89. Surely God Will Not Do Wickedly
Hymns: RHC 311 Does Jesus Care? 328 How Firm a Foundation 423 Follow, I Will Follow Thee
Job 34:1-15
1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said, 2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. 3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. 4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good. 5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. 6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. 7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? 8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. 9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. 10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. 11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. 12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. 13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? 14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
Surely God Will Not Do Wickedly
OUTLINE
(1) He Is Just (v1-9)
(2) He Is Fair (v10-15)
INTRODUCTION
Matthew Henry observed well, “The scope of Elihu’s discourse to reconcile Job to his afflictions and to pacify his spirit under them. In order to this he had shown, in the foregoing chapter, that God meant him no hurt in afflicting him, but intended it for his spiritual benefit.
In this chapter he shows that he did him no wrong in afflicting him, nor punished him more than he deserved. If the former could not prevail to satisfy him, yet this ought to silence him.
In these verses he directs his discourse to all the company: “Hearken to me, you men of understanding (v10), and show yourselves to be intelligent by assenting to this which I say.” And this is that which he says, That the righteous God never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of His creatures, but his ways are equal, ours are unequal. The truth here maintained respects the justice of equity of all God’s proceedings.
Because he is God, and therefore is infinitely perfect and holy, he can neither do wrong himself nor countenance it in others, nay more than he can die, or lie, or deny himself. Though he be Almighty, yet he never uses his power, as mighty men often do, for the support of injustice.
He is Shaddai–God all-sufficient, and therefore he cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13), to do an unrighteous thing.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”
(1) God Is Just (v9)
Matthew Henry said, “Elihu humbly addresses himself to the auditors, and endeavours, like an orator, to gain their good-will and their favourable attention. He calls them wise men, and men that had knowledge (v2). It is comfortable dealing with such as understand sense. I speak as to wise men, who can judge what I say (1 Corinthians 10:15). Elihu differed in opinion from them, and yet he calls them wise and knowing men. Peevish disputants think all fools that are not of their mind; but it is a piece of justice which we owe to those who are wise to acknowledge it, though our sentiments do not agree with theirs.”
He appeals to their judgment, and therefore submits to their trial (v3). The ear of the judicious tries words, whether what is said be true or false, right or wrong, and he that speaks must stand the test of the intelligent. As we must prove all things we hear, so we must be willing that what we speak should be proved. He takes them into partnership with him in the examination and discussion of this matter (4).
He does not pretend to be sole dictator, nor undertake to say what is just and good and what is not, but he is willing to join with them in searching it out, and desires a consultation: “Let us agree to lay aside all animosities and feuds, all prejudices and affectation of contradiction, and all stiffness in adhering to the opinion we have once espoused, and let us choose to ourselves judgment; let us fix right principles on which to proceed, and then take right methods for finding out truth; and let us know among ourselves, by comparing notes and communicating our reasons, what is good and what is otherwise.” We are then likely to discern what is right when we agree to assist one another in searching it out.”
He further said insightfully, “He warmly accuses Job for some passionate words which he had spoken, that reflected on the divine government, appealing to the house whether he ought not to be called to the bar and checked for them.
He recites the words which Job had spoken, as nearly as he can remember. He had insisted upon his own innocency. Job hath said, I am righteous (v5), and, when urged to confess his guilt, had stiffly maintained his plea of, Not guilty: Should I lie against my right?(v5).
Job had spoken to this purport, My righteousness I hold fast (v6). He had charged God with injustice in his dealings with him, that he had wronged him in afflicting him and had not righted him: God has taken away my judgment; so, Job had said (Job 27:2).
Job 27:2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
He had despaired of relief and concluded that God could not, or would not, help him: My wound is incurable, and likely to be mortal, and yet without transgression; not for any injustice in my hand (Job 16:16-17).
He had, in effect, said that there is nothing to be got in the service of God and that no man will be the better at last for his (v9): He hath said that which gives occasion to suspect that he thinks it profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. It is granted that there is a present pleasure in religion; for what is it but to delight ourselves with God, in communion with him, in concurrence with him, in walking with him as Enoch did? this is a true notion of religion, and bespeaks its ways to be pleasantness.
Yet the advantage of it is denied, as if it were vain to serve God, Malachi 3:14.
Malachi 3:14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
This Elihu gathers as Job’s opinion, by an innuendo from what he said (Job 9:22), He destroys the perfect and the wicked, which has a truth in it (for all things come alike to all), but it was ill expressed, and gave too much occasion for this imputation, and therefore Job sat down silently under it and attempted not his own vindication, whence Mr. Caryl well observes that good men sometimes speak worse than they mean, and that a good man will rather bear more blame than he deserves than to stand to excuse himself when he has deserved any blame. [Matthew Henry]
He charges Job very high upon it. In general, What man is like Job? (v7). “Did you ever know such a man as Job, or ever hear a man talk at such an extravagant rate?” He represents him as sitting in the seat of the scornful: “He drinketh up scorning like water,” that is, “he takes a great deal of liberty to reproach both God and his friends, takes a pleasure in so doing, and is very liberal in his reflections.” Or, “He is very greedy in receiving and hearkening to the scorns and contempts which others cast upon their brethren, is well pleased with them and extols them.” Or, as some explain it, “By these foolish expressions of his he makes himself the object of scorn, lays himself very open to reproach, and gives occasion to others to laugh at him; while his religion suffers by them, and the reputation of that is wounded through his side.” We have need to pray that God will never leave us to ourselves to say or do any thing which may make us a reproach to the foolish, Psalm 39:8.
Psalm 39:8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
As walking in the course of the ungodly, and standing in the way of sinners: He goes in company with the workers of iniquity (v8), not that in his conversation he did associate with them, but in his opinion he did favour and countenance them, and strengthen their hands. If (as it follows (v9), for the proof of this) it profits a man nothing to delight himself in God, why should he not lay the reins on the neck of his lusts and herd with the workers of iniquity? He that says, I have cleansed my hands in vain, does not only offend against the generation of God’s children (Psalm 72:13-14), but gratifies his enemies, and says as they say. [Matthew Henry]
Psalm 72:13-14 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
(2) God Is Fair (v10-15)
Matthew Henry here observed, “The truth here maintained respects the justice of equity of all God’s proceedings. Now observe in these verses, how plainly this truth is laid down, both negatively and positively. He does wrong to none: God cannot do wickedness, nor the Almighty commit iniquity (v10). It is inconsistent with the perfection of his nature, and so it is also with the purity of his will (v12): God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. He neither can nor will do a wrong thing, nor deal hardly with any man. He will never inflict the evil of punishment but where he finds the evil of sin, nor in any undue proportion, for that would be to commit iniquity and do wickedly.
If appeals be made to Him, or He be to give a definitive sentence, He will have an eye to the merits of the cause and not respect the person, for that were to pervert judgment. He will never either do any man wrong or deny any man right, but the heavens will shortly declare his righteousness. Because he is God, and therefore is infinitely perfect and holy, he can neither do wrong himself nor countenance it in others, nay more than he can die, or lie, or deny himself. Though he be Almighty, yet he never uses his power, as mighty men often do, for the support of injustice.”
Matthew Henry further said, “He is Shaddai–God all-sufficient, and therefore he cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13), to do an unrighteous thing.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
He ministers justice to all (v11): The work of a man shall he render unto him. Good works shall be rewarded and evil works either punished or satisfied for; so that sooner or later, in this world or in that to come, he will cause every man to find according to his ways. This is the standing rule of distributive justice, to give to every man according to his work. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with them; woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them. If services persevered in now go unrewarded, and sins persisted in now go unpunished, yet there is a day coming when God will fully render to every man according to his works, with interest for the delay.
How warmly it is asserted, with an assurance of the truth of it: Yea, surely (v12). It is a truth which none can deny or call in question; it is what we may take for granted and are all agreed in, That God will not do wickedly. With an abhorrence of the very thought of the contrary (v10): Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from us that we should entertain the least suspicion of it or say any thing that looks like charging him with it.
How evidently it is proved by two arguments:
His independent absolute sovereignty and dominion (v13): Who has given him a charge over the earth and deputed him to manage the affairs of men upon the earth? Who besides has disposed the whole world of mankind? He has the sole administration of the kingdoms of men, and has it of Himself, nor is He entrusted with it by or for any other. It is certain that the government is His, and He does according to His will in all the hosts both of heaven and earth; and therefore, he is not to be charged with injustice; for shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:25.
Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
How shall God either rule or judge the world if there be, or could be, any unrighteousness with him? Romans 3:5-6.
Romans 3:5-6 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
He that is entitled to such unlimited power most certainly have in himself unspotted purity. This is also a good reason why we should acquiesce in all God’s dealings with us. Shall not he that disposes of the whole world dispose of us and our concerns? It is as certain that he does not derive his power from any, nor is it a dispensation that is committed to him, but his power is original, and, like his being, of himself; and therefore, if he were not perfectly just, all the world and the affairs of it would soon be in the utmost confusion. The highest powers on earth have a God above them, to whom they are accountable, because it is not far from them to do iniquity. But therefore God has none above him, because it is not possible that he should do any thing (such is the perfection of his nature) that should need to be controlled. And, if he be an absolute sovereign, we are bound to submit to him, for there is no higher power to which we may appeal, so that the virtue is a necessity.”
His irresistible power (v14): If he set his heart upon man, to contend with him, much more if (as some read it) he set his heart against man, to ruin him, if He should deal with man either by summa potestas–mere sovereignty, or by summum jus–strict justice, there were no standing before him; man’s spirit and breath would soon be gone and all flesh would perish together (v15). Many men’s honesty is owing purely to their impotency; they do not do wrong because they cannot support it when it is done, or it is not in their power to do it. But God is able to crush any man easily and suddenly, and yet does not by arbitrary power crush any man, which therefore must be attributed to the infinite perfection of his nature, and that is immutable. [Matthew Henry]
What God can do with us. He can soon bring us to dust; there needs not any positive act of His omnipotence to do it; if He do but withdraw that concurrence of His providence by which we live, if he gather unto himself that spirit and breath which was from His hand at first and is still in His hand, we expire immediately, like an animal in an air-pump when the air is exhausted. What he may do with us without doing us wrong. He may recall the being he gave, of which we are but tenants at will, and which also we have forfeited; and therefore, as long as that is continued of His mere favour, we have no reason to cry out of wrong, whatever other comforts are removed. [Matthew Henry]
CONCLUSION
Thank God that He is just and fair and we can trust Him in leading us to do His good will. Amen.