Job 34-35, Elihu, Disney, and the justice of God

I beg your pardon for the delay in finishing Job. First of all, the family and I took a much needed vacation to Disney. Secondly, I really don't like writing about whatever Elihu has to say. But here I am: refreshed, ready and willing to continue on with Job. We're so close to the end now! Today we are looking at a couple more chapters of wise words, (cough), from Elihu. Please keep your hands, feet, arms, and faces in the ride at all times. Parents, please supervise your children. As always, please read along in your Bible.

Recap: Job, a righteous man, suffers terribly. Job asks God "Why?" Job's friends say it was because he was a rotten sinner, etc. Job refutes all of their arguments and philosophies. Job's friends then shut up. Now Elihu has stepped forward to offer his advice. Elihu talks and talks and talks, saying very little. Now consider yourself caught up. Let's continue.

Job 34:1-9 - Job has spoken wickedly about God by saying God was unjust. Elihu says that Job stated God had acted unjustly in his life. Job said he was a righteous man and God caused him to suffer anyway. At the same time there were wicked men who prospered. Therefore, (according to Job) what point was there to serve God? "It's all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked," (9:22-23). Elihu sees Job calling God unjust and will therefore spend the rest of the chapter defending God's justice. Elihu calls Job a sinner, not because of his deeds, but for calling God unfair. "What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God," (7-9).

Does being the biggest guy = justice? No. 

Job 34:10-15 - God is just because he's the biggest guy on the playground. Here Elihu proclaims the justice of God, but bases his statement not in God's righteous character, but rather in the might of God. "If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust," (14-15). In other words, God is just because no one can stand against him. This doesn't really make any sense. Elihu doesn't vindicate the justice of God, he just proves no one can stand against him. In other words, Might = Right. This is not a very good argument. Then again, it's Elihu we're talking about here. Let's just move on.

Job 34:16-20 - God is just because he is impartial. (At least this is a better argument). Elihu asserts God could not possibly be unjust because he is impartial in his decision making. He treats young and old, rich and poor the same. "Who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?" (19). Disney World is also impartial. No matter what country you come from or the color of your skin, they will accept your money. :0)

God = all knowing. Doug = knows little. 

Job 34:21-28 - God is just because he knows all things and he will not fail to exercise just judgment on the wicked. God knows all. "For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves," (21-22). God is also faithful to execute judgment on the wicked. "He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see," (26-28).

Through all of this the point Elihu is making is God is just and he will never fail to act fairly in the lives of men. God is impartial, omniscient, all powerful, and faithful to judge. Job, according to Elihu, is wrong to assert that God has acted unfairly and should repent of his wicked words and attitude. Job wants God to fix things, but should God make things right in Job's life when Job is acting this way? "Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent?" (33, see also 35-37).

Job 35:1-8 -  Job says there is no point in being obedient. Elihu says Job shouldn't expect anything. In chapter 35, Elihu changes direction in his comments and now seeks to refute Job's claim that it is pointless to serve God. In Job's eyes there is no reward for obeying God if he's treated the same as the unrighteous. "That you ask, 'What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had sinned?" (3). Job thought God should treat him in accordance with his faithfulness. If God was going to treat him so poorly when he had been faithful, then there was basically no point in Job being righteous. Elihu's response is that if Job chooses sin instead of righteousness, he will only hurt himself, not God. "If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?" (6). If Job should live righteously, does God then owe Job? Is God somehow indebted to Job for his obedience? Elihu is again attacking Job for his poor attitude and words towards God.

You know who else has bad motives? 

Job 35:9-16 - God is not answering Job because Job has corrupt motives. Elihu says that people indeed pray to God when they are suffering, but they only do so because they want something, not because they love, fear, and are devoted to God. "Because of the multitude of the oppressions people cry out...but none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night," (9-10). "Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it," (13). In other words, God is not answering Job because Job is asking for help with crooked motives. Job is not asking in righteous repentance, but out of his pride.

Job has asserted that he was righteous before God and therefore God has been unfair in his dealings with Job. Job did not think he should be experiencing suffering. He could find no reason to justify the trials he was enduring. Therefore he asked God "Why?" and said that God had somehow messed up. Elihu, seeking to justify God, told him the Lord was always fair and Job had bad attitudes and motives towards God and should therefore repent. Elihu did not accuse Job of sinful actions in his life, but rather in his heart and mind. Job has raised honest questions about God, suffering, right and wrong, but has gotten no adequate response from anyone around him.

Yep, it happened.

Most times when you read the Bible or hear it preached there will be some sort of application for you to follow, lesson to learn, or new thought to think. In these chapters it is hard to draw an appropriate application, because Elihu is talking. I don't say that to be rude. My point is it's hard to learn something from a guy who doesn't really know what he's talking about and in fact, talks too much. It'd be different if someone like Elijah was talking, but it's not Eli-jah, it's Eli-hu, as in Hu's on first.

So I'm afraid I can't leave you with any words of wisdom here. We're fighting through all of the dumb responses Job's friends have given to justify Job's suffering. We're also having to endure their awful answers to Job's heart-wrenching questions. Perhaps you have heard some of the same dumb and unhelpful responses in the face of your questions. Perhaps you have asked spiritual people, "Why?" and gotten no help. Job finds himself in the same place. In two chapters Job is going to get all the answers he can handle. Until then, we wait. Hang on, the storm is coming.