Third Presbyterian Church

Tuesday Bible Study

Old Testament Tour – Job 32-37

Lesson 126 - 127 Elihu Speech

Read Job Chapters 32-37

The following questions are meant to be covered over a two-week period. Please answer questions before class

in that fruitful discussion will occur.

Questions - Lesson 26 -27

for Sept 24, 2019 and October 1st

1. When you were a child, what motivated you to be obedient or disobedient to your parents and other

authority figures?

2. What motivates you right now to be obedient to God?

3. What are the problems with giving advice, or chastisement in a spirit of anger?

a. What techniques do you employ to control your temper?

4. Job’s Three friends couldn’t convince Job that they were right so they just went silent.

a. When ministering to someone, what are the circumstances where you just give up?

b. When we are called to minister to someone, why shouldn’t we give up? What do you pray for in

situations where you are frustrated and want to give up on someone?

5. When some has a “holier than thou” spirit, what are the consequences when they try to speak into

someone’s situation?

6. Explain in further detail what the pastor meant last week when he said, “we have to earn the right to

speak to someone’s situation where they are sinning.”

7. What should we do when God is silent regarding answering our prayer of distress? What do you say to

someone who is praying and praying but God does not answer in the affirmative?

8. Discuss the following: Complete obedience to God still does not prevent us from suffering.

9. Discuss the following: We can learn from other believers no matter how old or young they are or we are.

But, we do have to listen.

a. What spiritual lessons have you learned from someone significantly younger that you?

10. Exodus:24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot….This context of this scripture is when

judging the punishment must fit the crime.

a. When we try to apply this idea to suffering it does not work. Why?

b. How do you keep yourself from getting frustrated/depressed when your suffering seems to be far

beyond what is reasonable?

c. How do you explain suffering whether it be minor or extreme to someone who may not be as

strong spiritually to understand suffering is dictated and governed by a sovereign God?

11. I Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God

is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will

also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

a. This is where we get the understanding “God will not put more on you than you can bear.”

Because in this scripture temp means to prove its strength. This is often used in testing the limits

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of a metal. How does God not allowing us to be “proved” more than we can handle help us in a

season of suffering?

b. How do you explain this truth to someone who may be new in their walk with God such that

their relationship with God will grow from suffering and not become resentful?

12. Discuss all six purposes of suffering as a group in detail enough to be able to explain and teach it to

someone else

a. First, God uses suffering to rouse people to evaluate their lives: to make sure their relationship

with Him and others is what it should be—that they are using their time wisely, working and

accomplishing what they should.

b. Second, God uses suffering to pinpoint sin in people's lives: to arouse them to think about their

lives, to think about how their behavior is damaging their bodies and causing their suffering.

c. Third, God uses suffering to correct people's sinful behavior: to stop them from doing any more

harm to themselves or others, to prevent them from causing any more damage or pain on earth.

d. Fourth, God uses suffering to stir people to repent: to turn them away from sin and shame before

they destroy or doom themselves or before they add any more evil, lawlessness, immorality, or

violence to this world.

e. Fifth, God uses suffering to arouse people to remember His wonderful promise: if they obey and

serve Him, they will prosper and be content the rest of their lives). They will experience the

fullness of life—have all their needs met by the power of God. They will be either victorious over

all the trials of life or given the strength to walk through them with the perfect assurance of being

prepared to die with a pure conscience before God.

f. Sixth, God uses suffering to warn people: if they disobey Him, they will perish. Sadly, they will

die without knowledge—without ever having known God and His presence and guidance. They

will never know the peace or assurance that come from being accepted by the only living and true

God, the Creator of the universe!

13. 1 John 4:20-21 (NIV) 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who

does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has

given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

a. Many people believe their love for God is a “10” but their love for one another is somewhere

between “0” and “5.” Discuss the truth of this scripture that our love for God is mirrored in our

love for one another.

b. Is it possible to Love someone and not like them? If so, explain how the scripture is not

contradicted by this reality of loving and not liking.

14. How has this lesson helped you for the next time you face a season of suffering?

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(32:1-33:33) Introduction: one of the most puzzling questions in all of life is this: Why is there so much suffering

in the world? Why would God allow you, me, or anyone else to go through so many crises during life, crises such

as…

The list of possibilities is endless. And on any given day, most people around the world are probably facing

some sort of trial, ranging from a minor mishap to a major catastrophe. Again, the question is, Why would God

allow so much suffering? To be more specific, Why would God allow this to happen to me?

This was the question Job was asking throughout his painful experience. This dear believer could not

understand why God would allow him to suffer so much tragedy: the loss of all his children, his entire estate,

and his means of livelihood—all on the same day. Then a brief time later, without warning, Job was afflicted

with a shocking and terribly painful disease that seemed to be terminal. Making matters even more bewildering

was the fact that Job had been living a righteous life before the Lord. He loved God with all of his heart and

simply could not understand why God would tolerate or permit so many disasters to strike him.

While Job and his three friends were discussing his suffering, a young man named Elihu stood by in the crowd.

As he listened to the discussion of Job's case, he became convinced that he understood the reason for Job's

affliction. He believed he knew precisely why Job, and sometimes others, had to endure such agony and pain. In

the present Scripture, Elihu gave two reasons God allows suffering. This is, Elihu's First Speech: God Uses

Suffering to Turn People Away from Sin and Stir Them to Repentance, 32:1-33:33.

1. (32:1-22) Elihu claimed the right to speak: A charge of self-righteousness.

Elihu spent a great deal of time in this first address claiming he had the right to speak. As already noted, he was

younger than Job and the others so he patiently waited for them to stop talking. Apparently because of his age,

he felt he needed to explain or validate his motives for speaking. In this long introduction, the reader can glean

seven reasons Elihu felt he had earned the right to speak. Notice that he himself gave five motives for speaking

up, beginning with verse six, and the author of Job cited two reasons before recording the words of Elihu.

The writer of Job explains why Job's friends had stopped speaking: because Job was righteous in his own eyes.

In other words, the debate had reached a stalemate. Job's friends had persistently suggested that Job needed to

repent of his unconfessed sin and argued that sin was the reason for his suffering. But Job had just as

persistently argued that he was innocent of any known sin. He firmly believed that he was righteous before God,

that is, in right standing with God, and that he had done nothing to deserve such suffering. As a result, the

argument had ended—all of Job's original challengers had given up.

During the entire discussion between Job and his three friends, a bystander had been listening and he was not

about to let the debate end. In fact, he had become greatly angered by what he heard and felt duty-bound to

respond (see vv.16-20).

The author of Job used a very graphic word to describe Elihu's anger, saying his wrath was kindled. This

indicates that Elihu was burning with anger (v.2). The author cites two reasons why Elihu was so angry:

1) Elihu was angry with Job because Job sought to justify himself rather than God (v.2b). Elihu faulted Job for

being more concerned with his own innocence than with God's justice, more worried about defending himself

than defending the honor and truth about God. Although Job may not have been guilty of sin in the beginning,

he was sinning now by accusing God of injustice. Elihu observed correctly that Job sought to defend himself at

God's expense.

2) Elihu was angry with Job's three friends. They claimed Job was suffering due to sin, yet they could not prove

it (v.3). And, although they could not prove that Job had sinned, they condemned him anyway.

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Elihu was angered both by Job and his friends. They had all spoken inaccurately about God; they were all

mistaken in their views. The essence of their mistakes was this:

The friends could not see any reason for Job's suffering other than sin. Job could see no reason for his suffering other than that God was treating him unfairly, unjustly.

All four men were wrong and Elihu knew this. In fact, it would be the focus of his upcoming argument.

The writer says simply that Elihu waited because the others were older. Elihu himself will make this point in

verse five.

1) For the third time, the writer says that Elihu became angry or enraged when he saw that Job's friends had

nothing more to say. As Elihu's own words reveal, he could hardly believe that they had no intention of

responding to Job again or that they could not muster better arguments against him (see 11-12; 15-16).

2) At last, Elihu's own words are recorded. His speech begins in verse six. Note his opening words: he first

admitted his youth in comparison to Job and the three friends. Thus he had dared not interrupt them to share his

opinion. It would have been rude to do so because people generally agree that wisdom comes with age.

However, note that Elihu did not claim that age makes a person more wise (see vv.8-9); he merely

acknowledged the social custom that the aged should speak first. This, of course, is etiquette or common

courtesy in many cultures.

At this point, it is clear that Elihu was speaking to all four men—Job and his three friends. He first claimed that

God's Spirit can speak to both the young and the old. It is not age but the Spirit of the Almighty that gives a

person understanding. Elihu suggested further that God's Spirit had spoken to him or at least that he too had

wisdom and understanding despite his youth. Because he possessed wisdom as well, the others should listen to

him. If they listened, he would tell them what he knew.

Elihu claimed that he had listened carefully to their reasoning (v.11). Then he made a rather bold remark: they

had failed to prove Job wrong (v.12). Not one of them had adequately answered Job; none of them had

sufficiently refuted Job's arguments. Note Elihu's further assessment:

⇒ The friends had claimed to be wise, but had then given up and were now leaving it to God to

answer Job, (v.13)

⇒ Thus, Elihu would speak, but he would not use their arguments; he would use his own (v.14).

⇒ The friends had been confused, amazed, and overwhelmed by Job. In short, they had failed to

refute Job and had become silent (v.15). They had nothing more to say.

Elihu was tired of waiting and was furious that Job's friends had no further reply (see vv.2-3, 5). In light of that,

he would reply with his own insight and knowledge; he would have his say. In fact, it was the incensed spirit

within him that urged him on. He was ready to explode like new, bottled-up wineskins and had much to say.

Elihu's inner turmoil was so great that he had to speak to get relief. One commentator humorously notes, "Elihu

spoke no truer words than when he said he was 'full of words.'" It had already been a long introduction, but it

was not over yet.

Elihu had two additional items to add: first, he claimed—and a bit too bravely—that he would offer an unbiased

and neutral opinion and, second, that his answer would not be influenced by flattery (vv.21-22). He would be

impartial and seek to flatter no one (v.21). In short, Elihu was boasting that he would be fair and balanced and

not speak anything that he did not know was true. Note how his boast shrewdly, but not so subtly, indicted the

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others. By implication, everyone else had been biased and unfair, especially the friends. They actually seemed

to flatter one another by so readily agreeing on everything.

Elihu could not have been any clearer in suggesting that such flattery was sin (v.22). And unlike them, again by

implication, he feared God's judgment against the sin of flattery. In other words, Elihu thought that some of

their arguments had been influenced by their desire to please one another as well as to sound intelligent and

wise in one another's presence. In this observation, he was probably correct. Ironically, though, Elihu was also

guilty of flattering himself.

Thought 1. While we may admire Elihu's courage for stepping forth, he made the mistake of displaying an

arrogant attitude. He came across as super-spiritual by claiming that God's Spirit had given him wisdom (as

opposed to his elders, whom he was suggesting lacked the wisdom of God's Spirit in that they both flattered and

showed partiality). This claim displayed overconfidence and immaturity to say the least.

We must always guard against acting or coming across as super-spiritual. Far too many of us act pious, as

though we are spiritually superior to others. Super-spirituality is the attitude that says, "I'm a better person than

you are." This attitude understandably irritates and provokes people and often causes division. Such a person

usually comes across as smug or self-righteous, as if he or she is...

Tragically, this person does a great deal of harm both to himself and to others.

First, the person fools himself into thinking or believing he is right with God and/or saved when, in fact, he may

not be either.

Second, the person likely alienates himself from other people—believers, unbelievers, family, co-workers—

because of his offensive behavior.

Third, the person is a very poor witness for Christ and the Christian faith. His actions and attitude, instead of

drawing people to Christ, may well drive people away.

Obviously, self-righteousness, super-spirituality, overconfidence, and other self-centered traits are what every

believer should strive to avoid! Listen to what God's Word says about exalting oneself and acting super-

spiritual:

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be

exalted" (Mt.23:12).

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The

Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,

extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all

that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,

but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down

to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and

he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Lu.18:10-14).

"Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you" (1 Co.4:18).

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Co.10:12).

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend

themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among

themselves, are not wise" (2 Co.10:12).

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Thought 2. No doubt Elihu was upset, even angered by what he had heard, and perhaps legitimately so. But he

should have tempered his anger and held his tongue; he should have waited until he had calmed down to speak.

There was no need to criticize or even mention the faults of the other men. His arguments should have stood on

their own merit. They needed no long introduction. It is an easy thing for any one of us to speak too harshly,

even arrogantly, when we get upset or become angry. And anger almost always causes us to misspeak—to lash

out, criticize, speak unkindly. For that reason, we must constantly be on guard, controlling our emotions and our

reactions to others. God strongly addresses both anger and the wisdom of holding our tongues in His Holy

Word:

"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger

of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [idiot], shall be in danger of the

council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (Mt.5:22).

"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth,

this defileth a man" (Mt.15:11).

2. (33:1-7) Elihu appealed to Job to listen: A fervent plea to hear the truth.

Elihu next appealed to Job directly and asked that he listen. He spoke gently, sensing how painful Job's

suffering was. But he also spoke boldly in order to gain Job's full attention. And unlike the friends—who had

been oppressive and heavy-handed—he promised to be more encouraging and uplifting. Perhaps because of his

youth, Elihu felt obligated to defend what he was about to say. Once more, for whatever reasons, he spent a

long time getting to his point.

Elihu addressed Job in an urgent, almost breathless tone, essentially saying: "Hear me! Listen carefully to

everything I say!" His words were ready to spill out. As he had already mentioned, he felt absolutely compelled

to speak.

Elihu assured Job that he was speaking from an upright heart and that his words were sincere. Each of these

statements implied that he would speak the truth and only the truth. They might also have implied that the three

friends were not sincere and that their words had been shallow or useless. In any event, Elihu was totally

confident that what he had to say was the truth about Job's suffering and of great value to Job.

To reassure Job and to give more weight to his words, Elihu claimed again that his words came from the Spirit

of God—the same Spirit who had made him and Job (see also v.6). At the very least, he was expressing a bit of

humility and harmony with Job: they had both been given life by the Almighty.

These next words were the most forceful of Elihu's introduction. "Answer me if you can" seems to suggest that

Elihu thought his argument would be indisputable. If it was so, he wanted Job to acknowledge the fact or at

least to give some reply. He was confident that in either case, his argument would be worthy of a response from

Job. In fact, it would demand an answer: Prepare yourself and confront me; set your words in order and stand

up. In one short verse, Elihu went from being humble and harmonious to confrontational and challenging.

How did Elihu have a right to speak when he was younger than Job? As if job might have been wondering,

Elihu headed off this potential objection right from the start. He declared he had the right to speak because he

and Job were equal before God. God had made them both, and both were made of clay; that is, both were mere

men, mortal human beings.

As a last bit of introduction, Elihu promised that he would not be heavy-handed with Job. Nor would he try to

strike the fear of God in Job unless he repented—as the three friends had done. These may have been reassuring

words if Job believed him, and if Job was ready to hear from anyone else at all. By this point, this dear believer

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was surely drained physically and emotionally, so Elihu's assurance should have relieved some of the tension

Job was feeling from the constant bombardment by his friends. But whatever relief Job felt, if any, would be

short-lived, for Elihu would begin his argument immediately thereafter.

Thought 1. It is a serious claim to declare that we have heard from the Lord or that the Spirit of God has spoken

to us. Elihu, as well as the three friends, had declared this; or, in the case of Bildad and Zophar, they had at least

implied it. They all presumed to speak for the Lord. If anyone could lay claim to such inspiration, perhaps it

was Elihu; but even he spoke rashly and probably presumed to know too much. Scripture clearly teaches that

God's Word is sacred. Both God's written Word and the words He whispers in the hearts of believers through

the Holy Spirit are holy; therefore, they are not to be trifled with nor thrown around carelessly. If we claim to

speak a word from the Lord, or to offer another person counsel, we must be absolutely sure that we are basing

what we say on God's Holy Word. We must never speak falsely in the Name of the Lord but, instead, recognize

the awesome responsibility of giving counsel based on His Holy Word:

"But [we] have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling

the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's

conscience in the sight of God" (2 Co.4:2).

3. (33:8-13) Elihu laid out three charges against Job: A need to correct him

After his prolonged introduction, Elihu finally came to the point of his argument and laid out three charges

against Job. As will be seen, Elihu was right about a few things and wrong about others. He also agreed with

some of the friends' conclusions, namely that Job was wrong to make charges against the Lord. However, he

later disagreed with many of the men's assumptions and attitudes. Note the Scripture and outline:

First, Elihu emphasized the truthfulness of what he was about to say by declaring he had heard Job speak these

very words, that is, the words he was about to quote. Then he made his first allegation point—an incorrect

one—stating that Job had claimed to be sinless. But Elihu's charge was false; he misquoted and misrepresented

Job's view. To understand this, it is necessary to carefully examine exactly what Elihu claimed Job had said

according to Elihu, Job said:

"I [Job] am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me" (Jb.33:9).

Was Elihu correct? Did Job ever claim that he was pure and completely without sin—that he had no guilt at all?

Most commentators think not, and a careful review of Job's arguments bears this out. Job did insist on his

innocence, but this was innocence of known or deliberate sin—not the same as complete purity or absence of

any guilt whatsoever. These may sound like trivial differences, but they are differences nonetheless. In addition,

some of Job's statements can be easily misconstrued if isolated and not balanced by the context of the whole

book—and the context of Job's statements. A fair reading of all of Job's statements taken together—those

regarding his innocence—makes it clear that Job had a particular kind of innocence in mind. He did not think he

was pure in the sense that he did not have a sinful nature, as all humans do. He was not free from all kinds of

sin. He would, and did, admit the universal nature of sin—that all humans are short of God's glory, are corrupt

and inherit a sinful nature (Ro.3:23; 5:12). A quick review of some of Job's statements will help to see this

point:

"I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he

cannot answer him one of a thousand" (Jb.9:2-3).

"How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though

I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge" (Jb.9:14-15).

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Job had claimed that his prayer was pure, but this was simply a claim that his heart and intentions were pure. It

was not a claim that his prayer was arising out of a sinless and perfect heart. It could have been that Elihu was

quoting this statement and perhaps misunderstanding Job's meaning:

"Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure" (Jb.16:17).

Obviously, Elihu completely misunderstood what Job meant by being innocent of sin. Job was simply claiming

that he was not guilty of any known or deliberate sin, intentional or calculated sin. As far as Job knew, he had

already confessed and repented of every sin he had committed. But note this important fact: although Job shared

the same sinful nature as other men, he believed firmly that he had done nothing to deserve the terrible

punishment he was suffering. To see this, examine a few of Job's previous statements:

"My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back

from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary

food" (Jb.23:11-12)

"My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I

live" (Jb.27:6).

"Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing

for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was

eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew

not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth"

(Jb.29:12-17)

In other words, Job had a completely clear conscience and knew of no way in which he had disobeyed the Lord.

He believed in God with all his heart and lived righteously as a strong testimony for God. In this way, he was

righteous or just—in right standing with God (see Deeper Study #5—Mt.5:6 for more discussion). Again, Job's

claim appears to be true (at least to a degree) since it is supported by what the Lord Himself had said:

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him

in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Jb.1:8).

This charge by Elihu was true. Note Elihu's exact words as he quoted what Job had said, followed by Job's

actual quote:

"Behold, he [God] findeth occasions against me [Job], he counteth me for his enemy, He putteth

my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths" (Jb.33:10-11).

"Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a

print upon the heels of my feet" (Jb.13:27).

In other words, Job believed that God was treating him like an enemy or like a prisoner who was closely

guarded. Though Elihu's recollection of Job's quote was not word for word, it was close enough to say that his

charge was true. Therefore, Elihu rebuked Job for this attitude. He told Job bluntly that he was wrong. God is

greater than man. Furthermore, Job had no right as a mere man to find fault with God, certainly not to accuse

God of being unfair or unjust by allowing him to suffer.

Considering that man is a mere mortal and God is the Majestic Creator of the universe, why should God be

indebted to answer a man? Why should God answer Job's questions? This was Elihu's point in verse 13: "Job,

why do you complain to God that He answers none of your prayers?" This charge was incorrect. Job did not say

God never answers the prayers and cries of people. But Job had indeed made the complaint that God was not

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answering his prayers, his questions and cries for help (see 13:23-26). In fact, this was one of Job's greatest

frustrations. Elihu would argue soon that God does speak, but not always in the way that men expect.

The second part of verse 13 can also be read to mean, God does not need to answer for any of His words or

actions. In either case, God is not indebted or required to answer any man—not according to man's will. Elihu

was right in pointing out that God is not answerable to man, nor is He accountable to explain His actions. He is

the Potter and we are the clay. We do not have to know the reasons for everything He does in our lives. In the

words of J. Vernon McGee, "[God] has not promised to explain everything to us. He has asked us to trust Him!"

Thought 1. In Elihu's long introduction, he had made it clear that he had something important to say. He was

sure that Job, a fellow believer, needed correction. He sincerely believed that Job had sinned in his attitudes and

response to his suffering. Though Elihu was right in some things and wrong in others, he was accurate in this:

Scripture teaches that we are to instruct, encourage, strengthen, correct, and even rebuke one another when

needed. Listen to what God's Word says:

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the

spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Ga.6:1).

"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support

the weak, be patient toward all men" (1 Th.5:14).

4. (33:14-30) Elihu declared that God does speak: A picture of God's using suffering to save people and

arouse them to repentance.

Having finished his charges against Job, Elihu was now ready to declare that God speaks to the heart of man in

many different ways. In making his argument, Elihu painted a clear picture of how God can use suffering in a

person's life to stir the individual to repentance and salvation. His argument is full of godly wisdom. It is

perhaps the most insightful truth—the most profound wisdom—expressed in any of the discussions. It is also

the first argument that offered Job any other reason for his suffering than punishment for sin.

Elihu noted that God speaks in many different ways, but that people may not recognize God's voice. For

example, God can speak through dreams and visions. When deep sleep comes over a person at night, the Lord

may whisper in his or her ear to give a strong warning. To whisper in a person's ear means simply to reveal

something vital. Elihu offered four reasons or purposes for God's speaking through dreams:

to warn people to turn people from sin, from their plans to do wrong, and from all that will harm them to keep people from pride to save people and keep them from perishing

It was a fact that God had attempted to speak to Job in just this manner. Job mentioned more than once that God

had terrified him with dreams and visions (see 7:14). Moreover, pride was a sin Job's friends had accused him

of. So, too, would Elihu. If Job was guilty of any sin, it was probably pride. Keep in mind the main reason for

God's speaking to a person: to save his or her soul—to keep the individual from going to the pit (Sheol, hell, the

grave; v.18). Surely, any number of warnings and terrors and any amount of suffering are worth being delivered

from punishment in hell, worth the salvation of one's soul.

As stated earlier, this is perhaps the most profound insight offered by any of the speakers. It is also probably the

first to address Job's real problems, his deepest concerns. Job had begged God to answer him, to explain why he

was suffering so terribly. But, so far, God had been silent. Could He now be speaking through Elihu? God often

does speak through other believers, His faithful servants. Note what Elihu claimed:

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1) God may allow a person to suffer pain or become very ill—so ill they find food repulsive and waste away to

nothing.

2) God may also allow a person to nearly die, to approach the brink of death. Why? In order to save the person's

soul (see vv.17-18). Elihu made a keen point. Think how many people cry out to God when they are suffering

from a terminal illness or facing death. In such times, some people do genuinely draw close to God and find

salvation.

1) Elihu identified three very specific purposes for God's using angels as mediators between Himself and

people:

⇒ To teach people what is right, that is, to instruct people and tell them what to do in specific

situations, to guide and direct them in how they should live, or to correct their attitudes and beliefs

(v.23).

⇒ To show people grace and to intercede for them (v.24). Job surely needed someone to show

graciousness to him. Earlier, Job had asked for a mediator and intercessor, but Eliphaz had denied this

possibility (5:1). Now, Elihu was affirming that God actually could send a mediator or intercessor to

Job. This mediator would argue for the sufferer's deliverance and ultimate salvation, crying out to God:

"Spare him from going down to the pit" (grave, Sheol, hell).

⇒ To declare that a ransom has been paid for him (v.24b). The word ransom suggests that such a

mediating angel would find a reason or sufficient means by which the suffering person could be

delivered. Thus, the mediator—standing between the sufferer and God—would take the side of the

sufferer and argue for his deliverance and restoration (on the basis that a ransom had been paid).

2) Elihu then pointed to a wonderful result of the angel's mediation: the sufferer would be healed from his

sickness and restored to health—his flesh would be renewed like a child's and to the former luster of his youth

(v.25). Note how this is a beautiful picture of spiritual healing as well. Because of Christ's mediation and

ransom, we are healed spiritually and eternally—saved from death, and given eternal life.

"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a

ransom for many" (Mt.20:28).

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be

saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between

God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Ti.2:3-5).

This was Elihu's fourth insight into the ways God speaks to people. Keep in mind the flow of Elihu's argument:

God may allow people to suffer in order to warn them or to correct their ways. The purpose of such suffering is

to save their souls—to save them from eternal death and destruction (the pit, Sheol). But even in the midst of

suffering, God sends a mediator. The mediator is also an advocate who finds or offers a ransom for the person

(in the case of Christ, He offered Himself as ransom). This ransom pays the price for the deliverance and

restoration of the sufferer (see v.24). Then, the restored sufferer responds in joyful prayer (v.26a).

1) God speaks in answer to people's prayers. When the restored person prays, he finds God's favor and

experiences renewed joy.

2) He is fully restored and accepted by God as righteous, able once again to enjoy a glorious fellowship with the

Lord.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will

love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode [home] with him" (Jn.14:23).

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"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness

of God in him" (2 Co.5:21).

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with

us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 Jn.1:3).

3) The restored sufferer will also bear strong testimony—be a strong witness to God's great mercy and grace

(vv.27-28). Note carefully what Elihu declared. This, too, was rich insight from the young speaker. He declared

that the restored sufferer will go to men and proclaim (even sing to men)…

that he had sinned and perverted what was right, but that he had been punished for less than he deserved (see Ps.103:10)

that God had redeemed and saved his soul from death and filled his life with light

Light, here, implies peace and joy, God's presence and fellowship, and the necessary wisdom to guide us as we

face life's trials day by day, joyfully. What a powerful testimony! And exactly what all believers are called to

do, all those who have been delivered from sin, sickness, suffering, and death. Elihu had been given insight and

light by the Spirit of God into these great truths. What an amazing contrast to the three friends. Job was finally

being offered some real hope!

Again, God's purpose is to save the sufferer from eternal death, to give him light and life (v.30). Wonderful

promises indeed! God's ways are truly beyond man's ways—and powerful to save.

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it

is the power of God" (1 Co.1:18).

Thought 1. Scripture teaches that God offers spiritual healing to all who heed His Word, and spiritual healing

sometimes comes through the pain of physical suffering. God also uses other believers, servants of His, to speak

truth into our lives and to guide us toward spiritual restoration. We need only look at what God's Word says to

see the beauty and great hope of His promises:

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the

spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Ga.6:1).

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Ps. 23:3).

"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn

to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa.30:21).

5. (33:31-33) Elihu invited Job to respond: A charge to listen—repent and be justified.

In closing his first speech, Elihu repeated his charge to Job to listen. He also wanted Job to reply to his

arguments if he could. Adding a note of compassion as well, Elihu wanted Job to be justified or restored by

God. The implication was clear: if Job would listen and take Elihu's advice—in essence, repent—Job could be

delivered from his suffering and restored to the Lord.

Elihu urged Job to listen again—perhaps reemphasizing both what he had just said and what he was going to

say next. Note that he alternated between insisting that Job be silent and listen and calling on him to respond.

Elihu was perhaps a bit overconfident, feeling that he had already convinced Job to repent, or, at least, that Job

could not refute his arguments. On the other hand, there is undeniably a confidence that comes from knowing

and hearing from God. If Elihu had truly discerned these things through his own close walk with the Lord, then

he had every right to speak confidently—in spite of his youth.

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The young speaker also suggested that Job speak up and, perhaps, repent right then and there. Elihu wanted Job

to be cleared or justified. Certainly, Elihu had Job's restoration in mind and hoped Job would repent of his

prideful attitude and accusations against God. He was hoping either that his own words would justify Job by

leading him to repent or that Job would repent for whatever reason and be justified and cleared by God.

Since Job did not respond—either here or later—it is possible that he was stunned that such a young speaker

would speak to him so boldly. Or, perhaps he was silenced by some of the truths this young man spoke. Lastly,

Job may simply have been exhausted and had nothing else to say or no strength to say it. Quite possibly, it was

a combination of all three.

Thought 1. There is great wisdom in listening and learning. We can learn from other believers no matter how

old or young they are or we are. But, we do have to listen. Too many of us would rather talk about what we

know or think we know, and, as a result, we fail to really listen and learn. Of course, listening and learning are

not enough; we must also act on what we learn. We must heed God's Word, be doers of God's Word and not

hearers only. Scripture teaches to heed God's Word is to act upon it:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he

that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Mt.7:21).

B. Elihu's Second Speech: God Uses Suffering to Convict People of Sin and Turn Them

Away from Their Rebellion, 34:1-37

(34:1-37) Introduction: most of us as believers know family or friends who are not walking closely with the

Lord. They are living in sin, engaging in things that are known to be wrong. What is our role, our responsibility,

to these individuals? If we sincerely believe that these fellow believer are engaging in sin, should we confront

them? According to God's Word, yes. It may not be easy, but it is what God's Word instructs us to do. We must

correct others when correction is needed; however, we must always be sure that it is needed and we must do it in

the right spirit. This is not to say we are always the right ones to approach them. Perhaps a closer family member,

another friend, or a minister might be a better choice in some instances. The point is that someone needs to address

the issue with the individuals.

In this passage, Elihu is again the one doing the correcting. He thought—just as the three friends had—that Job

was guilty of sin. With that in mind, Elihu zealously called on Job to repent in order to be reconciled to God.

For a third time, Elihu respectfully asked his audience to listen to him. Job had apparently been silent after

Elihu's first speech, so Elihu continued. He again picked up on Job's former words and sought to refute Job's

accusation that God was unjust. In an attempt to defend the Lord, Elihu focused on God's perfect justice, mercy,

and wisdom. Note how there was still a touch of pride in his voice. He assumed that once his arguments were

heard, everyone would agree that he was right. This is, Elihu's Second Speech: God Uses Suffering to Convict

People of Sin and Turn Them Away from Their Rebellion, 34:1-37.

1. (34:1-9) Elihu's charges against Job: A need for discernment and humility.

Elihu began his second speech by addressing all four men. After a brief appeal for everyone to listen, he then

charged Job with several serious errors and transgressions related to his accusations against the Lord. Note the

Scripture and outline:

Elihu again showed the deepest respect for Job and his three friends; he called them wise and learned. Such

courtesy was to be expected since he was the youngest among them. The young man then invited his hearers to

test his words, for he was confident that his ideas would be found true once the men evaluated them. In fact, he

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and the older men had a common goal—to discern the truth about Job's case: Why was Job suffering so many

tragedies in full attention of the men.

Having gained the men's attention, Elihu proceeded to make several accusations against Job. He used Job's prior

arguments as the basis for his charges, and he quoted Job accurately in three out of the four. In the fourth quote,

however, he took Job's words completely out of context.

1) First, Job claimed that God was unfair (vv.5-6). Job had said God was unfair because he sincerely trusted the

Lord with all his heart. He had lived a righteous life and was not guilty of any deliberate sin. So far as he knew,

he was completely innocent of any known sin. Yet God was allowing him to suffer beyond measure:

⇒ the loss and death of all ten of his children in one day

⇒ the theft of his huge estate, wealth, and property holdings all on the same day

⇒ being struck with a very painful and terminal disease soon thereafter

Job knew that both the righteous and the wicked suffered in this life, but he did not understand why God was

allowing him to suffer all these tragedies in such a brief period of time. It all seemed unreasonable and unjust on

God's part, in particular, because Job was a true believer and sought diligently to live honorably before God.

Why would God allow him to endure such agony?

To Job, the suffering was completely undeserved, so it was God who was treating him unjustly by allowing it

(6:4; 9:15; 9:20; 10:7,15; 13:18; 14:3; 16:12-14; 27:2-6).

2) Second, Elihu charged Job with being arrogant. Job was arrogant because of his rebellious talk against God

(v.7). Elihu even accused Job of drinking scorn like water. In other words, Job felt scorned by the Lord because

God was allowing him, a true believer, to go through such misery and pain. In Elihu's opinion, Job was

wallowing in self-pity. Even worse, he had turned his scorn toward God. And any person who accused God of

being unfair is rebelling against God. The implication, then, was that Job was guilty of rebellion. Therefore, he

needed to repent of this sin (see vv.31-37).

3) Third, Elihu charged Job with seeking the companionship of wicked people (v.8). The young man believed

that by questioning God's fairness and justice, Job had spoken wickedly and, by doing so, had classified himself

with the wicked. Thereby Job was guilty of having evil associations by thinking and speaking like a wicked

man.

4) Fourth, Elihu charged Job with denying God's love and goodness. Job had denied God's goodness by

claiming that there was no profit in following God (v.9; see 21:15). Job had asked, "What is the Almighty, that

we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?" (21:15). However, note carefully

that Elihu's quoting of Job was taken totally out of context. Job had made this comment in the midst of his long

description of the wicked and had placed these words in their mouths (see ch.21, esp. 1-16). Thus, this

statement had been Job's description of how the wicked thought, not what he thought. Added to that, Job had

thoroughly distanced himself from this type of thinking with his very next comment: "Lo, their good is not in

their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me" (21:16).

Thus, Job's real point had been that the prosperity of the wicked (their good) came from the hand of God,

whether they realized it or not. The wicked may think there is no profit in serving God, but according to Job,

they were gravely mistaken. In fact, Job himself was determined to flee from this type of thinking despite his

own desperate situation. Even while he was suffering terribly, this dear believer still sought to live righteously

and to please God. He might easily have thought there was no profit in serving God, but he emphatically

rejected this type of thinking (see esp. 21:16b).

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Again, Elihu had completely misunderstood Job's comment or mischaracterized it by taking it out of context.

Whether intentional or not, it should be noted that this is a common blunder in many disagreements and debates.

Essentially, Elihu was pointing out Job's need for discernment and humility. Job needed humility to understand

God's ways—exactly why he, a man who lived righteously, should suffer so terribly. In Elihu's opinion, Job was

too proud to admit his sins, and so proud that he dared to defend himself at the expense of God's will and

purposes. Although Elihu may have misstated some of Job's remarks, he was right in suggesting that Job needed

discernment and humility, even while he was suffering.

Thought 1. When any of us face difficult situations, we too need discernment and humility. We need to

understand and acknowledge that God is in control and will help us through whatever trials we are facing. And

instead of questioning, complaining, or accusing God of being unfair by allowing us to suffer, we need to be

humble before God and trust Him to work all things out for our good.

This does not mean we will not have doubts or questions or wonder why God is allowing, or not allowing,

certain things to happen. Nor does it mean we cannot cry out to God for help, relief, or understanding. In fact,

God wants us to come to Him with all of our needs. He wants us to depend upon Him. We can even come to

Him boldly. But no matter how boldly we come, no matter the reason we come, we must always approach God

with the utmost reverence. Though we may not understand God's ways, we can always be sure of God's love

and goodness. He always has our best interests at heart.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the

called according to his purpose" (Ro.8:28).

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of

himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to

every man the measure of faith" (Ro.12:3).

2. (34:10-30) Elihu's declaration about God's nature: God is just and fair.

Just as before, Elihu directed his remarks to all four men, this time calling them men of understanding. He then

launched into his defense of God, declaring that the Lord executes perfect justice on earth and never perverts it

according to Elihu. This can be seen in creation itself and even in death. Moreover, although God hears the cries

of those who suffer and desires to save them, he always judges the wicked for their sins. In this part of his

speech, Elihu was far from original; the friends had already expressed the very same views. Elihu offered four

defenses of God's justice and fairness.

The Lord executes perfect justice on earth, repaying exactly what is due to a person, nothing more and nothing

less. In other words, people reap what they sow. They get exactly what is coming to them, what their conduct

deserves. In fact, it is simply unthinkable that God could pervert justice and do wrong. Such would be

completely contrary to God's character and thus an impossibility. God alone is Lord of the universe and no man

can displace Him or thwart His execution of perfect justice. It is also God alone who sustains the human race by

His love and care. If He were to withdraw His Spirit (breath), all life would perish. As Almighty God, the God

of all creation, God would never do any evil or wrong,—absolutely none. God is perfectly just and fair in all

that He does, even in allowing Job and others to suffer.

After again reminding his audience to pay attention, Elihu asked two thought-provoking questions: Can anyone

govern who hates or perverts justice? And, Who can condemn the just and mighty One? The answers were

implied in the questions themselves. Of course, God cannot hate or pervert justice because His very nature is

perfect. He is perfect in justice and righteousness, which is proven by His treatment of mankind. God shows no

partiality or favoritism…

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to kings or nobles to princes to the rich over the poor

All people were created by Him and are therefore equal before Him. Moreover, all are judged according to their

conduct (see vv.10-11). Death itself testifies to man's equality and God's impartiality, that is, all men die. None

are spared no matter their status in life. Therefore, Job's suffering could not be blamed on God for God treats all

people equally. God held no prejudice against Job whatsoever.

God sees all a person does and knows every place the wicked try to hide. For that reason, God has no need to

investigate or scrutinize people in order to judge them; He already knows they are all guilty. God even topples

rulers and entire governments, replacing them when their deeds are evil. God does this because such rulers turn

away from Him and reject His ways. One specific way they do this is by oppressing the poor.

The implication is clear: God's exposure of all evil doers and His subsequent punishment is strong evidence that

God is just and fair in His treatment of everyone. In light of this fact, Job was wrong in questioning whether

God's treatment of him was fair and just. Job needed to repent of his complaining against God, his thinking that

God was treating him harshly and unreasonably.

When the needy cry out to God, He definitely hears them. The Lord may seem to be silent for a while but, even

if He is, no one should ever be critical of God. Even if God is holding back His justice for awhile, He is still

overseeing both individuals and nations. He will not allow the godless to rule indefinitely, but will, in His time,

deliver the oppressed by His mighty power. He will keep the godless from continually laying snares for their

generation.

Thought 1. God can do no wrong. He impartially judges every person according to his or her deeds. God

punishes the wicked while hearing the cries of the oppressed and delivering them by His mercy. Therefore, all

believers should take this truth to heart and be greatly encouraged. Even in our darkest days, our most severe

suffering, God is looking after us. He may seem silent, a long way off, or unconcerned, and we may not fully

understand His allowing us to suffer. Nevertheless, God is always listening to our cries for help. And at exactly

the right moment, He will act and work all things out for our good, and for the good of all His dear believers.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall

be opened" (Mt.7:7-8).

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto

you" (Jn.15:7).

"He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression" (Jb.36:15).

"For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever"

(Ps.9:18).

Elihu dramatically concluded this second speech by making a strong appeal to Job. As before, he referred to

Job's former arguments, then proceeded to tear them apart.

Elihu reminded Job how he had pleaded with God to show him what unknown sins he had committed (13:22-

23). The young man had interpreted Job's plea to be a defiant, arrogant demand. But Elihu's interpretation was

incorrect. He misunderstood Job's motives, which meant that he read the situation all wrong.

Job's spirit was unlikely one of arrogance or defiance, but rather of despair. Job's friends had been insisting he

was holding unconfessed sin in his heart, saying that this sin was the reason God was punishing him. So, if Job

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was suffering because of secret sin, he desperately wanted to know what the sin was. Furthermore, what sin

could possibly deserve such terrible suffering? As far as Job knew, he was completely innocent of deliberate

sin. Therefore, if God would only point out his sin, Job would gladly repent. Otherwise, he had no idea what to

confess. This was, no doubt, the true motive of Job's heart. Like Job's three friends, Elihu presumed that Job

was guilty. But, in reality, Job was simply maintaining his righteousness. If he had confessed to some sin in

order to please his friends, he would have been lying to and deceiving them. Then he would have become guilty

before God and would no longer be innocent of known sin. Job was not about to do that. As simple as making a

false confession would be, and despite the relief it would bring to him in face of all the false accusations, Job

would have no part of it. He would not make a false confession just to quiet his friends or to receive relief from

the tension they were creating.

Elihu carried on with his flawed line of thinking. In his mind, Job had heaped sin upon sin by claiming to be

righteous and refusing to repent. Hence, Elihu added his own list of sins to all the others. Job had…

expected God to answer his defiant demands foolishly refused to repent refused to listen to the counsel of his three wise friends spoken without knowledge or wisdom replied to his friends' questions like a wicked person

Elihu closed his speech by making a shocking statement: he declared that Job really deserved more punishment

than what he had gone through and was now suffering because of his sinful rebellion and refusal to repent.

Elihu could not believe that Job would dare speak to God in such a way. For that reason, he added rebellion and

blasphemy to Job's other sins due to his supposed arrogance.

Thought 1. We are not necessarily arrogant, defiant, or wrong to question the Lord. It all depends on the spirit

in which we ask the questions, our attitudes and our motives. If we have sincere and humble spirits that

desperately want to understand, obey, and please the Lord, then questioning Him about things that happen in

our lives is not wrong. Listen to what God's Word says about challenging and rejecting the Lord and accusing

Him of wrongdoing:

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay

but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed

it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make

one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and

to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to

destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which

he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of

the Gentiles?" (Ro.9:19-24).

C. Elihu's Third Speech: God Uses Suffering to Stir People to Seek Him—He Who Gives

Joy (Songs in the Night), 35:1-16

(35:1-16) Introduction: when we face difficult problems and fiery trials in life, we often wonder why. We wonder

what we might have done to bring on the suffering or why God would allow the tragedy to happen to us. In reality,

the causes of suffering and hardship are as varied as the questions we ask about them.

The present Scripture answers a few of these questions. The young man named Elihu is still speaking to Job and

speaking very directly. He thinks that Job is living a self-righteous life and that God is allowing Job to suffer in

order to awaken him to the severe consequences of sin. Furthermore, Job needs to be aroused to acknowledge

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his sin, to repent and once again begin seeking the Lord. This is, Elihu's Third Speech: God Uses Suffering to

Stir People to Seek Him—He Who Gives Joy (Songs in the Night), 35:1-16.

1. (35:1-3) Elihu's charge against Job.

Job had earlier expressed the feeling that God was not rewarding or blessing him for his righteousness. Instead,

God had allowed him to suffer catastrophic losses and had now inflicted him with a terribly painful and

devastating disease. Now, Elihu was charging Job with not respecting God's sovereignty—His right to rule and

judge as He sees fit. It was Elihu's belief that Job, rather than accepting and learning from God's punishment,

had rejected the Lord's discipline. Elihu also felt that Job was being inconsistent in his complaints against God.

Note the Scripture and outline:

Elihu accused Job of self-righteousness for insisting that God would clear him (v.2). In Elihu's view, it was

arrogant of Job to claim that God would declare him innocent of sin (see 10:7; 12:4; 13:18-19; 27:5-6; 29:14).

Obviously, Elihu believed in the depravity of the human race, that all are short of God's glory, short of His

perfect, holy nature (Ro.3:23). In light of that, all are guilty of sin…

because of man's very nature of imperfection because man disobeys God, commits acts of sin, and lives unrighteously

Therefore, from Elihu's standpoint, every person should confess the fact that he or she is guilty of sin. At any

time, and any place, all are guilty of being short of God's glory. Of course, this is true, and Job could have

confessed the fact that he, too, was a sinner—far short of God's glory. But this was not what Job meant by

claiming to be innocent of sin. He was not claiming sinless perfection. He was merely saying…

that he was innocent of any known sin that he had not committed any deliberate sin that he was not trying to hide or keep some sin secret

Considering all the facts, Elihu's charge against Job was only partly true. Job had definitely claimed to be

innocent of sin, but not in a self-righteous spirit. Thus Elihu's allegation that Job was self-righteous was entirely

false.

Elihu's next accusation was simply this: it was unjust and inconsistent of Job to claim that God would declare

him righteous but at the same time to claim that God does not reward or bless the righteous (7:20; 9:29-31;

21:15; 22:2; 34:9). After all, the greatest reward or blessing a person can receive is God's acceptance—to be

declared righteous and given the right to approach God and to live in His presence. Therefore, for Job to say

that God would proclaim him innocent of sin and then to say that God was unfairly punishing him by allowing

him to suffer was the height of contradiction. Elihu clearly regarded Job as being the one who was unjust and

unfair, totally inconsistent in his claims about God.

Thought 1. Although Job was not guilty of self-righteousness, it is a terrible sin and one we must carefully

guard against. If we claim to be good enough or to have done enough good for God to accept us, we doom

ourselves for God is perfect. And because we are imperfect—far short of God's glory and perfection—God

cannot accept us. The stain of our sins would contaminate His holy presence, making heaven less than perfect.

Consequently, our own self-righteousness can never make us good enough to God. But there is good news. This

is the very reason God sent His Son into the world as a man, the perfect God-Man:

⇒ To live a perfect life and thereby secure a perfect righteousness for us

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⇒ To take our sins and the sins of all mankind upon Himself and die for us all

Christ could do these two things—secure our righteousness and die for us—because He is the Ideal, Perfect

Man whose righteousness and death can cover us all. Therefore, our only hope to become acceptable to God is

not to approach God in our own self-righteousness but through the righteousness and death of Jesus Christ. We

must trust Christ and follow Him, for Christ is the only Perfect Being who has the right to approach God in all

His holy perfection. Look closely at what Scripture says about self-righteousness and truly trusting Christ as our

Savior:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The

Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,

extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all

that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,

but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down

to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and

he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Lu.18:10-14).

2. (35:4-8) Elihu's first argument: God is above the heavens—far above the people's petty self-

righteousness.

Elihu's first argument was simple: God is so far above man that man's wickedness or righteousness does not

affect who He is—the God of the universe who dwells in holy perfection and justice. Man's good behavior does

not add to God's perfection nor does man's sinful behavior take away from God's perfection. God cannot be

helped by righteous behavior nor hurt by sinful behavior. Sin only harms the sinner and other people or society

at large. The Expositor's Bible Commentary has an excellent comment worth quoting at this point:

A person's wickedness or righteousness affects only man, not God. When God shows mercy it is not because

man has persuaded him to do so, and if he inflicts judgment it is not because man has injured him. God is

sovereign and therefore self-determining. He is not bribed by man; his standards for judging people are firm,

impartial and uninfluenced. But since a person's moral conduct does affect himself, it does make a difference

for him whether he sins or not (cf. 35:3).

Elihu essentially says that God is too mighty, too great, and too distant to be affected by human sin. God's very

nature is that of holy perfection and justice. In addition, God does not change. He is high up in the heavens far

beyond man's reach. Man's sin, therefore, cannot change the holy and just nature of God. He is well beyond

human influence. Consequently, God's justice will always rise up against sin. By stressing God's holy justice,

Elihu was issuing a strong warning to Job: God would never allow Job to suffer so severely unless he was had

done something reprehensible. In view of that fact, Job's horrific suffering must be due to grievous sin.

Apparently, Elihu thought Job was misplacing his trust, perhaps hoping his sin might be…

excused overlooked passed over treated lightly

But if this was what Job was really thinking, it was a false hope. Since God's very nature is that of holy

perfection and justice, God must execute perfect justice against sin. He dispenses exactly what a person

deserves—nothing more and nothing less. If Job truly wanted God to restore his health and prosperity, his only

hope was to confess his sin repent.

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Just as sin cannot adversely affect God, so righteousness cannot influence or benefit God. Righteousness adds

absolutely nothing to God's holy nature or changes Him in any way. Given that a person's good works cannot

bribe God into showing mercy. Nor can people earn bonus points with God. This means that no matter how

righteous a person may be or how much good a person may do, it will not stir God to accept the individual. God

accepts a person only through mercy. And mercy cannot be earned or else it is no longer mercy. Mercy is the

free gift of God given to the individual who believes and trusts in God, who confesses then repents of his or her

sins.

In Elihu's opinion, this point needed to be repeatedly stressed to Job, for Job was claiming to be righteous when

his suffering was clearly due to unconfessed sin. Job's claim to be righteous would not make God accept him.

Therefore, Job's only hope was to forget his claim to righteousness and to confess his sins. Then and only then

would God have mercy upon him and either restore his health and prosperity or prepare his heart for death.

Although a person's conduct, whether wicked or righteous, does not affect God, it does affect the individual

himself and other people. Sin always affects the sinner; it harms the person who sins, and often affects his or her

family, community, and society at large. Righteousness is also far reaching; that is, it builds up the person who

lives righteously as well as his or her family, community, and society at large.

Of course, Elihu was grouping Job among the sinners whose sins bring disaster upon themselves and others.

Sadly, Job was reminded once again of the loss of his ten children. His heart must have been cut to the core.

The young man Elihu exposed an insensitive heart just as Job's three friends had.

Thought 1. Elihu put his finger on a critical truth: our sin influences the lives of other people and has

devastating consequences. Sin corrupts everything it touches and separates us from God. For this reason, God's

Word instructs us to live a life of separation—to avoid both sin and the sinners.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he

that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done

many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye

that work iniquity" (Mt.7:21-23).

3. (35:9-15) Elihu's second argument: God does not answer some people's cries.

Elihu felt it necessary to defend God against another of Job's complaints, the complaint that God failed to

answer his cries for help. When some people suffer, they cry out to God as never before, seeking relief just as

Job did. However, their cries are sometimes not immediately heard. God seems silent and far away, off in the

distance somewhere. He seems totally disinterested in the desperate cries. Just as Job could not understand, the

oppressed cannot understand why God will not hear their pleas for help. Scripture gives two clear and rational

explanations:

There is only one true and living God, the Creator of heaven and earth. If a person fails to seek the true Creator,

the only true and living God of the universe, He will refuse to answer. Tragically, many of the oppressed of the

world seek the false gods of this world, the so-called gods created by people's imaginations. Of course, any god

that exists only in people's minds does not truly exist. Such a god has no power beyond human power. Whether

existing only in people's thoughts or as an idol sitting in a beautiful hall of a massive temple, the so-called god

is lifeless. It is made only of earthly material. Therefore, the false gods of this world cannot hear the cries of the

oppressed nor do they have the power to help the oppressed.

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Note that God, the true Creator of this universe, gives "songs in the night." A person who truly believes in and

calls upon the living God will be heard and have his needs abundantly met. Even in the darkest night, the

darkest moments of the trial, the person will be filled with "songs in the night."

Note also that some of the oppressed fail to seek the one and only Creator who gives them more intelligence

than the animals. This point is significant because it means that the oppressed cannot be an atheist who has

always denied God and then suddenly expects God to hear his cries for help. An atheist believes that human

beings are nothing more than animals. Perhaps they believe that human beings are the highest form of animal

life; nevertheless, they still place human beings in the classification of animals, denying their spiritual nature. In

their minds, there is no God; therefore, there is no reason to cry out for divine help.

According to Elihu, this is one reason the cries of the oppressed are not heard. Many of them simply…

do not believe in God, not in the true and living God, the Creator of the universe do not seek the true Creator of the universe but instead seek the so-called gods created and worshipped by so

many throughout the world

The wicked are people who ignore, neglect, reject, deny, and disobey God. Any person who refuses to obey

God is like a rebellious youth who refuses to obey his or her parents: stubborn, haughty, arrogant, and

stiffnecked. The wicked are like rebellious children: they refuse to honor the authority of God, refuse to obey

His holy commandments. When the wicked—those who arrogantly exalt themselves against God and refuse to

obey Him—cry out for help, God will not listen to their cries. God will not help the wicked for two reasons:

First, God does not listen to empty and insincere pleas or prayers. A person who walks without God day by day

cannot expect God to be present when he walks through tumultuous times. If the person rejects God—has

ignored and separated himself from God—he cannot expect God to be present with him when a crisis strikes.

The person who lives separated from God will have to face trouble separated from God, all alone. God will not

allow Himself to be treated like a firechief who is called upon only when a fiery trial strikes. God is the

Majestic Creator of the universe who is to be worshipped, honored, and obeyed every day of a person's life.

Therefore, God will not answer the hypocritical cries of the wicked, those who want His presence only in times

of need and crisis.

Second, God will not hear a person who denies Him and His holy presence (vv.14-15). Again, if a person walks

day by day without God, without His presence, he will walk through the fiery trials of life without God. In the

words of Elihu, if a person does not see God—does not know that God's presence is with him—then God will

not hear his cry for help.

Likewise, a person who denies that God is just—denies that God punishes the wicked—will not be heard or

helped by God. God is the very embodiment of perfect justice; therefore, He will execute perfect justice upon

the wicked.

According to Elihu, Job had denied God by claiming that God was not listening to his cries or helping him. This

was presently true, for God had not yet responded to Job. But Elihu had misinterpreted Job's words. Job was not

denying God; he was simply wondering why God had not yet answered his cries for help. So far as he knew,

God's silence was not due to unconfessed sin in his (Job's) life. This dear suffering believer was not hiding

secret sin in his heart. Thus, Job could not understand why God's presence and help seemed so far away. Again,

he was not denying God nor the fact that God's presence dwells among His people. Job believed in God with all

of his heart, and he knew beyond question that God was always with His people, helping them in times of need.

For some reason, however, it seemed as though God had forsaken him and was even afflicting him with an

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incurable and horribly painful disease. Frankly, Job could not make sense of his situation, why God had allowed

so many tragedies to strike him all at once, including the apparently fatal illness.

Thought 1. Scripture indeed teaches that God shuts His ears to the cries of those who deny Him—all the

wicked and all who oppress or abuse others. In fact, God will not hear the cries of any person—believer or

unbeliever—who hides sin in his or her heart. God's holy nature cannot have anything to do with wicked,

corrupt behavior. Notice God's strong warnings in His Word:

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful

generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father

with the holy angels" (Mk.8:38).

4. (35:16) Elihu's conclusion: Job's claim to be righteous and his inconsistent position are empty words,

foolish talk.

Elihu concluded his third speech by completely denouncing Job's arguments. He proclaimed they were illogical

and served only to expose Job's pride. Though unstated, the thrust of Elihu's words was unmistakable. There

was only one thing for Job to do: repent (see 34:31-33). Note the Scripture and outline:

Almost as if Job had uttered a single, careless statement, Elihu dismissed all of Job's words in one sweeping

proclamation—he denounced Job's many complaints and arguments as vain and empty, foolish and without

knowledge. Keep in mind that Elihu considered Job guilty of secret sin for which God was punishing him. Had

Job been humble and repented, Elihu believed Job could have been restored. In this belief, Elihu was no

different from the three friends. And also like the friends, Elihu believed Job had multiplied his sin with his

multitude of words—the foolish and arrogant words Job had spoken against the Lord. Now more than ever

before because of Job's multitude of sins, he needed to repent and to seek the Lord's forgiveness. Then, perhaps,

God would restore him. But if he proudly refused to repent, the Lord would continue to ignore his pleas. Job

would have no hope of being cleared or accepted by God.

Thought 1. Some of Job's words were undoubtedly ill-advised and did expose a certain degree of pride. Perhaps

this was one area the Lord sought to smooth out through Job's suffering. On the other hand, Job was nowhere as

guilty as the three friends and Elihu had claimed. He had done nothing to warrant such great suffering despite

his friends' opposing view. The Lord had His own reasons for allowing Job to suffer, but Job's being guilty of

deliberate sin was not one of them. The three friends along with Elihu had failed Job miserably by refusing to

accept his claim of innocence and righteousness before God. Elihu likely came closest to understanding Job's

position in his first speech when he declared that God can speak and teach through suffering. Although, for the

most part, few of us can claim to be as innocent of sin as Job could. Far too many of us do commit deliberate

sin—sin we enjoy so much that we basically go ahead and do it even if it is forbidden by God's Holy

Commandments. If any of us are disobeying God and engaging in known sin, we must confess it and repent—

turn away from the sin and turn back to God. God's Word to us is simple and straightforward when speaking

about confession and repentance:

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of

refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Ac.3:19).

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness" (1 Jn.1:9).

D. Elihu's Fourth Speech: God Uses Suffering to Discipline People and to Arouse Them to

Revere Him, 36:1-37:24

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(36:1-37:24) Introduction: any of us who have lived long enough, without exception, have gone through some

trials and suffering in our lives. Whatever the hardship or affliction was, we might have wondered at the time—

Why me? Why now? We were, and perhaps still are, perplexed by the whole experience.

In the present passage, Elihu discusses some of the purposes for trials and suffering. And, somewhat to the

relief of Job and those standing nearby, this passage records Elihu's final words, his final appeal to Job. Like the

three friends who had spoken before him, Elihu pointed to and recognizes God's greatness, His unfathomable

wisdom displayed in creation. Because God is so great, His wisdom and justice must not be questioned,

especially by sinful people such as Job. The wicked cannot hope to be accepted or justified by God. He is too

righteous and too just for people to confront or challenge Him. While Elihu's speech essentially mirrors what

the friends had said before him, it also foreshadows the Lord's coming speech (ch.38ff). When the Lord finally

speaks to Job, He will, in fact, ask Job many of the same questions raised here by Elihu. This is, Elihu's Fourth

Speech: God Uses Suffering to Discipline People and to Arouse Them to Revere Him, 36:1-37:24.

1. (36:1-4) Elihu's confidence in his ability to help Job: A sense of self-importance.

Elihu made a very bold claim: he was absolutely sure his words could help Job. It seems Elihu grew in

confidence the more he spoke and the others remained silent. In any event, he had much more to say.

Fearing that Job would grow impatient, Elihu requested Job to bear with him a little while longer. His speech

was getting drawn out and he must have noticed Job beginning to lose interest or getting sleepy. Whatever the

reason, Elihu felt he needed to remind Job that what he was saying was the truth. Therefore, no matter how tired

Job was, he needed to pay close attention.

Hearing this probably made Job cringe, for he had heard enough talk and was no doubt in excruciating pain. He

was bound to be utterly exhausted from the hours his friends had already taken in their discussions. They had

tried repeatedly to convince him his suffering was due to unconfessed sin in his heart. Now, it was time for the

talk to stop. Unfortunately though, Elihu was eager to share his final thoughts as to why Job was suffering.

In order to help Job, Elihu needed his full attention. Therefore, to arouse Job's interest, Elihu spelled out his

credentials as a counselor and spokesman for God. Note the four credentials the young man listed:

⇒ First, Elihu claims to have gotten his knowledge and understanding from afar, that is, from God

(v.3a). He believed that the words he was speaking were not of man but of God and that his wisdom

came from knowing God and studying His ways. Despite his youth, Elihu was confident he could help

Job.

⇒ Second, Elihu felt he must defend God's justice (v.3b). Job had expressed the feeling that God was

treating him unfairly by allowing him to suffer so much. Certainly, Job was aware that all people—the

righteous as well as the wicked—endure a degree of suffering at some point in their lives. But this dear

believer could not understand the great extent of the suffering God was allowing him to go through,

and all in such a brief time. It all seemed unreasonable, as though God were biased and unjust. In Elihu's

opinion, God was not the one who was unfair or unjust, but Job. Job was guilty of injustice because he

had falsely accused the Lord.

⇒ Third, Elihu repeated that he was speaking the truth—that his words were full of wisdom and

understanding, not lies or errors (v.4a). He apparently felt his listeners needed to be reminded of his

knowledge since he was younger than they. For whatever reason, this young man felt compelled to

continually build up and defend the validity and strength of his arguments.

⇒ Fourth, Elihu made quite a startling claim, stating that "one perfect in knowledge is among you"

(v.4b). Elihu was presumably saying that he understood Job's situation completely, understood why

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people suffer. Simply stated, this young man was claiming to be a scholar, in particular in the fields of

theology and philosophy. And as a theologian and philosopher—as one who got his knowledge from

God (v.3)—he understood the mystery of suffering. He could tell Job why he was suffering and what

he needed to do either to be restored to health and prosperity or else to be prepared for death.

It should be noted that some scholars believe this verse actually speaks of God—God is the One who is perfect

in knowledge. "This view is supported by the recently discovered Ebla tablets (Mitchell Dahood, 'Are the Ebla

Tablets Relevant to Biblical Research?' Biblical Archaeology Review 6. September-October 1980:58)."

Thought 1. Elihu had a dangerous sense of self-importance, a sense that his ability far exceeded that of others.

When we exalt ourselves over others—thinking we are above or better than they are, acting superior to them—

our behavior becomes dangerous. It degrades, humiliates, and hurts other people. Sometimes it even stifles the

growth of those who are exposed to it. Furthermore, an attitude of superiority causes people to dislike and avoid

us or worse to have nothing to do with us. But far more tragic, a spirit of self-exaltation, pride, arrogance, and

boasting dooms us. God condemns all such behavior:

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be

exalted" (Mt.23:12).

"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low

estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" (Ro.12:16).

"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know"

(1 Co.8:2).

2. (36:5-15) Elihu's explanation of how God deals with people, especially the sufferer.

Finally, Elihu got to the heart of his counsel to Job: he sought to explain how God deals with people, including

the wicked, the afflicted, the righteous, and those who suffer. Note the Scripture and outline:

Elihu began by stating that God is all-powerful but that He still has compassion on people. That is, He does not

despise any man (v.5). This declaration should have stirred hope in Job, for Elihu was telling Job that God did

not despise him. On the contrary, God would have compassion on His dear follower. Elihu also declared

another fact about God: He has perfect understanding of all things and always fulfills His purposes (v.5b).

Whatever God has planned for the world and for each individual life, He will work all things out for good in

order to accomplish His purposes. Elihu gave four examples to demonstrate God's omnipotence and mercy:

1) First, God executes justice on the wicked: they are condemned to death (v.6a). Just as Zophar had claimed

earlier, Elihu now declares that the life of the wicked individual is brief and that human history supports this

fact (see outline and note—Jb.20:4-11 for more discussion). The wicked ignore, neglect, and reject God

throughout their lives. As a result, they do not have the presence of God to protect and look after them as they

walk day by day. When a life-threatening crisis strikes, they are left all alone to face the emergency. Without

God's guidance and protection, the wicked are often snatched from this life much sooner than they would have

been if they had trusted the Lord's presence and protection. Elihu was clearly implying that Job was suffering

and facing death because of the unconfessed sin in his heart. God was executing justice on him. However, Elihu

offered hope to Job in the next point.

2) Second, while it is true that the Lord executes justice on the wicked, He helps the afflicted as well (v.6b).

This was an obvious hint to Job: if he repented, the Lord would hear and help him through his affliction. Elihu

was saying there was no need for Job to suffer any longer. Nor was there any need to question why God was

letting him suffer so much, nor to ask why God had not yet heard his cries for help. Job needed only to repent,

P a g e | 24

and then the Lord would answer his cries and meet his needs either by restoring him or preparing his heart for

death.

3) Third, the Lord watches over the righteous, never taking His eyes off them. When believers are going

through fiery trials or suffering affliction or facing great temptation, the Lord is there with them. He will deliver

them through whatever challenges or adversities they are confronting. And then, after death, He will reward and

exalt them forever (v.7). Other passages of Scripture verify this truth:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and

eternal weight of glory" (2 Co.4:17).

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (Ps.34:19).

4) Fourth, God uses suffering for the good of those who face trials and affliction (vv.8-12). This wonderful truth

is strongly supported in the New Testament:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the

called according to his purpose" (Ro.8:28).

Somewhat surprising, among all the counselors, Elihu demonstrates some of the deepest thinking as well as

keen insight into why God allows people to suffer. He spells out six valid purposes for suffering, saying that

God uses suffering for good in people's lives.

⇒ First, God uses suffering to rouse people to evaluate their lives: to make sure their relationship

with Him and others is what it should be—that they are using their time wisely, working and

accomplishing what they should.

⇒ Second, God uses suffering to pinpoint sin in people's lives: to arouse them to think about their

lives, to think about how their behavior is damaging their bodies and causing their suffering.

⇒ Third, God uses suffering to correct people's sinful behavior: to stop them from doing any more

harm to themselves or others, to prevent them from causing any more damage or pain on earth.

⇒ Fourth, God uses suffering to stir people to repent: to turn them away from sin and shame before

they destroy or doom themselves or before they add any more evil, lawlessness, immorality, or violence

to this world.

⇒ Fifth, God uses suffering to arouse people to remember His wonderful promise: if they obey and

serve Him, they will prosper and be content the rest of their lives (v.11). They will experience the

fullness of life—have all their needs met by the power of God. They will be either victorious over all

the trials of life or given the strength to walk through them with the perfect assurance of being prepared

to die with a pure conscience before God.

⇒ Sixth, God uses suffering to warn people: if they disobey Him, they will perish. Sadly, they will

die without knowledge—without ever having known God and His presence and guidance. They will

never know the peace or assurance that come from being accepted by the only living and true God, the

Creator of the universe!

In naming these six purposes for suffering, Elihu was suggesting that Job evaluate his own life in light of these.

The implication, of course, was that Job could discover exactly why God was allowing him to suffer.

Elihu also wanted Job to evaluate his reaction to his suffering. Therefore, the young man now described how

different people react to suffering, in particular how the godless and the righteous respond to suffering in their

lives (vv.13-15).

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1) The godless respond to suffering by harboring resentment (v.13a). Often, they have difficulty handling severe

suffering because they cannot understand why they, of all people, are having to endure such painful affliction.

Remember, the godless live only for this world—to secure enough of its possessions to live comfortably and to

enjoy its pleasures. Therefore, when suffering interrupts their plans or their lifestyle of comfort and pleasure,

they often become bitter and discouraged. The godless walk on earth without God; consequently, they do not

have His presence or protection to help them stay safe or to comfort them in their times of sorrow and affliction.

They do not know God; therefore, they do not call upon God for help (v.13b). As a result, according to Elihu,

they die sooner than they should (v.14). The godless sufferer lives among the unclean of the world and often

dies an early death, just like the immoral idolaters who do not know God.

2) The righteous, on the other hand, respond to suffering entirely differently (v.15). They open their hearts to

God, seeking to learn the purpose for their suffering. Scripture says, "God speaks to them in their affliction," so

they listen and try to understand what God wants to teach them through the experience. Once they discover

what God is saying or revealing to them, they can grow through experience or, if need be, change their behavior

by repenting. Then God either delivers them from the suffering or through the suffering. In either case, God

helps and sustains the righteous. Once again, Elihu was speaking in general but certainly had Job in mind. He

was suggesting that if Job would repent of his unconfessed sin, God would help and sustain him.

Thought 1. Scripture reveals many invaluable lessons to be learned through suffering. Suffering is indeed a

way in which God can speak to us and through us. When we trust and love the Lord despite our suffering, we

can have great hope in God. God will strengthen us and take care of us. Even if our suffering involves

excruciating pain or is terminal, God promises to help us and to usher us right into His presence—quicker than

the eye can blink. God's Word abounds with the wonderful promises of God's presence and help:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are

many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (Jn.14:1-

2).

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the

called according to his purpose" (Ro.8:28).

3. (36:16-25) Elihu's warning to Job.

After explaining how God uses suffering in people's lives, Elihu went on to issue several warnings to Job. Job

was guilty of numerous errors, and Elihu addressed these with six specific warnings.

First, Elihu warned Job that God was wooing him—lovingly pursuing him—through his suffering. The young

man was thoroughly convinced that God wanted to use Job's suffering for good. In light of this, he felt strongly

that Job needed to repent of his arrogance and stubbornness and hear what God was saying to him in his

affliction. The Lord was obviously trying to correct Job and save him from deadly sin. God wanted to free Job

and restore him to health and prosperity.

Second, Elihu warned Job that he was burdened with the judgment of the wicked because of his charges against

God. Like all wicked people, Job had become weighed down by God's judgment upon his life. Some

unconfessed sin had entangled him and God's heavy hand of condemnation was the result. Job needed to

understand this and stop insisting on his innocence. If he would not learn from God's judgment and confess and

repent of his secret sin, he could not be restored.

Sometime earlier, Elihu had overheard Job express a deep longing for his former life of prosperity (see also

ch.29). With that in mind, he warned Job not to love or trust in wealth. Wealth could not deliver or save him

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from his suffering. Only the Lord could do that. And only the Lord could restore him to his former life of

prosperity—if He chose to do so.

Fourth, Job should not long for the darkness of death to claim his life (see 3:13,17). Not surprisingly, this dear

suffering believer had expressed his longing to die on several occasions. Evidently, Elihu no doubt had heard

and been greatly disturbed by Job's remarks. It was Elihu's opinion that Job should not be longing for death to

bring relief from his suffering; rather, he should be learning the lessons of suffering—what God was seeking to

teach him. This was perhaps one of the wiser points Elihu made.

Job had certainly longed for relief from his suffering, and he had great hope that God would give him some

relief. But there is no record of Job's ever saying that he would prefer trying a life of wickedness rather than

bearing the suffering he was having to endure. Despite his suffering, Job loved God and was committed to Him.

Within his heart, there was little chance that Job would ever deliberately sin or turn to a life of sin. Surely he

would not prefer evil to his suffering. Yet it was Elihu's impression that Job was accusing and blaspheming the

Lord, refusing to learn from and accept His judgment.

When Elihu had given his last warning to Job, the young man dramatically declared that job needed to

remember God's exalted power. He needed to catch a new vision. Elihu went on, saying that God alone is the

supreme Teacher. He alone determines what to do in each case that comes before Him in the life of every

human being. Added to that, God never does wrong. Because of this, He is to be praised for His great works just

as some people have always done in song. In fact, God is due all the praise that people can lift up because His

works have been wonderfully demonstrated and seen down through the ages. People can observe the Lord's

work even from afar—the work of His glorious creation. Creation itself reflects God's incomprehensible

wisdom, power, and glory.

Thought 1. Elihu issued these warnings out of a deep concern for Job. He did not want his suffering neighbor to

miss what God had planned for him. While very little Elihu said actually applied to Job, we would all do well to

heed the warnings.

Whether we are suffering or well, God is deeply concerned for us. He does not want us to miss anything He has

planned for our lives. Therefore, God has issued warning after warning to us. Several of the major warnings

follow:

"And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am

Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them" (Lu.21:8).

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither

fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom

of God" (1 Co.6:9-10).

4. (36:26-37:13) Elihu's continued admonition to Job: Consider how great God is.

In Elihu's mind, the one thing Job needed above all else was to understand and truly appreciate the greatness of

the Lord—how incomprehensible He is, His power over creation and His wisdom in ruling the world. He was

certain that if Job really understood how great God is, he would not question God's justice. He would not feel

that God was treating him unfairly by allowing him to suffer so much. Thus, Elihu sets out to illustrate the great

power of God.

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God is beyond man's understanding, infinite and unfathomable. He cannot be grasped by the finite human mind,

and His years are beyond measure. Elihu was implying that taking all that into consideration, Job had no right to

question the Almighty, just as the friends had argued before.

As an illustration of God's incomprehensible power, Elihu described God's control of storms. He first identified

three types of storms: the autumn storm, the winter storm, and the spring storm. He then declared that God had

established the laws that control all of them.

God's laws within nature form clouds and provide rain that showers down on the human race and fills the

streams. In Job's day, no one could understand how the clouds or rain were formed or where the thunder came

from. But no matter the generation, the key thing people need to recognize and acknowledge is this: it is God

who provides the rain. By sending rain, God shows His care for people and provides food for them; by

withholding rain, He judges and governs people and nations.

God also spreads lightning over the earth and sea. In fact, He is in absolute control of the lightning and can use

it as a weapon of judgment. Likewise, He controls thunder, and sometimes uses it...

to warn people and cattle of a coming storm to arouse a sense of awe in people to seize people's attention and to serve as a powerful image of the mighty voice of God, warning people to listen

to and heed His voice to alert people to the coming lightning—a picture that God's holy wrath will strike the ends of the earth to remind people that they are powerless before Him to remind people of God's marvelous works, His awe-inspiring universe—a creation that is far beyond our

comprehension.

The Lord also controls the mighty winter storm. He regulates the snow and the destructive force of a downpour.

Like the autumn storm, the winter storm reminds people of God's awesome power, often forcing people to stop

work and animals to seek shelter and hibernate.

The blistering cold and stormy winds are all under the Lord's command. They remind people of the force and

authority of God's breath, His Word. By His mere breath or a single word, God can cause water to freeze.

Indeed, all nature is created, controlled, and sustained by Him.

Finally, God controls the spring storm. He fills the clouds with water and lightning and charts the course of

storms over the whole earth. As with anything else in all creation, God can use these storms for His purposes—

either to punish the wicked or to show His love by watering the earth.

In a manner similar to Job and his three friends, Elihu painted a vivid picture of God's sovereign command over

nature. Still, it is only a small fraction of God's total power and wisdom—the outer fringes and mere whisper of

His complete works (see 26:14). Elihu did not know how Job could dare question such a powerful God as the

Lord? How could he question whether God was fair in His dealings with him? No matter how horrible Job's

sufferings were, he should fear questioning the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the only living and true

God.

Thought 1. The lesson for us is clear: when storms or other natural disasters strike the earth, we need to make

ourselves aware of and acknowledge several truths:

the awesome power of nature the greatness of God, the Creator of so vast and orderly a universe that is, at times, so disorderly and destructive

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the fact that it was our sin (through Adam) that corrupted the earth and universe and that set in motion the

disasters of nature that often assault our planet

In light of these truths, when storms and disasters do strike, we should strive to focus our thoughts on the

greatness of God. And in the face of such greatness, we should humbly search our hearts to see if there is any

sin that we need to confess and repent of. Or, perhaps we need to recommit our lives to God. We must be open

and honest in any event and remember that God can use the events in nature both to judge us and to bless us as

individuals as well as to judge and bless nations. He can also cause us to repent and seek Him anew.

"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Lu.13:3).

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of

refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Ac.3:19).

Thought 2. Following are just a few of the many accounts of God's use of nature in the lives of people and

nations: Elihu felt strongly that Job needed to consider God's greatness and in so doing, he should repent of his

sin. If any of us are hanging on to some secret sin, we too need to consider how great God is and repent.

"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall

be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her" (Re.18:8).

5. (37:14-24) Elihu's final appeal to Job.

After describing God's power and control over nature, Elihu made a final appeal to Job. Keep in mind the

reason Elihu was emphasizing God's power. Job had questioned the Lord and even accused Him of injustice, of

punishing him unfairly. He could not understand why God was allowing him, a true believer, to suffer so

severely. In Elihu's opinion, however, it was wrong to question the Lord who created and sustains the world,

who governs both nature and nations. His power and judgments are beyond human understanding and must be

accepted by mortal man. Thus, Job was wrong to question so mighty a God. Rather than questioning and

accusing, Job needed to fear, revere, and worship the Lord. This message from Elihu foreshadows the Lord's

own words beginning in the next chapter. Note the Scripture and outline:

Elihu first asked Job to pause and listen, to carefully consider God's wonderful works. He specifically wanted

Job to ponder three questions, questions that focused on God's control of summer storms (vv.15-18):

⇒ Do you know how God guides the clouds and causes lightning to flash (v.15)?

⇒ Do you know how God hangs the clouds in midair—know as much about it as the One who is

perfect in knowledge (v.16)?

⇒ Can you spread out the skies on a sweltering day—a day when people are already soaked in their

clothes—and then cause the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror (vv.17-18)?

The obvious answers to Elihu's questions were all, "No." Job did not know how God controlled nature nor could

Job himself control any part of nature. Again, Elihu's central point was that no individual should question so

powerful a God as the Creator of the universe for He rules the earth in perfect justice and wisdom. His justice

and wisdom cannot be questioned by mortal man, not by Job nor anyone else.

Job needed to understand the impossibility of defending himself before the Creator of the universe. Not Job or

any other man had the power or the right to question or to plead his case before God. No matter how much Job

claimed to be innocent of sin nor how much he wanted God to consider his case, Job should not expect God to

give special attention to his case or situation. Elihu gave six reasons for making this argument:

⇒ Because mankind lives in darkness and ignorance.

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⇒ Because no individual can speak to his own righteousness—lest he be swallowed up and destroyed.

⇒ Because a person cannot look upon God any more than a person can look directly at the sun.

⇒ Because God dwells in golden splendor and appears in awesome majesty: a picture of Christ's

return.

⇒ Because God is far beyond our reach and is exalted in power.

⇒ Because God is just and righteous and does not oppress people.

It is because of God's greatness—His power, justice, and righteousness—that men must fear, revere, and

worship Him. Elihu's perspective was that Job needed to earnestly reflect on the Lord's awesome power and

wisdom. He needed to fear and revere the Lord, not question and accuse Him. This would be true wisdom, and

the Lord accepts and favors those who are wise.

This ends the words and message of Elihu. Elihu was the youngest and last member of the group to speak; but

he spoke with as much or more confidence, even authority, as any of the friends. More importantly, he probably

contributed more ideas of real value to the conversation than any of the friends. Job's friends had said little that

was original and not already well-known by most people. But Elihu offered several rich insights into why

people suffer and how God can speak through suffering. The Bible Knowledge Commentary offers this succinct

summary of the value of Elihu's contribution:

Job said nothing after Elihu's speeches, possibly because he saw some truth in what Elihu was saying.

According to this youthful informant, God's justice should not be questioned or His sovereignty challenged,

because His ways are beyond human understanding. According to Elihu, calamities can serve to remove pride

and to protect people from more grave difficulties. God, then, is to be worshiped, not criticized; He is to be

extolled, not examined.

Elihu fittingly prepared the way for God to speak. He did so: (a) by defending God; (b) by sensitizing Job to his

need for humility; (c) by describing God's wonders in natural revelation, which God elaborated on; (d) by

probing Job with thought-provoking questions (33:13; 34:17-19, 33; 35:2, 6-7; 36:19, 22-23, 29; 37:15-18, 20),

a tactic that God continued; and (e) by targeting on Job's basic problem—justifying himself and condemning

God—which God Himself later mentioned (cf. 32:2 with 40:8).

Thought 1. Scripture teaches that the Lord's wisdom and power are far beyond human comprehension, beyond

anything we could ever grasp. God is sovereign and rules over the entire universe. He controls and works all

things out for good—even natural disasters and people's evil behavior. But God works all things out for good

only for those who truly love Him, and He does so to accomplish His will and purposes for the universe.

Therefore, no person should resist God's will as revealed in His Holy Word and in His Son, the Lord Jesus

Christ. God is to be feared and revered by every human being. The fear and reverence of God is, in fact, the

starting point for any relationship with God. As Scripture says:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his

commandments: his praise endureth for ever" (Ps.111:10).

Therefore, even in the midst of trials and suffering we are to fear and love the Lord. It is actually when we face

the trials of life that we prove our faith and trust in God. Trials give us the greatest opportunity to show how

deeply we love the Lord and are committed to Him. If we truly love the Lord, we will worship and honor Him

no matter what adversities we face or afflictions we bear. Notice what God's Word says about fearing and

loving the Lord:

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"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our

God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and

with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mk.12:29-30).

"And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (2

Th.3:5).

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Job.