Day 152: Job 34-36

(The previous post covered the conclusion of Job's final statement and Elihu's overview statement.)

Job 34
¹ Moreover Elihu answered and said,

(Elihu was now ready to present his model for what happened with Job. This post documents an example of a perfect thought process. Please take your time with this post or make time to reread it.)

² Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
³ For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.

(Elihu quoted Job from Job 12:11. Elihu continued to use Job's words to meet Job where Job was at.)

⁴ Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good.

(Elihu wanted everyone to be contrastive and to state their will.)

⁵ For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right:

(Elihu referred back to what Job said from Job 10:7.)

⁶ Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
⁷ What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

(Elihu referred to what Eliphaz said from Job 15:16.)

⁸ Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men?

(Two things to understand:
1) ACCORDING TO GOD: Job was perfect before his suffering occurred, and
2) ACCORDING TO ELIHU: Job was wrong in how he tried to understand why his suffering happened after his suffering occurred.

Elihu agreed with TRUTH #3: Job did not cause his suffering. What did Job do after his suffering occurred that was wrong?)

⁹ For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.

(Elihu showed Job what Job said that was wrong. Elihu referred to Job's CONCLUSION #1 from Job 9:22 (God destroyed everyone, good and bad). Did you agree with Job's CONCLUSION #1?)

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.

(Elihu agreed with TRUTH #2: God was Just and He was more Just than man.)

¹¹ For the work of a man will he render unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.

(Elihu agreed with TRUTH #1: Profitability proved progress. Elihu agreed with all Three TRUTHS.)

¹² Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

(Everyone would get exactly what they deserved. After hearing this, Job was probably asking how this could be true because his CONCLUSION #1 said the opposite. Did Elihu know a Fourth TRUTH?)

¹³ Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?
¹⁴ If he set his heart upon himself, If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
¹⁵ All flesh shall perish together, And man shall turn again unto dust.
¹⁶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words.
¹⁷ Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?-
¹⁸ Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile, Or to nobles, Ye are wicked;
¹⁹ That respecteth 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 they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand.

(Elihu showed that if God was not Just, then everything would be destroyed.)

²¹ For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, And he seeth all his goings.

(Elihu stated God had all the information.)

²² There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For he needeth not further to consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment.

(Elihu stated God was aware of everything without a man having to explain it to Him. Elihu was refuting the people who think they will convince God to change His Mind on Judgment Day because they knew something God did not know or God did not understand.)

²⁴ He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, And setteth others in their stead.
²⁵ Therefore he taketh knowledge of 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 aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways:
²⁸ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, And he heard the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:
³⁰ That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

(In verses 26-30, Elihu gave the beginning of a model for how God handled the wicked. God gave a warning to the wicked instead of immediately responding through Justice. God extended mercy (delayed judgment) in order to give the wicked the opportunity to repent, in order to get the wicked to state their will. When the wicked did not change their ways, God could Justly punish the wicked.)

³¹ For hath any said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
³² That which I see not teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?

(Elihu continued his model by explaining how a righteous person responded to God's warning: they focused on determining the cause of the warning and worked to change their behavior so they never did it again.)

³³ Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest.

(Elihu presented how God warned the wicked, how the wicked did not respond to God, and how God responded to the wicked's lack of response. Elihu presented how God warned the righteous and how the righteous determined the cause and changed their behavior. Elihu asked Job to finish Elihu's model. How did Job think God would respond to the person who delighted in God?)

³⁴ Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me:
³⁵ Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

(Job's CONCLUSION #1 stated that God would punish the righteous who responded positively to God's warning. Elihu had shown, with a perfect thought process, that Job had a contradiction. Job's CONCLUSION #1 stated that God was unjust to the righteous who responded positively to God's warning and Job said he agreed with TRUTH #2: God was Just.

Elihu stated Job was missing information and, as a result, made a bad decision after the suffering had begun. Job was missing a Fourth TRUTH.)

³⁶ Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.
³⁷ For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

(Job thought the wicked and good were treated the same before God. Elihu had shown Job's CONCLUSION #1 was wrong. Remember, Job reached this Conclusion after his suffering began.)




Job 35
¹ Moreover Elihu answered and said,
² Thinkest thou this to be thy right, Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's,
³ That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?
⁴ I will answer thee, And thy companions with thee.

(Elihu stated Job's CONCLUSION #2 from Job 9:30-31 (If profitability did not prevent God from destroying, then there was no profit in trying to be good).

Job's CONCLUSION #2 actually depended on his CONCLUSION #1. Elihu had already proven CONCLUSION #2 was wrong, however, Elihu continued to walk through his model in order to show Job the cause of his wrong CONCLUSIONS...)

⁵ Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.
⁶ If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
⁷ If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand?

(Elihu referred to a statement made by Eliphaz from Job 22:2.)

⁸ Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.
⁹ By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But none saith, Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night,
¹¹ Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?
¹² There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
¹³ Surely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it.

(HUGE POINT: If the innocent cried to anything except God, then God did not answer.

Elihu said God would not hear a cry that was not directed to Him...if He did, it would be unjust. If God responded, then He would be telling people they did not need to recognize Him.)

¹⁴ How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

(Elihu stated Job was worse off than those who did not call on God because he was expecting an answer. Those who were enemies of God did not expect God to respond. Job thought God looked at him as an enemy. Job thought that because he was experiencing the same effects as a wicked person, that the cause was that God treated the wicked and good the same. Job was abusing causality, the same thing his three "friends" did.)

¹⁵ But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;
¹⁶ Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.

(Elihu stated that since God had not punished Job out of anger, Job had been allowed to speak without knowledge. Job was missing a Fourth TRUTH. Notice, Job was not contrastive and he abused causality after his suffering occurred. This was the same thing Satan did at the beginning of this book! Satan was not contrastive and he reversed causality. God was contrastive and used causality correctly to prove He was right. In fact, God let Satan try to prove himself right first. Elihu did the same thing as God. Elihu allowed the three friends and Job the first opportunity to prove themselves correct, which was contrastive. Then, Elihu correctly used causality to justify God.)




Job 36
¹ Elihu also proceeded, and said,
² Suffer me a little, and I will show thee; For I have yet somewhat to say on God's behalf.
³ I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
⁴ For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

(Again, Elihu gave God the credit for his words.)

⁵ Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength of understanding.

(Elihu stated that justifying God would have led Job to the answer Job was looking for. God approached everyone without despising them.)

⁶ He preserveth not the life of the wicked, But giveth to the afflicted their right.

(Then, God moved against the wicked because of Justice.)

⁷ He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
⁸ And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions;
⁹ Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
¹⁰ He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity.

(Elihu explained how God dealt with the righteous. God could not make people listen or repent, so Elihu presented the next portion of his model with two if/then statements...)

¹¹ If they hearken and serve him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

(The two if/then statements:
1) Those who chose to listen and change (righteous) were blessed.
2) Those who chose not to listen and change (wicked) died without knowledge.)

¹³ But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them.
¹⁴ They die in youth, And their life perisheth among the unclean.

(Elihu gave causes and effects of the wicked.
-Cause: laid up anger in their heart.
-Effects: cried not for help when God warned them, died in youth, and they did not go to heaven.)

¹⁵ He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression.

(Elihu gave an effect for the innocent: God rewarded them through Justice.)

¹⁶ Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.
¹⁷ But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold on thee.

(Elihu said God would have taken Job out of distress if Job had not made his wrong CONCLUSIONS after Job's suffering.)

¹⁸ For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

(Elihu gave advice to Job, "Do not let your suffering take your focus off of getting your Justice." Job ought to have begun to get a glimmer of what he did wrong.)

¹⁹ Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress, Or all the forces of thy strength?
²⁰ Desire not the night, When peoples are cut off in their place.
²¹ Take heed, regard not iniquity: For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

(Elihu said that Job's cry prevented God from moving for Job.

Elihu's model:
-God could not stop Job's suffering until Job resolved the situation by not renouncing God to His Face.
-While God waited for Job to resolve the situation, Job concluded God was unjust.
-Then, Job resolved the situation after Job concluded God was unjust.
-Elihu stated Job would be in the clear ("broad place" - vs.16) if Job had not cried out his wrong CONCLUSIONS. At that time, God could not put Job in the clear.

Why? It would not be Just of God to clear Job after Job concluded God was unjust. If God removed Job's suffering, it would encourage Job not to learn God's Nature. It would enable Job not to correct Job's wrong CONCLUSIONS. Job ought to have been thinking over the things he had said.)

²² Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him?
²³ Who hath enjoined him his way? Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?
²⁴ Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung.
²⁵ All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off.

(Elihu said in 34:23 that God had all the information. If Job had realized this, Job would have realized he was lacking information. Job would have realized he was lacking a Fourth TRUTH.

Elihu also said Job's suffering was done for everyone's benefit. Elihu confirmed what he said in Job 33:27-30: "God was persistent in speaking to people." God wanted revelation to get to everyone and He would use the righteous to present this information even if the righteous had to suffer. Job ought to have been ready for his answer as all these pieces fell into place.)

²⁶ Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

(God's timing was not our timing.

TRUTH #4: Justice will be equaled out in the long term.

This gave Job resolution to why this happened. Job and his three friends believed suffering was only an immediate effect of what a person had caused. However, suffering can be a cause...and the eventual effect would be that the individual got reward through Justice if they handled the unjust suffering well.

One of Job's issues was that he was not patient. He wanted God to respond through Justice immediately. When God did not, Job made wrong CONCLUSIONS that prevented God from responding through Justice after Job resolved the Conflict.

Why do people speak about the "patience of Job"? Job wanted understanding behind why a righteous person received suffering. Thanks to Elihu, he now understood that Justice would be equaled out when it was God's timing.

**JOB NOW HAD THE WHY!**)

²⁷ For he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil in rain from his vapor,
²⁸ Which the skies pour down And drop upon man abundantly.
²⁹ Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The thunderings of his pavilion?
³⁰ Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.
³¹ For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance.
³² He covereth his hands with the lightning, And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.
³³ The noise thereof telleth concerning him, The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.

(Elihu explained why God did not respond through Justice immediately. God was much bigger than man and had a lot more to account for, God was not only dealing with Job. God dealt with everyone. When you start to realize how much God had to account for regarding Justice, you start to understand why Justice happened on God's timing and not our timing. Clearly, Elihu was speaking for God.)

(Elihu presented several interesting insights into how God works:
1) God doesn't despise anyone
2) God speaks to everyone
3) God is focused on the response
4) God only moves in response to justice

CONCLUSION: The person's response to injustice is what allows God to move or not!)

(This post covered Elihu's presentation of the Fourth TRUTH that Job lacked: Justice will be equaled out in the long term.)

Day 153