The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 601

plainest decle.re.tions of Scripture (Gen. i. 1), barmonie;es more 1iuctly than any other theory with the dictates of re&Son. 2. A perfectly fonisked work. .Aa in the Mosaio cOt1mogony Elohim is represented ae beginning, oorrying forward through auccesslve 11tages, and oornpleting the prepe.ration of the newly made earth as me.n'a e.hode so here Jehovah adnnces a like claim in behalf of himself. Under the image ;f a building he describes the earth, in its construction, as he.ving been ple.nned by him: "Who," i.e. but me, '' hath determined its measure? " founded by him : " Where wast thou when I e!ltablished the earth?" erected by him: "Whereupon are the founde.tions" t'..e. the bases of its pillars, "fastened ? " finished by him: " Who bath laid the corne~- Btone thereof?" 8. .A firmly secured work. Not, however, in the sense of standing still and without motion (Caryl), but in that of being permanently established. Tbo oonstitution and course of nature, though not unalterable at the will of him by whom it bath been decreed, is yet so definitely settled that man can reckon on its uniformity. It can be overthrown by neither accident nor design. The properties and laws of matter are so certain in their operation, that some reasoners have folsely concluded them to be immutable. II. TuE CREATION OF THE EARTH WAS THE BONG OF THE ANGELS. 1. The singers: tM a11gels. The race of spiritual intelligences who inhabit the heavenly world (Ps. lxviii. 17; Matt. xviii. 10; John i. 61), who are here described by: (1) Their place in creation; being styled (according to one exposition of the passage) "morning stars," as having been first created, the first beings summoned into the broad expanse of dependent existence (Gen. iii. 24; Ps. viii. 6), as the morn- ing stars appear to swim out first into the vault of heaven; as being possessed of incomparable ex.cellence of nature (Ps. ciii. 20), as the morning stars outshine all other stars in brilliance; or as being the harbingers or heralds of succeeding and perhaps higher creatures than themselves (John i. 61), as the morning star serves to usher in t.hrough tbe portals of the dawn the golden chariot of the sun. (2) Their relatidn to God; being designated his "sons," not as Christ is, who is the Father's Only Begotten (Ps. iL 7; John i. 18; .Acts :x:iil, 33)-an honour never conferred upon the angels (Heb. i. 5); or as saints a.re, by regeneration and adoption (John i. 12)-an experience which the unfallen angels do not need, and the fallen ones do not get; out probably as Adam was (Luke iii 38), and as men in general are (.Acts xvii. 28)1 to indicate their dependence upon, and constitutional likeness to, God their Creator. 2. Their song: an antMm of creation. Which also is characterized in a twofold way: (1) By its outward expression, as vocal," they sang," giving utterance to their emotions in the tongue of immortals; as chore.I, " they sang together," preserving harmony in their singing, maintaining a delightful concord of sweet sounds; as universal, "all the sons of God shouted," there was not a voice in the innumerable throng that was silent (cf. 'Merchant of Venice,' act v. sc. I); as cordial, "they shouted," expressive of the hearty vehemence and exuberant gladness with which they poured forth their heavenly melodies. (2) By its inward inspiration, as proceeding from the full tide of joy which rose and swelled within their breasts, which joy was occasioned by admiration of the great Creator's power, contemplation of the Divine Artificer's wisdom, appreciation of the Infinite Father's goodness, anticipation of the supreme God's purpose, in calling forth from the wide womb of non-existence, by a single fiat of omnipotence, a world so wondrously fair, for an end of which it may have been given to their angelic minds to form some by no means dim cooception, viz. to be the future home of man. III. THE CREATION OF THE EARTH A BTODY FOB MAN. As such it was propounded t.o Job, who was asked to receive lessons from it as to three points. 1. The brevity of man's life as cutr1pMedwith the existence of God. "Where wast thou when I founded the earth l' Thou wast not then born I Thy days on earth are as a shadow. .A few yairs ago thou hadst no existence. But I, thy Creator, whom thou dost foolishly arr~un, had a being before the world was)" Nothing is more fitted to impress man with a IIC3nse of the utter vanity and insignificance of this terrestrial existence of which he partakes than a coatemplation of the eternity of God. 2. The ignorance qf man'H mir,d Q.IJ e,om,pa,red with the omniscience of God. Jehovah asks the patriarch if be could tell how the pillars of the globe wert fastened in their socktts, or how either the foundation or comer stoaes of the siu pendoue fabric were laid in their places, and ii:ud BO u io continue permanent and immovable. "Declare, if thou hast understanding." ob. xxxvtn. 1-41.J 1'HE BOOtt OF JOB. 617