Job

The young man Elihu offers his counsel
God answers Job
The rebuke of Job's friends
Job's restoration

Job 31

Job had swore an oath to God regarding his innocence (27:2).  He now provides a list of sins of which he declares he is innocent.  He declares curses on himself if he is found guilty.

• Lust (1-4):  Job recognizes that God sees his ways.  Therefore, he made a covenant with his eyes to avoid this sin of lust; a sin which exists in the thought life and would bring destruction and disaster.
• Falsehood (5-8); Job, by way of integrity, held to his innocence in the face of a any accusation of falsehood.  If he were found guilty, he would expect to toil for the benefit of another.  This was the same as declared by the law.
• Adultery (9-12); Job declared his innocence, recognizing the curse that God declared in the law, his wife would be taken from him.  He understood this was a wickedness that was deserving of judgment.  This woud bring about his destruction and consume his wealth. 
• Mistreatment of servants (13-15); Job recognizes his servants were also created in the image of God.  They weren't lesser people or a commodity.  God's people were reminded in Deut 15:16 that they were once slaves. 
• Failure to help the poor (16-23); Job accepts a curse that would cost him an arm if he were found guilty of not helping the poor, the widow, the orphan, those needing warmed or clothed.
• Trusting in wealth (24-28); Not only did Job declare he didn't trust his wealth but he also didn't declare he was wealthy by his hand.  It was all a blessing from God.  This would have been a type of idolatry calling for stoning by the law.
• Rejoicing at an enemies misfortune (29-30); Job denies having rejoiced at his enemies misfortune or calling for a curse on his enemies. 
• Lack of generosity (31-32); Job was always generous to others; both to those in his house and the traveler. 
• Hypocrisy (33-34); Job's sins were confessed, not hidden.  He didn't say one thing and live out another secretly.  He gives examples of reasons to imply there is no good reason and he knew that. 
• Abuse of the land (38-40); The curse for abuse of the land would be that it would return the abuse to Job by gorwing weeds. 

Job makes his 'mark'; it's a signature to his declaration of innocence.  He wished God would hear him and respond. 

 

Job 32

It was customary for the young man to yield to the elder men as they spoke.  But the three men were done and they still had not given Job a sufficient answer.  Because of this Elihue is angered; but he's also angered at Job.  He felt job justified himself, putting his own righteousness higher than God.  Elihu decided it was time to speak.

Elihu felt that God had given him wisdom and the ability to speak some truth and understanding into this situation.  Wisdom come's from God, not just from being older.  He essentially tells them to listen up because he listened to them and found that they say they found wisdom.  They held to their wisdom as much as Job to his blamelessness and given up on speaking to Job and decided God would take care of him.  Elihu says this is a cop out. 

This younger man feels compelled to speak; he's stirred up and full of words.  He says he will be objective and show no favoritism as Job accused the friends of showing towards God while ignoring his defense. 

Elihu forms the argument that suffering wasn't because of sin.  Suffering was God's way of keeping us or growing us.  It might be for correction or restoration or guidance.  Job's problem, according to Elihu, was Job's arrogance response to suffering.  

 

Job 33

Elihu makes the case that what he has to say is worth Job listening to.  You can at least get the feeling Elihu wants to offer something of value to Job and not just attack him.  He acknowledges himself as clay, just a man as Job.  But he also sees himself as a kind of mediator between Job and God.  The result of the other friends was to bring on this terror of God Job expressed in feeling that God was against him.  Elihu assured Job he do the same. 

Elihu summaraized Job's position in verse nine and quotes him in verses 10-11.  Then declares Job is unrighteous in this.  He implies that Job has missed some vital communication from God; a vision or dream.  God speaks, opens our ears and gives us instruction for the sole purpose of turning man from his evil deeds.   He says in verse 19 that God communicates in pain; using this to teach and correct man.  This is relevant to Job's situation.  Job's suffering was to reveal and glorify God; regardless of whether Job understood this fact. 

Elihu speaks of the rare mediator; one in a thousand.  He is actually rarer than that; He is One!!  His name is Jesus.  Elihu pictures this pulling mediator pulling the sinner from this quagmire of suffering.  Once the work of suffering is complete, he would redeem and restore his life.  Once restored the man would then confess his sinopenly and recognize it didn't do him any good to keep it hidden. 

All this is done, according to Elihu, to bring man back from their unrighteousness.  Elihu completes his first speech.  It was long winded with a long introduction to say so little; very politician like.  He encourages Job to hear as he is taught wisdom. 

 

Job 34

As Elihu continues he focuses more on defending God's justice.  He speaks to all the wise men who spoke; assumed to be Job and his friends.  However, he speaks more to Job's claims.

• Elihu calls for Job to listen
• He cites the evidence spoken by Job
• He presents his evidence by way of refuting Job
• Then encourages Job to repent.

Elihu scolds Job for resisting the chastening of God.  In rebelling against the suffering he sinned and should get the full reward for his actions.  Instead of repentance, he spoke against God.

 

Job 35

The NKJV reads as if Job were saying his righteousness was more than God's; the NIV states it differently:

² "Do you think this is just?

You say, 'I am in the right, not God.'

³ Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me,

and what do I gain by not sinning?^[1]

 

Elihu questions Job to make sure he really feels this way.  Job's position is that God had wronged him.  Since the righteous and wicked are destroyed together then what's the point of being righteous?  Elihu points out that the vastness of God and uses that to point out that Job's righteousness doesn't have any value to God; that righteousness and unrighteousness alike would only affect Job himself.  But we know God does have a stake in Job's righteousness.  He does care, Job's righteousness in spite of circumstances glorifies God. 

 

Job 36

Elihu claims to speak on God's behalf as he defends God's ways.  The 'knowledge from afar' is likely meant as knowledge from God.  "One who is perfect in knowledge" is also a reference to God. 

Elihu paints God as mighty.  He punishes wickedness and preserves the oppressed.  Those that find themselves in affliction will be told by God where their sin lies according to Elihu.  Then, they must turn from their sin and God would restore.  Those who respond to God's correction with hypocrisy will be destroyed. 

Elihu warns Job to heed his words for fear God would wipe him out in a blow.  His riches were useless to help him.  His desire to die would only hasten the outcome.  Elihu does have a high view of God and extols the supremacy and sovereingty of God. 

 

Job 37

Elihu talks about Almighty and All-powerful God.  No one can truly understand the ways of God, but we can know Him.  We can hear from Him.  Ironically, that is just what's about to happen.  

 

Job 38

God answers Job; and He does so out of a whirlwind.  The answers come in God's perfect timing and it comes in God's perfect form.  He doesn't answer Job's specific questions.  The answer was that Job was ignorant of God's ways.  Instead of telling Job he is ignorant, God shows him his ignorance.  Theophanies often appear in a display of power and might, using the elements of nature.  In this case, it is a whirlwind from which the Lord displays Him self.

Job's counsel was darkened; meaning obscured, unable to be seen, incomplete.  The words of Job were without knowledge.   As Job challenged God (13:22), so now God challenges Job.  He was to prepare himself like a man; this is to gird up his loins. 

God goes to the creation to reveal Job's ignorance.  We see God use sarcasm in asking Job where he was if he was so wise.  He offers multiple questions:

• Where were you?
  • If you know enough to question God, surely you were there.
• Did you see these sights of creation?
• Did you hear the sounds of heavenly choirs celebrate the laying of earth's foundations.

Then God goes to multiple places:

• Below the sea
  • Seen as awesome and chaotic.
  • God shows his authority over it.
• Day and night
  • Had Job even considered God's sovereignty over the days and nights?
  • The light of dawn chases the darkness and the hiding of sins. 
• God's knowledge of the depths
• God's knowledge of the heavens
• God's knowledge of the weather
• Then God explores Job's power.
  • He asks, "Who?" that implies, "Was it you, Job?"
  • "Can you?" is asked several times.\

Had Job's eyes been lowered to himself and his own circumstances?  Had he brought God down to a level he could understand?  Is God not lifting his eyes and helping him to once again see the sovereignty, power and authority of the Almighty?

 

Job 39

God's questioning of Job continues.  He explores the knowledge of Job as he puts His vast knowledge and sovereignty on display.  The sarcasm is continued as a means of communicating and establishing Job's place before God and to recognize aspects of the that are so evident before us all, yet we often fail to see.  The questions concern the provision and care of the animal kingdom.  The heart of the passage is keyed around the qeustions, "Do you know?  Can you?  Who?" and so forth.  Yet, we also see God's design of the animal kingdom; He is the archetect of their design as they each take their place in His creation.    

As the vast knowledge of God is revealed, did it occur to Job that what happened to him was also perfect in its use by God.  He is a good, good Father.  We can trust Him, even in our suffering, even when we feel we can't hear from him. 

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him^[2]

 

Job 40

Job is getting his day in court as he demanded.  Yet he has chose to remain silent.  This is far cry from his claims; he was going to plead his case to God and explain to Him the mistake He had made.  Job demaned that God answer him (7:20; 10:2; 31:30), now God demands Job answer Him. 

Job is obviously humbled and prefers silence.  I can't help but think of the saying, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt."  Job recognize his place and is growing in his understanding of Almighty God.

God begins His second speech addressing Job's complaint about God's handling of justice.  Job felt that the righteous were suffering without cause while often times the wicked go about life without a care.  The Lord asks Job the questions as if it were a job interview to determine if he was qualified to administer justice.  The questions end at verse 13; and if Job were able to do all that God describes, then he could indeed justify himself.  Job approached this self justification; saying he was righteous and blameless in his ways and accusing God of failing in justice.  If Job was righteous, he didn't need God.

God continues on by putting the behemoth on display.  God created this incredible creature that we can't even positively identify.  In this, we can see that only God is qualified to administer justice. 

 

Job 41

This chapter is a continuation of God showing how he is the only one qualified to administer justice.  Like behemoth, God puts Leviathon on display.  The Leviathan usually refers to a 7-headed sea monster in old Canaanite myths.  This creatuire is fascinating and sounds like a fire-breathing dragon.  To explain this away as an alligator or some mythical creature seems foolish.  God is speaking of His creation, His authority over the animal kingdom, and care for them.  There's no reason to think God would put a mythical creature in the midst of this conversation if it weren't real.  The point was that God deals with this creature like it were a pet.  Job was going to challeng God and bring his case against God, yet he wouldn't even stand up before the Leviathon. 

This creature is fearless.  It is powerful and has impenetrable defenses, weapons are useless.  This animal would be feared by man, uncontrollable, chaotic and dangerous.  How much more is the God that made this creature?

Everthing under the heaven is God's, even Job.  With that ownership comes sovereignty and authority.  Job had clearly overstepped his boundary. 

 

Job 42

Job 42:1-6

It's the humble man who is teachable.  Job learned something about God, while God was patient and kind to teach and lead him through his error in understanding.  Job quotes himself and confesses he was speaking about things he didn't understand.  Job gives an answer God requested; he had the wrong perspective.  Now that he understood God more clearly, he know of how ridiculous his challeng was.  He repented.  In all this:

• Job didn't take his eyes from God – knowing he was the source of answers, of hope
• He sought God; calling to Him, talking it out with Him.
• Maintainted humility; teachability
• He sought counsel; although it was rejected because it was inconsistent with God.
• He listened to God.
• He received from God.
• He repented.

 

Job 42:7-8

Eliphaz and his friends misrepresented God (Why is Elihu not indicted with the other friends?).  In all their rebukes of Job, they had not kept their own heart and counsel right before God.  This is an easy trap to fall into.  They had been harsh on Job, now they had to rely on Job's intercessory prayer.  This would require some level of resotration and forgiveness between them.  God's grace would be displayed through His servant Job.  The sacrifice was a large one, seven being the number of completeness or perfection.  This was a burnt offering for the covering of that sin. 

Consider all that these three said about God's dealing with sin, wickedness and unrighteousness.  Now they were found guilty by God.  Should God bring justice as they assured Job he was receiving?  Should God strike these three for their sin?  They received God's mercy and forgiveness by God's righteous servant.  What a lesson they saw!

 

Job 42:9-16

It's worth noting that restoration came to Job's life when he prayed for his friends, after repentance, after forgiveness, after prayer.  Job got double of all his livestock when restored.  During restoration, the children aren't doubled.  Why?  Because they weren't lost?  While they died, they weren't lost.  The additional children, with the previous children were a double blessing to Job. The daughters were named and the sons weren't. The daughter's names mean peace, fragrance and hope.  If we accept God's way our life will be characterized by peace, fragrance and hope.

God is not just a set of rules?  We can't create a God of our understanding as the friends did.  Nor can we challenge God's sovereign decision over our life.  This entire event, from our perspective, is about God revealing his heart to Job (and us).  At the same time, God was showing Satan to be a fool and a liar.  It's worth noting that the book closes with no mention of Satan as Job is seen humbled and bowed before God.

Look these up:

Lamentations 3:31-33

Lamentations 3:25-26

Romans 5:3-5

 

©2017 Doug Ford