“Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? turn: or, look?”
He willeth Job to consider the example of all them that have lived or do live godly, whether any of them be like unto him in raging against God as he doth.
“For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. envy: or, indignation”
Murmuring against God in afflictions increaseth the pain, and uttered man’s folly.
“I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.”
That is, the sinner that hath not the fear of God. I was not moved with his prosperity, but knew that God had cursed him and his.
“His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.”
Though God sometimes suffer the fathers to pass in this world, yet his judgments will light upon their wicked children. By public judgment they shall be condemned, and none shall pity them.
“Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.”
Though there be but two or three ears left in the hedges, yet these shall be taken from him.
“Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; affliction: or, iniquity”
That is, the earth is not the cause of barrenness and man’s misery, but his own sin.
“Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. trouble: or, labour sparks: Heb. the sons of the burning coal lift up to fly”
Which declareth that sin is ever in our corrupt nature: for before sin it was not subject to pain and affliction.
“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:”
If I suffered as thou doest, I would seek unto God.
“Which doeth great things and unsearchable ; marvellous things without number: unsearchable: Heb. there is no search without: Heb. till there be no number”
He counselleth Job to humble himself unto God to whom all creatures are subject and whose works declare that man is inexcusable except he glorify God in all his works.
“Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: fields: Heb. outplaces”
He showeth by particular examples, what the works of God are.
“He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.”
Cross references: : 1 Cor. 3:19
“They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. meet: or, run into”
In things plain and evident they show themselves fools instead of wise men. This declareth that God punisheth the worldly wise, as he threatened, Deut. 28:29 .
“But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.”
That is, he that humbleth himself before God. He compareth the slander of the wicked to sharp swords.
“So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.”
If the wicked be compelled at God’s works to stop their mouths, much more they that profess God.
“He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.”
He will send trouble after trouble that his children may not for one time, but continually trust in him: but they shall have a comfortable issue, even in the greatest and the last, which is here called the seventh.
“At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.”
Whereas the wicked lament in their troubles, thou shalt have occasion to rejoice.
“For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.”
When we are in God’s favor, all creatures shall serve us.
“And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin. thy tabernacle: or, peace is thy tabernacle sin: or, err”
God shall so bless thee, that thou shalt have occasion to rejoice in all things, and not to be offended.
“Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. cometh in: Heb. ascendeth”
Though the children of God have not always this promise performed, yet God doth recompense it otherwise to their advantage.
“Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good. for: Heb. for thyself”
We have learned these points by experience, that God punisheth not the innocent, that man cannot compare in justice with him, that the hypocrites shall not long prosper, and that the affliction which man sustaineth, cometh for his own sin.