bas now come for God t.o hear bis prayer and make hie will known, This ie far more important than man's IIJl8CUIRtions. I. THE OOMING OF Gon. 1. The time Qf Ais coming. God come…
810 wordsSECTION 612The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 612
but he has not really understood what he bas been talking about. Such words have not helped lo the explanation of things; on the contrary, they he.ve been miijleacling de.rkening counsel instead of throwin~ light upon it. Now, until Job perceives this' he ce.nnot be. led to a vision of reassuring truth. While we think …
1,085 wordsSECTION 613The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 613
Vars. S-11.-Lessons of the sea. Pas.~inl; from the thought of the joy of creation, when the morning stars sang together, we find our thoughts directed to the sea in its power nnd pride, first formed by the hand of God, and ever reined in by hie commanding voice. I. Gon's POWEB OVER WHAT IS KOST GREAT. The sea strik…
639 wordsSECTION 614The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 614
Vera. 81, 32.-Aserology and astronomy. The earliest science was that which concerned itself with the movements of the heavenly bodies; until recent time8 this 8oience was universally nssociated with the fortunes of men, and it is still thus associated by the greater part of the world. What is our relation to the hea…
1,217 wordsSECTION 615The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 615
EXPOSITION. CHA.PTER XXXIX steinboek, or bonquetin, of the Swiss and Tyrolia.n Alps. It is very shy and wild, Vers. 1-80.-Tbis chapter completes the difficult of approach, and inhabiting only &UrVey of animate nature begun at eh. the most rocky and desolate tracts of Syria. :xxx:viii 39. The habits and instincts of …
461 wordsSECTION 616The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 616
Ver, 4.-Their young onea al'o In good lli8 'f)aatati. By "mounts.ins" we must illdng'; le. healthy ond etrong (domp. Dan. here underete.nd_roo~ ranges l_ike tbe SinjaT i. 10), They grow up with Clorn; re.thet, And the motmte.111!! of Belooch1etan, or age.in they grow up out of doors, OT in the O'f)B'B air those of the …
1,031 wordsSECTION 617The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 617
him, but his •vage nature would render it uderlt&Dcliq, There i1 an Arab proverb- impot1sible to use him for them. " Ae stupid ae an "OBtrioh "-whioh the Ver. IS.--Gavt!Bt thou the goodly win8'1 Arabs jUBtit'y on five grounds: (1) The 11.11.to 1;he peuoalo , rather, tlae '11ing of tM ostrich, they aa.y, will ewellow…
1,023 wordsSECTION 618The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 618
land trembled at the 1ound of the neighing raise this idea. The thunder of the aaptaina, of his strong ones"). and the 1houting. On the great noise made Ver. 21.-He paweth in the valley, Co.non by adva.noing a.rmies in ancient timeR, see Cook appositely oompe.res Virgil's "on.vo.t 2 Kings vii. 6; Isa. v. 28-30; Jer. …
1,070 wordsSECTION 619The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 619
HOMILETICS. Vel'I!. 1-30.-Jehomh to Job: the first answer-the e:raminatitm: 6. Oonceming ~fain "'ild animalii. I. THE llOUNTATN GOAT AND THE HIND. (Vera. 1--4.) 1. ThR (!f"ea$u1"fll ~ It ie genera.Hy a<>reed tba.t these are the steinbock, or ibex, and the st&g. The former, inhabiting exclusively the more rocky and de…
765 wordsSECTION 620The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 620
III. THE UNIOORN, (Vere. 9-12.) 1. The na'TM of el~ animal ~ e d . The rem, which our tranele.tors have erroneously supposed to be a one-horned bee.et we.s undoubtedly two-horned-I\ wild, fierce, trntame.ble brute, "resembling e.n ox ~ a wild &89 resembles an 1189" (Gesenh1s). Rege.rded by som11 commente.tors IM! the b…
882 wordsSECTION 621The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 621
h& ! " the fiercenet111 of its lust for b&ttle, advancing without a fear 1Jo meet an armed hOl't, d&11hing in among the glanoing spears, and shll.king from it.a Bidea the rattling quiver. 2. The Divine meaning. It is easy enough to find sermon\o useB fol' this piece of brilliant word-painting about the war-horse, e.…
805 wordsSECTION 622The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 622
is he miserably impotent in their presence. And most certainly thoy derive neither their life nor any of their powers from him. Shall vain· man, then, contend with the Oreator of all? Shall he whose are all things find him to wh,,m none belong entering the lists with him? Shall be contend ? Ahall be instruct? shall he …
835 wordsSECTION 623The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 623
Ver. ll.-2ruding itl mm-e shflgth. Thie chapter of natural history 'Cll.rries 118 on from one g~phic picture to another, in which we see the glorio\18 !ttength a.nd freedom of God's creatures, altogether outside the domain of man's rule. Now we are to look at the uroa. In bodily form he is very like the docile o.x.; y…
909 wordsSECTION 624The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 624
ibe deeert. God la leading nature on to perfection, bat it ia not ye1. perfect. The law of nature, like that of man, ie progreBB, not et11tionary completenese. III. CoMPF.NBATIONII, Things are not eo bad with the ostrich 88 they 11ppear to 118 at flrst eight. Although the ostrich-eggs are left in the sand, they do n…
859 wordsSECTION 625The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 625
quit{' beyond the skill and power of man, By the intelligence God hu given us Wi may employ many of the great natnral foroes, l\nd subdue fierce and powerful 11nim111'e, But this is a sml\ll thing compared with the thought that planned and the energy lhl\t wrought in the making or those oreaturee. Surpassing us in m…
820 wordsSECTION 626The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 626
the objeot being to break down the last against the wicked, and let it be seen what remnnnts of pri<le nnd self-trust in the soul thou canst do in the way of restrrtining evil of the patriarch, and to bring him to com- and punishing transgressors." Behold every one thnt is proud, and aba11e hiin. If my pleto submissio…
941 wordsSECTION 627The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 627
"n be11.11t;" bu\ it ia eoaroely possible to like bar1 of lroa, Either the ribs, or the understand the word in this sense in the solid bones of the lower leg, forearm, el.6:, ;present peal!ll.ge. where it seems to be a noun aro intended. singohu·, being followed by singular verbs, Ver. 19.-Xe is the ehlef ef the way…
1,016 wordsSECTION 628The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 628
or:, und" the lotu, tre,, (Revised Version), SaUz Babyltmica., 01' "weeping willow " ill Tho Lotus •ulvestri,, or· 'lotu, Cyrwnaica, Iese likely. ' " grows nbund11ntly on tho hot bnnks of Ver. 23.-Behold, he c1rlnketh up a. river, the Upper Nilo" (Cook), nnd is thought to and hnateth not; re.ther, behold, la a rfoer…
874 wordsSECTION 629The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 629
here WllB a depth of eelf-abe.ecment to which only a God of lo'Ve and gi'flce could stoop I A prefigurement, may it not be said, of the ~tupendous condescension of the Ince.ruation, when God, not arrayed in majesty, but clothed in the lowly garb of humanity, stooped t-0 talk with sinful m&n, RB a man talketh with his f…
867 wordsSECTION 630The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 630
wa, a more righteous being than l1ia Malur. No doubt Job would have shrunk from any such deification of himself, had be clearly foreseen how much his utterances meant. Job's example should teach saints to keep the door of their lips. That Jehovah still urged these interrogations on his servant was a proof that the work…
920 wordsSECTION 631The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 631
VerR. 15 - 24. - Jdlouak to Job: tke second amwer: 2. Oot1cerning behemoth. I. Tm. RELATION OF BEHEMOTH TO OTRER ANnl:AtB. "Hi! is the chief of the ways of God" (ver. 19). This huge monster, this giant &mong beasts, as perhaps the above- cited phrase indicates, is commonly supposed to have been the hippopotamus, or …
1,030 wordsSECTION 632The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 632
HOMILIES BY VARIOUB AUTHORS. Vera. 1-5.-0onciusion of Jehovah's address : reply of Job: lowliness in the presenClJ of Jehovah. The words of Jehovah express this-- I. THAT THE DIVINE WORKS PRESENT A TRIU14PHANT CHALLENGE TO BUMAN INTELLIGENCE. (Ver. 2.) Can man surpass them? Can be even imitate them? What can he do bu…
607 wordsSECTION 633The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 633
pride. Let him BB jlll!t Judge cBBt the wicked down; etrew thetn in the dust before hla righteous retribution. Let man do the!e things, e.nd Jehove.h will praise him, and there wi II be no need of !!elf-praise e.nd boasting, beoe.uee bis right he.nd helps him; because he nctue.lly po!!sees('e the power t.o Ollrry ou…
891 wordsSECTION 634The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 634
Ill. IT 18 AN ATTITUDE BE0OMING ONE WHO BAB A JUST EIITDIATE OP BIB RELATION OF DEPENDEN0E UPON THE WISDOM AND POWER OF JEHOVAH. One BO wholly frail and dependent-a poor worm-may well bow in lowly, humble prostration before the Lord of the whole earth. IV. IT 18 AN ATTITUDE BE0OMING TO BIii WHO BAB RIGHTLY REFLECTED U…
1,253 wordsSECTION 635The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 635
miud infinitely greater than the human mind; and the care with which God' provides fur all hi~ creatures-wild asses, heedless ostriches, and repulsive ravens, as well as those creatures that seem more deserving of his providenc-9hows us how good God is. Thus the wisdom aod goodness of God, added to the power that make…
1,262 wordsSECTION 636The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 636
this? It iB not to be ~uppoeed that be oan. Pride i11 doubly ■trong. l. In it, own eharact-er. It iB of the nature of pride to induoe eelf-confidenoe. Even while the world is poiuting the finger of eoorn at the proud man, he wraps himself in the mantle of hie own self-importB.noe, and despises contempt. Here is a great…
906 wordsSECTION 637The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 637
(John I. 29). Ohrist clolivere from sin ae well ae from it& reBUlt--destb. Hie power to enve springs from his ntoning sacrifice; but he saves now 88 a living, present Redeemer. He ie the ho.ad of God put forth to deliver the helpless and ruined. 2. In regeneration, We need to be born o.gnin (John iii. 8). So great e. c…
821 wordsSECTION 638The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 638
elabonlte deBCriptlom of oh. nxvili. a&,...¼l; Gardner WilkinBOn iBformed me that he :um. 1--..'IO; and :s:l. 15-24. had known some tnme ones at Oa\ro. The Mesopotamian Arabs domesticate fe.lcoua Ver. 1.--0IUllt thou dl'&w oat levia~an to assist them in the chase of the buste.rd with an hook 1 The word le!,ia,thaft,…
1,033 wordsSECTION 639The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 639
Ver. 10.-None is eo fteroe that dare stir mercy; but who will undertake t<> do it? him up. The orooodile is often seen asleep, Who, again, oan oome to him with his double or nearly asleep, uponsaml-banks waehed by bridle l Come, i.e., with a double bridle in the Nile. He would be a bold man who his hand, and ple.ce …
1,021 wordsSECTION 640The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 640
~cnt the impreelrion which the e.nime.l would th&t one of their early klnga bad been alaln mnke on an impreeeible bnt nnecientiftc by a crocodile (Maneth" &p. Euseb., • Ohron. ohsener viewing it in its natfro h11.nnte for Can.,' p&rs i. 20, p. 98). The 'l'Vorebip p&!d the firettime. Spluhing, snorting, and throw- to…
1,030 wordsSECTION 641The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 641
• ~le belly le cbverecl with jagged smiles"- Ver. 32.-He maketh a path to shine after a thing which Iii trne of the crocodile, but him ; one would think the deep t,, be hoary. scarcely of any other beast. He spre&deth He Imives a white trail behind him a~ he sharp pointed thing■ (rnther, a tl1reahi11g- pa.sees fmm s…
888 wordsSECTION 642The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 642
or his bean with fish-spears?" Nay, wert thou only to lay thins band upon him, thou shouldet have speedy cause to repent thy rMhnees; "thou shouldeat remember the battle" eo decidedly that thou wouldst not care to repeat it. Nay1 the hope of any assailant being able to prevail against the formidable creature is abso…
943 wordsSECTION 643The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 643
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-34.-Description of the leviathan, or crocodile. The description ia In two parts. I. The first part shows THE DIFFICULTY OR WELL-NIGH IMPOSSIBILITY OJ' CIRCUM• VENTING AND OAl'TUilING THIS HUGE AND BJ,IPPERY CREATURE. (Vers. 1-7.) In language of irony and almost of taunt this fact …
723 wordsSECTION 644The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 644
1. THE~E ARE _TER~IBLE ~RINGS m NATURE. When we look at the cruel jBwa or the crocodile, gapmg m reRdmess for itil prey, and the little ene.ke~llke e~s watl\hlng intl'ntly, in spite of Rn inert Rtlitude of l,ody thRt tempts us to despise the creature aa no better than a log of wood, we he.,·e before us the mystery o…
806 wordsSECTION 645The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 645
Of the night wind, down the vnst edges drear And nnked shingles of the world." III. IT 18 NOT THl!l LE88 BEAL BE0AU8E IT 18 UNSEEN. We cannot see the guiding band, but often we ca.n moHt lha.nkfully detect its presence by the providential result. We may not be able to discern the steersman for the driving spray, bu…
928 wordsSECTION 646The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 646
EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XLil. to regard Job e.a bringing up the wol'da which God had spoken to him, to ponder Vera. 1-17.-This aonoluding eba.pter on them and a.newer them, or at 11ny rate to divides into two parts. In the firet pa.rt hallg hie reply upon them, than to imagine (V81'11. 1--6) Job makes hie final eubmis…
862 wordsSECTION 647The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 647
e11M concerning his essential integrity, but folly, In tbe.t ye have not spoken of me tho ho ndmite thnt hie words have been over- thing whit'h ie right, like my aervant Job bold, nncl his attitude towards Goel one (see the comment on the preceding verse). un beHtti ng II creature. Goel accepts hie Ver. 9.-Bo Eliphe.z …
995 wordsSECTION 648The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 648
which ml'ILns probably a certain weight of dye (antimony) with whioh Oriental women silver, though whethl'T e. shekel or not is have from a remote antiquity been in the uncertain. The word belonge to the eArlier habit of anointing the upper and lower Hehr<>w, being found only in Gen. xxxiii. eyelids in order to give…
928 wordsSECTION 649The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 649
adminlstra.tion, which, if it was not strictly retributive jusUce, 11s the friends alleged, was still less B heartless indifference to human happiness, as Job occBHionally seemed to insinuate, but; as Elihu maintained, a principle of grace; to misconstrue the purpose at which God aimed in hie affliction, and, B8 a c…
851 wordsSECTION 650The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 650
the e~t tb&t truth lay upon the side of Job rather than upon that of the frlendR1 t.o whom accordingly he now, in turn, directs bis Bddress. 1. The imputation fn<rll~, Elipbar. and bis friends had not 11poken concerning him that whioh was right, 88 Job had. They had erred in two waya-in presenting an erroneous view …
869 wordsSECTION 651The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 651
former prosperity, virtually pronounce& judg:ment against the devil. Job baa not been 11 foir-wenther professor of religion, but nn earnest and sincere follower of lieaven, clin!;- ing fo hie piety amidst the severest reverses, anrl not only serving God for nought, but adhering to him even when it seemed that God had c…
874 wordsSECTION 652The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 652
personl\l, intimate acquaintance with God and truth as the soul obtains when breathed on by that heavenly breath which, I\CCording to '.€lihu, is the source of alt spiritual illumination, it looks outward and upward through the opened window of faith, 2. In f"e4pect of its effect.. "J have heard of thee by the heari…
857 wordsSECTION 653The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 653
(comp. Ps. xl~iii, 9). We hear aboue God from the sources of _early instruction, parentR, teachers, pulpits, and books, and,yet may thus not be brought mto pereonAI communica- tion with God, In contrast to this is the personal vision of God. Not with the eyes of the body, but with the deeper view of the mind-the intell…
910 wordsSECTION 654The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 654
of the "blood of Chriet;" and the higheet act of worehip ie the presenting ourselves, body, eoul, and spirit, to God through Christ 1md his Bl\orifice I that is, with hla tipiritual sacrifice present to the eye of the spirit, as the ancient animal saorilice was preHent to the bodily eye of the early worshipper. 'l'hen,…
928 wordsSECTION 655The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 655
words of incompetent teachers, and now by the Divine voice humbled into tbo very dust, makes his lowly confession rmto Almighty God, and casts himself upon the Divine forbearance and mercy. The confession of this truly bumble, lowly, contrite, and obedient heart embraces- I. A JUST APPREHENSION OF THE DIVINE POWER. T…
1,102 wordsSECTION 656The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 656
Vers. 1, 2.-The ro11fe11swn of God's supremacy. At last the end hae come to the discipline of Job. Be is brou~ht to more than resignation-to a clear perception of the supremacy of God, and to a humble submission to it. I. Tm: FACT OF GoD's BUPBEHACY. This is what Job has now come to see. God is supreme both in powe…
520 wordsSECTION 657The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 657
Worship, which acknowledges the greatness of God, a.nd adores him, not only for might nnd knowledge, but o.lso for righteousness o.nd love, is o. right and fitting exer- cise for a.II spirituo.l beings. 2. For our own guidance and assurance. The confession will help us to obey God. It will o.lso a.id us in the o.ttempt…
879 wordsSECTION 658The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 658
cein tbem, that be IK'tB a high va.loe on them. Then he ahould apply them to him• seH. " Therefore thou art inexcusable, 0 man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou oondemnest thyself; for thou that judgest docat the Arne thingB" (Rom. ii. 1). Further, the habit of censoriousness p…
868 wordsSECTION 659The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 659
not the cRee. Ellhu ehowed how God trained e.nd educated hie children in the school of affliction, Job hnd been oo that school, and there be hnd learnt humility and n tr,w appreciation of the greatness of God, whom man cannot judge. 2. In kinuiness. ,Job bee.re no grudge against his three friends. He intercedes for the…
1,227 wordsSECTION 660The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 660
'!'lllnn p.1.0• !'IIB\JB ...... Two Me.rvels that a.re no Myeterie11... 68 Refuge from T1'0nble in the Thought The Two Hedges; or, the Hedge of of God 94, Prosperity and the Hedge of Ad- The Lot of the Foolish 98 venity 68 The Oommon Lot 96 The Eloquence of Grief 69 God the True Refuge in Affliction 98 Human lufirmit…
1,033 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.