The following commentary covers Chapters 38 through 42.
Jehovah
Himself speaks: Job made to know himself
Jehovah then speaks, and
addressing Job, carries on the subject. He makes Job
sensible of his nothingness. Job confesses himself to be
vile, and declares that he will be silent before God. The
Lord resumes the discourse, and Job acknowledges that he
has darkened counsel by speaking of that which he
understood not. But now, still more submissively, he
declares openly his real condition. Formerly he had heard
of God by the hearing of the ear; now his eye had seen
Him, wherefore he abhors himself and repents in dust and
ashes. This is the effect of having seen God, and of
finding himself in His presence. The work of God was
accomplished—the work of His perfect goodness, which
would not leave Job without causing him to know himself,
without bringing him into God's own presence. The object
of discipline was attained, and Job is surrounded with
more blessings than before.
The lessons of the
book of Job
We learn two things here;
first, that man cannot stand in the presence of God; and
secondly, the ways of God for the instruction of the
inner man.
It is also a picture of
God's dealings with the Jews on the earth.
The place of
Satan: God's work
The Book of Job plainly
sets before us also the teaching of the Spirit, as to the
place which Satan occupies in the dealings of God and His
government, with respect to man on the earth. We may also
remark the perfect and faithful care of God, from whom
(whatever may have been the malice of Satan) all this
proceeded, because He saw that Job needed it. We observe
that it is God who sets the case of Job before Satan, and
that the latter disappears from the scene; because here
it is a question of his doings on the earth, and not of
his inward temptations. Further, if God had stopped short
in the outward afflictions, Job would have had fresh
cause for self-complacency. Man might have judged that
those afflictions were ample. But the evil of Job's heart
consisted in his resting on the fruits of grace in
himself, and this would have only increased the good
opinion he had already entertained of himself: kind in
prosperity, he would have been also patient in adversity.
God therefore carries on His work, that Job may know
himself.
The depths of
Job's heart displayed
Either the sympathy of his
friends (for we can bear alone, and from God in His
presence, that which we cannot bear when we have the
opportunity of making our complaint before man), or the
pride which is not roused while we are alone but which is
wounded when others witness our misery, or perhaps the
two together, upset the mind of Job; and he curses the
day of his birth. The depths of his heart. are displayed.
It was this that he needed.
Job, humbled, can
be blessed
We have thus, man standing
between Satan, the accuser, and God, the question being
not God's revelation of everlasting righteousness, but
His ways with the soul of man in this world. The godly
man comes into trouble. This has to be accounted for, the
friends insisting that this world is an adequate
expression of God's righteous government, and that
consequently as Job had made great profession of piety he
was a hypocrite. This he stoutly denies, but his will
unbroken rises up against God. God has chosen to do it,
and he cannot help it. Only he is sure if he could find
Him, He would put words in his mouth. He spoke well of
Him though in rebellion, and thinking of his goodness as
his own. Still he affirms that though there was a
government, this world did not shew it as his friends
said; but he is not broken down before God. Elihu comes
in, the interpreter, one among a thousand (and
practically how rare they are!) and he shews God's
discipline with man and with the righteous, and rebukes
both sides with intelligence. Then God comes in and puts
Job in his place by the revelation of Himself; but owns
Job's right feeling as to Him, and puts the friends in
their true place, and Job is to intercede for them. Job,
humbled, can be fully blessed. This knowledge of self in
God's sight is of all importance; we are never humble nor
distrustful of self till then.
Job 38 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Jehovah Himself speaks: Job made to know himself
Jehovah then speaks, and addressing Job, carries on the subject. He makes Job sensible of his nothingness. Job confesses himself to be vile, and declares that he will be silent before God. The Lord resumes the discourse, and Job acknowledges that he has darkened counsel by speaking of that which he understood not. But now, still more submissively, he declares openly his real condition. Formerly he had heard of God by the hearing of the ear; now his eye had seen Him, wherefore he abhors himself and repents in dust and ashes. This is the effect of having seen God, and of finding himself in His presence. The work of God was accomplished—the work of His perfect goodness, which would not leave Job without causing him to know himself, without bringing him into God's own presence. The object of discipline was attained, and Job is surrounded with more blessings than before.
The lessons of the book of Job
We learn two things here; first, that man cannot stand in the presence of God; and secondly, the ways of God for the instruction of the inner man.
It is also a picture of God's dealings with the Jews on the earth.
The place of Satan: God's work
The Book of Job plainly sets before us also the teaching of the Spirit, as to the place which Satan occupies in the dealings of God and His government, with respect to man on the earth. We may also remark the perfect and faithful care of God, from whom (whatever may have been the malice of Satan) all this proceeded, because He saw that Job needed it. We observe that it is God who sets the case of Job before Satan, and that the latter disappears from the scene; because here it is a question of his doings on the earth, and not of his inward temptations. Further, if God had stopped short in the outward afflictions, Job would have had fresh cause for self-complacency. Man might have judged that those afflictions were ample. But the evil of Job's heart consisted in his resting on the fruits of grace in himself, and this would have only increased the good opinion he had already entertained of himself: kind in prosperity, he would have been also patient in adversity. God therefore carries on His work, that Job may know himself.
The depths of Job's heart displayed
Either the sympathy of his friends (for we can bear alone, and from God in His presence, that which we cannot bear when we have the opportunity of making our complaint before man), or the pride which is not roused while we are alone but which is wounded when others witness our misery, or perhaps the two together, upset the mind of Job; and he curses the day of his birth. The depths of his heart. are displayed. It was this that he needed.
Job, humbled, can be blessed
We have thus, man standing between Satan, the accuser, and God, the question being not God's revelation of everlasting righteousness, but His ways with the soul of man in this world. The godly man comes into trouble. This has to be accounted for, the friends insisting that this world is an adequate expression of God's righteous government, and that consequently as Job had made great profession of piety he was a hypocrite. This he stoutly denies, but his will unbroken rises up against God. God has chosen to do it, and he cannot help it. Only he is sure if he could find Him, He would put words in his mouth. He spoke well of Him though in rebellion, and thinking of his goodness as his own. Still he affirms that though there was a government, this world did not shew it as his friends said; but he is not broken down before God. Elihu comes in, the interpreter, one among a thousand (and practically how rare they are!) and he shews God's discipline with man and with the righteous, and rebukes both sides with intelligence. Then God comes in and puts Job in his place by the revelation of Himself; but owns Job's right feeling as to Him, and puts the friends in their true place, and Job is to intercede for them. Job, humbled, can be fully blessed. This knowledge of self in God's sight is of all importance; we are never humble nor distrustful of self till then.