The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 368

JoromiBh (xxiii. 28, Bqq.). God ie not 9.fnr off, but ne9.r to every cre9.turn----nr,t far from overy ono of ue (vers. 27, 28; Acts xvii.). To think th9.t Clod i11 too exalted to at.tend to our mean o.lfoire, ie to set out on the rorid of unhelief, sin, and ruin. Rather, her,aus~ God is so ox!lltcd, nothing is hidden from him. He is as manifest in the microscopio dust ns in the planoto.ry worlds. He knows our most secret deeds, our inmost foeling8, our sufferings th!lt most retire from the notice of others (Jer. xxiii. 23, 24; Ps. cxxxix. 1, sqq.; Mo.tt. vi. 8; 1 John iii. 20). 2. The overthrow of the _qodlesB. (Vera. 15----20.) "Wilt thou observe the way of the old world, which men of perdition trod? "-alluding, perh!!.ps,. to those before the Deluge (2 Pet. ii. 5). Swept away before their time, their foundation was poured away like a stream, so that they could not remain (ver. 16). These ungodly ones had so.id to God," Depart from us;" had asked, "What can the Almighty do for us?" (ver. 17). Job had in the previou8 chapter ( vers. 14, 15) put words like these into the mouth of the prosperous bad men; and now Eliphaz ascribes them to the subject of his description, to show Job that he approves up to a certain point of the representation he had made of the relation of external happiness to human guilt (Zockler). "And yet it was he that had filled their houses with blessing," giving the contrast between. the sudden Divine judgments and the previons prosperous condition which suagested their exemption from punishment. "The counsel of the wicked be far from me!" exclaims the speaker (ver. 18), echoing Job (eh. xxi. 16), as if to imply- only one who, like myself, has no doubt of God's retributive jnstice, may dare thus to speak. The wish of the godly is that God may draw near, ever nearer, to him; that of the ungodly. is always, "Remove, depart from us!" "They would willingly leave God his heaven, if he wpuld only leave them their earthly comfort" (Starke). Ver. 19, the overthrow of the wicked,is a subject of rejoicing, even of derision, to the righteous and innocent, according to the proverb, •• He laughs best who laughs last" (comp. Ps. !viii. 10, 11; lxiv. 9, 20). Ver. 20 contains the words of triumph of the godly, "Verily, our adversaries are destroyed, and their remainder the fire has consumed." Contrast the spirit of Christ (Matt. xxiii. 37; Luke xix. 42, sqq.; Jas. v. 19, 20). . III. EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE AND PROMISE OF SALVA.TION. (Vers. 21-30.) 1.. Ell!hO'l'tation. "Make friends with him, and be at peace'' (Jas. iv. 8), "thereby blessing will come to thee n (ver. 21); "Take instruction from his mouth" (Prov. ii. 6). "If thou returnest to the Almighty, thou wilt be built again; if thou put wrong far from thy .tents, and lay in. the dust the precious metal, and under the gravle of the brooks the Ophir gold "-getting rid of it as a worthless thing-" then will the .Almighty be thy Treasure, and silver in heaps" (vers. 23, 25; see on this sentiment the ~ew Testament passages, Matt.. vi. 20, 33; xix. 21; Luke xii. 33; 1 Tim. vi. 16-19). God's grace builds up what sin destroys.- To enjoy that grace is competency, is wealth. Deus meus et omnia! (Ps. lxxiii.. 25, 26). "Let thy heart rely on God, and thou mayest cast away thy gold, lose it without care; the Almighty remains thine inviolable Treasure; whilst, on the other hand,. without him the most troubled watching and anxiety are of no av1.1il" (vide Gerlach). 2. Promises continued. (Vers. 26-30.) "Yea, then thou wilt delight thyself in the Almighty, and lift up thy face to God" (ver. 26), in th.e freedom of a conscience without guilt (ch.xi.15; comp. Ps. xxxvii. 4; Isa. lviii.14). "If thou prayest to him, he will hear thee, and thy vows thou wilt pay" (Ps. xxii. 25; L 14; lxi. 8; !xv. 2). The vow is looked at in the light of promise rather than of duty; God willalways grant so,much that thou canst fulfil all thy vows. "If thou resolvest on anything, it will come to pass, and light shall beam on thy way. If they [the ways] go downwards, thou sayest, Up! "-a cry of triumph And thanksgiving. ".And to the cast down he gives help. He will deliver the not-innocent, and he is delivered by the cleanness of thy hsnds" (vers. 28-30). For the sake of thy innocence, which thou she.It have regained, Gpd will be gracious to others who need atonement for their guilt. Little does the Pharisaic speaker dream that it is he who will receive the pardon at God's hands for. Job's sake (eh. xiii. 8). The "prayer of a righteous man availeth much.n At his iutercession evil-doers may be spa.red, and not visited with the meritll(i punishment (Gen. xviii. 23, 24; Ezek. xiv. 14, sqq.).-J. Ver11. 2-11.-Thi, impartiality of the Divine judgment. Elipha.z knows ot no ea.use for eulfering but sin. Doubtless sin-tran!!gression of Divine laws-does lie deeply buried in the ciiuses of ht11I1an s~fferini, This is the fruitful seed from which 382 THE BOOK OF JOB. [OR. xn1. 1--30;