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“Remember To Magnify His Work” • 5.16.21 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Last week, we were introduced to this angry young man, who had taken it upon himself to relay what he believes to be God's truth to Job and his friends. We left Elihu in mid sentence. V. 1.
Text
• Job 34:1-9 : "Elihu further answered and said: 'Hear my words, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good. For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, but God has taken away my justice; Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’" : Elihu isn't bashful. He thinks that he has this all figured out. The ear tests words like the palate tastes food.
- What has been said will reveal what is true. A simple survey of their conversation will bring true wisdom to light. They will be able to discern where wisdom lies.
- Job has claimed to be righteous but God had taken or stolen away his justice. Elihu captures the words, but hasn't exactly understood their meaning. Job is blameless, not sinless.
- Additionally, Job said that he would not lie about his situation to prove them right.
- Elihu is about to judge Job based on his assumption of meaning. In his mind, Job has an insatiable thirst for scorn or as the NLT puts it, "irreverent talk." Whoa. Elihu goes further.
- He concludes that Job's manner of speaking betrays the kind of company that he keeps! He must be friends with wicked sinners! He goes so far as to render judgment over his mindset!
- "He thinks it's a waste of time to have a relationship with God!" This isn't going well! V. 10.
• Job 34:10-20 : "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity. For He repays man according to his work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way. Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice. Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words: Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just? Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked’? 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. 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." : - Elihu begins in the right place. His theology is on point! God cannot be charged with wickedness nor can He commit sin. In God, there is no darkness at all! (I John 1:5)
- God is the Just One, the Judge over all mankind that rewards or repays men according to their deeds! God judges all and He judges with righteous, measured judgment, according to deeds.
- God's justice is never unfair and it is never twisted or perverted in any way! There isn't an office or a person with a higher position than God to effectively manipulate Him!
- God has always held His position and He always will! If He wanted to, He could simply withdraw His spirit from men and they would be no more! This is who Job challenges with his words?
- If Job had come before a King or even a noblemen, could he speak disrespectfully toward them? Of course, the question assumes a no! Yet, Job had spoken disrespectfully toward God!
- "If God wanted to, He could simply bring you to nothing in a moment, in the middle of the night!" Elihu has watched as God has taken away the powerful without lifting a finger! Verse 21.
• Job 34:21-30 : "For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For He need not further consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment. He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and sets others in their place. Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, and they are crushed. He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others, because they turned back from Him, and would not consider any of His ways, so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him; For He hears the cry of the afflicted. 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?—That the hypocrite should not reign, lest the people be ensnared." : God's view of man is comprehensive! He sees all of his ways and knows his steps. The wicked have no place to reliably hide from Him! Don't be a foolish one who believes otherwise!
- When God decides to pass judgment, He requires no help, nor does He require an investigation. He just breaks and crushes them without any process and without any warning!
- If there is any question as to why He will work this way, Elihu has an answer for you!
- God does this all in "open court" because they turned back from Him! They would not consider any of His ways, meaning that they didn't believe that their actions would be measured!
- What a commentary on our world's attitude today? Can you imagine the wrath that awaits those that blaspheme the Lord today and then afflict the poor without thought of reprisal?
- They think to themselves, "Who will defend these poor from me?" God is the One who is the Lord of the poor! He hears their cry and gives them solitude and none can make them troubled!
- God has no problem dealing with a nation or a single man! His people will not be their prey! The not-so-subtle hint is that Job had been unrighteous toward the poor and God had seen it!
- They had cried to Him to defend them and in Elihu's eyes, God has done it! Verse 31.
• Job 34:31-37 : "For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne chastening; I will offend no more; Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’? Should He repay it according to your terms, just because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know. Men of understanding say to me, wise men who listen to me: Job speaks without knowledge, his words are without wisdom.’ Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, because his answers are like those of wicked men! For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God." : "Job, you are not in the driver's seat with God! You don't tell Him when you've had enough!"
- God is in charge of the means as well as the term of punishment that a person receives!
- Will God respond to anyone's terms? I love the NLT's take on verse 33: "Must God tailor His justice to your demands?" Elihu leads to a seemingly inescapable conclusion.
- Job speaks ignorantly about God. When you examine the way that Job talks, it's fairly obvious to Elihu that what comes out is eerily similar to that which comes from wicked men!
- In Elihu's mind, Job had not been punished enough! "Oh that Job were tried to the utmost!" Elihu wants to see the full expenditure of God's wrath against him! Job is a sinner and a rebel!
- He's a rebel because he won't listen to them! The phrase "claps his hands" refers to what a person might do while another person was talking in order to register disagreement.
- Can you imagine how many times these men clapped at each other while another was speaking? Apparently, Job had been doing this with Elihu as well!
- Elihu says that Job's words of defense have simply been attacks against the Lord God! Ch.35
• Job 35:1-8 : "Moreover Elihu answered and said: 'Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’? For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’ I will answer you, and your companions with you. Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds—They are higher than you. If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects a man such as you, and your righteousness a son of man." : Elihu thinks that Job is living in a contradiction. Job infers by his words, that he is more righteous than God in this case. Meanwhile, in his mind, he wonders if there is anything to gain by living right.
- Job does NOT think this way. Elihu believes that he does and since he's the one posing the question, he might as well offer the answer to Job and any that think like him!
- He asserts that whatever a man does, whether good or evil, has no impact upon God. Our actions on this planet, purely speaking, only affect our fellow man.
- Without taking much time, we understand that Elihu is wrong. God is pleased by Job and his actions. The Bible will later tell us that the Spirit is grieved by our sinful actions. (Ephesians 4:20)
- Elihu's argument is that Job thinks that his righteousness sways God to favor him, but that God cannot be moved to respond to men that way. Verse 9.
• Job 35:9-16 : "Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it. Although you say you do not see Him, yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him. And now, because He has not punished in His anger, nor taken much notice of folly, therefore Job opens his mouth in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge.'" : "All men that are oppressed cry out Job!" The problem is that they call out to the mighty that can help them without calling on God!
- These men don't offer Him their life, even though He gives them such wonderful gifts!
- He's their Maker, the One who blesses their evenings with song and gives them greater intelligence than the animals. When they cry out, God doesn't answer. Why? Because of their pride!
- He won't listen to their vain requests. In Elihu's mind, God hasn't been listening to Job because of his wickedness! Job has it all wrong! He's not righteous. He's a pretender!
- Job wants to see justice, but Elihu believes he is seeing it by the way God has treated him!
- The only reason that Job has been talking the way he is is because God hasn't really and finally dealt with him yet! "Oh, you'll hear from Him soon enough Job!" Chapter 36.
• Job 36:1-15 : "Elihu also proceeded and said: 'Bear with me a little, and I will show you that there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf. I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. He does not preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the oppressed. 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. And if they are bound in fetters, held in the cords of affliction, then He tells them their work and their transgressions—That they have acted defiantly. He also opens their ear to instruction, and commands that they turn from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them. They die in youth, and their life ends among the perverted persons. He delivers the poor in their affliction, and opens their ears in oppression." : Elihu is relentless! He really has a high opinion of himself or he is referring to God speaking through him, the latter being only slightly better! It's better to have another's lips praise you!
- He is going to present knowledge to them that they are not ready to hear! God is mighty, powerful, but He despises no one! He doesn't just cast them away. Elihu is right!
- God's natural disposition and first inclination is to bless, love and show mercy. He won't sustain the wicked and He won't let the oppressed go without justice!
- Elihu asserts that He won't take His eyes off of them, but will see them exalted to high places.
- If it happens that they are ever imprisoned or put into a state of affliction, it's generally because they have acted foolishly. They have defied God's law in some way. What happens then?
- God opens their ears and commands them to turn from iniquity! To Elihu, this is simple.
- God tells them what they did, what they should do and when they should do it! When they do it, life moves from turbulence to smooth sailing! To fail to listen is an unmitigated tragedy!
- It's sad to consider that there are Christians who have ostensibly forfeited their lives because of their failure to break with sin!
- Unfortunately, the hypocrite who refuses to bow his knee to the Lord, collects wrath for themselves! They stubbornly go along silently, refusing to cry out to God in repentance.
- They die young among twisted and perverted people, their lives are a sorry waste in comparison to the ones that God delivers! Don't miss what Elihu is saying.
- God tells His people what they did wrong. If Job hasn't heard from God, he must not be one of His people! "Job, you are storing up God's wrath!" He goes on in verse 16.
• Job 36:16-21 : "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. But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you. Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. Will your riches, or all the mighty forces, keep you from distress? Do not desire the night, when people are cut off in their place. Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction." : Job should really think about what he is missing out on! Had he repented, God would have brought him into a broad place.
- There is room to breathe and be what God calls you to be! Your table would be full of satisfying food and blessing. Unfortunately for Job, Elihu consigns him to judgment!
- He is in line to be judged and it will soon arrest him! There is nothing that he can do, nor is there anything that he has that will keep it from happening!
- There is nowhere to turn if he won't heed the warning that Elihu is giving! He is trying to keep him from what he seems to have chosen for himself! Verse 22.
• Job 36:22-33 : "Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him? Who has assigned Him His way, or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’? Remember to magnify His work, of which men have sung. Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar. Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, the thunder from His canopy? Look, He scatters His light upon it, and covers the depths of the sea. For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. He covers His hands with lightning, and commands it to strike. His thunder declares it, the cattle also, concerning the rising storm." : Elihu is trying to make Job understand that his challenge against God grossly violates the bonds of reality.
- Who are we to tell Him how things should be done in our life! Which of us can tell Him to do anything? Who can rightly criticize what He has done!? Our purpose is to magnify Him!
- We are to look upon, consider and spend our lives on the prospect of how grand our God is!
- The only right response for a human being is to give Him glory for the mighty works that He performs! This is common knowledge. God is beyond our comprehension, a genius beyond compare!
- You and I can't begin to imagine the simplest operation of His oversight, as He gathers up the rain and dispenses it to Earth. By the way, notice the storm motif that begins in verse 26.
- It seems as though an actual storm is gathering upon the horizon and Elihu takes full advantage of the moment!
- As the rain covers the surface of the Earth, the crops rise up from the ground to give men their food. God is awesome and if you challenge Him, He'll only answer with thunder and lightning!
• Job 37:1-13 : "At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place. Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, and He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. The beasts go into dens, and remain in their lairs. From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen. Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy." : When Elihu thinks about the power and majesty of God, his heart nearly falls out of his chest! His contention is that Job needs to get back to this place of reverential fear!
- Think of Him exalted in the heavens and then look at the smallest snowflake. God ordered that particular one to fall in that very area on that very day, as there are no two alike!
- Both the gentle and the hard rain speak of His character. Like the soft shower, the Lord is gentle and kind. When the hard rain falls, we're reminded of His power and might.
- When it rains like that, everyone stops to marvel at His work! Even the animals are willing to wait out the weather!
- Elihu speaks of hail storms and frozen rivers. God commands the weather over the entire face of the earth! His purposes may be corrective or productive. They may even be merciful.
- Whatever happens, happens by His own wise and benevolent counsel! Verse 14.
• Job 37:14-24 : "Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know when God dispatches them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine? Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? Why are your garments hot, when He quiets the earth by the south wind? With Him, have you spread out the skies, strong as a cast metal mirror? Teach us what we should say to Him, for we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up. Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has passed and cleared them. He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty. As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart." : "Don't you see Job!" What do all of these acts of power mean? They mean that there is an eternal distance between God and man!
- We can't figure out the most elementary functions of our own planet. "Job, how can you think for a second that you would call Him to speak!" If we did, we'd be swallowed up!
- Do you really think that you could stand before a holy God, who dwells in unapproachable light, when you can't even look directly at the sun in the bright blue sky!? (I Timothy 6:16)
- The Almighty is beyond us and He is excellent in all of His ways toward mankind!
- He is all powerful, but is righteous in how He employs it. He is eternally just and doesn't oppress for it's own sake! This is why men fear God!
- He can't be corrupted and won't show favoritism to those that think of themselves as wise!
Conclusion
- As we said last week, Elihu seems to be a necessary cog in the
machinery of the book of Job. At the very least, he has introduced themes that
will dominate the next section of the book.
- His most dominant theme is the transcendant nature of God, who is beyond our abilities to reach and far beyond our abilities to manipulate.
- If we cannot fully understand the way our world works, how could we ever begin to comprehend the God that created, ordered and sustains it all? The answer is that we cannot.
- We cannot get to God so God came to man. Jesus Christ took on flesh to reveal to us what the Father is like. He is the image of the invisible God, the impress of His character.
- He tells Phillip that if the disciples had seen Him, they had seen the Father! (John 14:9) He is the God that has bridged the gap and led us as a Captain of our Salvation to the Father!
- Shall we not rather marvel at Him and magnify His work? Let us listen to that part of Elihu's message!
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