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Job_40:1-7
The Lord has spoken. His first object has been to bring Job into a proper state of mind, by beating down the boldness and presumption which he had repeatedly evinced in speaking of the Divine dealings with mankind, and with himself in particular. This is effected by showing him, by many examples drawn from the visible creation, his utter incompetence to judge of the ways of God. The argument, as we have already stated it, is—that since in these, his outer works, the Lord has evinced so much power and wisdom, and since, even in these, there is so much that surpasses man’s comprehension, He is entitled to claim implicit trust in his moral government of the world; and that whatever He does, whether immediately comprehensible or not, whether He gives or takes, the only proper feeling for man is, that He does and must, from the essential attributes of his being, even as evinced in his works of creation, do all things wisely, justly, and well; and that it is the height of ignorant presumption to arraign any part of his doings at the bar of human judgment. This touched the core of Job’s offence; and he felt it.
At the point we have indicated, the Lord seems to have made a pause as if to afford the patriarch the opportunity he had so earnestly desired of pleading his own cause before the Lord. But the perception that he had in this matter so heinously offended, and so justly rendered himself obnoxious to the Divine displeasure, appalled the man who had so often insisted upon his uprightness. He perceived now that there was an uprightness of judgment towards God no less needful than uprightness of conduct towards man. He felt that there were sins of the mind not less blameworthy, and often more blameworthy, than sins of life and conversation. He perceived that herein he had failed—had sinned in the midst of the great trials to which he had been subjected. This conviction had its proper effect. His habitually conscientious and reverent mind was shocked at the perception of the sin into which he had fallen; and his heart was now thoroughly humbled. This kept him silent. But an answer was expected—was demanded from him. The Lord said, “Will he who disputes with the Almighty, now instruct Him? Will the reprover of God now answer?” To this Job could not but reply; and his answer is that of a man heart-smitten—of one shaken where he had deemed himself most secure: “Behold, I am vile: what shall I answer Thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea twice; but I will proceed no further.” It is marvellous in the face of this plain confession and deep contrition, and of the fact that the Lord’s address is mainly applied to his conviction, that Job’s part in the controversy has been deemed all but perfect and blameless. Job himself knew better. He confesses that repeatedly in the endeavor to vindicate himself, he had spoken of God in an irreverent and improper manner; and declares he will not repeat what he said, or attempt any further vindication of himself. He felt in his very heart that the Lord was right; that he had often indulged in a most unbecoming spirit towards God, and that all which became him was a humble and penitent acknowledgment in the fewest possible words. These words were the best that could be chosen under the circumstances. “Behold, I am vile!” was ample and all-sufficient. Remorse is never wordy. And the real penitence of any one is open to distrust who finds it needful to say much more than can be comprised in such simple phrases as “Behold, I am vile”—“God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
The Lord then, to strengthen this salutary impression upon Job’s mind, resumed the argument which had been interrupted, to afford Job the opportunity of speaking and of carrying his cause before the Almighty, as he had so frequently desired. The sequel of the argument is precisely of the same purport as the previous portion. It is an extension of it, and an enforcement of it by new illustrations.
It must be seen that this sublime argument, although perfectly suited to the state of knowledge and the measure of light which existed in the time of Job, and therefore the only effectual one that could be given, is not of the kind which would now be given, under the later and higher teachings of the Holy Spirit, which have disclosed to us things “hidden from ages and from generations.” The argument is not so conducted as to explain or remove the difficulties under which Job and his friends labored, but to overpower them by the Divine sovereignty and prerogative.
Job is not informed why the wicked are often allowed to live in this world prosperously, nor why the righteous are often overwhelmed with afflictions. The Lord does not show how the sufferings of the upright are consistent with his approbation of their conduct; and far less does He anywhere refer to the retributions of the world to come. He does not say that the inequalities of this life will all be adjusted there; that the wicked, however much they may have prospered here, will there meet their just doom; nor that the righteous, however much they may here have suffered, shall there find abundant compensation for all their trials. Most of us might have anticipated, when the Lord, with such pomp and awe of nature, appeared to give his high decision, that this would be the line of argument taken—as it is the one to which we should now, under the like circumstances, resort. But a little reflection will suffice to slow us that nothing like this was to be expected. It would have been too far in advance of the knowledge then possessed in the world, and would have been an untimely anticipation of the great and consoling truths which it was reserved for Christianity to open. God’s teaching of men had been from the first progressive, and while yet in the infancy of sacred knowledge, He saw not fit to set before them the high matters reserved for their manhood. God has in all time fed his children with milk, and given his meat to men of full age. He could doubtless have imparted the fullest knowledge at first. The question is not of what He can do, but of what He has seen best to do. No doubt He might have made the sun’s light rise every morning in noontide glory, instead of gradually increasing to the perfect day. He could have ordained that every plant should at once yield forth its seed, without the slow process of bud, and blossom, and fruit. He could have decreed that man should be born in maturity of strength and intellect, instead of first passing through many years of immaturity and weakness. He could have sent his well-beloved Son into the world—He could have poured down the Pentecostal Spirit, as easily in the time of Abraham, of David, of Hezekiah, of Daniel, as in that of Tiberias Caesar. It suffices that he has not done so—that He has seen fit to make all things progressive. So was it with religious truth, until Christ came to set his seal—the seal of his blood, to all that patriarchs had hoped, all that priests had shadowed forth, and all that prophets had uttered. This is not a speculation. It is a fact; and we ought to be satisfied with it. If we are not, we sin as Job sinned, and lay ourselves open to more severe rebuke, seeing that our light is greater than his.
But although the considerations presented to the mind of Job were not such as would alone be presented to ourselves under the like circumstances, they form no mean part of what might be presented for our comfort and satisfaction under severe trial and affliction. That the Lord has a right to reign over us; and that we are bound to a cheerful submission to his dispensations towards us, not because we see the reasons of them, but because it is his will concerning us, and we know that He cannot but will our essential good—still form proper grounds of argument with the afflicted, and sometimes indeed amount to nearly all that can be urged.