The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 103

utilize trouble BB discipline, and ultimateiy to conquer it, BO that "our light affliction which is but for 11, moment, worketh for us a far more exoeediug and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. iv. 17).-W. F. A. Vers. 8-16.-Seeking unto God. As usual, the advice of Eliphaz ie excellent in the abstr&ct. The error is in the particular way of applying it to Job. Here is the sting of it. But its general truth is always instructive. 'l'his is certainly the C11Se with the recomm!'nrlRtion to "seek unto God." I. INQUIRE WHAT IT IS TO SEEK UNTO Gon. 1. It 'begins with remoteness from God. We have lost God if we have to seek him, &s we need not think of finding what we already possess and enjoy. God is lost by sin; but the sense of God's presence is often deadened by the oppression of sorrow and by the intrusion of worldly scenes. 2. It means an earnest effort of the soul. We are not to wait for God to come to us, but to "seek unto" him. This requires the mind and will. We have to be watchful to note any indications of his presence, and active in pressing forward towards him. 3. It implies that God can be found. It is useless to seek for that which is hopelessly lost or absolutely unattainable. If we seek, we must expect to find; This process would be folly in the eyes of the Agnostic. Now, the encouragement is that others ha'l"e sought and found God. They have seen him, not with bodily vision, indeed, but with true spiritual experience. Job himself did seek God, and he found: him at last; for he exclaimed, in a ma,,"llificent burst of thankful gladness," I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee" (eh. xiii. 6). 4. It kad,s to txmfidence. It is useless to seek God out 0f mere curiosity. We have much to do with him when we find him. But first of all we must place entire confidence in hlm., confessing to him our sin and our sore need. II. CoKSIDER THE ENOOUB.AGE14ENTS THAT INVITE US TO BEEK UNTO GoD. The author of the Book of Job is a great lover of nature. Scenes from the physical world, more especially in its majesty and grandeur, fill his spacious canvass in later stages, Here we come upon the first burst of that glory of nature which shines out with ever- increasing volume as we proceed through the book. This leads on to the wonderful deeds of providence. Notice some of the points to which Eliphaz calls attention. 1. The (1) gt eatness-" doeth great things ; " (2) the mystery-" and unsearchable; " and (3) the variety of God's works in nature-" marvellous things without number" (ver. 9). Therefore he must be able to help us all in all kinds of trouble. 2. The graciousnesa of God in his milder works. This is illustrated by the phenomenon of rain (ver. 10). " He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass" ( Ps. Ix.xii. 6). Therefore "the bruised reed will he not break," etc. (Isa. x1ii. 3). 3. God's goodness to the lowly. He sets up on hlgh those that be low (ver. 11). Therefore to be humiliated is to have a special reason for expecting his help. 4. His judgmente in defeating the crafty (vers. 12-14). His very wrath brings mercy to the oppressed. The poor man cannot escape from his unjust oppressor; bot God can bring deliverance. With him is the :final court of appeal, and there right is always rendered, there the rich have no favour and the cunning no opportunity of cheating justice. 5. God's deliverance of the poor and helpless. He is "a just God and a Savwur,'' and he delights to reveal himself in the activity of grace redeeming and recovering hie suffering children. With such manifestations of the power and goodness of God in nature and providence the troubled 110ul may well seek unto him for deliverance.-W. F. A. Ver. 17.-The happiness of chastisement. I. THERE IS A HAPPINESS IN CHABTIBE- The sentence looks paradoxical. No chastisement can be pleasant while it is l{E]!,"'T. being endured, or it would cease to be chastisement. Where, then, does its happiness reside ? 1. Chastisement is a proof of God's care. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Heb. xii. 6). Therefore to be chastised is to receive a token of God's love. Now, surely we ought to be willing to bear a good deal of suffering if we can only obtain so valuable a token as this. If God did not chastise us he would not be treating us as true sons (Heb. xii. 8). Our very immunity would thus be a proof of God's desertion of us-a most miserable and hopeless condition. 2. Cha,;tiBement i1 duigru:d to effect pwrijication. It may not lead to this end, and it will not do so ullle1s we ~perate submissively a.nd penitently. Eliphaz saw as much, and there-  OJJ, V, 1-27,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 101