Good in Evil
Job 2:10
But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God…


I. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF JOB'S APPEAL? The appeal relates rather to ourselves than to God. The whole connection turns upon the state of the recipient. The question turns upon ourselves. God is in no sense the author of evil. All originated with the creature. The word evil here refers to physical evil. Job is speaking of his own sufferings. The meaning and force of this appeal is seen in attending to the meaning of the word "receive." To receive is very different from to submit. Receive is usually employed in a good sense. You receive what is good. It supposes a willingness on the part of the subject, especially when the term is employed by the person himself. Shall we bless God for the good and not for the evil? Shall we not give Him credit for both?

II. ARGUMENTS LIKELY TO INDUCE THIS STATE OF MIND. Since God gives us good, when a dispensation of a seemingly different character comes, we ought to be slow to say that it is of a different character in its consequences. When trouble and suffering come, we ought to infer that it is intended for our advancement in good. All the good we have has travelled to us through an intensity of suffering; it is applied to us, and comes to us through suffering.

1. Good was procured to us through suffering. A suffering Saviour.

2. Good is applied to us through evil. If we suffer with Christ we shall be glorified with Him.

3. Good is consummated to us through evil.

(Capel Molyneux, B. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

WEB: But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job didn't sin with his lips.




Good and Evil
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