In The Word
Read: Job 34-35
Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice
34 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who understand.
3 For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us understand among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
6 Should I lie about my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’
7 What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
8 Who goes in company with the workers of injustice,
And walks with wicked people?
9 For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man
When he becomes friends with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do evil,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 For He repays a person for his work,
And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s behavior.
12 God certainly will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has placed the whole world on Him?
14 If He were to determine to do so,
If He were to gather His spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would return to dust.
16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
17 Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;
19 Who shows no partiality to the prominent,
Nor regards the rich as above the poor,
Since they are all the work of His hands?
20 In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the powerful are taken away without a hand.
21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of a person,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.
23 For He does not need to consider a person further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces the mighty without investigation,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their deeds,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He strikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
27 Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways,
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He would hear the cry of the afflicted—
29 When He keeps quiet, who can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him,
That is, regarding both nation and a person?—
30 So that godless people would not rule,
Nor be snares for the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured punishment;
I will not offend anymore;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done wrong,
I will not do it again’?
33 Shall God repay on your terms, because you have rejected His?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
36 Oh that Job were tested to the limit,
Because he answers like sinners.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
Elihu Sharply Rebukes Job
35 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Do you think this is in accordance with justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You?
What benefit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 I will answer you,
And your friends with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
And look at the clouds—they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your wrongdoings are many, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,
11 Who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12 There they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil people.
13 God certainly will not listen to an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 How much less when you say you do not look at Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15 And now, because He has not avenged His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged wrongdoing well,
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty words;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Job’s younger friend, Elihu, continues to speak, and specifically addresses Job’s previous comments that God is unjust and unfair (34:5, 27:2). He also addresses Job’s comment that there is no benefit in serving God (34:9, 21:15). While Elihu was not correct in everything that he said, there are two lessons we can learn from today’s verses.
The first lesson is regarding God’s fairness. With our limited mind, it can be difficult to understand God and His higher ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). So, our correct response is to recognize God’s sovereignty, that He is right and just in all that He does. We may not understand why God would allow a difficult situation to happen in our life, but sometimes it is not for us to understand. Rather, we are to trust that God is in control and that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28), even though the situation may not look that way at that moment.
The second lesson is regarding the benefits from serving God. One of the great things about God is that He blesses His children simply because He loves them. Likewise, we should obey and serve God simply because we love Him. We should not try to get something from Him, that is coercion and manipulation, and He will not give in to it. The benefit of serving God should simply be that it pleases Him.
So today, check your heart and see if you trust God simply because He is sovereign, and that you are serving Him simply because you love Him.