Elihu here goes on to extol the wonderful power of
God in the meteors and all the changes of the weather: if, in those
changes, we submit to the will of God, take the weather as it is
and make the best of it, why should we not do so in other changes
of our condition? Here he observes the hand of God, I. In the
thunder and lightning,
1 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. 2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. 3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. 5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
Thunder and lightning, which usually go
together, are sensible indications of the glory and majesty, the
power and terror, of Almighty God, one to the ear and the other to
the eye; in these God leaves not himself without witness of his
greatness, as, in the rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, he
leaves not himself without witness of his goodness (
6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. 7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work. 8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. 9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. 10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. 13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
The changes and extremities of the weather, wet or dry, hot or cold, are the subject of a great deal of our common talk and observation; but how seldom do we think and speak of these things, as Elihu does here, with an awful regard to God the director of them, who shows his power and serves the purposes of his providence by them! We must take notice of the glory of God, not only in the thunder and lightning, but in the more common revolutions of the weather, which are not so terrible and which make less noise. As,
I. In the snow and rain,
II. In the winds, which blow from different
quarters and produce different effects (
III. In the frost,
IV. In the clouds, the womb where all these
watery meteors are conceived, of which he had spoken,
14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. 15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine? 16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? 17 How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind? 18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? 19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness. 20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
Elihu here addresses himself closely to
Job, desiring him to apply what he had hitherto said to himself. He
begs that he would hearken to this discourse (
I. That he had no insight into natural
causes, could neither see the springs of them nor foresee the
effects of them (
II. That he had no share at all in the
first making of the world (
III. That neither he nor they were able to
speak of the glory of God in any proportion to the merit of the
subject,
21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them. 22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty. 23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. 24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
Elihu here concludes his discourse with
some short but great sayings concerning the glory of God, as that
which he was himself impressed, and desired to impress others, with
a holy awe of. He speaks concisely, and in haste, because, it
should seem, he perceived that God was about to take the work into
his own hands. 1. He observes that God who has said that he will
dwell in the thick darkness and make that his
pavilion (