Job 36 could be outlined:
Elihu Asks For Job’s Attention (Job 36:1-4)
God’s Just Dealings With Men (Job 36:5-15)
Elihu Advises Job (Job 36:16-23)
God’s Wonderful Works Of Creation (Job 36:24-33)
Elihu continues to speak:
1 Elihu also proceeded and said: 2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf. 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4 For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Job 36:1-4 (NKJV)
ELIHU ASKS FOR JOB’S ATTENTION
In verse two Elihu tells Job that he is speaking on God’s behalf. Elihu is making himself to be a spokesperson for God. In other words he is teaching and preaching what he believes God would tell Job – if He would speak up. We do this too when we teach and preach. We teach and preach what we understand of God – what He has revealed to us. One of the big problems is that we all have a limited understanding of God. Who can understand all of God? There is none. Our understanding of God comes from many places – creation, direct revelations (i.e. dreams and visions), the Bible and the Word made flesh – Jesus. God has revealed and continues to reveal Himself in many ways – of course the clearest of these is in Christ Jesus as we see Him through the Bible. God’s word – the Bible – is there to lead us to His Living Word – Jesus Christ. As we handle the scriptures let us do so with wisdom and reverence. Let us be careful not to read more into the scripture than is there. Let us not limit God’s Word by not understanding what it says – but also don’t read something into it that is not there. Remember the purpose of the scriptures is to lead us to Christ – this fact is found in John chapter five:
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39 (NKJV)
The scriptures are a testimony of Christ – for it is in Him that we have eternal life. The Bible is to point us to Him.
In verses three and four Elihu is telling Job that he will gather wisdom from a distant place – in other words he will search out an answer for Job. He will not just take the first option that comes along. He will seek out the righteousness of God in what he says. He will have great respect and awe for God. He will speak no falsehood. He will not speak a lie. Then Elihu makes a bold statement: One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Most commentaries agree that Elihu is speaking of himself. Look at a couple other translations of this verse:
(DRB) “For indeed my words are without a lie, and perfect knowledge shall be proved to thee. “
(CEV) “You can rest assured that what I say is true.”
(GNB) “Nothing I say to you is false; you see before you a truly wise man.”
(MSG) “Trust me, I’m giving you undiluted truth; believe me, I know these things inside and out.”
Elihu is making some bold claims – but remember he is trying to get Job’s undivided attention.
5 "Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. 6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed. 7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. 8 And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction, 9 Then He tells them their work and their transgressions-- That they have acted defiantly. 10 He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. 12 But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. 13 "But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them. 14 They die in youth, And their life ends among the perverted persons. 15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression. Job 36:5-15 (NKJV)
GOD’S JUST DEALINGS WITH MEN
In this section Elihu is presenting his argument that punishes the wicked and that He lifts up the righteous. Let’s look at his arguments:
In verse five Elihu tells us that God mighty twice. He has strength and understanding. He does not pervert His justice because He despises no one. The Contemporary English Version says:
(CEV) “Although God is mighty, he cares about everyone and makes fair decisions.”
In other words – Elihu’s argument is that God is just and does not punish those who don’t deserve it – because He does not “preserve the life of the wicked.” What God does do is He “gives justice to the oppressed.” God keeps His eyes on the righteous and places them on thrones with kings forever. The righteous are lifted up – they are never oppressed. (Remember that Job has claimed that he is innocent and that he is righteous – yet look at what state he is in. Job’s condition is directly opposed to Elihu’s argument. Either Job is lying or Elihu’s reasoning is wrong. Elihu of course believes that Job is lying.)
In verses eight and nine Elihu goes on to say: If the righteous are bound with chains – if they suffer affliction – God shows them their sinfulness and how they have sinned.
In verse ten Elihu says: That God opens the ears of the sinner and gives them instruction. He clearly shows them where they have missed the mark and commands them to turn from their sinfulness.
In verse eleven Elihu says that there is a reward for those who listen and obey God. They will spend their day in prosperity and all their years in pleasure.
Here is an interesting argument. Is it only sinners that are punished (i.e. live in poverty, with illness and disease) or does the righteous and unrighteous suffer alike? Are the wealthy of the land the most righteous? Are the poor of the land the most sinful? Are God’s blessing only wealth, health and prosperity? Does God send the rain on the just and unjust alike? Remember rain can be both a blessing and curse – depending on its timing and amount. We have a name for a land that gets too little rain – it is called a desert. To much rain can create a swamp. Remember I have been saying throughout this study that there are times where good people suffer. Bad stuff sometimes happens to good people. That is the world we live in.
Elihu goes on with his argument in verse twelve through fifteen: If a sinner does not turn from his wickedness he will die by the sword and have no understanding of Godly things. Those who are two faced (the hypocrite) will store up God’s anger. They don’t cry out for mercy when God captures them. They die young and their life ends among other wicked and perverted people. But God takes care of the poor when they suffer from affliction and He opens the ears of those who are oppressed.
16 "Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness. 17 But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you. 18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. 19 Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress? 20 Do not desire the night, When people are cut off in their place. 21 Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction. 22 "Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him? 23 Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ’You have done wrong’? Job 36:16-23 (NKJV)
ELIHU ADVISES JOB
Here in this section Elihu tells Job that if he would turn from his wicked ways – God would restore him. “God would take you from your dire distress and put you into an open place where there are no restraints. Job – God would fill your table with richness.” Verse sixteen.
Elihu does not see that Job will be restored because Job continues to claim his innocence. Therefore, Job is due the judgment of the wicked. Elihu sees that judgment and justice await Job – right around the corner.
In verses eighteen and nineteen Elihu is showing Job that there is no way he can get out of the judgment to come. There is the wrath of God – it does not go away because we don’t like it or want to think about it. Elihu tells Job that he can not bribe his way out of it. Will Job’s riches – or his power keep him from the judgment to come? Will it keep any of us? Can any of us be so powerful that we will not have to stand before the judgment seat of God?
We live at a time when we don’t want to talk about the wrath of God. In our preaching and theology the emphasis is on the love and mercy of God – almost to the exclusion of God’s judgment and justice. We must always remember that the cross of Christ is about God’s love and mercy but it is also about God’s justice and judgment. God has never ignored sin. He never will. A price needs to be paid for the sins of man. – It has been at the cross.
We all sin. We all fall short. There is none that is pure. There is none that is holy. Our riches will not save us. Our power or position will not exclude us – from the judgment to come. But only by the sacrifice of Christ will any be able to stand. Elihu is right – no riches or power will keep Job from the judgment to come – for those things will not keep any of us from that judgment either.
In verses twenty and twenty one Elihu warns Job to carefully stay away from sin. “Stay away from the darkness – don’t turn toward iniquity.” Good advice.
In verses twenty two and twenty three Elihu asks Job some questions:
1. Who can teach like God?
2. Who has assigned God His place?
3. Who can tell God that He is wrong?
For the Christian (all people really) life is about learning who we are – and learning who God is. Have we assigned God His rightful place in our lives? Have we learned that life is not about us? It is the struggle of learning to place God on the throne of our lives. It is a struggle. We want our wills, our wishes, our ways – not His. We think we know what is best for our lives yet God says:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
24 "Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung. 25 Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar. 26 "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27 For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. 29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 30 Look, He scatters his light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. 31 For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. 32 He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. 33 His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm. Job 36:24-33 (NKJV)
GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS OF CREATION
In this section Elihu tells Job to look at God’s creation and see the greatness of God Himself.
Let us all remember the wonderful works of God. We all have seen it – but we have only seen a limited amount of it. Even if we have explored caves or flown to the moon – still we have only seen a fraction of God’s creation. We look on it from afar – not really understanding how it all fits together. Not really understanding its complete purpose or significance. How could we? God’s creation was created for His glory – and do any of us fully understand the glory of God? God is great and we do not know Him. Why has He set the planets in their orbit? Why has He created the expanse of the universe? But Elihu directs his attention in another direction.
“He draws up drops of water and distills rain from the mist.” (Verse twenty seven)
In Matthew we find these words:
“He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 (NKJV)
Who can understand the mind of God? He makes the clouds. He makes the rain. It has been purified in the process of its forming. It has been distilled. And God allows it to fall on man – the just and the unjust alike. We all receive its blessing from God. Some do not even realize that it is a gift from God – but it is. He announces it coming – with peals of thunder. He puts on a light show (lighting) so what we can see God’s glory and yet we only see a fraction of it. Our eyes are limited – our eyes are weak. All that we see all that we understand is small compared to what we will see.
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV)
