The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 159

nnture which occurred at the Flood, or to those usually 1111soci.a.ted with _earthqu11.ke 8 , the language suggests the absoluteneBB of God's control over nature, and rn particular: (1) 1'he greatness or his power, which, being able to nproot and overthrow mighty hilld through its resietleee force, mnst be competent to do the most stupendous works----must, in fact, be e.n agency to which there can be no impossibilities. The only power resern bling it on earth is that of fe.ith (Mark ix. 23), to which e.lso is ascribed the ability to remove mounte.ine (Me.rk xi. 23). (2) The suddenness of his power, the mountains being represented 1111 overturned unexpectedly, in a moment, "without their knowing," which age.in reflects upon the vastness of that power which can effect so gigantic a feat with- out effort and without labour, so easily e.nd naturally (" He toucheth the hills, and they smoke," Ps. civ. 32) that it is done instantaneously. (3) The fierceness of his power, e~pecially when it is put forth in judgment, the uprooting of the mountains being depicted as a terrible manifestation or the Almighty's wrath, concerning which the overturned hills seem to say, "Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of hie anger? hie fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him" (Nab. i. 6; cf. Hab. iii. 6). 2. Convulsing the earth. "Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars," i.e. the internal foundations, "thereof tremble" (ver. 6). Nothing is more seemingly stable than the solid globe (Ps. cxix. 90). Its original establishment was a sublime witness to the power and wisdom of its Creator (1 Sam. ii. 8; rs, xxiv. 1, 2; Ps. cxxxvi. 6; Jer. Ii. 15). Yet, by the mysterious forces treasured up within ite dark retreats, the Almighty can make it tremble as ife.bc,ut to be dissolved (Ps. civ. 32; cxiv. 7), ns he did at Sinai (Exod. xix. 18; Ps. lxviii. 8), and as once age.in he will do at the end of time (Heb. i. 10; 2 Pet. iii. 10). The shaking of the earth is a.n emblem of Divine jodgments (Isa. xiii. 13). II. IN THE WONDERS OF THE SKY. 1. Obscuring the sun. "Who co=andeth the sun, and it riseth [or,• shineth '] not" (ver. 7). .Alluding to both natural and super- natural obscurations of the solar light, or the former of which ordinary eclipses may be taken a.s illustrations, while the Egyptian darkness will constitute a sample of the latter. (1) The sun is the most resplendent object in heaven. Here styled cherem, probably from its brilliant appearance (Delitzsch), or perhaps from its heat-giving properties (Gesenius). As such it is a silent witness to the great power of God (Ge:::i. i. 16; Ps. lxxiv. 16; cxxxvi. 7, 8; Jer. xxxi. 35). (2) The sun is ever obedient to the will of its Creator. There is no part of God's universe that is not under law. The greatest suns a.a well as the smallest atoms continually recognize his authority. The orb of day is equally obedient in rising and in setting (Eccles. i. 5). A.a such, it is an eloque[Jt teacher of obedience to man (P:;, cxlviii. 8). (3) The sun is never wearied of its beneficent mission to shine. And it always shines, except when commanded not. As such, it is a p~eacher of diligence to the Christian, who is commanded to let his light shine (Matt. v. 16). (4) When the sun is obscured or commanded not to shine, it is in judgment on the sins of man (Joel ii. 31; Amos viii. 9; Luke x.xi. 25; Acts ii. 20), as during the Egyptian darkness (Exod. x. 22) and at the time of the Crucifixion (Matt. xxvii. 45). The darkened sun is an impressive and instructive emblem of thejudgments God sends upon men and nations who neither value nor improve the light of truth and salvation they possess. 2. Concealing the stars. "And sealeth up the stars" (ver. 7). The stare also are God's creatures (Gen. i. 16), and as such are obedient to hie control. The vast number, imn ense magnitudes, and incredible velocities of the heavenly bodies, as unfolded by modern astronomy, impart to us loftier conceptions of the Creator's power than were possessed by devout Hebrews. The Divine wisdom also is significantly displayed in the regularity of their movements, which secures that they never fail to swim out into the blue sea of the celestial firmament when the light of day has departed. Yet the ease with which the splendour of the midnight sky can be extinguished, by pouring over it the brilliance of day, or drawing round it the thick gloom of clouds, is no less striking as a visible display of almighty wisdom and power, and one which must have appeared to an Oriental, looking up into a Syrian sky, infinitely more solemnizing than it does to an Occidental, who only sees the stars shining with a dimmer lustre. 3. Bringing down the clouds. "Which alone spreadeth out the heavens" (ver. 8). 1'he reference is probably not to the original creation of the firmament (Gen. i. 6), but to the visible descent or storm-clouds upon the sea (Ps. xviii. 9-11). The poet represents the striking phenomena of cloud-land as another exhibition of JOB, :11  162 T(!'E BOOK. OF JOB, LOR, IX, k--815.