Job 30:31

My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

Organ - rather, pipe (Job 21:12): "My joy is turned into the voice of weeping" (Lamentations 5:15). My harp and pipe now emit only sounds of sorrow. These instruments are properly appropriated to joy (Isaiah 30:29; Isaiah 30:32), which makes their use now in sorrow the sadder by contrast.

Remarks:

(1) Derision and disdain (Job 30:1), wound a high-spirited and sensitive nature more than the most acute bodily pain. Yet, if we are conscious of not having deserved reproach, we ought not to let ourselves be cast down by the sneers, revilings, and hatred of ungodly men. Rather let us "consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself" (Hebrews 12:13); and "who, when He was reviled, reviled not again" (1 Peter 2:23).

(2) How little reason have men to be ambitious of the praises or proud of the honours which the multitude bestow, seeing that the breath of man's favour is as fickle as the wind. The same rabble that cringe and fawn upon you today will, if adversity assail you, turn against, deride, and insult you to-morrow; just as the mob that cried 'Hosanna to Jesus, the Son of David' on the previous Sunday, cried "Away with Him, crucify Him," on the following Friday.

(3) When the spirit is embittered by bodily pains and afflictions arising from our fellow-men, we ought especially to be on our guard against being betrayed, as Job was, into entertaining hard thoughts of God (Job 30:11). Still, great allowance is to be made for our brother-believers in such a trying position, where their mind is confused, and the soul is hurried away by the violence of conflicting emotions. Instead of harshly condemning, we ought gently to soothe, sympathize, and try to laid them to view things in their true light. The remembrance of their past sympathy with those in trouble of mind, body, or estate (Job 30:25), and the unexpected suddenness of their reverses of fortune (Job 30:26), are strong claims on our charity and tenderness in dealing with them.

(4) The feature in one's trials which causes most pain to the child of God is, that when he cries, his heavenly Father seems not to heed him (Job 30:20). Let such a one wait patiently, and, like Job, pray on believingly, confident that, if not in this life, yet beyond the grave, God will for ever cease to stretch out His hand to afflict those who now cry to Him in their destruction (Job 30:24).