Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Job 33 – Elihu claims to speak for God. According to Bible scholars, the events of the book of Job took place approximately before 2100 B.C.
I encourage you to turn to Job 33 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Job 33 with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scriptures that you find highlighted in purple in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Job 32, we read about Elihu preparing to speak about God’s justice. Well, in this Bible study on Job 33, we will read about Elihu claiming to speak for God.
Without any further delay, let us study together Job Chapter 33, shall we?
Elihu Begins To Speak
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.
6 Truly I am as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
In Verses 1-7 of Job 33, Elihu implores Job to listen to his words and to pay attention to everything that he has to say. Elihu said that he would speak uprightly and with sincerity because of the divine stirring up of his spirit. He challenged Job and his friends to answer him if they could and to take a stand against what he has to say. He told Job that unlike God, he wouldn’t make him afraid or terrified or put any heavy pressure on him.
Elihu Does Not Agree With Job
8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
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.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
In Verses 8-12 of Job 33, Elihu told Job that he had listened to everything that Job spoke thus far. He remembered how Job told that he was pure without transgression and how he was innocent before God. He remembered how Job claimed that God found fault against him and counted him as his enemy and watched all his paths and restricted him. Elihu told Job that he was not right in thinking and speaking about his righteousness and God’s judgment because God does not think how Job thinks. God is greater and far superior to man.
Elihu: God Speaks In Dreams And Visions
13 Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
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.
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.
In Verses 13-18 of Job 33, Elihu questions Job’s complaints against God. Job complained that God does not answer him. He said that God is not obliged to answer any man, including Job. According to Elihu, no one, including Job, notices even when God speaks and He speaks multiple times. He speaks in a dream or a vision to men and seals His instruction as a warning to save them from pride (of their self-righteousness) so that they could escape death and the pits of hell.
Elihu: God Speaks Through Pain
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.
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.
In Verses 19-22 of Job 33, Elihu talks about how God speaks when a man is in pain, yet man pays no attention to Him. To Elihu, God was disciplining Job through pain so that He could turn him away from his sin of self-righteousness thereby saving him from death. He directly alluded to Job in his speech by saying how a man’s flesh is so wasted that it disappears and the once hidden bones now stick out as his soul fast-approaches death and the pit. It was evident to Elihu, Job and his friends that he was dying and that soon he would die based on the outward condition of his failing flesh and body.
Elihu: God Redeems A Man’s Life From The Pit
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.
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.
In Verses 23-28 of Job 33, Elihu said that if a man had a mediator or an angel who could interpret God’s message for him to explain to him what is right before God’s eyes, then he could directly understand God and correct his ways. God would save him the pits of the damned for he had found a reason to redeem him. And, God would restore Job’s flesh and strength which would be fresher and stronger than in the days of his youth. Therefore, when he(Job) called out to God, he would find God’s favour on him for God would restore to Job his righteousness.
Elihu said that Job could confidently tell other men about his redemption and how God saved him from sin and the pit after his redemption.
Elihu Wants To Teach Job Wisdom
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.”
In Verses 29-31 of Job 33, Elihu repeated that God does things many times with a man as a way of warning or reproach for man’s benefit so that He could save him from the pit. Elihu implores Job to listen to him and to keep silent. In Verse 32-33, he asks Job to reply to him if he had anything to say for he (Elihu) desired to justify Job. And he asked Job to keep silent if he didn’t have anything to say and to listen to him because he wanted teach Job wisdom.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Job 33. Elihu, even though was younger in age than Job, wanted to teach Job about the things of God. To him, God was trying to teach Job something amidst his pain. What are your thoughts about this? I hope you learnt something from this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey.
If you have any comments or questions for me, kindly leave them in the comments box below. I highly appreciate it. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until Next Time!