Thursday
Evening Bible Study
July
2, 2015
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Target 3300 words
Video = 75 wpm
We are showing a movie next week.
Job is going through the worst time anyone could imagine.
He’s lost all his possessions.
His children have died.
His health has failed.
What makes all this even more confusing is that Job is a good guy.
God has decided to allow Job to go through this difficulty because He is
proud of Job, not mad at him.
God wants to show the world what a godly man will do when he is going
through a difficult time.
Keep a couple of things in mind as we study Job:
Sometimes Job is wrong in his conclusions.
Sometimes Job’s friends are also wrong.
They can even say things that are true, but they are just not true about
Job.
Be careful about building doctrine upon some of the things said in the book
of Job.
Neither Job’s words nor those of his friends are meant to build doctrinal truths
on.
They simply show us how people respond to difficulty.
Job and his three friends have been debating back and forth for quite a
while, trying to figure out why Job has had so much trouble.
We’re now going to hear from a fourth person.
33:1-5 Elihu’s Anger
:1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous
in his own eyes.
:2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family
of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified
himself rather than God.
:3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had
found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
:2 Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite
Elihu – ‘Eliyhuw
– “He is my God”
We see some more tie-ins with the time of Abraham.
Elihu’s dad is a “Buzite”, which means he was probably a descendant of
Abraham’s nephew “Buz” (Gen. 22:21).
(Genesis 22:20–22 NKJV) —20 Now it
came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed
Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
Buz had an older brother named “Uz” (in NIV).
Job lived in the “land of Uz” (Job 1:1)
(Job 1:1 NKJV) There was a man in the
land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright,
and one who feared God and shunned evil.
:4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to
speak to Job.
Elihu wasn’t as old as the other friends, so out of respect he’s waited for
them to finish.
:5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these
three men, his wrath was aroused.
:5 his wrath was aroused
After listening to these debates go on and on, Elihu is angry with both
sides.
He’s angry with Job because while defending himself against all his
friends’ accusations, he has been accusing God of doing wrong.
It wasn’t wrong for Job to defend
himself from false accusations, because he actually was a righteous man in
God’s sight.
Job’s problem was in thinking that
God was unfair to him.
He’s also angry with Job’s friends for accusing Job of some hidden sin
without having any proof of it.
32:6-14 Elihu: Waiting to speak
:6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: “I am
young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared
not declare my opinion to you.
:7 I said, ‘Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
:8 But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty
gives him understanding.
:8 the breath of the Almighty … understanding
God can speak to and teach a young person as well as an old person.
Older people are supposed to have wisdom.
Yet God can speak just as easily to a young person, like Elihu.
When Eli was the high priest, God
did something unusual. He spoke to a
child.
(1 Samuel 3:1–4 NKJV) —1 Now the
boy Samuel ministered to the Lord
before Eli. And the word of the Lord
was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. 2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down
in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,
3 and before the lamp of God went out in
the tabernacle of the Lord where
the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the Lord
called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”
God picked out a three year old to
speak to because no one else was available.
Joel says something unusual will
happen in the last days …
(Joel 2:28 NKJV) “And it shall come to
pass afterward That I will pour out
My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old
men shall dream dreams, Your young
men shall see visions.
:9 Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand
justice.
:9 Great men are not always wise
Though old age is supposed to be a place where you find wisdom, as our
Supreme Court has recently shown, this is not always the case.
Lesson
Real Wisdom
Paul records what happens when men
refuse to acknowledge the truth about God that is right before their eyes:
(Romans 1:18–28 NLT) —18 But God
shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the
truth by their wickedness. 19 They know
the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth
and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible
qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not
knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God,
but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to
think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became
dark and confused. 22 Claiming
to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they
worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and
reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them
to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile
and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and
served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of
eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is
why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against
the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with
women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men,
and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they
deserved. 28 Since they thought it
foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let
them do things that should never be done.
Paul had seen it happen in his
day. We see it happen in our day. There is nothing new.
Please listen to me – I am not
condoning those who express “hatred” towards gay people. Just the opposite. Even though their behavior is offensive to
God, it is just as offensive as adultery, fornication, lying, and greed.
The Bible says,
(1 Corinthians 6:9–11 NLT) —9 Don’t you
realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool
yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit
adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive,
or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were
made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Jesus came to this
world to show that God loved the world so much He would do whatever it took to
save men, and so Jesus died for us. He
died for the sins of the whole world.
:10 “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.’
:11 Indeed I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, while
you searched out what to say.
:12 I paid close attention to you; And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
:13 Lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom’; God will vanquish him, not man.
:14 Now he has not directed his words against me; So I will not
answer him with your words.
:14 I will not answer him with your words
He’s not going to say the same
kinds of things to Job that the others have.
Job’s friends were of the opinion that Job was having trouble because of
some sort of secret sin.
Elihu is going to take a different approach.
32:15-22 Elihu: I have to speak
:15 “They are dismayed and answer no more; Words escape them.
Job’s other three “friends” had not been able to figure out Job’s problem.
:16 And I have waited, because they did not speak, Because they stood still
and answered no more.
:17 I also will answer my part, I too will declare my opinion.
:18 For I am full of words; The spirit within me compels me.
:19 Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; It is
ready to burst like new wineskins.
:19 like wine that has no vent
Wine was fermented in leather skin bags. As it fermented, CO2 was given
off.
New wineskins might be flexible and stretch a little, but if the gas didn’t
have a way to vent, the bag would burst.
Note: Just because you feel “compelled” to speak, sometimes
it’s still better to keep your mouth shut.
I think Elihu is an example of this.
:20 I will speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer.
:21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone; Nor let me flatter any
man.
:22 For I do not know how to flatter, Else my Maker would soon take
me away.
:21 Let me not …show partiality
Though these other men are older than Elihu and deserve a measure of
respect, he is not going to go overboard and just flatter them.
He is simply going to speak the truth as best as he knows.
Lesson
Equal treatment
We need to be careful about giving certain people “special” treatment:
(James 2:1–9 NLT)
—1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 2 For example,
suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive
jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give
special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor
one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this
discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? 5 Listen to
me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be
rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to
those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and
drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you
bear? 8 Yes indeed, it
is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.
You are guilty of breaking the law.
We ought to treat all people the same because we have all
been made by the same Creator.
Illustration
There once was a young pastor who thought a bit too much of himself who was
going to teach the children’s lesson at church.
He told the children about sheep, that they weren’t smart and needed lots
of guidance, and that a shepherd’s job was to stay close to the sheep, protect
them from wild animals and keep them from wandering off and doing dumb things
that would get them hurt or killed. He pointed to the little children in the
room and said that they were the sheep and needed lots of guidance. Then the
minister put his hands out to the side, palms up in a dramatic gesture, and
with raised eyebrows said to the children, “If you are the sheep then who is
the shepherd?” He was pretty obviously indicating himself. A silence of a few
seconds followed. Then a young visitor said, “Jesus, Jesus is the shepherd.”
The young minister, obviously caught by surprise, said to the boy, “Well, then,
who am I?” The little boy frowned thoughtfully and then said with a shrug “I guess
you must be a sheep dog.””
Be careful about expecting people to treat you differently. Be careful about treating others differently
depending on who they are.
33:1-7 Elihu: Listen Job
:1 “But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words.
:2 Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth.
:3 My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure
knowledge.
:4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me
life.
:5 If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take
your stand.
:5 If you can answer me
Elihu is challenging Job to answer the things he’s about to say. It’s interesting to note that Job never gets
a chance to answer Elihu.
:6 Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed
out of clay.
:6 I am as your spokesman before God
Earlier Job had cried,
(Job 9:33 NKJV) Nor is there
any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.
It sounds as if he saying that he is Job’s answer to prayer for someone to
talk to God for him.
:7 Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
Because Elihu is just a man, Job doesn’t have to be afraid of him.
33:8-13 Elihu: Don’t accuse God
:8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your
words, saying,
Vs. 9-11 are Elihu’s recounting of the kinds of things Job has been saying.
:9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there
is no iniquity in me.
:9 I am pure, without transgression
Actually, this is not exactly what Job had claimed.
It was Zophar who had claimed that
this was Job’s position (11:4).
(Job 11:4 NKJV) For you have said, ‘My doctrine is pure, And I am
clean in your eyes.’
Though Job defended his integrity, he never claimed to be perfect (9:20-21).
(Job 9:20–21 NLT) —20 Though I
am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it
would prove me wicked. 21 “I am
innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.
:10 Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy;
:11 He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’
:11 He puts my feet in the stocks
Job did made these kinds of claims about God (13:27).
He accused God of being out to get him.
(Job 13:27 NKJV) You put my feet in the
stocks, And watch closely all
my paths. You set a limit for
the soles of my feet.
:12 “Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God
is greater than man.
:13 Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any
of His words.
:13 Why do you contend with Him?
This is indeed one of Job’s problems.
He’s accused God of being unfair and has been “fighting” with God over
this.
God Himself will say to Job:
(Job 40:2 NLT) “Do you
still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have
the answers?”
Lesson
God doesn’t owe you an answer
I own my 2006 Honda Civic.
It is bought and paid for.
Let’s say I choose to paint it orange.
Do you have the right to come up to me and say, “How dare you paint that
car orange”?
No, because it’s my car, not yours.
God is the Creator of the Universe.
He owns it.
We often argue with God over how we think He’s doing, but it’s kind of
silly for us to argue with God. He’s
God.
(Romans 9:20–21
NLT) —20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with
God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have
you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to
use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw
garbage into?
We are the clay and we don’t really have the right to challenge what the
potter makes of us.
Do you have a problem with that?
The biggest problem we have is not actually in how God has made us, but of
how little we understand of what God is really doing.
Does this mean that God will never answer our questions?
Not at all. He is kind and
compassionate.
But ultimately, if He chooses to keep you in the dark, you
need to be okay with that.
33:14-18 Elihu: God does speak
:14 For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not
perceive it.
:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
:16 Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.
:14 God may speak
Lesson
Can you hear Me now?
Elihu is reminding us that sometimes God speaks through dreams or visions. See if you can understand what this dream is
about…
Do you remember those Verizon commercials from back in 2002?
God is not silent. He speaks. The question is, are we listening?
Illustration
The Job Applicant
Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance
communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.
Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was
listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and
clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the
receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait
until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man filled out his form and sat
down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes,
the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and
walked right in. Naturally the other
applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among
themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young
man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer
escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants,
“Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been
filled.” The other applicants began
grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t
understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be
interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!” The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the
time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following
message in Morse Code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The
job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The
job is his.”
You may wonder at times if God still speaks today like He did in times
past. I’d like to suggest that He speaks
more than we realize. We just aren’t
listening.
:17 In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man,
:18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the
sword.
:18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit
God speaks to keep men from going to hell.
33:19-28 Elihu: Chastening helps us
:19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain
in many of his bones,
:20 So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food.
:19 chastened with pain
chastened – yakach – rebuke,
reprove, correct ; to be chastened
Lesson
Correction in trials
God can speak through dreams, but He can also speak through difficult
times.
Sometimes God allows difficulty in our lives to keep us from going astray, to
keep us from sinning.
Paul knew this with his “thorn” in the flesh.
(2 Corinthians
12:7–10 NKJV) —7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the
revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with
the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said
to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs,
in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I
am strong.
Sometimes it’s not a full blown trial like Job’s but just a little inconvenience
that saves us.
I’ve been caught behind little old ladies in traffic and grown impatient,
only to realize that if I hadn’t been driving slow I would have been broadsided
in an intersection.
God speaks to us through pain.
In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis says, “God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Even though this is true for some of us going through trials, this isn’t
the case with Job.
God just wants to show the universe that Job will still trust Him even when
his life falls apart.
:21 His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once
were not seen.
:22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners.
:23 “If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To
show man His uprightness,
:24 Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to
the Pit; I have found a ransom’;
:25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of
his youth.
:23 If there is a messenger for him
God can speak through dreams, through trials, and now through a messenger.
messenger – mal’ak –
messenger, representative; angel
(Job 33:23 NLT) “But if an
angel from heaven appears…
The problem with messengers is you need to be sure it’s a legitimate
“messenger”
Perhaps Elihu is suggesting that he is a “messenger” for Job.
:26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face
with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.
:27 Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what
was right, And it did not profit me.’
:28 He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall
see the light.
:26 He shall pray to God
Elihu, like the other friends is suggesting that if Job would just pray, admit
his sin, then everything will be okay.
33:29-33 Elihu: Chastening for our good
:29 “Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact,
three times with a man,
:30 To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with
the light of life.
:31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak.
:32 If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify
you.
:33 If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
It doesn’t seem that Elihu gives Job much of a chance to speak up.
:32 If you have anything to say,
answer me
If Job has something to say, then
speak up. Otherwise Elihu will continue.
34:1-9 Elihu: Job wrongly accuses God
:1 Elihu further answered and said:
:2 “Hear my words, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have
knowledge.
:2 Hear my words, you wise men
It seems the Elihu is now addressing Job’s “friends”.
:3 For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.
:4 Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is
good.
:5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my justice;
:6 Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though
I am without transgression.’
:6 Should I lie concerning my right?
(Job 34:6 NLT) I am innocent, but
they call me a liar.
Job’s friends want him to admit he has sinned. But Job says that if he does, he’d have to
lie about it.
:7 What man is like Job, Who drinks scorn like water,
:8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked
men?
:9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing That he should delight in
God.’
:7 Who drinks scorn like water
Job had taken one abusive criticism after another.
(Job 34:7 The Message) Have you
ever heard anything to beat this? Does
nothing faze this man Job?
34:10-15 Elihu: God isn’t wicked
:10 “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to
do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
:11 For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a
reward according to his way.
:12 Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert
justice.
:12 God will never do wickedly
Lesson
God is good
Elihu is absolutely correct on this.
God isn’t wicked.
(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the
message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and
in Him is no darkness at all.
We may not understand all that God allows in our lives,
but He is not wicked.
James wrote,
(James 1:13 NKJV) Let no one
say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
The problem is
always on man’s side of things, not God’s.
:13 Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over
the whole world?
:14 If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself
His Spirit and His breath,
:15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.
:14-15 His breath … All flesh would perish
Our life depends on the very breath of God.
He holds our “breath” in His hands.
If God wanted to, He could let go and we’d all die and turn to dust.
Paul said to the men of Athens:
(Acts 17:24–25
NKJV) —24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of
heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He
worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all
life, breath, and all things.
Daniel warned proud Belshazzar
about mocking God:
(Daniel 5:23 NKJV) And you
have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels
of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your
concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver
and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know;
and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways,
you have not glorified.
Paul wrote:
(Colossians 1:17
NLT) He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation
together.
34:16-30 Elihu: God is impartial
:16 “If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my
words:
:17 Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is
most just?
How could God continue to govern the universe if He hates justice?
:18 Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ And
to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
:19 Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than
the poor; For they are all the work of His hands.
:19 He is not partial to princes
He does not play favorites with people who might have titles like “prince”.
God does not show partiality.
:20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; The people are shaken
and pass away; The mighty are taken away without a hand.
:21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps.
:22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity
may hide themselves.
:23 For He need not further consider a man, That he should go before God in
judgment.
:24 He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in
their place.
:25 Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
:26 He strikes 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 caused the cry of the poor to come to Him; For He hears
the cry of the afflicted.
:28 He hears the cry of the afflicted
James warned the rich people who take advantage of their workers:
(James 5:4 NKJV) Indeed the
wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry
out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
:29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His
face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man
alone?—
:30 That the hypocrite should not reign, Lest the people be ensnared.
34:31-37 Elihu: Job is wrong
:31 “For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastening; I
will offend no more;
:32 Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do
no more’?
:31 I will offend no more
Elihu wonders why people going through difficulty just admit that they were
wrong and learn their lesson?
:33 Should He repay it according to your terms, Just
because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you
know.
:33 according to your terms
(Job 34:33 NLT) “Must God
tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is
yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.
There are people who have the mistaken idea that God is going to play by
“their rules”. Like: “If I were God I wouldn’t send anybody to
hell.”
:34 “Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to me:
:35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom.’
:36 Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are
like those of wicked men!
He wishes Job would get everything that’s coming to him.
:37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”
:37 He claps his hands among us
In the Middle East, this is a way of
showing anger, cursing people.
He’s saying that Job is an angry, mean man.
Lesson
The Patience of Job
Illustration
A congregation was having trouble with the preacher preaching far too long.
They had a business meeting about the matter and it was decided that they would
buy a gavel and after one hour, someone would tap on the pew to signal that
time was up. The preacher agreed to this tap arrangement. The first night a young
boy wanted the honors of keeping time and tapping on the back of the pew in
front of him. After one hour, the boy was too embarrassed to make the noise of
tapping on the pew. The preacher continued to preach on and on, and all the
eyes of the congregation became focused on the boy. They all began to mouth the
words to the boy, “Go on, go on.” He became angry, and tried to hit the pew
with a loud knock; however, as he came down with the gavel, he hit the person
on the head sitting in front of him. The wounded member as he was falling over
in his seat said, “Hit me again, I can still hear him!”
Just like that preacher, the arguments with Job’s friends just went on and
on and on. They never seemed to end. They never said much that was new, they
just repeated the same old arguments again and again.
Trials are like that – we’d like them to end. We’d like someone to slam the
gavel down and the trial will be over. We’d love to stop hearing or
experiencing the same thing over and over. Yet the trial goes on.
James talks about enduring tough times and he gives Job as an example to
follow:
(James 5:7–11 NKJV)
—7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how
the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your
hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another,
brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren,
take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of
suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the
perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord
is very compassionate and merciful.
When we hear of the “patience of Job”, or the
“perseverance of Job”, we probably tend to think about how Job endured his loss
of his wealth, his children, and his health.
But I wonder if the “patience of Job” has as much or more
to do with Job enduring the kind of grief that his friends gave him.
James says we were not to “grumble against one another”.
We just need to endure.