Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Job
Book: Job
Chapter: 36
Overview:
Elihu desires
Job's attention.
(1-4) The methods in which
God
deals with men.
(5-14) Elihu counsels
Job.
(15-23) The wonders
in the
Works of
Creation.
(24-33)
1-4 Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his
trial; and lengthened because
Job was not yet thoroughly humbled
under it. He sought to ascribe
Righteousness to his Maker; to
clear this
Truth, that
God is righteous in all his ways. Such
knowledge must be learned from the
Word and
Spirit of
God, for
naturally we are estranged from it. The fitness of
Elihu's
discourse to the dispute between
Job and his friends is
Plain.
It pointed out to
Job the true reason of those trials with which
he had been visited. It taught that
God had acted in
Mercy towards him, and the spiritual benefit he was to derive
from them. It corrected the mistake of his friends, and showed
that
Job's calamities were for good.
5-14 Elihu here shows that
God Acts as righteous
Governor. He
is always ready to defend those that are injured. If our
Eye is
ever toward
God in duty, his
Eye will be ever upon us in
Mercy,
and, when we are at the lowest, will not overlook us.
God
intends, when he afflicts us, to discover past sins to us, and
to bring them to our remembrance. Also, to dispose our hearts to
be taught: affliction makes people willing to learn, through the
Grace of
God working with and
By it. And further, to deter us
from sinning for the future. It is a command, to have
No more to
do with
Sin. If we faithfully serve
God, we have the promise of
the
Life that now is, and the comforts of it, as far as is for
God's
Glory and our good: and who would desire them any further?
We have the possession of inward pleasures, the great peace
which those have that
Love God's
Law. If the affliction fail in
its work, let men expect the
Furnace to be heated till they are
consumed. Those that die without knowledge, die without
Grace,
and are undone for ever. See the nature of hypocrisy; it lies in
the
Heart: that is for the world and the
Flesh, while perhaps
the outside seems to be for
God and religion. Whether sinners
die in youth, or live long to
Heap up wrath, their case is
dreadful. The souls of the wicked live after
Death, but it is in
Everlasting misery.
15-23 Elihu shows that
Job caused the continuance of his own
trouble. He cautions him not to persist in frowardness. Even
good men need to be kept to their duty
By the fear of
God's
wrath; the wisest and best have enough in them to deserve his
stroke. Let not
Job continue his unjust quarrel with
God and his
Providence. And let us never dare to think favourably of
Sin,
never indulge it, nor allow ourselves in it.
Elihu thinks
Job
needed this caution, he having
Chosen rather to gratify his
pride and humour
By contending with
God, than to mortify them
By
submitting, and accepting the
Punishment. It is absurd for us to
think to teach Him who is himself the
Fountain of
Light,
Truth,
knowledge, and instruction. He teaches
By the
Bible, and that is
the best
Book; teaches
By his Son, and he is the best Master. He
is just in all proceedings.
24-33 Elihu endeavours to fill
Job with high thought of
God,
and
So to persuade him into cheerful submission to his
Providence.
Man may see
God's
Works, and is capable of
discerning his
Hand in them, which the beasts are not, therefore
they ought to give him the
Glory. But while the worker of
iniquity ought to tremble, the true believer should rejoice.
Children should hear with pleasure their
Father's voice, even
when he speaks in terror to his enemies. There is
No Light but
there may be a
Cloud to intercept it. The
Light of the favour of
God, the
Light of his countenance, the most blessed
Light of
all, even that
Light has many a
Cloud. The clouds of our sins
cause the
Lord to hide his
Face, and hinder the
Light of his
loving-kindness from shining
On our souls.