Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Job 36 – Elihu proclaims God’s goodness. 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 36 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Job 36 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 35, we read about Elihu sharply rebuking Job. Well, in this Bible study on Job 36, we will read about Elihu proclaiming God’s goodness.
Without any further delay, let us study together Job Chapter 36, shall we?
Elihu Has A Lot To Speak On God’s Behalf
1Elihu also proceeded and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
In Verses 1-4 of Job 36, Elihu implored Job and his friends to listen to him and be patient because he had a lot more to speak on God’s behalf. He was determined to prove God’s righteousness to Job and his friends. Elihu sought to defend God. He proclaimed that he was speaking the truth and he had the spirit of God speaking through him. Hence, when Elihu said in Verse 4 that ‘One who is perfect in knowledge is with you’, he was referring to God who is perfect in knowledge was speaking through him.
Elihu Speaks Of God’s Goodness
5 “Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the oppressed.
7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9 Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted defiantly.
10 He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.
12 But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die without knowledge.
In Verses 5-12 of Job 36, Elihu proclaimed God’s goodness. God is mighty in His strength and understanding, yet He despises no one, Elihu claimed. He does not preserve the wicked man’s life. He gives justice to the poor because He is Holy and just. God’s eyes are on the righteous and He exalts them to sit on the throne with kings. However, when the righteous suffer the consequences of sin, He makes them know their transgressions that caused their affliction. He does this by opening their ears to instruction and commands them to give up their wicked ways and to stop sinning so that they could be delivered from their affliction.
Now, he who hears God’s instruction when he is afflicted, has a choice to make. If he obeys God and serves Him he shall spend his days in prosperity and years with pleasure. However, if he does not obey Him, men shall kill him by the sword and he shall die for a lack of knowledge and wisdom becauses the wages of (unrepented) sin is death.
Observation
If a man sins, he must face its consequences. Even though the wages of sin is death, what it actually means is that a sin when continued without any repetance leads to death. However, if one repents of his sin and changes his ways, then the consequences of sin can be reduced greatly and also completely annuled through the basis of the Blood of Jesus that shows us eternal mercy. In the old testament, before Jesus was even born, they had to sacrifice animals to pay for their sins. Someone must pay and it was God’s law that animals should be sacrificed for the sins of men.
In the new testament, however, Jesus was the lamb of sacrifice and He paid the full price eternally for all those who will accept Him. When we accept Him, we are to leave our sinful nature behind. His blood does not give us a free-pass to sin and later repent thinking that we can fool God by sinning without measure. Here, I am talking about true repentance and observing our words, thoughts and actions. When there is true repentance there is a very minimal to zero chance of repeating the sin again. True repentance results in a change of heart followed by a change of behaviour and attitude.
Elihu Speaks About The Hypocrites’ Life
13 “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
And their life ends among the perverted persons.
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.
In Verses 13-15 of Job 36, Elihu speaks about the hypocrites and how they carry malice and revenge in their hearts. They do not seek help when God punishes them and they die in their youth among perverted people. However, God delivers the poor when they suffer and He instructs them with counsel and wisdom on what to do when they are oppressed.
Elihu Warns Job Of Iniquity And Wickedness
16 “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is set on your table would be full of richness.
17 But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.
19 Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?
20 Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you have chosen this rather than affliction.
In Verses 16-21 of Job 36, Elihu tells Job how God would have brought him out of his torment and trials into victory. He would have filled his table with richness and good things. But, because of Job’s wickedness of filling himself with judgment against God, now judgment and God’s justice afflicts him. Elihu warns Job to let go of wrath because God could take him away in an instant from the earth, because of his attitude.
He questions Job, if his riches or all the mighty forces are able to save him from sorrow. He warns Job to change his ways and to let go of wickedness. For, according to Elihu, Job has chosen wickedness and sin in his affliction instead of accepting the affliction. In short, he said that Job in his affliction turned to sin and questioned God.
God Is Exalted
22 “Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?
23 Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?
In Verses 22-23 of Job 36, Elihu tells Job how God is exalted by His power and there is no one who teaches like Him. However, no one teaches God and no one can question God’s actions for we are not above God but beneath Him today and forever.
Elihu Reminds Job To Magnify God And His Works
24 “Remember to magnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.
26 “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
27 For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30 Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
31 For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to strike.
33 His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
In Verses 24-33 of Job 36, Elihu reminds Job to magnify God and His works despite his affliction. He reminds Job of God’s greatness and how no one knows Him nor the number of His years – He is eternal. His ways are mysterious and awe-inspiring. He draws up drops of water from the oceans and water bodies and they come down as rain and mist from the clouds. No man can understand by what order the clouds are spread out or even the behaviour of thunder.
He sends His light across sky and cover the depths of the sea. God uses nature that He created to judge people. He also gives people food in abundance. His hands are covered with ligthening and He commands lightening to strike and it strikes. The thunder and the cattle declare to men the upcoming storm, so that, they can prepare and take shelter.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Job 36. Elihu, explains to Job the error of his ways in questioning God. He encourages Job to seek God regarding his affliction instead of questioning Him. 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!