Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man.
Divine providence
He who believes in the being of a God, must logically believe in the doctrine of Divine providence. That providence is over all things--a general providence--must imply a particular providence, for all generals are made up of particulars. And to God nothing can be great or small. We cannot understand the mysteries of Divine providence, any more than we can perfectly comprehend the mysteries of the work of creation. God’s government is truly paternal. He cares for His children, and more especially for their higher interests. Nothing can happen to us by chance, for everything is ordered and regulated by His wisdom and power and goodness. By various ways the discipline of Divine providence may be exercised upon us, and we may gather illustrations of its purpose from various sources.
1. We perceive the moral purpose of Divine providence in overruling the original curse. That which has fallen upon our whole race as a dark cloud brought upon us by sin, has yet its edges fringed with silvery light, and we learn that there is hope for men even in the midst of the curse.
2. In the usual consequences of vice and virtue, of holiness and sin. All observation and testimony makes it clear that God is on the side of virtue, and against vice; that no crimes pass unnoticed by His eye. Although there are not such uniform consequences following transgression or virtue as to make us think that in this life the whole judgment is complete, yet there is enough to tell us that there is verily a God that judgeth in the earth; that while there is a good deal yet wrong, there is a day coming when God will judge men according to the Gospel. The sins of the flesh are punished in the flesh. The sins of the spirit are punished in the spirit. Where there is reformation, the immediate consequences of men’s sins are not obviated in every instance, and yet it is a step in the right direction.
3. This arrangement of Divine providence is strongly marked in the inherent vanity which is stamped on all earthly good. Why do I but pursue that which flits before me, and eludes my grasp like a shadow? This is intended to teach man this great lesson, that out of God Himself man shall not be happy; no earthly good can be man’s end and rest.
4. Another illustration may be found in the special dispensations of Divine providence. God has reserves of wisdom, of goodness, and of severity. Learn from this view of the providence of God that providences are paternal, moral, and remedial. But the entire scheme of God’s providence rests upon the scheme of God’s redemption and mercy. (Francis A. West.)
God’s work with man
The summing up and practical application of Elihu’s defence of Job’s character, and vindication of God’s dealings with him. Turning from Job to the entire race he says; “Lo, all these”--
I. The subject of the Divine operations. “Man.”
1. An intelligent being. God can work with him and expend upon him the resources of His wisdom, love, and power (Job 32:8).
2. Fallen and depraved. Man needs the Divine operations and without them he must perish (Genesis 1:16; Genesis 6:5; Romans 8:7).
3. Redeemed. God works for man’s recovery through Christ (John 5:17), but does not supersede the necessity of human effort (Philippians 2:12-13).
II. The means of the Divine operations. “Lo, all these”--
1. Dreams and visions of the night (verse 15). The effects of some dreams prove that the soul has listened to the voice of God.
2. The secret and silent inspirations of the spirit (verse 16). The dream leads to alarm and enquiry, then the spirit opens the avenues of the soul, pours in the light, and a permanent impression is produced
3. Afflictions (verses 19-22). A mournful picture, correction to prevent destruction (2 Chronicles 33:12-13; Psalms 119:67).
4. Efforts of friends (verses 23, 24). The parent, minister, friend, who as the God-sent “interpreter” leads the afflicted to God’s favour is esteemed as “one of a thousand.”
5. The frequency of the Divine operations. “Oftentimes.” When one means fails God employs another.
III. The design of the Divine operations (verse 30).
1. To save “from the pit.” Metaphors teach truth. Hell is a dreadful reality. The unsaved are on their way to it. God looked into Himself and “found a ransom” that man might not “go down into the pit”; and all the means His love can devise are adopted to secure this purpose.
2. To make life bright and happy. “Enlightened with the light of the living,” read from verse 25. (Samuel Wesley.)
Trials sent of God to save the soul
Everybody knows the story of Job. The several steps in the ladder of God’s purposes appear as follows:--
1. Earthly worries are heavenly blessings, not curses. Coming from the oldest book in the Bible, we behold in Job the representative man of trouble. The fact that afflictions were sent upon him, only proves that God had not let go of him yet. Darkness was but a proof of light, just as the shadow on the sundial proves the existence of the sun. These disturbances of our times only show that God does care what becomes of us. The best friend the Alpine climber can have is the faithful guide, who arouses him from fatal drowsiness by blows, harsh and painful.
2. The second step is, God’s rule in visiting sorrows upon us is purpose, not simply permission. He does not merely permit troubles to come upon us, He sends them. Any other idea implies that somebody is stronger than God. If anyone chastises us, let it be our Heavenly Father.
3. God worketh. The heathen have a god, Brahma, who rests in an eternal sleep. We have a God that worketh. He saves us as the surgeon, by earnest, resolute work--cutting off a limb, or taking away an eye. Caught in the grip of providence, we can say nothing. The fountain cannot be constructed without demolishing much that is beautiful; the grass, the soil upheaved, the unsightly debris, are all processes of necessary work. At last all is put back again, the green soil is restored, and a fountain is the result. So is it with the fountain of the new life.
4. The range of the omnipotent eye is over all the world at once. He subdues us by concerted processes, and persistent ones. “I could have taken a hurt,” says one, “but to be utterly overthrown is more than I deserved,” which shows the heart still in rebellion.
5. The fifth step indicates God’s aim to be the full redemption of man. It is from the pit tie saves him. God means business; He means at whatever cost to save souls.
6. We have God’s promise to give perfect light out of darkness, hope instead of unbelief, Heaven instead of the pit. By and by we realise that it is after all better that things should be as they are, that intelligence guides the universe.
In view of this, one of two things you can do--
1. You can resist this purpose. But no man ever prospered who resisted God’s will; or,
2. You accept this will, and adjust your purposes accordingly. If you yield, He will cease His chastisements. And this is natural, easy, and proper. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
An old-fashioned conversion
I. The matter in hand is to compare an old-fashioned conversion with those of the present time, and the first note we shall strike is this: it is quite certain from the description given in this thirty-third chapter of Job that the subjects of conversion were similar, and men in the far-gone ages were precisely like men in these times. Reading the passage over, we find that men in those times needed converting; for they were deaf to God’s voice (verse 14); they were obstinate in evil purposes (verse 17), and puffed up with pride. They needed chastening to arouse them to thought, and required sore distress to make them cry out for mercy (verses 19-22). They were very loth to say, “I have sinned,” and were not at all inclined to prayer. Salvation was only wrought by the gracious influences of God’s Spirit in the days of Job, and it is only so accomplished at this present hour. Man has not outgrown his sins.
II. The second note we shall strike is this, that in those olden times the worker of conversion was the same,--“all these things God worketh.” The whole process is by Elihu ascribed to God, and every Christian can bear witness that the Lord is the great worker now; He turns us, and we are turned.
III. The most interesting point to you will probably be the third: the means used to work conversion in those distant ages were very much the same as those employed now. There were differences in outward agencies, but the inward modus operandi was the same. There was a difference in the instruments, but the way of working was the same. Kindly turn to the chapter, at the fifteenth verse; you find there that God first of all spoke to men, but they regarded Him not, and then He spoke to them effectually by means of a dream: “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed.” Now, this was an extraordinary means of grace, seldom used now. It is much more profitable for you to have the word in your houses which you can read at all times, and to have God’s ministers to proclaim clearly the gospel of Jesus, than it would be to be dependent upon visions of the night. The means, therefore, outwardly, may have changed, but still, whether it be by the dream at night, or by the sermon on the Sabbath, the power is just the same: namely, in the word of God. God speaks to men in dreams; if so, He speaks to them all nothing more and nothing different from what He speaks in the written word. Now, observe, that in addition to the external coming of the word, it seems from the chapter before us, in the sixteenth verse, that men were converted by having their ears opened by God. Note the next sentence, He “sealeth their instruction.” That was the means of conversion in the olden times. God brought the truth down upon the soul as you press a seal upon the wax: you bear upon the seal to make the impress, and even thus the power of God pressed home the word. By sealing is also sometimes meant preserving and setting apart, as we seal up documents or treasures of great value, that they may be secure. In this sense the Gospel needs sealing up in our hearts. We forget what we hear till God the Holy Ghost seals it in the soul, and then it is pondered and treasured up in the heart: it becomes to us a goodly pear], a Divine secret, a peculiar heritage. This sealing is a main point in conversion. It appears, also, that the Lord, in those days, employed providence as a help towards conversion--and that providence was often of a very gentle kind, for it preserved men from death. Read the eighteenth verse: “He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” Many a man has had the current of his life entirely changed by an escape from imminent peril. But further, it seems that, as Elihu puts it, sickness was a yet more effectual awakener in the common run of cases. Observe the nineteenth verse, “He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.” In addition to this sickness, the person whom God saved was even brought to be apprehensive of death--“Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.” It were better for you to be saved so, as by fire, than not to be saved at all. But now, notice that all this did not lead the person into comfort; although he was impressed by the dream and sickness, and so on, yet the ministry of some God-sent ambassador was wanted. “If there be a messenger with him,” that is a man sent of God--“an interpreter,” one who can open up obscure things and translate God’s mind into man’s language--“one among a thousand,” for a true preacher, expert in dealing with souls, is a rare person “to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him.” God could save souls without ministers, but He does not often do it.
IV. Fourthly, the objects aimed at in the old conversions were just the same as those that are aimed at nowadays. Will you kindly look at the seventeenth verse. The first thing that God had to do with the man was to withdraw him from his purpose. He finds him set upon sin, upon rebellion. The next object of the Divine work was to hide pride from man, for man will stick to self-righteousness as long as he can. Another great object of conversion is to lead man to a confession of his sin. Hence we find it said in the twenty-seventh verse, “He looketh upon man, and if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit.” Man hates confession to his God; I mean humble, personal, hearty confession.
V. Fifthly, the process of conversion in days of yore exactly resembled that which is wrought in us now as to its shades.” The shadowy side wore the same sombre hues as now. First of all, the man refused to hear; God spake once yea twice, and man regarded Him not: here was obstinate rebellion.
VI. But now, sixthly, the lights are the same, even as the shades were the same. You will note in Elihu’s description that the great source of all the light was this: “Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom.” There is not a gleam of light in the case till you come to that Divine word,--and is it not so now? Then this precious gospel being announced to the sinner, the comfort of it enters his soul in the exercise of prayer: “He shall pray unto God, and He will be favourable unto him.” Next, it appears that the soul obtains comfort because God gave it His righteousness--“for He will render unto man His righteousness.” And then the man being led to a full confession of his sin in the twenty-seventh verse, the last cloud upon his spirit is blown away, and he is at perfect peace. God was gracious to the man described by Elihu. God Himself became his light and his salvation, and he came forth into joy and liberty. There is nothing more full of freshness and surprise than the joy of a new convert.
VII. And last of all, which is the seventh point, the results are the same, for I think I hardly know a better description of the result of regeneration than that, which is given in the twenty-fifth verse: “His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s, he shall return to the days of his youth” “Old things have passed away, behold all things are become new!” And with this change comes back joy. See the twenty-sixth verse: “He shall see His face with joy; for He will render unto man His righteousness”; and the thirtieth verse: “To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.” (C. H. Spurgeon.).