sees wickedness also, not to approve it, (Hab. i. 13.) but to animadvert upon it. (1.) He observes vain men; (such all are, every man, at his best estate, is altogether vanity;) and he considers it in his dealings with them. He knows what the projects and hopes of vain men are, and can blast and defeat them, the workings of their foolish fancies; he sits in heaven, and laughs at them. He takes knowledge of the vanity of men, that is, their little sins, so some; their vain thoughts and vain words, and unsteadiness in that which is good. (2.) He observes bad men; he sees gross wickedness also, though acted ever so secretly, and ever so artfully palliated and disguised. All the wickedness of the wicked is naked and open before the all-seeing eye of God; will he not then consider it? Yes, certainly he will, and will reckon for it, though for a time he seems to keep silence.
II. See here what man is; and let him be humbled; (v. 12.) God sees this concerning vain man, that he would be wise, would be thought so, though he is born like a wild ass's colt, so sottish and foolish, unteachable and untameable. See what man is: 1. He is a vain creature; empty; so the word is: God made him full, but he emptied himself, impoverished himself, and now he is raca, a creature that has nothing in him. 2. He is a foolish creature, become like the beasts that perish, (Ps. xlix. 20.—lxxiii. 22.) an idiot, born like an ass, the most stupid animal, an ass's colt, not yet brought to any service. If ever he come to be good for any thing, it is owing to the grace of Christ, who once, in the day of his triumph, served himself of an ass's colt. 3. He is a wilful ungovernable creature. An ass's colt may be made good for something, but the wild ass's colt will never be reclaimed, nor regards the crying of the driver. See Job xxxix. 5..7. Man thinks himself as much at liberty, and his own master, as the wild ass's colt does, that is used to the wilderness, (Jer. ii. 24.) eager to gratify his own appetites and passions. 4. Yet he is a proud creature and self-conceited. He would be wise, would be thought so, values himself upon the honour of wisdom, though he will not submit himself to the laws of wisdom. He would be wise, that is, he reaches after forbidden wisdom, and, like his first parents, aiming to be wise above what is written, loses the tree of life for the tree of knowledge. Now, is such a creature as this fit to contend with God, or call him to an account? Did we but better know God and ourselves, we should better know how to conduct ourselves toward God.
13. If thou prepare thy heart, and stretch out thy hands toward him; 14. If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. 15. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear: 16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away: 17. And thine age shall be clearer than the noon-day; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. 18. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. 19. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. 20. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.
Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times, if he would but come to a better temper.
I. He gives him good counsel, (v. 13, 14.) as Eliphaz did, (ch. v. 8.) and Bildad, ch. viii. 5. He would have him repent, and return to God. Observe the steps of that return;
1. He must look within, and get his mind changed, and the tree made good. He must prepare his heart; there the work of conversion and reformation must begin. The heart that wandered from God must be reduced; that was defiled with sin and put into disorder, must be cleansed and put in order again; that was wavering and unfixed, must be settled and established: so the word here signifies. The heart is then prepared to seek God, when it is determined and fully resolved to make a business of it, and to go through with it.
2. He must look up, and stretch out his hand toward God, that is, must stir up himself to take hold on God; must pray to him with earnestness and importunity, striving in prayer, and with expectation to receive mercy and grace from him. To give the hand to the Lord, signifies to yield ourselves to him and to covenant with him, 2 Chron. xxx. 8. This Job must do, and, for the doing of it, must prepare his heart. Job had prayed, but Zophar would have him to pray in a better manner, not as an appellant, but as a petitioner and humble supplicant.
3. He must amend what was amiss in his own conversation, else his prayers would be ineffectual; (v. 14.) If iniquity be in thy hand, that is, "If there be any sin, which thou dost yet live in the practice of, put it far away, forsake it with detestation and a holy indignation, steadfastly resolving not to return to it, nor ever to have any thing more to do with it, Ezek. xviii. 31. Hos. xiv. 9. Isa. xxx. 22. If any of the gains of iniquity, any goods gotten by fraud or oppression, be in thine hand, make restitution of it, (as Zaccheus, Luke xix. 8.) and shake thy hands from holding it," Isa. xxxiii. 15. The guilt of sin is not removed, if the gain of sin be not restored.
4. He must do his utmost to reform his family too; "Let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles; let not thy house harbour or shelter any wicked persons, any wicked practices, or any wealth gotten by wickedness." He suspected that Job's great household had been ill governed, and that where there were many, there were many wicked, and the ruin of his family was the punishment of the wickedness of it; and therefore, if he expected God should return to him, he must reform what was amiss there, and, though wickedness might come into his tabernacles, he must not suffer it to dwell there, Ps. cx. 3, &c.
II. He assures him of comfort if he took this counsel, v. 15, &c. If he would repent and reform, he should, without doubt, be easy and happy, and all would be well. Perhaps Zophar might insinuate, that, unless God did speedily make such a change as this in his condition, he and his friends would be confirmed in their opinion of him as a hypocrite and a dissembler with God: a great truth, however, is conveyed, That the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever, Isa. xxxii. 17.
Those that sincerely turn to God, may expect,
1. A holy confidence toward God; "Then shalt thou lift up thy face toward heaven without spot; thou mayest come boldly to the throne of grace," and not with that terror and amazement expressed, ch. ix. 34. If our hearts condemn us not for hypocrisy and impenitency, then have we confidence in our approaches to God and expectations from him, 1 John iii. 21. If we are looked upon in the face
