The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 180

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vars. 1-22.-.Appeal to the justice, knowledge, and goodness of God. In hie extremity of maddening pain and in his contempt of life, Job resolves to give full way once more to words (ver. 1). And as they pour forth in full flood from the bottom of his bee.rt, we perceive that he has in reality truer and juster thoughts about Goel. than those cxpressetl in the preceding chapter. He proceeds to appeal one by one to thli highe6t perfection which can be associated with the Divine Name, L APPEAL TO 'l'HE 00001-'ESS AND GREATnss OF Goo. (Vers. 2-7.) 1. To his reasonableness and jUEtice. (Ver. 2.) "Condemn me not unheard, without cause assigned ; make clear to my mind, which cannot deny its convictions, my guilt and its nature." Te.king the analogy of our Lord's reasoning in the sermon on the mount, if to condemn a me.n without cause is felt to be an odiou~ iajustice-if it is a cardinal point in a just earthly constitutioa (e.g. as expressed in our Habeas Corpus Act) that no man be seized and kept in prison without speedy opportunity of being confronted with his e.ccusen,-how can we ascribe such coaduct to him who sits on the eternal throne? 2. To his equity. (Ver. 3.) Can it be right that God should, on the one hand, cast down the weak and innocent, and, on the other, exalt and favour the unprincipled and the wicked? This would not be to hold enn the scales, the eternal emblem of justice, '.J.'he true solution to the question is given by Christ. God is good to e.ll alike. The great gifts of nature--sunshine and rain-are common to good and evil, just and unjust. And e.s to spiritual blessings, which a.re of their nature conditional on human will and seeking, God is e.s good to all e.s their own state and disposition will suffer him to be. .Are, then, the sufferings of the good contrary to his justice? Not so; but they come under that higher law which Job and his friends have yet to learn, that suffering is one of the forms and manifestations of Divine goodness in the education of Luman beiags. 3. Appeal, to hili omniscience. (Ver. 4.) God sees all thiags, from all beginnings, to all ends. H~ is not a. short-sighted tyrant who is tempted to force by torture a confession of guilt from an unhappy prisoner against whom he has only a suspicion but no evidence. God knows that Job is innocent. But this fact should put an end to his murmurs, could he be wholly true to his higher faith in God. The right which God knows he will in the end declare, and will be seen to have throughout defended and protected. ~- .A.Jptal to his £ternal duration. (Vers. 5, 6.) The calm aad ever-abiding existence of God must surely free him from those temptations to which short-lived man is subject. Hurry, impatience, haste, impetuosity, a.re characteristics of humanity, bece.1188 men know they have much to do, and but a short time in which to do it. Therefore the tyrant will snatch quickly at revenge for any affront or injury he may have suffered. But who can escape the power and the penalties of the Eternal ? Once more: God knows he is innocent (ver. 7) ! II. THE RELATION BETWEEN THE CREATOR .AND THE CBEATUBE. (Vers. 8-17.) 1. Comparison of the Creator and the creature to tli.e potter and his work. (Ver. 8.) The potter's artistic work is'a work on which care, thought, elaboration, have been spent; it is a" thing of bea.uty,n and he designs it to be a" joy for ever." He will not wantonly destroy it, will not bear to see it so destroyed. Ce.n we believe oLherwise of God and his work? A most true and telling a.nalogy, and on which may be founded an a.rg11- ctt. x. 1-22.] THE BOOK OF JOB.