Job 34:1-37 - Homiletics

Elihu to the bystanders: the case of Job tried.

I. THE COURT CONSTITUTED .

1 . The panel . Job, a good man, a great sufferer, sorely calumniated deeply perplexed, involved in doubt and darkness, and guilty of much presumption.

2 . The judges . Either the three friends ironically addressed as "wise men," or the bystanders, among whom were doubtless many possessed of sound wisdom and discretions" wise" and "knowing ones" (verse 2), "men of understanding," literally, "men of heart," i.e. persons of intelligence and ripe experience, capable of forming a judgment upon so high a matter as that about to be submitted to them.

3 . The prosecutor. Elihu. Details of his personality have been given in Job 32:2 . A young Arabian prophet claiming to speak under a Divine impulse, end introduced for the purpose of delivering a preliminary verdict upon Job's case, with a view to preparing Job for the subsequent theophany of Jehovah ( Job 38:1 ).

4 . The address. Elihu invites the court of jurymen to attend to the details of the case, as he should present it for their consideration, to use discrimination in sifting what the ear heard, so as to separate the essential from the accidental, the important from the unimportant, the pertinent from the irrelevant, the ear being endowed with a faculty of trying words as the palate is with a capacity for tasting meats (verse 3), and, in the exercise of a sound judgment, to resolve upon arriving at the truth (verse 4). What are here commended to the listeners and spectators beside the "ash-heap" as indispensable qualifications for judging the case of Job aright, viz. attention, discrimination, and probation, are needful for all inquirers after truth, and are specially enjoined upon believing students of the Word of God, who are commanded not only, like the Beroeans, "to receive the Word with all readiness of mind," and "to search the Scriptures daily" ( Acts 17:11 ), but, like the Thessalonians, to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:21 ).

II. THE INDICTMENT PREFERRED .

1 . That Job had declared himself to be righteous. Elihu doubtless alludes to those passages in which Job had asserted his innocence as against the baseless aspersions of his friends ( Job 9:17 , Job 9:21 ; Job 10:7 ; Job 13:18 ; Job 16:17 ). Though true in the sense that Job was guiltless of flagrant wickedness, yet in the judgment of Elihu such vehement protestations of stainless integrity as had fallen from his lips were hardly becoming in a sinful creature ( vide Job 32:2 , homiletics).

2 . That Job charged God with injustice. Again Elihu faithfully reports what he regards as the substance of Job's contention, that he would be guilty of falsehood and hypocrisy were he to admit the correctness of his friends' allegations ( Job 27:4 ); that the seemingly incurable malady which had overtaken him (God's arrow, as in Job 6:4 ; Job 16:9 ; Job 19:11 ) had come upon him although he was "without transgression" ( Job 10:17 ), and that consequently God had taken away his right ( Job 27:2 ), which he supposes to mean, had denied him justice and treated him as a criminal, while in reality he was innocent.

3 . That Job had indulged in blasphemy. In charging Job with "drinking up scorning like water," i.e. uttering blasphemous censures against God, Elihu, it has been said (Canon Cook), "goes now for the first time far beyond the truth," since "Job's words" of fierce and bitter remonstrance "were wrung from him by agony, and by the taunts of his unfriendly counsellors," while "his scorn was altogether directed against them, not, as Elihu seems to assume, against God." But it may be questioned whether this is not an illustration of forgetting to act upon Elihu's canon, "Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is fight." Excusable as was the scornful contempt Job hurled against the friends, it is impossible to recall the wild, passionate, often reckless and unreasonable appeals and expostulations he addressed to God without agreeing with Elihu that at such moments he did overstep the limits of a just and holy moderation, and came perilously near, if he did not actually touch, the bounds of an impious and blasphemous irreverence. "We cannot but feel that he often pushed his inferences against the Divine justice and providence much too far, as indeed he himself confessed he had when at last he saw Jehovah face to face" (Cox).

4 . That Job had adopted the sentiments and maxims of the ungodly. Without explicitly asserting that Job had himself been a ribald and profane jester at holy things, Elihu affirms that by maintaining that "it profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God" (verse 9), Job had practically gone over to the side of the irreligious. Though nowhere is the above declaration stated in so many words, it is by no means an unnatural inference from Job's words ( Job 9:22 ; Job 21:7 ; Job 24:1 ; Job 30:26 ). A reasoner is not unfairly held responsible for what may be deduced by just and necessary consequence from his premises, even though he himself should tail to perceive, or, perceiving, should not mean, what these premisses involve. Now, Job had relatedly insisted on the apparently anomalous distribution of good and evil among mankind; and while, as an answer to the friends, that was perfectly legitimate, it was possible to so exhibit that perplexing circumstance as to make it carry the conclusion that the supreme Governor of the universe was indifferent to the characters of his subject intelligences, and that a good man derived no advantage from his piety, while a wicked man suffered no disadvantage in consequence of his irreligion. This, in the judgment of Elihu, Job had done, and against this Elihu proceeded to protest.

III. THE COUNTER - PROPOSITION STATED . The position taken by Elihu was the negative of Job's, viz. that the perpetration of wrong against any of his creatures was on the part of God simply impossible, that with him such a thing as perversion of judgment was inconceivable, and that, when rightly comprehended, the principle of the Divine administration was one of absolute equity. The three friends maintained, not only that such was the principle of the Divine administration, but that its operation was always visible. Job contended that the operation of such a principle was not always visible in God's dealings with mankind, and hence Job sometimes doubted whether that was the principle on which the universe was governed, though in his inmost soul he felt that it ought to be. Elihu affirms that, whether visible or not to human intelligence and in particular cases, such and no other was the law or rule of the Divine procedure.

IV. THE NEEDFUL DEMONSTRATION OFFERED .

1 . The absolute supremacy of God. (Verses 13-15.) The argument has three points.

2 . The immaculate purity of God. (Verse 17.) Elihu's argument amounts to this: that the necessary basis of all government is right—integrity in the Person and equity in the Law of the Ruler; that without this every administration, human or Divine, would fall into anarchy and confusion; and that, consequently, unless these conditions were supplied by the supreme Governor of mankind, the administration he conducted would sooner or later be overwhelmed in ruin. If it be true that the stability of any government depends ultimately upon the righteous character of its rulers and the equitable nature of its laws, much more must the moral administration of the universe be founded on the immaculate holiness of God and the unchangeable justice of his laws.

3 . The strict impartiality of God . According to Elihu it is little short of lese-majesty, or high treason, for a subject to accuse either kings or princes of corruption ( Exodus 22:28 ), thereby denying them the first and most indispensable qualification of a ruler.

"The king-becoming graces

Are justice, verity, temperance, stableness."

(Shakespeare.)

And "he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God ' ( 2 Samuel 23:3 ). What, then, must it be to impeach him who "accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor?" (verse 19). Respect of persons, a common enough failing even with good people ( Deuteronomy 1:17 ; Deuteronomy 16:19 ; James 2:1 , James 2:9 ), is impossible with God ( 2 Samuel 14:14 ; Acts 10:34 ; 1 Peter 1:17 ), whose impartiality towards men is based on the consideration that they are all alike "the work of his hands" (verse 19), therefore all alike possessed of the same essential dignity, amenable to the same high authority, and entitled to be cared for by the same paternal government. And as It is based on the fundamental equality of men in the sight of Heaven, so is it proved by the palpable fact that all alike are subjected to the same impartial doom (verse 20); great and mighty potentates dying in a moment, like Belshazzar ( Daniel 5:30 ) or like Pharaoh ( Exodus 14:28 ), or, being taken away without hand (cf. Daniel 2:34 ; Daniel 8:25 ), i.e. by some supernatural visitation, like the rebellious princes of the congregation ( Numbers 16:29 ) or like Herod ( Acts 12:23 ), and their peoples being troubled at midnight, like the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:29 ), or soddenly and unexpectedly overthrown, like the antediluvians ( Genesis 7:22 ) and the inhabitants of the cities of the plain ( Genesis 19:24 , Genesis 19:25 ).

4 . The all-encompassing omniscience of God. (Verse 21.) The eyes of the Supreme are constantly on the ways of man. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where workers of iniquity can hide themselves from his penetrating glance. With such accuracy can he read the human heart, that he does not require to regard a man twice in order to understand his character and conversation. He has no need to pause before bringing the individual into judgment. Job's demand that God should hold a court of assizes and put his case to trial was wholly superfluous. So thoroughly does God comprehend man by the glance of his omniscient eye that he can proceed to break the mighty without investigation, making short work of their trial, and setting others in their stead (verse 24). Clearly, reasons Elihu, a God who thus exactly and fully comprehends every case that is brought before him is not likely to be guilty of committing wickedness by perverting judgment.

5 . The unchallengeable righteousness of God. (Verses 24-30.) Elihu means that the absolute integrity of God may be established by a consideration of the character of his judgments, which are:

V. THE COUNSEL GIVEN . To adopt the model confession next recited (verses 31, 32), in which are three things worthy of consideration.

1 . A humble submission to God ' s chastisements. "Surely it is meet to be said unto God; I have borne!" (sc. chastisement). Resignation in affliction is the duty of all ( Proverbs 3:11 ); it is specially incumbent on God's people ( Luke 21:19 ), indispensable as a condition of returning favour (Le 26:40 42), and one of the surest signs of a truly penitent heart ( Jeremiah 31:18 ). Nothing enables one to manifest genuine resignation like the clear recognition of God's hand in affliction ( Micah 6:9 ; 1 Samuel 3:18 ; James 4:7 ), and of the true design of affliction to chastise rather than punish ( Hebrews 12:5 ; Psalms 119:75 ). Resignation in affliction and submission to Divine chastisement were exemplified by Aaron (Le Job 10:3 ), the children of Israel ( 10:15 ), Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:18 ), David ( 2 Samuel 15:26 ), Job ( Job 1:21 ; Job 2:10 ), Micah 7:9 . St. Paul ( Acts 21:14 ).

2 . A hearty promise of amendment. "I will not offend any more" (verse 31); "If I have done iniquity, I will do no more" (verse 32). Such a promise distinctly involved the confession that one had offended; and without confession there can be no forgiveness ( Proverbs 28:13 ; 1 John 1:9 ), as, on the other hand, without amendment there is no evidence that confession is sincere ( Job 22:23 ; Isaiah 1:16 ; Ezekiel 14:6 ; Hosea 14:8 ).

3 . An earnest desire after Divine instruction. "That which I see not teach thou me" (verse 32). Converted souls are always more or less deeply sensible of their ignorance, especially in regard to spiritual things, as e.g. the wickedness of their own hearts ( Jeremiah 17:9 ), the subtlety of sin ( Psalms 19:12 ), the specific purposes of providential dispensations ( John 13:7 ), the right path of holy living ( Jeremiah 10:23 ); and with reference to all these and many other points they are ever ready to receive heavenly enlightenment, saying, "Teach me to know thy way" ( Psalms 27:11 ), and "to do thy will" ( Psalms 143:10 ).

VI. THE APPLICATION MADE .

1 . An appeal to Job.

2 . An address to the bystanders. Finding Job silent, Elihu turns to the listeners and spectators, whom he dexterously salutes as "men of understanding' and "wise ones," asking them to say whether it is not the case that they agree with him in the verdict, "Job speaketh without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom" (verses 34, 35). A severe verdict, whether the audience appealed to endorsed it or not! Yet Jehovah afterwards affirmed its truth ( Job 38:2 ). And surely it is an index of folly for puny man, as Job did, to sit in judgment on God.

3 . A declaration by Elihu.

(a) his sentiments were irreligious—"his answers were "after the manner of evil men;"

(b) his wickedness was great—"he addeth rebellion," or the most aggravated form of transgression, "that of blasphemous speeches" (Delitzsch), "unto sin," i.e. his unconscious and unintentional errors;

(c) his scorn was conspicuous—" among us he clappeth" (se. his hands), expressive of triumphant contempt, showing that "though victorious in the argument," he was "not yet humbled in spirit" (Robinson); and

(d) his irreverence was extreme—he "multiplieth his words against God," "carrying himself as victor, not only over men, but also over God" (Robinson).

Learn:

1 . That good men, in pronouncing judgment upon their fellows, should proceed with the utmost care and caution.

2 . That God's people should be studious in giving utterance to words calculated to leave wrong impressions in the minds of hearers.

3. That saints may sometimes be mistaken for sinners because of the indiscreetness of their talk.

4 . That the justice of God is a fundamental maxim in all sound theology.

5 . That equally the unselfishness (or graciousness) of God must in every adequate conception of his character stand correlative with his justice.

6 . That the God of the Bible is the only Deity possessed of qualifications adequate for the government of the world, not to say the universe.

7 . That God's judgments, as exhibited in his providential government of the earth, are admirably fitted to teach man righteousness.

8 . That God is profoundly interested in the welfare of nations and communities as well as of private persons.

9 . That the Divine administration is ever carried on in the interests of holiness.

10. That the true attitude of man in presence of the Divine government is meek and cheerful submission.