The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 361

higher re&lm of religion; that a man acting wisely, i.e. living under the influence of thal wisdom which oometh from above (Jes. iii. 17), filling his heart with that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom (eh. xxviil. 28; Ps. cxi. 10; Prqv. I. .7; Eccles. xii. 13), and shaping bis ways in aocordance with its instructions (eh. u.\li.U. 28; Prov. iii. 7; xvi. 6), eba.ll also advance his highest interests (Prov. iv. 8)-a sentiment likewise endorsed by Scripture (1 'rim. iv. 8; vi. 6) and experience. (3) An admonition• that the above la.w does not apply to ma.n 'e relations to his Creator; that a man eve~ in his best estate (Geber), which is wholly vanity (Ps. xxxix. 5), clothing himself in righteousness, and striving, with apparent success, to make his ways perfect, as Job l!omewhat boldly asserted he had done (eh. ix. 21; :xiii. 16), can confer nothing in the 11hape of increase or profit upon God; that his piety, which may be userul to himself (Prov. xix. 8) and helpful to his neighbours (Eccles. ix. 15), does not reach as. far as God in the way of bestowing advantage (eh. :xxxv. 7; Ps. xvi. 2), neither augmenting his felicity nor enhancing his sufficiency (Rom. xi. 35), and therefore cannot enter into God's calculatioilB in the distribution of rewards and punishments among his subjects as certainly it should not mingle with man's cogitations about himself (Luke :x.vii. 10): (4) A qualification. Nevertheless, God not only expresses himself as if the piety of his people did contribute to his felicity (Numb. xiv. 8; 1 Kings x. 9; Pd. xxxvii. 23; cxlvii. 11) and advantage (Matt. xxi. 41), but pathetically complains that sinful men are" together become unprofitable" (Rom. iii 12). 2. Not by fear of damage. (Ver. 4.) Eliphaz appears to mean that God haa as little reasnn to dread loss from man's wickedness (eh. xxxv. 6) as to expect gain from his godliness, and therefore no need to defend himself against man by either punishing him with undeserved calamities, or weakening him through unmerited rebukes. The sentiment may remind us (1) of man's weakness, which can do nothing against God, who sits enthroned in heaven far beyond the reach of Dlll.n's puny arm; (2) of sin's folly, which by all its craft ana contrivance ca.n succeed in inflicting damage only on itself; (3) of God's greatness, which remains unaffected by all the conspiracies of men and devils against his throne, his Law, his grace, his Person; (4) of affliction's design, which is not to crush but to convert man, not to reduce him to weakness but to bring him to repentance, not to evince the Di\·ine indignation against him but to attest the Divine love and compassion towards him. • II. THE J4ISTAKEN INFERENCE. That Job was a sinner. 1. The inference appearea obviou.s. (1) It was evident that Job was a great sufferer. (2) It was self-contradictory to suppose that God was chastising him on account of his piety. So some read the words, " Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?" literally, "for, or on account of, thy fear," i.e. thy piety i' No, verily. (3) It was inconceivable that God could be punishing him from any interested motive. Hence (4) it was a natural inference that Job's awimities were judicial visitations 011. account of sins. Therefore (6) Job, in spite of appearance11 to the contrary, must be a great sinner-in fact, a criminal of gigantic pro- portions, as Eliphaz next proceeds to show ( vers. 6-9). Nevertheless: 2. The inferenC6 was wrong. Since (1) Job was not a sinner in the sense intended by his accuser, but, as his conscience testified and God had declared, a perfect man and an upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil (2) Besides strict judicial retribution, and infliction of suffering from interested motives, there was a third alternative, of which Eliphaz appeared to be ignorant, viz. chastisement for the individual's good (Heh. xii. 10}-the view of suffering subsequently brought into prominence by Elihu (eh. xxxiii.14-30), and constantly exhibited in the gospeL And (3) in point of fact, Job was not being treated penally on account of any personal transgression. Hence (4) the inference of Eliphaz, though on his premisses correct, was essentially fallacious. Learn : 1. That the best saint has no more claim on God's grace and favour than the worst sinner. 2. That God's salvation of sinful men can in the case of none be of work and merit, but in the case of all must be of faith and grace. 3. 'rhat, as a special mark of condescension and kindness, God is pleased to accept and reward the services of his people as if they had been profitable unto himself. 4. That if God has no need of mau•s righteousneBB, man has infinite need of God's. 5. That, notwithstanding God derives no advantage from the piety of his creatures, he commands all men to make their ways perfect. 6. That, though God never reproves men out of fear, he sometimes does out of love. 7. That good people's piety is sometimes better than their logic. ' cm, nn. 1-30,J THE BOOK OF JOB, 375