The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 349

IT. APPEAL To EXPERIENCE: 'l'B:E l'ROSPER!:TY 01/' THE \VtOKED, OONTRA8'l'11:~ W!:'l:'ir THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE B'!G'RTEous, IN '!'HIS LIFE. (Vets. 7-:---26.) 1. Tmit., ~/ godless prosperity. (Vere. 7-16.) (1) 1'he wicked are fortunate in their petsons (vcr. _7)._ l~stead of being cut off by premature d_eath, ~- Zophar had miLintllincd, they remam m Y1gour to II good old l\ge. (2) In their fam1hes. 'l'hey see their )losterity flonrishin~ bPfore them like young scions from the old root (v!lr. 8). (3) In their houses. Peace dwells there, fr<>e frotn l\larm, and no che.stislng rod of Providence fllll~ ·upon them (ver. 9). (4.) In their herds and flocks-the gree.t elements of Oriental wealth (ven:. 10, 11). (5) In their meny )ifu. Sportiv~ throngs of children play arountl them f~IJ <:f j?yous pranks an,d f!·olic, while ~be B?und of music charms the e3;r (vers.· 11, 12)'. (6) 1 heir rasy death. '1 heir days ate spent m -comfort to the v!lry last, qmte· in oppositio~ w tbe i;:l0omy pictures which the friends have dmwn of their fearful and'violeut ends (eh. xi. 20; x.iii. 14; x.x. 11). They disappellr suddenly, painlessly, into the unseen world-theirs is e. euthanasia (ver. 18) ! Such R life may be lived, such e. death may be met, without a spark of religion to justiry or explain it (vers. 14, 16). They a.re men, these wicked ones, whose language to God he.s been, "Depa.rt from us!" Their happiness awakens no gratitude towards its Source; they deem worship and prayer to be useless. Job proceeds with his description, and declares further to support his position, "Lo, not in their band ste.nds their good;''_ That is, not they ~re but God is himself, the Author of their prosperity; and it is this which' makes ·th~ problem so dark and hard to solve. "The counsel of the wicked be far. from me I" (ver. 16). Here flashes out once more the true, deep faith of the' patriarch.:· ·Despite all the mystery and all the temptation, he will endrrre to the ·imd; •never :will he renounce his God ( eh. i. 11; ii. 5). 2. These lessons of experi-ence confirmed, with refer- ence t-0 the positions of the friends. (Vers.1.7-21.) Bildad had spoken (eh. xviii. 5,12-) of the quenching of the light of the wicked man and of bis'.sudden--overthrow. • ·Job questions the universal e.pplication of this. "How often," etc.? is here equivalent to "How seldom," etc. ! How often does God distribute sorrows in his anger 'l' with allusion to eh. xx. 23 (ver. 17). This doubting questioning stiH contiriueS 1µ vcr. 18, "How often do they become as straw before the wind, and like chaff which the tempest carries away?" (see eh. XL 8, 9). "God lays up fpr his children his calamity?" referring to Eliphaz's words· (ver. 4) and Zophar's (eh. :ix..· 10). Job proceeds (vcr. 20) to refute this theory of satisfaction by substitution. , "Let his eyes sec his destruction; and of the fiery wrath o_f the Almighty let him drink!" 'l'he allu,,ion is to Zophar (eh. xx. 23). And further, e.gainst this theory (ver. 21)-'; in his dull insensibility the wic'ked man ·cares nought for the fate of his poi- tcrity. "For what pleasure is his house after him? "-what interest or concern has the selfish egotist in the sufferings of his descendants after he is dead and gone? And if this be so, how can it be alleged that the wicked man is punished in his pos- terity? "If the number of his mooIIS is allotted to him." 'fhe thought is that the selfish, pleasure-seeking bad man is content, if only he lives out the full measure of his days. Whe.t amidst these perplexities can keep the soul true to God aud steadfast in the pursuit of goodnCBS? Experience snggesm these doubts; and a larger experience must solve them. The Christian knows that in God's ordering of life the outward pros- perity is often unrelated to moral worth. The good things of this world cannot satisfy'; without a good conscience earthly happiness is impossible. Often the worldly pros- perity enjoyed by the bad man is the means of his destructfon._ •.This is not the scene of final recompense and retribution. Doubtless God, whose counsels ate inscrutable, will indemnify piollS sufferer.s for these earthly privations. 3,' Restatement· of the enigma. (Vers. 22-26.) The contrast in men's destinies to our expectations involves a Divine counrel which we may not presume to underst"and. "SbaH one teach God knowledge, who judges those that are high?" (ver. 22). Tia& friends haff·brought this thought forw&rd (eh.iv. 18 ; xv. 15) with the view of supportfog thei.r riarrow theory of retribution. Conversely, Job would refute by the same m:earis this short-sighted view, pointing to the unfathomable depth and, m,}'stery of the counsels and laws of God for the government of the world. Two examples illustrate this. 011;8 man: dies in bodily ease and comfort-his troughs full of milk, strong and vigorous· t.o the marro.w of his bones (vers. 23, 24). Another dies with bitterness in his soul, and he.a not enjoyed good (ver. 25). And yet they are united in one comm.tin· fate, thodgh their  TIIE 130OK OF ,JOB. 3118