Job 23-24

In these chapters, Job first directs his plea to God to be heard in His judgment and then to Eliphaz to rekindle the argument of affliction of the righteous vs. the prosperity of the wicked.

Chapter 23:
Matthew Henry's Overview:
This chapter begins Job's reply to Eliphaz. In this reply he takes no notice of his friends, either because he saw it was to no purpose or because he liked the good counsel Eliphaz gave him in the close of his discourse so well that he would make no answer to the peevish reflections he began with but he appeals to God, begs to have his cause heard, and doubts not but to make it good, having the testimony of his own conscience concerning his integrity. Here seems to be a struggle between flesh and spirit, fear and faith, throughout this chapter. I. He complains of his calamitous condition, and especially of God's withdrawings from him, so that he could not get his appeal heard (Job 23:2-5), nor discern the meaning of God's dealings with him (Job 23:8,9), nor gain any hope of relief, Job 23:13,14. This made deep impressions of trouble and terror upon him, Job 23:15-17. But, II. In the midst of these complaints he comforts himself with the assurance of God's clemency (Job 23:6,7), and his own integrity, which God himself was a witness to, Job 23:10-12. Thus was the light of his day like that spoken of,Zechariah 14:6,7, neither perfectly clear nor perfectly dark, but "at evening time it was light."

Verse 2: "Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning"

MH: We wrong God if our groaning be heavier than our stroke, like froward children, who, when they cry for nothing, have justly something given them to cry for but we do not wrong ourselves though our stroke be heavier than our groaning, for little said is soon amended.

Verse 3: "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!"

MH: But Job here seems to complain too boldly that his friends wronged him and he knew not which way to apply himself to God to have justice done him, else he would go even to his seat, to demand it. A patient waiting for death and judgment is our wisdom and duty, and, if we duly consider things, that cannot be without a holy fear and trembling but a passionate wishing for death or judgment, without any such fear and trembling, is our sin and folly, and ill becomes us. Do we know what death and judgment are, and are we so very ready for them, that we need not time to get readier? Woe to those that thus, in a heat, desire the day of the Lord, Amos 5:18.

Verse 4: "I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments."

MH: He is so sure of the goodness of his own cause that he longs to be opening it at God's bar (Job 23:4): "I would order my cause before him, and set it in a true light. I would produce the evidences of my sincerity in a proper method, and would fill my mouth with arguments to prove it." We may apply this to the duty of prayer, in which we have boldness to enter into the holiest and to come even to the footstool of the throne of grace. We have not only liberty of access, but liberty of speech. We have leave, (1.) To be particular in our requests, to order our cause before God, to speak the whole matter, to lay before him all our grievances, in what method we think most proper we durst not be so free with earthly princes as a humble holy soul may be with God. (2.) To be importunate in our requests. We are allowed, not only to pray, but to plead, not only to ask, but to argue nay, to fill our mouths with arguments, not to move God (he is perfectly apprized of the merits of the cause without our showing), but to move ourselves, to excite our fervency and encourage our faith in prayer.

Verse 7: "There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my judge."

MH: There, in the court of heaven, when the final sentence is to be given, the righteous might dispute with him and come off in his righteousness. Now, even the upright are often chastened of the Lord, and they cannot dispute against it; integrity itself is no fence either against calamity or calumny but in that day they shall not be condemned with the world, though God may afflict by prerogative. Then you shall discern between the righteous and the wicked (Malachi 3:18), so vast will be the difference between them in their everlasting state whereas now we can scarcely distinguish them, so little is the difference between them as to their outward condition, for all things come alike to all. Then, when the final doom is given, "I shall be delivered for ever from my Judge," that is, "I shall be saved from the unjust censures of my friends and from that divine sentence which is now so much a terror to me." Those that are delivered up to God as their owner and ruler shall be for ever delivered from him as their judge and avenger and there is no flying from his justice but by flying to his mercy.

Verses 8-9: "8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:"

MH: Here, I. Job complains that he cannot understand the meaning of God's providences concerning him, but is quite at a loss about them (Job 23:8,9): I go forward, but he is not there, &c. Eliphaz had bid him acquaint himself with God. "So I would, with all my heart," says Job, "If I knew how to get acquainted with him."

That he could not find out the cause of his troubles, nor the sin which provoked God to contend with him. He took a view of his whole conversation, turned to every side of it, and could not perceive wherein he had sinned more than others, for which he should thus be punished more than others nor could he discern what other end God should aim at in afflicting him thus.

Verse 10: "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

After Job had almost lost himself in the labyrinth of the divine counsels, how contentedly does he sit down, at length, with this thought: "Though I know not the way that he takes (for his way is in the sea and his path in the great waters, his thoughts and ways are infinitely above ours and it would be presumption in us to pretend to judge of them), yet he knows the way that I take," Job 23:10.

"He knows that, however I may sometimes have taken a false step, yet I have still taken a good way, have chosen the way of truth, and therefore he knows it," that is, he accepts it, and is well pleased with it, as he is said to know the way of the righteous, Psalm 1:6.

From this Job infers, When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. Those that keep the way of the Lord may comfort themselves, when they are in affliction, with these three things:-- [1.] That they are but tried. It is not intended for their hurt, but for their honour and benefit it is the trial of their faith, 1 Peter 1:7. [2.] That, when they are sufficiently tried, they shall come forth out of the furnace, and not be left to consume in it as dross or reprobate silver. The trial will have an end. God will not contend for ever. [3.] That they shall come forth as gold, pure in itself and precious to the refiner. They shall come forth as gold approved and improved, found to be good and made to be better. Afflictions are to us as we are those that go gold into the furnace will come out no worse.

Verses 11-12: "11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

That God's word was the rule he walked by, Job 23:12. He governed himself by the commandment of God's lips, and would not go back from that, but go forward according to it. Whatever difficulties we may meet with in the way of God's commandments, though they lead us through a wilderness, yet we must never think of going back, but must press on towards the mark. Job kept closely to the law of God in his conversation, for both his judgment and his affection led him to it: I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food that is, he looked upon it as his necessary food he could as well have lived without his daily bread as without the word of God. I have laid it up (so the word is), as those that lay up provision for a siege, or as Joseph laid up corn before the famine. Eliphaz had told him to lay up God's words in his heart, Job 22:22. "I do," says he, "and always did, that I might not sin against him, and that, like the good householder, I might bring forth for the good of others." Note, The word of God is to our souls what our necessary food is to our bodies it sustains the spiritual life and strengthens us for the actions of life it is that which we cannot subsist without, and which nothing else can make up the want of: and we ought therefore so to esteem it, to take pains for it, hunger after it, feed upon it with delight, and nourish our souls with it and this will be our rejoicing in the day of evil, as it was Job's here.

Verses 13-17: "13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. 15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. 16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me: 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face."

He lays down good truths, and truths which were capable of a good improvement, Job 23:13,14.
1. That God's counsels are immutable: He is in one mind, and who can turn him? He is one (so some read it) or in one he has no counsellors by whose interest he might be prevailed with to alter his purpose

2. That his power is irresistible: What his soul desires or designs even that he does, and nothing can stand in his way or put him upon new counsels. Men desire many things which they may not do, or cannot do, or dare not do. But God has an incontestable sovereignty his will is so perfectly pure and right that it is highly fit he should pursue all its determinations. And he has an uncontrollable power. None can stay his hand. Whatever the Lord pleased that did he (Psalm 135:6), and always will, for it is always best.

3. That all he does is according to the counsel of his will (Job 23:14): He performs the thing that is appointed for me. Whatever happens to us, it is God that performs it (Psalm 57:2), and an admirable performance the whole will appear to be when the mystery of God shall be finished. He performs all that, and that only, which was appointed, and in the appointed time and method. This may silence us, for what is appointed cannot be altered. But to consider that, when God was appointing us to eternal life and glory as our end, he was appointing to this condition, this affliction, whatever it is, in our way, this may do more than silence us, it may satisfy us that it is all for the best though what he does we know not now, yet we shall know hereafter.

4. That all he does is according to the custom of his providence: Many such things are with him, that is, He does many things in the course of his providence which we can give no account of, but must resolve into his absolute sovereignty. Whatever trouble we are in others have been in the like. Our case is not singular the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren, 1 Peter 5:9. Are we sick or sore, impoverished and stripped? Are our children removed by death or our friends unkind? This is what God has appointed for us, and many such things are with him. Shall the earth be forsaken for us?

He makes but a bad use of these good truths. Had he duly considered them, he might have said, "Therefore am I easy and pleased, and well reconciled to the way of my God concerning me therefore will I rejoice in hope that my troubles will issue well at last." But he said, Therefore am I troubled at his presence, Job 23:15.

See what impressions were made upon him by the wounds of his spirit.
1. He was very fearful (Job 23:16): The Almighty troubled him, and so made his heart soft, that is, utterly unable to bear any thing, and afraid of every thing that stirred. There is a gracious softness, like that of Josiah, whose heart was tender, and trembled at the word of God but this is meant of a grievous softness which apprehends every thing that is present to be pressing and every thing future to be threatening.
2. He was very fretful, peevish indeed, for he quarrels with God,
(1.) Because he did not die before his troubles, that he might never have seen them (Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Job 23:17), and yet if, in the height of his prosperity, he had received a summons to the grave, he would have thought it hard. This may help to reconcile us to death, whenever it comes, that we do not know what evil we may be taken away from. But when trouble comes it is folly to wish we had not lived to see it and it is better to make the best of it.
(2.) Because he was left to live so long in his troubles, and the darkness was not covered from his face by his being hidden in the grave. We should bear the darkness better than thus if we would but remember that to the upright there sometimes arises a marvellous light in the darkness however, there is reserved for them a more marvellous light after it.

Chapter 24:
Matthew Henry's Overview:
Job having by his complaints in the foregoing chapter given vent to his passion, and thereby gained some ease, breaks them off abruptly, and now applies himself to a further discussion of the doctrinal controversy between him and his friends concerning the prosperity of wicked people. That many live at ease who yet are ungodly and profane, and despise all the exercises of devotion, he had shown, Job 21:1-34 Now here he goes further, and shows that many who are mischievous to mankind, and live in open defiance to all the laws of justice and common honesty, yet thrive and succeed in their unrighteous practices and we do not see them reckoned with in this world. What he had said before (Job 12:6), "The tabernacles of robbers prosper," he here enlarges upon. He lays down his general proposition (Job 24:1), that the punishment of wicked people is not so visible and apparent as his friends supposed, and then proves it by an induction of particulars. I. Those that openly do wrong to their poor neighbours are not reckoned with, nor the injured righted (Job 24:2-12), though the former are very barbarous, Job 24:21,22. II. Those that secretly practise mischief often go undiscovered and unpunished, Job 24:13-17. III. That God punished such by secret judgments and reserves them for future judgments (Job 24:18-20,23-25), so that, upon the whole matter, we cannot say that all who are in trouble are wicked for it is certain that all who are in prosperity are not righteous.

[Job 24:1 KJV] 1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

Pulpit Commentary: Why, seeing times are not hidden from the almighty. By "times" seem to be meant God's special periods of exhibiting himself in action as the moral Governor of the world, vindicating the righteous, and taking vengeance upon sinners. Such "times" are frequently spoken of in the prophetical Scriptures as "days of the Lord" (see Isaiah 2:12; Isaiah 3:18; Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 13:6, Isaiah 13:9; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, Joel 2:11; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7, Zephaniah 1:14, etc.). They are, of course, "not hidden" from him, seeing that it is he who determines on them beforehand, and, when their fixed date is come, makes them special "days," or "times," different from all others. Do they who know him not see his days? i.e. why are even they, who know and serve God, kept in the dark as to these "times," so that they do not foresee them or know when they are coming? This is to Job a great perplexity.

[Job 24:25 KJV] 25 And if [it be] not [so] now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

Pulpit: And if it be not so now; i.e. "if these things be not as I say." Who will make me a liar? Which of you will stand forth and disprove them, and so "make me a liar "? And make my speech nothing worth? Show, i.e.' my whole discourse to be valueless. This bold challenge no one attempts to take up.