Job: Week 14 (Wednesday, February 7 2018)
Chapters 34, 35, 36 & 37
Chapter 34
Elihu discusses the speeches
Elihu speaks to Job and his friends
v1 Then Elihu said:
v2 You are wise men. So, hear my words! You have knowledge. So, listen to me! v3 You taste food before you eat it. So test my words as you listen. v4 We must decide wisely. And together we will work out what is right.
Chapter 34
Verses 1-4
Elihu heard the other men’s arguments. They all insisted that they were wise. If they really were wise, then they should be ready to listen to other people’s opinions. When they had heard Elihu’s opinions, they could think about his words. Then they could decide what was right.
God is always fair
v5 Job said, ‘I am innocent. But God has not been fair to me. v6 I am right, but nobody believes me. God punishes me although I have done nothing wrong.’
v7 Nobody is like Job! Job laughs at God as easily as a man drinks water. v8 He chooses evil friends. And he behaves like a wicked person. v9 So, Job says, ‘A man receives no benefit if he tries to please God.’
v10 Listen to me, if you are wise!
· God is not evil! God does not do wicked things.
· v11 God is fair! God punishes evil people. But God rewards good people.
· v12 God is never wicked! God is always a fair judge.
· v13 God did not get his power from someone else. And he is the ruler of the whole world.
v14 If God desired, he could take his Spirit from us. Then we could not continue to breathe. v15 We would all die instantly. And all our bodies would return to the earth.
Verses 5-6
Job said such things in his speeches. Job always argued that he was innocent. And that God was not fair to him. Elihu did not agree with these ideas.
Verses 7-9
Elihu was saying that Job’s words sounded like the words of a wicked man. Elihu was not saying that Job was evil. But evil men do say things like those that we read in verses 5-6. Job seemed to copy an evil man’s ideas. Job was a holy man. But he was actually arguing that it is better to be evil than to be good. His words seemed as if he was laughing at God.
Verses 10-13
These are important verses. The Bible clearly teaches such things.
· God is not evil. It was the devil, not God, who caused Job’s troubles. We should never blame God when evil things happen.
· God is fair. Job thought that God was unfair (verse 5). But Job was wrong. Later Job realised that his words were foolish (Job 40:1-5). God is the greatest judge. And his decisions are always right.
· We must not accuse God. We must always respect him. He is the ruler of the whole world.
Verses 14-15
God created our lives. And God could suddenly end our lives. But God is kind. He loves us. So he allows people to live so that we may choose to know him (Acts 17:27-28). Peter wrote that God is patient. Today, God is waiting so that people have the opportunity to trust him. But in the end, God will destroy the world (2 Peter 3:9-10).
God is the judge of rulers
v16 Job, if you are wise, then listen! Think about my words!
v17 If God were not fair, he would not rule the world. You cannot accuse him. He is fair. And he is strong.
· v18 God is the judge of kings and rulers. He decides whether they are evil. He decides whether they are fools.
· v19 God is not afraid of important men. He is fair to everybody, whether they are rich or poor. He made them all.
· v20 The people die suddenly. During the night, they die. Even powerful people die, although no man killed them.
v21 God watches our behaviour. He sees all our actions. v22 No place is so dark that evil people could hide there from God.
v23 God does not need to choose a time when he will be the judge of men. v24 He does not need to ask questions before he ends the rule of important men. And he replaces them with new rulers. v25 He knows the deeds (of evil men). In the night, he overcomes them totally. v26 He punishes them in public for their evil actions. v27 He punishes them, because they were not loyal to him. And they refused to obey his commands. v28 Such men caused poor people to cry to God. And God heard the cries of those poor people.
v29 But even if God is silent, nobody can complain. Nobody can force God to act. v30 So he may appoint a wicked man to rule a nation, although that man is cruel to the people.
Verses 16-20
The Bible teaches that God is the ruler of the world.
· Pilate thought that he had power over Jesus. But Jesus replied that Pilate’s power came from God – John 19:10-11.
· When King Nebuchadnezzar did not give honour to God, his mind became ill. For 7 years, he behaved like an animal. Other men ruled his country. But then Nebuchadnezzar became humble. He praised the true God. And God appointed Nebuchadnezzar to be king again (Daniel chapter 4).
· King Herod died an awful death soon after he refused to give honour to God (Acts 12:21-23).
God is the judge of even the most important people.
Verses 21-22
We cannot hide from God (Psalm 139:11-12).
Verses 23-27
In Job’s country, a judge would select a day when he would act as judge. Everyone who needed the judge’s help would wait for that day. But on that day, they could go to his court. On that day, the judge would help them.
Job knew that God was a judge. But Job thought that God’s servants were waiting in vain (Job 24:1). Job thought that God may never select a day to act as judge.
Elihu did not agree. He explained that God is much better than any human judge. God is always acting to help us. He does not need to select a date. He does not even need to ask questions. He already knows our deeds. And he is very powerful.
Verse 28
Job spoke about poor people who cried to God. Job thought that God would not help them (Job 24:10-12).
Elihu did not agree. God heard those poor people. And God will act to help them at the time when he decides. He will punish their cruel rulers. And he will appoint new rulers.
Verses 29-30
But God does not always stop the rule of evil men immediately. Sometimes he allows evil men to rule nations. We should pray (1 Timothy 2:1-2). But we should not complain that God allows such men to rule. Instead, we should trust God. We should obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19).
There are many evil rulers. We might think that God should end their rule. But God allows some evil things to happen now. He is patient with the people of this world. He is waiting:
· for people to confess their evil deeds to him (2 Peter 3:9)
· for Christians to declare God’s message to the people of all nations (Matthew 24:14)
· for God’s plan about the people of Israel to be complete (Romans 11:25-26)
· for Christians to know the freedom that comes from God’s Holy Spirit (Romans 8:18-22)
· for the time when God has chosen for Jesus to return (Mark 13:32).
A man who confesses his evil deeds
v31 A man might say to God, ‘I am guilty. But now I shall stop my evil deeds. v32 Show me my errors. If my actions were wrong, I shall not do these things again.’
v33 Job, tell me whether God should punish such a man. You seem not to like God’s behaviour. So you should decide, not me. Tell me, if you know!
Verses 31-33
Job and his friends agreed that God should punish evil people. In fact, God prefers to forgive people. However, God will not forgive everyone, whatever their attitude may be. People must confess their evil deeds to God. They must want to change their behaviour. And they must invite God into their lives.
This principle is very important to God (John 3:16). But Job seemed to forget this principle. He thought that only death would end the cruelty of evil people (Job 24:18-24).
Job complained that God did not act immediately to punish such people (Job 24:1). But Job did not say that God was waiting for them to confess their evil behaviour.
Elihu also spoke about this subject in Job 33:27-28.
Job lacks knowledge
v34 Men who are wise and intelligent speak to me. They tell me:
v35 ‘Job’s words are not wise. And his speeches show a lack of knowledge.’
v36 Job’s words are like the words of a wicked man. So a judge should accuse Job properly. v37 And Job also opposes us. Moreover, Job speaks against God.
Verses 34-37
If Elihu asked wise men for their advice about Job, they would all agree. Job’s behaviour was good. But his speeches were not always wise. He spoke about subjects that he did not understand (Job 42:3).
Job accused God (Job 33:9-13). And Job said that he himself was right, rather than God (Job 32:2).
Job wanted God to be his judge (Job 31:35-37). Job knew that God would be pleased with Job’s behaviour. And Job knew that God would be pleased about Job’s attitudes (chapter 31). But God was not pleased about everything that Job said (Job 38:1-2). In fact, sometimes, Job was even speaking as if God were Job’s enemy (Job 16:7-18).
Chapter 35
Elihu continues to discuss the speeches
A man’s behaviour does not affect God
v1 Elihu added:
v2 Job, tell me whether this is fair. You said to God, ‘I am innocent.’ v3 But you also said to God, ‘God does not benefit from my good deeds. And I do not benefit if I refuse to do evil things.’
v4 I shall answer you and your friends. v5 Look towards heaven! Look at the sky! See the clouds! v6 If you are evil, your behaviour does not affect God. Even if you are very wicked, your behaviour still does not affect God. v7 If you are good, God does not benefit. God receives nothing from your good works.
v8 Your evil actions only affect people like you. And your good actions only benefit other people.
Chapter 35
Verses 1-3
In other words, Job was saying, ‘God does not care whether a man is innocent or not. I thought that God would help me because of my good deeds. But in fact, I am suffering as an evil person deserves to suffer. So when I did these good deeds, I was wasting my time.’
Elihu disagreed. This was a stupid attitude. Job’s words were like the words of an evil man.
Verses 4-7
Christians do not do good deeds in order to impress God. And we do not pretend that our actions will change God’s attitudes. Whatever we do, God remains the same (Hebrews 13:6). God is always good. God is always kind. God is always fair.
Perhaps Job imagined that, because of his good deeds, he would never have to suffer (Job 29:18-20). If so, this idea was wrong. Many Christians have to suffer. But they can still be joyful (happy), because God is their friend (1 Peter 1:6).
Paul wrote a joyful letter, called the Book of Philippians, while he was in prison.
Some people imagine that they can earn the right to go to heaven by their good deeds. But the Bible teaches that this idea is wrong (Ephesians 2:8-9). Heaven is God’s gift. To go to heaven, we must confess our evil deeds to God. And we must invite Jesus into our lives.
Verse 8
It seems as if Job had forgotten the reason for his good deeds (Job 29:12-17). Job did these things because he was a servant of God (Job 1:8). A servant carries out his master’s work. And Job was doing God’s work.
Every Christian should do good deeds, because we are servants of God (James 1:1).
We should do the things that God wants us to do (James 2:14-19).
Nobody who helps other people is wasting their time. But somebody who does evil things causes other people to suffer.
Evil people complain, but they do not respect God
v9 People suffer greatly. They cry for help when their rulers are cruel. v10 But nobody calls to God, although:
· God made us all;
· God gives us songs that comfort us at the saddest times;
· v11 God teaches us more than the animals;
· God made us to be wiser than the birds.
v12 But God does not answer the cries of such people because they are proud and evil. v13 God does not listen to the hopeless cries of these people.
Verses 9-13
In Job 24:1-12, Job spoke about the poor people who were suffering because of their cruel rulers. And Job complained that God was not helping these people. Elihu’s answer to Job was in two parts:
· Perhaps those poor people did not deserve to suffer (Job 34:23-28). Whenever they cried, they prayed to God for help. Elihu believed that God would often help such people (Job 34:28). God listened to their cries. So God would punish their cruel rulers.
· But perhaps those poor people were evil (Job 35:9-13). They were too proud to pray to God. They did not realise that God is good. They were not grateful for all God’s good gifts. Instead, they were angry. And they complained. God would not listen to their hopeless cries.
Job had not thought about this. He imagined that poor people would always be innocent. He heard their cries. So he supposed that they were praying. He did not imagine that they might be opposing God.
When Job complained, Job did not respect God
v14 Moreover, God does not listen when you complain, Job. You say that:
· You do not see God. He has vanished!
· God is your judge. But you must wait until he has time for you.
· v15 God never punishes evil men.
v16 And all these ideas are nonsense. Job spoke these words without knowledge of the reality.
Verses 14-16
Job too had been complaining about God. Job was not thanking God for his good gifts. Instead, Job was constantly arguing that he himself was innocent. He was constantly insisting that God should help him. Job was acting as if God deserved blame for Job’s troubles. This was a terrible error.
God was good to Job (Job 35:10-11). God made Job’s body (Job 10:8-12). At the saddest times, God gave music to comfort Job (Job 30:31). God taught Job things that the animals did not know (Job 28:8). And God taught Job to be wise (chapter 28).
God had not vanished (verse 14)! God was with Job. God knew about Job’s troubles. And God cared.
Job did not need to wait until God had time for Job (verse 14). God can act as judge at any time (Job 34:23).
God punishes evil people (verse 15). Job himself realised that they would have to die (Job 27:13-19). And Job also learnt about hell (Job 26:5-6).
So Job needed to learn more about God. And Elihu was ready to teach Job.
Chapter 36
Elihu teaches about God
v1 Elihu continued:
v2 Listen further! And on behalf of God, I will teach you more. v3 My knowledge is great. I will explain about God, who is my maker. And I will prove that God is fair.
v4 Know this: my words are true. And my knowledge is perfect.
v5 God is powerful. But he does not hate people. He is strong. And he is wise. v6 He does not allow evil people to live. But he protects poor people. v7 He always looks after good people. He makes them as important as kings. He will always give honour to good people.
Chapter 36
Verses 1-4
Elihu was bold when he spoke these words. But we do not think that he was proud. Elihu was speaking by God’s Holy Spirit (Job 32:8). In other words, Elihu’s knowledge came from God (Job 36:22). Elihu was not merely explaining his own ideas.
Whenever someone explains their own ideas, that person will make many mistakes. But God’s knowledge is perfect (Job 37:16). And often in the Bible, God sent men to speak his words (Isaiah 6:8-9; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Exodus 4:14-16). These men did not speak their own ideas. They spoke God’s words by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 2:21).
Verses 5-7
Although God is powerful, he is not like an evil ruler. An evil ruler uses his power to cause trouble for people. But God uses his great power to do good things. He is a fair judge. He punishes evil people who hate him. But he helps good people who trust him. He gives to them the honour that they deserve.
God teaches men not to be proud
v8 But suppose that a man has great troubles. And that man cannot avoid his problems. v9 God will show that man’s errors to the man. God will explain that the man is proud and evil. v10 God will warn that man to stop his evil behaviour.
v11 That man should obey God. And the man should serve God. Then God will help the man to be calm. And the man will be glad for the rest of his life.
v12 But suppose that the man refuses to obey God. Then, that man will die a cruel death. And he will die because of his lack of knowledge.
Verses 8-10
God is kind. He is even kind to people who are proud and evil.
Elihu described a man whose attitudes were terrible. This man was both proud and evil. Job’s friends thought that God would kill such a man as a punishment. Job agreed that God should punish that man. But Job thought that God would not punish that man. And Job did not understand why.
Elihu explained that God wants such a man to stop his evil behaviour. God wants the man to change his life and to trust God. So God may cause troubles that make the man think about his life. And God may warn the man.
Verses 11-12
God gives an opportunity for people to confess their evil deeds to him. God wants them to trust him. But God does not force anybody to change. In the end, God will be the judge of everybody.
God punishes wicked people but he cares about poor people
v13 Wicked people are angry. When God punishes them, they do not ask him to help them. v14 So, they die when they are young. They are among those that men hand over for an evil life.
v15 But God teaches poor people while they are suffering. And God speaks to them by means of their troubles.
Verses 13-14
Some people refuse to listen when God warns them. These people are wicked. We can be confident that God will punish them.
In verse 14, Elihu mentioned men whom other people hand over for an evil life. These men belonged to a cruel religion. During a ceremony, they had to have sex with other men. They had a terrible life. And Elihu said that wicked people deserve such a terrible fate.
Verse 15
God helps good people who suffer. He was teaching Job, even while Job was suffering. Job was learning about heaven (Job 19:25-27) and hell (Job 26:5-6). Job was learning about wisdom (chapter 28). Job was learning to trust God (Job 12:4). And Job was even learning about Jesus (Job 16:19-21).
God cares about Job
v16 God will take you, Job, from this place, where you suffer. And God will lead you to a good place. There, you will enjoy the best food.
v17 But now, you suffer the punishment that wicked people deserve. And you cannot escape from your troubles.
v18 Do not allow money to tempt you! Do not allow a secret gift to tempt you! v19 Even your great wealth could not prevent your troubles. All your efforts could not protect you.
v20 Do not hope for death, when people lose everything.
v21 And do not choose evil behaviour! It is better to suffer troubles than to behave in an evil way. But Job, you seem to think otherwise.
Verse 16
Job thought that he was merely waiting to die. But God had wonderful plans for Job.
Verse 17
Job did not deserve these troubles. But while Job was suffering, God was making Job into a better person (1 Peter 1:6-7; Job 23:10). Soon God would rescue Job (chapter 42). Soon God would answer Job, and Job’s troubles would end. But at this time, Job had to be patient (James 5:10-11). This does not mean that Job could do nothing. When we suffer, we should pray for help (James 5:13). We should ask other people to pray too (James 5:14-15). If we have done evil things, we should confess them (James 5:16). And we should always pray with confidence (James 1:6-8; James 5:17-18).
Verses 18-21
Elihu had almost finished his advice for Job. But in these verses, Elihu warned Job about three dangerous ideas:
· In verses 18-19, Elihu spoke about money. Many people fail to obey God because of money (Matthew 6:24; 2 Timothy 4:10). Job’s friends thought that God gives money to good people. And that, if God rescued Job, Job would become wealthy again. These ideas are wrong. Our security should always come from God, not money. Many good Christians are not rich (James 2:5). But if we are wealthy, we must not trust our money.
· Verse 20 is a difficult verse to translate. We think that Elihu was speaking about death. Job often said that he wanted to die (Job 10:18-22; Job 17:13-16). He merely wanted his troubles to end. But this attitude was not good. Paul knew that after death, he would go to heaven. And he knew that heaven is a much better place than earth. But Paul wanted to be a loyal servant of God. So he was happy to do God’s work on earth, although he would have to wait for heaven (Philippians 1:20-25). And Paul explained that death is not a good thing. Death is like an enemy of God. In the end, God will defeat death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). In other words, nobody will die in heaven. And in the end, God will change his people on this earth so that they will not die (1 Corinthians 15:50-52).
· Verse 21 Sometimes an evil person seems to have a better life than a good person. Sometimes Job suggested that an evil person’s life was better than his. But these are unwise ideas. We must always think about God. God has a plan for our lives. God never wants anyone to do evil things. We must not allow money or anything else to tempt us. ‘It is better to suffer troubles than to behave in an evil way.’ Read Luke 6:20-26.
God is great
v22 God is great. And he is powerful. He is the best teacher. v23 Nobody can guide God! Nobody can say to God, ‘Your actions are wrong.’ v24 Remember to praise God for his work. And praise him with songs.
v25 Every person sees God’s good work. They stare from a far place to see God’s work. v26 God is so great that we cannot explain him. We cannot even count his age.
Verses 22-24
Many people advise their friends about God. And perhaps such people speak well. But their words are only ideas. They never guide their friends to have a real experience of God.
Elihu did not want to make this mistake. So he did not continue to speak about Job. Instead, Elihu spoke about God. He told Job and his friends that God would teach them. God is the best teacher (verse 22). Elihu warned them not to try to control God. God is always right. So they should trust him completely (verse 23). Elihu reminded them to praise God. God deserves our honour (verse 24).
Verses 25-26
Soon, the men would have an experience of God’s greatness. They would watch a powerful storm. Afterwards, God would speak.
A storm approaches
v27 God gathers the water to make the rain. v28 He causes the rain to fall from the clouds. So, he provides enough water for all people.
v29 We do not know how he arranges the clouds. We do not know how he causes the thunder. (Thunder is the noise that follows lightning.) v30 God causes lightning that lights the seas. v31 So, by the rain, he provides plentiful food for the people of all nations.
v32 God’s own hands cause the lightning. He orders the lightning to strike. v33 We hear the thunder (noise). So, we know that the storm is coming. Even the cows know this.
Verses 27-33
In Job 26:14, Job said that man’s experience of God was like a whisper. But God’s greatness was like the thunder. (Thunder is the loud noise that follows lightning.) But Job and his friends would soon have a greater experience of God. A storm was approaching. Elihu described the storm. The men were sitting outside (Job 2:8; Job 2:13). So they carefully watched the storm.
First, the men saw the clouds (verses 27-29). Elihu explained that God uses the clouds. By means of the clouds, God sends rain. This shows that God is kind. He provides water for us and for our crops.
Then the men saw the distant lightning. And they heard the distant thunder. It was not raining yet. But the storm was coming closer. Even the cows realised this. When a storm approaches, cows do not continue to eat. Instead, they sit on the ground (verse 33).
Chapter 37
Elihu introduces God to Job and his friends
The storm sounds like the voice of God
v1 This storm excites me. My heart beats hard. I can feel the movements of my own heart.
v2 Listen! Listen to the noise (of the storm)! That noise is like God’s own voice.
v3 From heaven, God sends the lightning. God causes the lightning to strike across the world.
v4 The sound called thunder is after the lightning. This is like the sound of God’s voice. It is so powerful.
v5 God’s voice surprises us. He does great things that we cannot explain. v6 He tells the snow, ‘Fall down to the ground!’ And he says to the rain, ‘Become a powerful storm!’
v7 God causes every man to stop work. So, they see the work of God.
v8 The animals hide. Or, they stay in their homes.
v9 Strong winds blow. And the weather becomes cold. v10 God causes ice. The lakes freeze. v11 God supplies water to the clouds. And he scatters lightning through the clouds. v12 He directs the movement of clouds across the world. The clouds do whatever God orders. v13 He might use the clouds to punish men (by a terrible storm). Or, he might provide rain because he loves the people on the earth.
Chapter 37
Verses 1-13
For many chapters, Job and his friends had talked about God. Some things that they said were correct. But other things were wrong. Job and his friends were talking about things that they did not know (Job 38:2).
Soon, the men would have an experience of God’s greatness. God himself would speak to Job. Then the men would start to realise how great God is.
Elihu had a special task. First, he advised Job by the Holy Spirit. Elihu corrected some errors that Job and his friends had made. Then Elihu introduced God to the men.
But God is too great for a mere man (Job 33:6) to introduce him. Nobody can control God (Job 36:23). Nobody can force God to act (Job 34:29). So really, God introduced himself.
God speaks to people by many different methods (Job 33:14). Elihu described a dream (Job 33:15) and a servant of God (Job 33:23). Sometimes God has spoken to people in a very quiet way (1 Kings 19:11-13). But God spoke to Job from a storm (Job 38:1).
Before God spoke, Elihu described the storm. There were lessons about God that people could learn from the storm:
· The storm was powerful. And it was loud (verse 2 and verse 4). Nobody could continue to work during the storm (verse 7). But God is much more powerful than any storm.
· Things happened during the storm that surprised the men. There was snow (verse 6). And there was lightning (verse 11). And God’s deeds often surprise us. For example, the first Christians did not expect that God would send them to tell God’s message to foreigners (Acts 11:1-18).
· Sometimes rain is good news, because the rain provides our water supply. But a terrible storm is bad news (verse 13). So whenever God acts, he helps good people. But he punishes bad people.
God’s wonderful works
v14 Listen, Job! Stand still! Think about God’s wonderful works! v15 You do not know:
· how God controls the clouds;
· how God causes the lightning to flash;
· v16 how clouds stay in the sky;
· or the wonderful works of God, whose knowledge is perfect.
v17 You are so hot when there is a south wind. v18 But you cannot help God to make the sky, which seems as solid as metal.
Verses 14-18
God does all these wonderful things. No person can do such things.
Even today, people cannot control the weather.
So we should learn that God deserves honour. He is greater than anybody else. We must respect him.
This was Job’s greatest error. In his speeches, Job concentrated on his own life (chapter 29 and chapter 31). He emphasised that he was innocent. He spoke about his own rights. But Job did not realise that God is always right (Job 32:2). Job should have spoken about God’s greatness. But often, Job preferred to speak about himself.
God is coming!
v19 Teach us what we should say to God! But we can say nothing, because of our evil behaviour. v20 We do not deserve to speak to God. We only deserve to die. v21 When the weather clears up, even the sunlight is too bright for our eyes.
v22 From the north, God comes. He is like a great king. Gold surrounds him.
v23 God is greater than we are:
· He is important!
· He is powerful!
· He is fair!
· He is not cruel!
v24 So, respect him! Do not pretend that you are wise!
Verses 19-21
We have no right to speak to God, except the right that God has given to us. We do not deserve God’s help. Everybody has done evil things. God will only forgive us because of the things that he himself has done. God himself sent Jesus to suffer the punishment for our evil deeds.
If God wanted, we would all die instantly (Job 34:14-15). But the wonderful news is that God loves us. God even wanted to speak to Job (chapter 38). God wanted to forgive Job’s friends (Job 42:7-8).
God is great because of his power. But God is also great because of his love.
Verses 22-24
Perhaps Elihu realised that God would speak soon. So Elihu told the other men clearly that they must respect God. In verse 23, Elihu reminded the men about the main ideas in his speech.
The men had argued about who was the wisest. But God is wiser than any man. In fact, even if God were foolish, his words would still be wiser than any man (1 Corinthians 1:25). But God is never foolish. He is wise and we all must respect him.