Job chapter thirty five could be outlined:
Elihu questions Job about righteousness (Job 35:1-7)
Wickedness affects man (Job 35:8-9)
Job’s lack of understanding (Job 35:10-16)
Elihu continues to speak.
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said: 2 "Do you think this is right? Do you say, ’My righteousness is more than God’s’? 3 For you say, ’What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’ 4 "I will answer you, And your companions with you. 5 Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds-- They are higher than you. 6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Job 35:1-7 (NKJV)
ELIHU QUESTIONS JOB ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS
Here again Elihu asks Job a series of questions:
1. Job do you think you are right in all that you have said?
2. Job do you think your righteousness is more than God’s?
3. Job you ask, “What advantage is there in serving God?”
4. Job you ask, “Is there more advantage to me if I sin or not sin?”
The above questions are found in verses two and three. Elihu now prepares to answer – he says in verse four that he will answer Job and Job’s companions (sinners – anyone who asks the same questions).
In verses five through seven Elihu begins his answer to Job.
“Look to the heavens. Do you see the clouds? Have you had any influence on them by your actions? Have you changed them in any way by what you are doing? Are they not higher than you? If you sin – do you think that you can change God in any way? You can’t even change the clouds. Even if you multiply your sins – does that change God’s nature in any way? If you are righteous – does that change God’s nature? Does He become more pure or holy by your actions? What can you hand Him that will make Him better off?”
God is pure and holy. Our actions do not affect His purity or His holiness in any way. We can not touch that. We do not have the ability or the power to change His nature. However, we live in a world where everything has been affected by sin. Everything that our eyes have seen has been affected by sin. Things rust, wear out and decay in this world because the world has been affected by sin. Things break – including relationships. Things fall apart – things die. But the hope that we have is that someday this is to change:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:4-5 (NKJV)
Elihu continues to speak:
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man. 9 "Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. Job 35:8-9 (NKJV)
WICKEDNESS AFFECTS MAN
As I have pointed out above – our wickedness does not affect the holiness of God in any way. We can not change His nature. However, your wickedness affects man and so does your righteousness. This is what we are told in verse eight. The Contemporary English Translation says: “The evil or good you do only affects other humans.” There is a great truth found here. No one lives in isolation. No one lives without influencing others. Even if you live as a hermit – or in as much isolation as possible and another human being knows about it – you have an impact on another. It may be that they have thought of your life style. It may be that they have thought that you are crazy or that they admire your attempts – but even by their thinking of you – you have had an impact on their lives.
No man is an island. No man stands alone. God has said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We are our brother’s keeper. We influence others in ways that we can not image. What of these proverbs:
“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” Proverbs 15:1 (HCSB)
“A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.” Proverbs 25:11 (HCSB)
If words have such an impact on the lives of others – what of our actions? Your wickedness affects those around you – but so does your righteousness. People are always looking at your actions. They are influenced by what you say and what you do. Verse nine drives this point home: “Because of the multitude of your sins – people cry out. They cry to the Almighty asking – ‘How can this be?’”
If you have lived in this world for any length of time and have not cried to God because of some of the evils around you – you need to question your sensitivity to wickedness. What of senseless drive by shootings? What of robberies and murders for nothing more than a pair of tennis shoes? What of the woman who drown her children in the bath tub – because of her depressive state? What of the lady who kidnapped a pregnant woman – took her and killed her – cut her open – so she could take the baby and raise it as her own? These are extreme cases I know – but wickedness happens around us every day. Unrighteousness affects our lives – but so too should righteousness. Let us look for those things that give God glory. Let our minds and our words of the good things that happen in life. Remember what Philippians tells us:
“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)
10 But no one says, ’Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night, 11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ 12 There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it. 14 Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him. 15 And now, because He has not punished in His anger, Nor taken much notice of folly, 16 Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge." Job 35:10-16 (NKJV)
JOB’S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
Remember this section is the argument of Elihu against Job.
In verses ten and eleven Elihu is telling Job that, “There is no one who does not know where God is. He gives a song in the night to those who follow Him. He teaches man about life – more than the animals do and He makes us wiser than the birds of the sky.” It is God who gives us wisdom and understanding. Proverbs tells us:
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6 (HCSB)
God is there for those who seek Him. Job has said that God is silent and has not answered his pleads and his prayers (Job 19:17; Job 30:20; Job 31:35). In verses twelve and thirteen Elihu will now tell Job why he thinks God has not answered him. “Job, evil men cry out to God – but He does not answer them because of the pride they have. God does not listen to empty words. God will not take any notice of them.”
Elihu considers that Job is full of pride. Job all along has claimed his innocence. He has examined himself and has found nothing that he feels is worthy of punishment from God. Remember that during Job’s day the common theology was that a person suffers because of their sin. This concept is found in the New Testament as well. (John chapter nine) There is some truth that people suffer because of the sin they commit. But we must also remember that in this world the innocent also suffer. Elihu does not consider Job innocent – he has just accused Job of being full of pride and empty talk.
Elihu goes on to say, “Job, even though you don’t see God – justice is always before Him. Job you need to wait. God does not punish in anger – He takes time to look at all the facts. He does not lash out on the spur of the moment. Therefore Job – your punishment is just. The words you speak are nonsense. Job what you have told us is foolish and stupid. You speak without wisdom or knowledge. God’s punishment is right and just.”
Here are the heavy charges of Elihu against Job. He is telling Job that he is completely without understand of God’s ways and what Job has said up to this point is lacking in wisdom. In Elihu’s mind - because Job has not acknowledged his sin – the punishment has be multiplied. God does not punish unjustly - therefore – Job is wrong - he is a sinner.
There is a children’s book that I read to my children as they grew up. I still remember a couple verses:
Job, Job – sick and sad.
They all say you must be bad.
Job, Job – what did you do;
To make the Lord so mad at you?
Elihu considers Job’s current state a just punishment of Job’s own sin. Job claims his innocence. Elihu does not believe it.
