Three times over

Job 33 is one of the best, the deepest, and the most spiritual and most important, chapters which the reader has yet met with in the Book of Job. It is every way important, and full of useful information. It is a grand exhibition of the WAY of salvation as revealed to patriarchs and prophets.
How much did G-d do to save them? Did He ever do any thing to save them? Did he ever design to save them? If not, how does that which was never done, nor designed, "render them inexcusable?
"L-rd, what is man, that thou shouldest thus visit him?" This should engage us, to comply with G-d's designs, to work with Him for our own good and not to counter - work Him. And this will render those that perish inexcusable, that, so much was done to save them and they would not be healed.
I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. Every man speaks with his mouth, but few, as Elihu, try their words with discrimination first and only say what is really good. He intended to make a solemn business of it, not to put in a word by the by, or give a short repartee, but to show his wit: after long silence he opened his mouth with deliberation and design. As G-d has given him His Spirit, from that Spirit alone will he speak; therefore all his words shall be of uprightness, knowledge, and truth. He does not ground the charge upon report, for what is said amiss in our hearing we are concerned to reprove; for you are my witnesses, saith the L-rd, to confront the accuser.
I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.Even the godly, though willing to confess themselves sinners in general, often dislike sin in particular to be brought as a charge against them. Affliction is therefore needed to bring them to feel that sin in them deserves even worse than they suffer and that G-d does them no injustice. Then at last, humbled under G-d, they find affliction is for their real good and is taken away either here, or at least at death. To teach this is Elihu's mission. Many that are just, in some particular instances, do not speak and act like themselves. On the one hand, we must not fail to tell even a good man wherein he mistakes and does amiss, nor flatter him in his errors and passions, for in that we are not kind; so, on the other hand, we must not draw on men’s characters, nor pass a judgment on them, from one instance or some few misplaced words, for in that we are not being just.
G-d is greater than man - There is enough in this one plain unquestionable truth forever to put to silence and shame all our complaints of His providence and our exceptions against His dealings with us. He is not only more wise and powerful than we are, and therefore it is to no purpose to challenge Him but more holy, just and good, for these are the inspiring glories and excellencies of the divine nature; in these G-d is greater than man, and therefore it is absurd and unreasonable to find fault with Him, for He is certainly in the right.
He giveth not account of any of His matters - G-d is not accountable to us! Woe to the clay that strives with the potter. He is under no obligation to show us a reason for what He does, neither to tell us what He designs to do (in what method, at what time, by what instruments), nor to tell us why He deals thus with us.
For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
It is an evidence of His gracious design that He is pleased to speak to us of our own concerns, to show us what is our duty and what our interest, what He requires of us and what we may expect from Him, to tell us of our faults and warn us of our danger, to show us the way and to lead us in it. This He does once, yea, twice, that is, again and again. When one warning is neglected He gives another, not willing that any should perish. Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line; it is so, that sinners may be left inexcusable. When once speaking doth not awaken men, G-d is graciously pleased to give them another warning. Though He will not satisfy men's curiosity in enquiring into His hidden judgments, yet He will acquaint them with their duty. G-d speaks to us by conscience, by providence and by ministers, but first, G-d admonishes men by their own consciences.
Man perceiveth it not - What enemies we are to our own welfare. Man perceives it not, that is, he does not heed it or regard it, does not discern or understand it, is not aware that it is the voice of G-d, nor does he receive the things revealed, for they are foolishness to him. He stops his ear, stands in his own light, rejects the counsel of G-d against himself, and so is never the wiser, no not for the dictates of wisdom itself.
Hide pride - that is, hide those things from him which are the matter of his pride, because by these glorious representations of His Divine majesty to man, He takes him off from the admiration of his own excellence and brings him to a sight of his own weakness and to an humble and ready submission to His will. Pride makes people eager and resolute in the trial of their purposes; they will have their way, therefore G-d withdraws them from their purposes, by mortifying their pride. Even the godly need to learn the lesson which trials teach, to "humble themselves under the mighty hand of G-d.
Pain upon his bed - The second way whereby G-d instructs men and incites them to repentance. Pain is borne with more difficulty than sickness, and with that the patient is chastened - not a dull heavy pain, but strong and acute. Frequently, the stronger the patient the stronger the pain, for the more confident the countenance is, the more violent, the disease is. It is not the smarting of the flesh that is complained of, but the aching of the bones. Pain can be the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of G-d, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul.
Destroyers - The pangs of death, here called the destroyers, are just ready to seize him; they compass him about(Ps. 116:3). Perhaps it intimates the very dreadful anxiety of death as a destroying thing when it stares them in the face, which, when it was at a distance, have been made light of. All agree when it comes to the point, whatever they thought of it before, that it is a serious thing to die. Were will you spend eternity?
Messenger & Interpreter – the third way G-d uses. The office of the interpreter is to expound the providence of G-d and give to understand the meaning of it; a man of wisdom that knows the voice of the rod and its interpretation. His business is to show unto man His uprightness, that is, G-d’s uprightness. The interpreter will not do as Job’s friends had done, make it his business to prove him a hypocrite because he is afflicted. But on the contrary,He will show him his uprightness, notwithstanding his afflictions, that he may take the comfort of it and be easy, whatever the event is. This is the wonderful work of the Holy Ghost that persons and events move in their own sphere in such a way as to unconsciously show forth Him who’s "testimony is the Spirit of prophecy"; as the same point may be center of a sboth mall and a vastly larger concentric circle. To direct him to the right way to please G-d and procure that mercy which he thirsts after, which is not by quarrelling with G-d, but by a humble confession and supplication for mercy.
Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.When he sees that the sick person is indeed convinced and in sincere repentance, that uprightness which is perfection, are his interest as well as his duty. Wherever G-d finds a gracious heart he will be found a gracious G-d. When afflictions have done their work they shall be removed. When we return to G-d in a way of duty He will return to us in a way of mercy. Those shall be delivered from going down to the pit that receive G-d’s messengers and rightly understand His interpreters, so as to subscribe to His uprightness. I have found - which is the death of My Son, the Redeemer of the world, and with respect to which I will pardon them that repent and sue for mercy, even I am He that hath done it!
Pray - His soul recovers its peace; the patient, being a repentant, is a requester, and has learned to pray. When he finds himself recovering he shall not then think that prayer is no longer necessary, for we need the grace of G-d, as much for the sanctifying of a mercy as for the sanctifying of an affliction. He has a blessed calm of mind, arising from the sense of his justification before G-d. He shall receive the atonement, that is, the comfort of it, Rom. 5:11. Righteousness shall be imputed to him, and peace thereupon spoken, the joy and gladness of which he shall then be made to hear though he could not hear them in the day of his affliction. Bring forth all the fruits of the Spirit, and then reward him for the work, as if it were done by his own might
It profited me not - sin is the perverting of that which is right; it is a most unjust unreasonable thing; it is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator, the usurped dominion of the flesh over the spirit, and a disagreement to the eternal rules and reasons of good and evil. It is perverting the right ways of the L-rd (Acts 13:10), and therefore the ways of sin are called crooked ways, Ps. 125:5. Would we know what is to be got by sin? It profited us not. The works of darkness are unfruitful works. When profit and loss come to be balanced, all the gains of sin put all together will come far short of countervailing the damage.
Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, - "three times over;" points in the dual number, it signifies twice three times, that is, again and again; very frequently. Blessed be G-d! He uses a variety of methods to do men good; if one thing does not do the work, He will try another; if neither do, He will try a mercy; and He will send a messenger to interpret both. If G-d did not take more care of us than we do of ourselves, we should be miserable. We would destroy ourselves, but He would have us saved and develops means, by His grace, to undo that by which we were undoing ourselves. Whom G-d saves from sin and hell, which are darkness, He will bring to heaven, the inheritance of the saints in light; and this He aims at in all His institutions and all His dispensations. This should engage us to comply with G-d’s designs, to work with Him for our own good, and not to counter-work Him. This will render those that perish forever inexcusable, that so much was done to save them and they would not be healed.
If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
Those that would both show wisdom and learn wisdom must hearken and keep silence, be swift to hear and slow to speak and must therefore set themselves to improve by the means of wisdom and grace.
Has G-d talked to you once, twice even three times, before you heard Him?