With Job's friends conceding defeat Elihu steps in to attack Job. Job never gets the chance to respond to Elihu because God immediately follows. God never gives Job any satisfaction but He did apparently reveal the behind-the-scene interactions of Satan to Job at some time or else Job could not write the book. The point is that God does not have to apologise to any of us for His actions since they are guided by a supreme mind that is motivated by perfect goodness and performed with limitless power. Nevertheless none will ever be able to accuse God of falling below His own, very high, standards. In hindsight we can look at Joseph and understand God's plan to save his family, but we do not know what God's plan was with Job. Maybe it was so long term that God could not reveal it in Job's time. That answer must tell us what good came from Job's suffering.
This website arbitrarily divides the book into four sections i.e. section 1 is chapter 1 to chapter 10, section 2 is chapter 11 to chapter 20, section 3 is chapter 21 to chapter 30 and section 4 is the remainder of the book (chapter 31 to chapter 42).
Job 32 - 37 (Elihu - Don't question God)
Job 32
Verse 1 in the KJV says So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes
(Job 32:1 [KJV]). This is a verse used to point out that Job was self righteous. In the Apostles Bible translation of the Septuagint it reads And his three friends also ceased any longer to answer Job, for Job was righteous before them
(Job 32:1 [AB]). Job was not self righteous and the Bible never makes that claim. What the phrase actually conveys is that they were not convinced but that there was no evidence of deception from Job. This interpretation is supported by Job 32:3. It is not an ancient insult!
Job had convinced his three friends that he was righteous as far as he knew, and so they stopped accusing him (Job 32:1), but he did not convince onlookers like Elihu. Elihu is not Job's friend. He came along with the elders but tries to be impartial. They should have known Job but Elihu has no such background. Elihu is youthful (Job 32:6) and idealistic but he has the right approach in that He believes that no matter what, we must justify God rather than ourselves (Job 32:2). Elihu views God as sovereign and so He does not have to justify His actions or give account. But God is accountable to Himself, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good
? (Numbers 23:19 [KJV]), My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips
(Psalms 89:34 [KJV]), and God has set Himself some fairly high standards, As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him
(Psalms 18:30 [KJV]). In Elihu's view He does as He pleases and we accept it as correct. In contrast to what he is claiming notice that both Moses and Abraham bargained with God.
Elihu also maintained the position of Job's friends that God always acts to ensure that good always follows good people and evil always follows evil people. These are all idealistic sentiments based on good intentions but they are not absolutes. We must treat God with due respect but we can reason with Him:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool
(Isaiah 1:18 [KJV]),
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob
(Isaiah 41:21 [KJV]). The problem comes in continuing to read from Isaiah 41,
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. [23] Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. [24] Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you
(Isaiah 41:22-24 [KJV]). Our minds cannot comprehend all of God and so our reasoning is flawed by its limitations. On the other hand truth is truth and reality is reality but what is happening behind the scenes can be obscure. Drawing dogmatic conclusions with imperfect information is not honouring God.
According to ABARIM Publications under
Elihu meaning
, date 2016-06-20
http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Elihu.html#.V2fDYXcrJD8
Names that end with יה (yah) usually also exist with an ending of יהו (yahu), but for some obscure reason these yahu-variants are commonly ignored in the English speaking world (which is why we read of Zechariah and not Zechariahu, even when the Hebrew text says so). But for some other obscure reason, English translations have no problem with the name Elihu (אליהו), which is really the name Elijah (אליה) but with the dreaded yahu-ending.
Elihu is therefore the same as Elijah and Elijah was the one who prepared the way: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: [6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse
(Malachi 4:5-6 [KJV]). Elihu did not restore the relationship of Job with his friends so I do not see that as a purpose, but he certainly came before the day of the Lord
in Job i.e. the day that the Lord appeared to Job.
Elihu is from the same stock as Abraham. He is said to have descended from Buz (Genesis 22:20-21 mentions Buz as a nephew of Abraham). It would not make sense for the older men to bring along a youngster who was unrighteous, therefore the el
in his name represents the true LORD just as it was with the others, but it also ends with a reference to God. There is some uncertainty about what the second reference is. As mentioned above it could be Yah
as in YHWH but is also interpreted by others to be a possessive form of he
in which case it would be saying something like He is my God
. I proceed under the assumption that it is the same as Elijah and thus Yahweh Is God
.
I was not able to garner much from the fact that he was of the kindred of Ram
(Job 32:2). There is a Ram mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:9 as an ancestor of David. Since he would be an Israelite that excluded him in my estimation. I would expect that at the time the book was written whoever Ram was would have been a distinctive person in society. Since this was hardly true at the time when Israel was released from Babylonian captivity, this is another reason to reject that the book was written at that time.
Elihu deals with the popular misconception, where we approach God as though God was obliged to treat us according to some human standard. Elihu took a different stance than Job's comforters
. He was angry with both Job and his friends. He was angry with Job (Job 32:2) because as he saw it Job justified himself rather than God. Christ points out this human flaw in Luke.
So even if we conduct our lives flawlessly we are still unprofitable servants, i.e slaves that have done what is expected of slaves, and we must still justify God. He was also angry with Job's friends (Job 32:3) because they condemned Job without proof. When it is Elihu's turn he makes what evidence he has for his views explicit.
Elihu says something very important. Wisdom comes from God not from age:
But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.[9]Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment
(Job 32:8-9 [KJV]).
In general Elihu is different from Job's friends because he is respectful and he is not antagonistic. He disagrees with Job but he does not disrespect him or make unfounded accusations. He states the evidence for his points and then goes on to defend his point of view.
Job 33
Elihu says that he is going to act as God's surrogate. He will present from God's perspective and see if Job can defend himself.
So in a sense Elihu is making Job ready for God.
Job expressed this view in Job 13:24. To find occasion is to create opportunities (Daniel 6:4). There was no evidence that Job had actually done anything or was likely to do anything wrong, it was basically a fishing expedition and something that would be done to ones enemies not faithful servants.
Elihu says that God can treat us as He pleases and He does not have to give account.
Elihu goes on to explain that God does these things for our good (Job 33:29-30) but he also wrongly suggests that Job is sinful and needs repentance (Job 32:24-24).
Job 34
This is Elihu's interpretation of the evidence. Job did say that he was righteous. The rest is in my opinion interpolation. Focusing on verse 9, I do not see anywhere where Job has said this as it is translated in the king Jams Version (KJV). The word translated delight
is Strong's H7521. It specifically means to satisfy a debt but by extension carries the notion of delight or pleasure. Based on that the intent seems to be to say that it is futile to try to please God with how we satisfy our obligations to HIM. Job has said something to this effect (Job 9:22-24) where he shows that being perfect or innocent provides no guarantees with God in this life.
Elihu shows that if God took back His spirit and breath all life would die, so every breath is a debt (verses 14-15) therefore from God's perspective we are technically never free of debt. Elihu's solution is to always assume that we have done something wrong and seek forgiveness (verse 31-33) because God is always fair (verses 10-13).
Job 35
This seems to be a mistranslation. There is nothing in the Hebrew to suggest that Elihu is saying that Job has compared his righteousness to God's (i.e. more than God's
- verse 2) or is making any comparison at all. Furthermore if you take out the italicised words in verse 3 you will see that even in English Job is asking them to show how he has profited from sin. Verse 2 contains Hebrew translated my righteousness is from God
and so some translations phrase the whole verse to say something like do you think it is fair that you say my righteousness is from God
, i.e. that you have God-given righteousness, meaning having God's stamp of approval. None of these seem to accurately capture what Job has actually done. I think the point is that Job has claimed that he is righteous meaning that there is no law of which he can be accused. Then verse 3 goes on to ask how does it (Job's righteousness) profit him (Job) and what has he gained from not sinning?
Job has made a claim like this in Job 27:5-6. Elihu is claiming that Job said that he kept his part of the bargain by upholding God's righteousness and yet God did not do as he expected. To me verses 5-7 (of Job 35) hits the answer on the head. The truth is that the bargain is biased, it is not between equals because Job is God's servant/slave and has to perform but God has no corresponding obligation to him as creator. What Job does has no impact on Him. It is like Walmart and a village franchise.
I don't know that I understand what Elihu says next. Various translations put it differently but the first part shows that people cry out to God and He ignores them because of their evil. Even though you can't see God, the situations that require judgment are never out of His sight.
We know that the whole world is evil.
Job 36
Elihu now demonstrates God's righteousness as per verse 3.
God has no obligation to be righteous but He just is. Elihu however makes the mistake of believing that defending God means accusing someone (in this case Job) of wickedness verses 16-23. He claims that Job's condition is a consequence of his wickedness and Job needs to laud God's works. The New Testament provides a clear response to this accusation.
Job 37
Elihu continues to laud God's works - His fearsomeness and brilliance.
Job 32-37 breakdown
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. | In the Apostles Bible translation of the Septuagint it reads And his three friends also ceased any longer to answer Job, for Job was righteous before them(Job 32:1 [AB]). |
| [2]Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. | He was angry with Job because Job justified himself. |
| [3]Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. | He was also angry with the friends because he recognised that they had no evidence for their accusations. He is confirming that all previous accusations were unfounded. |
| [4]Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. | They were all his elders. |
| [5]When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. | |
| [6]And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion. | |
| [7]I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. | |
| [8]But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. | Old age does not automatically make one wise because it comes from God like Solomon's. |
| [9]Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. | |
| [10]Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion. | |
| [11]Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say. | |
| [12]Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words: | |
| [13]Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man. | Notice what was the issue. Was it God's doing or the man himself? None of them knew that a third person (Satan) was involved. |
| [14]Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches. | |
| [15]They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking. | |
| [16]When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;) | |
| [17]I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion. | |
| [18]For I am full of matter{*a}, the spirit within me constraineth{*b} me. | a__matterin this case= Hebrew millah: topic._b__ constrainethi.e. binds him from abandoning it. |
| [19]Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles. | wine which hath no vent= wine that is still fermenting in a sealed container. |
| [20]I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer. | |
| [21]Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. | |
| [22]For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words. | |
| [2]Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. | |
| [3]My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly. | |
| [4]The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. | |
| [5]If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up. | |
| [6]Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay. | |
| [7]Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. | |
| Point #1 | |
| [8]Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, | Point #1 from Elihu (v8-11). Job was actually correct because God had directed Satan to test Job. Job was correct about being abused but it was not God directly doing it. |
| [9]I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. | |
| [10]Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy, | |
| [11]He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. | |
| [12]Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. | |
| [13]Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. | God is not accountable to anyone. This is also true. So both Job and Elihu were correct but they could not see how that could be. |
| [14]For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. | It does not appear as though he is accusing Job because God does not correct him. He is saying that God's nature is to warn us but we disregard it. |
| [15]In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; | Several people in the Bible had dreams. This includes Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar. In both cases there was that rare person to interpret them. |
| [16]Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, | |
| [17]That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. | |
| [18]He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. | |
| [19]He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: | Notice that these are ailments that Job earlier said that he was afflicted with. |
| [20]So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. | |
| [21]His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. | |
| [22]Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. | |
| [23]If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness{*}: | *__to shew unto man his uprightnessi.e. to explain what uprightness is. |
| [24]Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. | |
| [25]His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth: | |
| [26]He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness. | |
| [27]He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; | If people admit their mistakes and repent. . . |
| [28]He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. | |
| [29]Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, | |
| [30]To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. | |
| [31]Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak. | |
| [32]If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify{*} thee. | justify is from Hebrew tsadaq: to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense). He is not trying condemn him just to set him right. |
| [33]If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach{*} thee wisdom. | *__teach, although technically accurate, does not convey the attitude of Elihu. The Hebrew alphmeans to learn. He is saying listen and learn, he is not looking down on Job. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1] Furthermore Elihu answered and said, | |
| [2] Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. | |
| [3] For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. | |
| [4] Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good. | (Job 34:4 [NETFree])Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right; let us come to know among ourselves what is good. |
| Point #2 | |
| [5] For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. | Point #2 from Elihu (v5-9). Taken away my judgementmeans disregarding the judgement that follows from his righteousness. |
| [6] Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. | Although Job did not say this, it is logical. If there was no transgression then there is no cure that Job can provide. |
| [7] What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? | This is not an accusation but an attempt to summarise what Job said. Job is claiming that he is soaking up ridicule and from verse 8 that he is living among evil-doers and wicked men who appear to prosper. |
| [8] Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. | |
| [9] For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. | Job did not say this but it can be a logical assumption. Both wicked and good people prosper materially and it appears that there is no advantage of one over the other. Job never said that there is no profit to delight in God. |
| [10] Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. | |
| [11] For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. | He is the One ultimately responsible for justice. |
| [12] Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. | |
| [13] Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed{*} the whole world? | He has to report to nobody. _*__disposedsimply means put. He put it all here. |
| [14] If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; | |
| [15] All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. | It does not make sense for God to be wicked because He could easily take back His freely given spirit and we would all die. |
| [16] If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words. | |
| [17] Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? | Are you condemning the most just being in the universe? |
| [18] Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly? | Would you even do that to a human king? I certainly would and they should too. Remember that these men knew of the flood and how the only one worth saving was Noah but all the others prospered materially. |
| [19] How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands. | |
| [20] In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. | This is true but you still have to explain the pre-flood world. If God destroyed all the evil people and blessed the good ones then how did that world come to be? |
| [21] For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. | |
| [22] There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. | |
| [23] For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God. | |
| [24] He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead. | |
| [25] Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. | |
| [26] He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others; | |
| [27] Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways: | |
| [28] So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted. | |
| [29] When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: | |
| [30] That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared. | Still Israel (His chosen people) were ensnared many times |
| [31] Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: | It is appropriate to say I have suffered chastisement. I have learned my lesson. The situation demands an apology. |
| [32] That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. | |
| [33] Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest. | |
| [34] Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me. | |
| [35] Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. | |
| [36] My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men. | I want to see this trial continue until it reaches its objective because Job is talking like the wicked men do. |
| [37] For he addeth rebellion{a} unto his sin, he clappeth his hands{b} among us, and multiplieth his words against God. | _a__defiance. _b__clappeth his handsi.e. in mock appreciation. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Elihu spake moreover, and said, | |
| Point #3 | |
| [2]Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's? | Point #3 from Elihu (v2-3). |
| [3]For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin? | Job never said this however this interpolation is logical. If you have not sinned then you cannot benefit from forgiveness. |
| [4]I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee. | He was not talking to Job alone. |
| [5]Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. | |
| [6]If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? | |
| [7]If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? | |
| [8]Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man. | |
| [9]By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. | |
| [10]But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; | Songs in the night= encouragement and upliftment when you are alone. |
| [11]Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? | |
| [12]There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. | They cry out but God does not respond because of their arrogance. |
| [13]Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. | You think as per verse 2 but the true situation is that God has nothing to do with vanity |
| [14]Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him{*}, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him. | *__shalt not see Himshould be cannot see Him. You need to trust Him. |
| [15]But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity: | Because you do not trust Him He responds with anger but He is intimately aware of the situation |
| [16]Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge. | That is also why your efforts are in vain. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Elihu also proceeded, and said, | |
| [2]Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf. | |
| [3]I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. | |
| God's perfect character | |
| [4]For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. {*1} | |
| [5]Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom. | |
| [6]He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor. | |
| [7]He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. | |
| [8]And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; | |
| [9]Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. | |
| [10]He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return 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 obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. | |
| [13]But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them. | |
| [14]They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean. | |
| [15]He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression. | |
| How this applies to Job | |
| [16]Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness. | |
| [17]But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee. | You cannot deny that you have attracted judgement appropriate to being wicked |
| [18]Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. | Be careful that you do not aggravate the situation. |
| [19]Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength. | |
| [20]Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place. | |
| [21]Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. | |
| [22]Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? | |
| [23]Who hath enjoined{*} him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity? | *__enjoin= teach. Who is His teacher or who can correct Him? |
| [24]Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. | You are an example of His amazing capabilities. |
| [25]Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off. | |
God is beyond our understanding | |
| [26]Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. | |
| [27]For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: | Can you understand rain? |
| [28]Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly. | |
| [29]Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle? | Can you understand thunder? |
| [30]Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea. | Can you understand lightning? |
| [31]For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance. | |
| [32]With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt. | He can completely block out the light of the sun with clouds |
| [33]The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour. |
| God's power in the weather | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1] At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. | |
| [2] Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. | |
| [3] He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. | |
| [4] After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. | |
| [5] God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. | |
| [6] For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. | |
| [7] He sealeth up the hand{*} of every man; that all men may know his work. | *__sealeth up the hand=stops him from trading or reaping i.e. working |
| [8] Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. | |
| [9] Out of the south cometh the whirlwind{*}: and cold out of the north. | *__whirlwind= Strong's H5492 Hebrew cuwphah: a hurricane |
| [10] By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. | |
| [11] Also by watering{a} he wearieth{b} the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright{c} cloud: | _a__watering= H7377 Hebrew riy: irrigation._b__ wearieth= H2959 Hebrew tarach: to overburden. _c__bright because of lightning. |
| [12] And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. | |
| [13] He causeth it to come{a}, whether for correction, or for{b} his land, or for mercy. | _a__He causeth it to come is not in the original. _b__for the benefit of |
| [14] Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. | |
| [15] Dost thou know when God disposed{a} them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine{b}? | _a__disposed them = put them up. _b__caused the lightning in them to shine |
| [16] Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? | _*__balancing= Hebrew miphlas: poising i.e. suspending. |
| [17] How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth{*} the earth by the south wind? | *__quieteth= makes everyone listless |
| [18] Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong{a}, and as a molten looking glass{b}? | _a__strong in a negative sense. _b__mirrors were made of polished metal in those days. |
| [19] Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness{*}. | *__darkness = ignorance. We cannot prepare an address because of ignorance. |
| [20] Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up{*}. | *__swallowed up = devoured |
| [21] And now men see{*} not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them. | *__the Hebrew has they seenot men see. It is referring to the passing thunderstorm. |
| [22] Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty. | It is interesting that right after Elihu spoke of a thunderstorm, God came in one. He did prepare the way. |
| [23] Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. | |
| [24] Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart. |
Job 38 - 41, God enters
It appears to me that the purpose of God's appearance to Job was to show him that he could not possibly be in better hands. He demonstrates to Job that He has the surpassing character, the power, the knowledge and the understanding to handle things and there is nothing that Job could do to improve the situation. Today we can see what is written in Galatians:
That information was not available to Job however he had that awareness of belonging. Job struggled to understand why he should suffer when he knew that he was doing everything right. I like how James puts it.
We can add a bit to that through Solomon's wisdom, although in Job's case it seems really extreme.
God is a perfect judge of character. Why did Paul suffer his debilitating disease? It was not because of something that he did but because of something that he needed to be prevented from doing.
God had observed Paul and knew that he was the type to go overboard and abuse his knowledge and intelligence. God put something to check that in Paul's life. In Paul's case He knew, but when God does not know something relevant then He sets about the best way to know.
The point is that God wants to know and He may or may not explain why. He wanted to know about Abraham's faith so He waited until Abraham brought down the knife.
From the context in Job chapters 1 and 2, this was a question of God's surpassing ability to judge character. Satan claimed to know better than God. That was a matter that had to be settled and unfortunately for Job he was the guinea pig. Satan claimed to know better than God. His claims are captured in #1 [Job 1:9] Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought
? and #2 [Job 2:4] And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life
. The first point is that all men have a price. They only do good to get something. The second point is that when it comes to their life and health they will always compromise. God did not agree and He put it to the test. In my opinion what God wanted to know and what He wanted to show, also demonstrated a third point that we all benefit from today. It is what happens to a just person when they have no advocate. This is justification for introducing Christ as our advocate , something that would be introduced over a thousand years later. For more on this consider reading this article .
Job 38
God makes His entrance in a hurricane; it is incorrectly translated as whirlwind
. Job was being drenched and things were rushing past while lightning flashed and thunder clapped. The noise of the wind itself must have been terrible but God spoke clearly to Job over it all and also hears Job. God demonstrates His power over the environment.
Basically God challenges Job to justify who he is that he should seek to approach Him or advise Him on anything. He starts by asking Job why he wants to obscure matters even more by his meddling and lack of knowledge.
This question is not asking Job how intelligent he is but how much of the universe does he understand. How much of the big picture does he have? Through a series of questions beginning with: where were you when, hast thou, canst thou, who hath, etc. God points out that Job is not in His league and HE successfully runs the universe. Job is only a bond-servant.
This emphatically demonstrates three points:
- If God knows what is going on in all parts of the universe He certainly knows what is going on with Job.
-
Secondly Job is in no position to know what is best because he is too trivial, too insignificant, negligible, of no account.
- Finally, God is doing these things and has been doing them for years. He knows what He is doing.
Job 39
God continues to demonstrate His mastery of the universe compared to Job's insignificance with knowledge of animals.
Job 40
The gist of this appears to be that now God asks Job if he thinks that he is relevant enough to advise Him and Job basically begins to stammer and concede defeat. The Masoretic Text (KJV) and the Septuagint (LXXE) treat verse 2 very differently, even the verses are numbered differently.
We may consider the word
reprove
to be too strong, but that is what it boils down to, because Job is of the opinion that God is making a mistake in his case. He is saying that God is mistaken. God was never mistaken. He always knew that Job was innocent. God appears to be using these strong words to point out the ridiculous position that Job is in.
God does not accept Job's capitulations and tells him to stand up like a man and defend himself like he said that he could.
He asks Job how dare he question His judgement. The word condemn is pretty strong again and emphasizes to Job how crazy his position is. If he insists that God must be wrong about His judgement then he is condemning God to be less than perfect.
Job 42 - Job gives up
God never gives Job any satisfaction for putting him through that ordeal. Job never presents the defence that he sought and instead is humbled even further by the presence of God.
The Septuagint records verse 3 as:
He acknowledges what God said in Job 38:2-3, that he cannot know anything that God does not already know. He resigns in dread recognising that there are too many things that he just does not understand and all that he can do is ask, not demand anything. The word translated
demand
in the KJV is actually
inquire
.
This is the issue with our lives. We just do not understand. God knows everything that we know and would like to tell Him. In God's own time and without the assistance from Job, God eventually decides to restore Job, but even when Job stood in God's presence he never was able to defend himself. What if he had stepped into the heavenly realm among the big-guns and gone toe-to-toe with Satan. Would they give him preferential treatment? He would have been slaughtered. He could not talk loudly enough or fast enough, he could not hear well enough or understand enough, and he did not know enough to respond. These are among the many things that he just would not have been even nearly up to coping with. We have to trust God to look after our interest because we cannot.
Verse 7 brings out a matter of vital importance. God never mentions Elihu. He begins with Eliphaz who initiated the unjustified accusations against Job when he expressed his anguish, and then God includes his friends that chimed in. You can draw your own conclusions about how people follow others into wrongdoing and how we need to be
Good Samaritans
instead of critics. But let me elaborate on my concern with Elihu. Older people need to be very careful of the example that they set for idealistic youth. We do not want to stifle their idealism but we need to temper it with true godliness. We cannot defend God by exemplifying poor character and poor judgement. Elihu was watching for the example of his elders and they failed him. God tells us that Job was right i.e.
like my servant Job
but He says nothing of Elihu viz.
like my servant Job and Elihu
. Whatever mistakes Elihu made are overlooked as he learns from his elders that brought him along.
Job 38 - 42 breakdown
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, | God begins to show His mastery of nature and everything else. He appears in the most destructive force of nature, a hurricane. |
| [2]Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? | |
| [3]Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. | |
| I am in control | |
| [4]Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. | God's mastery of planets and celestial bodies |
| [5]Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? | |
| [6]Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; | |
| [7]When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? | |
| [8]Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? | |
| [9]When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, | |
| [10]And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, | |
| [11]And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? | |
| [12]Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; | |
| [13]That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? | |
| [14]It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment. | This makes little sense to me as translated. In those days scrolls were rolled up and sealed with clay and a signet ring, then stacked away like clothes. This appears to be what God is saying about each day. |
| [15]And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken. | Light withheld so that they cannot see to act. high arm broken= outstretched arms knocked away. God uses the phrase strong hand and outstretched armsto describe how He defends Israel. |
| [16]Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? | |
| [17]Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? | |
| [18]Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. | |
| [19]Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, | |
| [20]That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? | |
| [21]Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? | |
| [22]Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, | |
| [23]Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? | |
| [24]By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? | |
| [25]Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; | |
| [26]To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; | |
| [27]To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? | |
| [28]Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? | |
| [29]Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? | |
| [30]The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. | |
| [31]Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? | |
| [32]Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth {a} in his season? or canst thou guide {b} Arcturus with his sons? | __a__ Mazzaroth literally means constellations, __b__ Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Boötes. It is the fourth-brightest of the individual stars in the night sky, and the brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere. |
| [33]Knowest thou the ordinances {*} of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? | *__ Laws, statutes and rules |
| [34]Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? | |
| [35]Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are? | |
| [36]Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? | |
| [37]Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, | |
| [38]When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? | |
| [39]Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, | God's mastery of the animal kingdom. Can you feed a pack of hungry lions? |
| [40]When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? | |
| [41]Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? | the wild goats (designed for rocks). |
| [2]Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? | |
| [3]They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. | |
| [4]Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them. | |
| [5]Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? | the wild ass (designed for wilderness). |
| [6]Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. | |
| [7]He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. | |
| [8]The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing. | |
| [9]Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? | the unicorn/rhinocerous (Just plain strong). |
| [10]Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? | |
| [11]Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? | |
| [12]Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn? | |
| [13]Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? | the peacocks (beauty) ostrich(cannot fly). |
| [14]Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, | |
| [15]And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. | |
| [16]She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear; | |
| [17]Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding. | |
| [18]What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider. | |
| [19]Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? | the horse (beautiful mane, fearless in battle). |
| [20]Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. | |
| [21]He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. | |
| [22]He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. | |
| [23]The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. | |
| [24]He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. | |
| [25]He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. | |
| [26]Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? | the hawk and eagle (masters of the skies). |
| [27]Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? | |
| [28]She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. | |
| [29]From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. | |
| [30]Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, | |
| [2]Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. | You must be crazy to think that you can advise me! God demands an answer. |
| [3]Then Job answered the LORD, and said, | |
| [4]Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. | Job simply apologises. |
| [5]Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. | |
| [6]Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, | |
| [7]Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. | No, no. I am not letting you off that easily. |
| [8]Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? | How dare you question My judgement. The word condemnis pretty strong and again emphasizes to Job how crazy his position is. |
| [9]Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? | |
| [10]Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. | |
| [11]Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. | Can you simultaneously administer justice to the world or are you able to even save yourself for that matter? |
| [12]Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. | |
| [13]Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. | |
| [14]Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. | |
| [15]Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. | God talks of his pet behemoth (dinosaur of land). |
| [16]Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. | |
| [17]He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. | The dictionaries say that this is an ox or hippopotamus but none of these have a tail like a cedar. |
| [18]His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. | |
| [19]He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. | |
| [20]Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. | |
| [21]He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. | |
| [22]The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. | |
| [23]Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. | |
| [24]He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. |
| Scripture | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? | Can you go fishing for leviathan (dinosaur of the sea)? |
| [2]Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? | |
| [3]Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? | can you make him your pet? |
| [4]Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? | |
| [5]Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? | God introduces His pet leviathan. |
| [6]Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? | |
| [7]Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? | |
| [8]Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. | |
| [9]Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? | |
| [10]None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? | |
| [11]Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. | |
| [12]I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. | I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might . . .(Job 41:12 [YLT]). Instead of comely proportionI would say magnificent proportions. |
| [13]Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? | Job 41:13 Who can uncover its outer covering? Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor?[NETFree]. |
| [14]Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. | |
| [15]His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. | |
| [16]One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. | |
| [17]They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. | |
| [18]By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. | |
| [19]Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. | |
| [20]Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. | |
| [21]His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. | |
| [22]In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. | |
| [23]The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. | |
| [24]His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. | |
| [25]When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. | Job 41:25 From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free[YLT]. Because he can lunge they stay well clear of his reach. |
| [26]The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. | |
| [27]He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. | |
| [28]The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. | |
| [29]Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. | |
| [30]Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. | Its underparts are the sharp points of potsherds, it leaves its mark in the mud like a threshing sledge(Job 41:30 [NETFree]). |
| [31]He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. | he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment = he treats the sea like a pot of ointment i.e. stirs it and mixes it. |
| [32]He maketh a path to shine{*} after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. | *__There is no shinein the Hebrew. He creates a wake after him. One would think the deep to have a beard. |
| [33]Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. | |
| [34]He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. |
| Back to Job | Comment |
|---|---|
| [1]Then Job answered the LORD, and said, | |
| [2]I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. | Job knew it but he did not really know it. |
| [3]Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. | The point that God is getting across is that if you are in His hands nobody can improve your situation. He knows and He understands and He has the power to deliver. Don't come with any foolishness that you want to plead your own case. |
| [4]Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand {*} of thee, and declare thou unto me. | *__ not demandin Hebrew, ask. Job corrects the opinion of him that God expressed in Job 38:3. |
| [5]I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. | |
| [6]Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. | |
| God's Judgement | |
| [7]And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: {*1} for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. | 1__ there is no mention of Elihu, the young bystander. Perhaps this is because he treated Job with respect. |
| [8]Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. | What Job said of God was apparently true. What God demonstrates is that Job was not sufficient to truly appreciate the nature of the situation and so was in no position to suggest a better way of dealing with it. |
| [9]So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. | |
| [10]And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. | |
| [11]Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. | |
| [12]So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. | |
| [13]He had also seven sons and three daughters . | Job got back the same amount of children. Job had more material possessions but not more children. His children could not be compensated for and so to suggest that by having more he would be better off would be unkind. A tragedy of life is that sometimes the innocent loved ones are irreparably hurt because of Satan. |
| [14]And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. | |
| [15]And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. | |
| [16]After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. | |
| [17]So Job died, being old and full of days. |
Conclusion
The righteous suffer because God needs to know. Typically He needs to know what we will do. Beyond that, we undergo needless suffering because we have an accuser, and it is as simple as that. The trials that we have originate from those facts. If there was consensus about Job then there would have been no need for the experiment at all. It was Satan's objections as the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 4:9) that were being relieved. He was allowed to do what he thought was necessary to be convinced. The second essential key to understanding is that God does not know everything. He does not know the future without investigating what He is dealing with. He never claims to, but He is the supreme judge of character. We see the same scenario concerning His judgement of someone's future with Abraham, when he was told to sacrifice his only son. At the conclusion God said . . . Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me
(Genesis 22:12 [KJV]). There is a fundamental difference between the two cases. Abraham had a covenant relationship with God, recorded in Genesis 15, much as we get at baptism. That covenant guaranteed the life of his son. There was no such covenant in the case of Job.
There is another important factor to consider. God wanted to know Job and God wanted to know Abraham but does He care to know everybody?
All of us should fear God. We should be afraid to enter His awesome presence uninvited so that He does not blow us away like a speck on His clean napkin. However, unlike Job, through Pentecost we receive the benefit of someone who can boldly stand in the presence of God and defend us on equal terms (our Advocate and Messiah) and we are also given the right to approach God in the name of our Messiah. We are directed by the same Christ to treat Him and the Father as our immediate family. Through Christ we can boldly approach God but there was no Christ there for Job. A cockroach is a cockroach, and even if it has done nothing wrong for a cockroach, it is still a cockroach and I will swat it if it dares come into my presence. A cockroach stands no chance at a Chicken meeting. None of us can cope with what goes on with Satan and God in heaven. Even a man of the calibre of Job is still a cockroach so what about us? God understands our predicament and God wants to bless us. He wanted to bless Job but Job had an accuser who had the right to obstruct Job because the Earth belongs to him. Job had no defence but God sees all.
We should be defending the Jobs in our lives but instead we can easily become part of the prosecution. We are natural accusers. We too have the same accuser that stands in the way of the blessings that God wants to bestow on us but the Feast of Tabernacles shows us that He will be removed giving man a chance to reap God's richest blessings. Revelation 20:1-2 (KJV) says And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.[2]And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years
. Oxford Dictionary defines self righteous as having or characterized by a certainty, especially an unfounded one, that one is totally correct or morally superior
. Job was never convinced that he was either superior or correct, but instead craved to be corrected. His contention was that what was being claimed about him had no foundation. Many Christians
still accuse Job, all these thousands of years later, without ever reading the book just as they accuse others without knowing the facts. Job was not self-righteous, he was very righteous and exceedingly patient, so much so that God used him to prove a point.
On the other hand Job was human and did not understand, he could not have understood what was actually going on. The only solution that he could conceive of was that God was getting wrong information and that he needed to update Him. We can laugh now but Job had no better information then. Our take away from this is that when we suffer we probably do not have all of the facts either. What we need to do is exercise patience like Job did as supported by the scripture, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it
(I Corinthians 10:13 [KJV]).
The book has three approaches to a problem of suffering. The view of most onlookers is the same as was found in the New Testament.
The disciples assumed that somebody would have had to sin. This is the predominant view of suffering even though the Bible says differently.
Even so the observers are divided into two categories. There was the approach of the high-and-mighty. They knew
the answer before they even heard the facts. They formed subjective judgements and accused the innocent person.
Then we have the lone Elihu, the minority, who was far less experienced and had no eminence, but had the right attitude. He humbled himself. He did not make accusations based on supposition but gave concrete evidence for his opinions.
Finally there is the approach of the person who is in distress. Job knew that he had done no wrong that he was aware of, and yet he suffered. His problem was that he had an accuser that he and everyone else was unaware of. His situation should be a warning to all of us that if a blameless person like Job could suffer so horribly, then what about us, if we give real ammunition to our accuser?
God himself judged each approach. He passed no judgement on the one who humbled himself (Elihu) but humbled the high-and-mighty. To the innocent that thought that He was being deceived He made it clear that He is well in control of all situations. He needs no help. He brought the whole fiasco to an end and restored justice to the situation.
Acknowledgements
Throughout the study of Job I have frequently consulted the
website Abarim Publications
,
https://www.abarim-publications.com/
, and
Wikipedia
,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
for background in various areas.
Dictionary used by default is
Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries
(Michelson)
Other less frequently access websites include
Britannica
,
https://www.britannica.com/
Young's Literal Translation [YLT]
English Septuagint (Brenton’s) [LXXE]
Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (ISA basic): Hebrew-English Interlinear (14 Jan 2008)