The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 519

Ver. 8.-The common impiration of man. Elihu here utters a great and daring thought. He turns from the dogmas of the ancients to the present Divine inspira- tion ; from the teaching of authority to the voice of truth in the heart of man. I. THERE IBA DrvIKE INSPIRATION OF MAN. Elihu affirms its existence. The old men had grown stiff in thought, worldly, and dim-sighted. If ever they had quivered beneath the touch of inspiration this was in bygone days, and they had forgotten the experience. But the young, enthn8iastic Elihu is alive to spiritual influei;ice. Here we are at the root of religion, which does not spring from man's worship of God, but from God's touching man. II. Tars INSPIRATION IS FOB ALL MEN. Elihu is not thinking of the special and rare vision of the seer which Eliphaz had described as so awe-inspiring (ch. iv. 12-16). He is thinking of something more simple, more natural, and more common. 0-od does not only teach us indirectly by means of prophets and intermediate messengers. He has not left himself without witness in the heart of man. Conscience is the voice of God in the soul. Reason in man is a spark from the Logos, the great Word and Reason of God. Whenever men read truth they are in contact with the ever-present Spirit of truth. We do not live in a God-deserted world, nor in one that is only visited at rare intervals by Divine influences. God is nearer to 118 than we suspect. Job has been crying out for God ; Elihu shows that God is not far off. III. THE COMMON INSPIRATION OF MAN IS SEEN IN VA.BIOUS F0BMij, It does not make every man a prophet, much lees does it always confer the gift of infallibility. In Bezaleel it was a faculty for artistic workmanship (Exod. xxxv. 30-35). Samson found it a source of physical strength (Judg. xiii. 25). God gives bis Spirit in science, leading men to truth; in art, teaching what is bea11tiful, and helping men to discriminate between meretricious, hurtful art and true, fruitful art; in daily life, affording guidance in per- plexity and strength in difficulty; in reUgion, not only under the Jewish and Christian dispensations, where indeed it is most gloriously developed, but in every truly religious life. God has not abandoned India, nor did he abandon Greece or Egypt. Even amidst the monstrous delusions and the gross corruptions of heathenism the still small voice of God may be detected. Whatever is good and true in the world is an inspiration of God. IV. CBRIIITIANITY DEEPENS AND QUICKENS THE INSPmATION OF MAN. Joel predicted the time when God's Spirit should be poured out on all flesh (Joel ii. 28), and St. Peter claimed that that time had come on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 16-18). St. Paul tells us that all Christiane together constitute a temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor, vi. 19). li the Spirit of God is felt in the world, much more must the gracious Divine pre.sence be enjoyed in the Church. Every Christian is, indeed, an inspired man. He is not infallible. But he has a Guide to truth, a Comforter in distress, a Strength for service, and a Grace for holinese.-W. F. A. Ver. 20.-TM refre.lvment of apt,«h. Elihu will speak that he may be refreehe4- I,et us comider aome of the way■ in which thie ref~hment way be oii:perill11Ceq, (lit, Xl:Xlt, 1-22,j THE BOOK OF JOU. 633