Burunche’s Blog

Job 37 Elihu describes God’s majesty

“My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me. Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth. It rolls across the heavens, and his lightning flashes in every direction. Then comes the roaring of the thunder—the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks. God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.”

“He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power. The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens. The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold. God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water. He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning. The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth. He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.”

“Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God! Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds? Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still, he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror.  Can you do that?

“So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments. Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused? We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence.”

Taken individually, this chapter is a glorious description of God’s magnificence and His power. But there’s a problem. Elihu is so concentrated on being snarky and trying to shame Job that eventually he spoils his own speech.

At no point has Job ever claimed that he is as powerful as God, nor has Job set himself up as a deity. Job knows how powerful God is, but Job is confused and frustrated because he has always trusted God and God seems to have abandoned him, despite his righteousness. Elihu demands that Job should “teach the rest of us,” but he doesn’t mean it. Intoxicated with the sound of his own voice and eloquence, Elihu simply can’t pass up the opportunity to deliver a moving speech, whether or not it accomplishes anything.

What can we do with this chapter? Once more, it’s a case of chewing up the meat and spitting out the bones. We can appreciate the wonderful descriptions of God while we ignore Elihu’s less than noble motives.

Elihu is the last of the self-styled comforters who prolong Job’s suffering by their pompous orations. One question we might ask God is “Why did You allow all these men to torment Job with their speeches and arguments?” and a second question might follow: “Why have You included this book in the Bible?”

When I was studying physics in high school, I had a gifted teacher named Mr. Young. When someone would ask Mr. Young a question to which he did not have an immediate answer, Mr. Young would reply, “Because God wants it that way.” God in His wisdom has included the Book of Job in the Bible because God knows human nature. This Book records the kinds of suffering that any future believer might encounter, including well-intentioned people with lousy attitudes who insist on inflicting advice on sufferers. Ever since the Book of Job has been recorded, generations of believers have taken encouragement from it. There are at least 65 references to the Book of Job, 37 in the Psalms, 18 in Proverbs, 9 in the prophets, and 1 in the New Testament.

We have finally reached the end of the advice others have given Job. Tomorrow God weighs in!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are glorious and magnificent, and Your power is amazing. Help us to truly worship You as we treat others with love and sensitivity. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 36 Elihu tries to defend God

Elihu continued speaking: “Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.”

Great! Now we have a guy who doesn’t even really know God attempting to defend Him. At this point, God must be smiling at Elihu’s presumption, given the shallow nature of Elihu’s actual experience with Him. God knows Elihu; however, Elihu has no personal experience with God but is only spouting platitudes he has gained from others.

“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil.”

Hmmm. So Elihu is arguing that Job must have committed some secret sin for which God is punishing him. Big deal! The three men preceding Elihu have already ridden that argument past the point of exhaustion. Listening to Elihu, Job is likely rolling his eyes heavenward so much that his eyeballs are in danger of being stuck in that position.

“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant. But if they refuse to listen to him, they will cross over the river of death, dying from lack of understanding. For the godless are full of resentment. Even when he punishes them, they refuse to cry out to him for help. They die when they are young, after wasting their lives in immoral living. But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.”

Hoo-boy! Here Elihu goes with his cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all arguments! Some wicked people die young while others live long lives. Some righteous also people die young. Some people do seek God in adversity; however, others do not. Any time you hear someone making sweeping generalizations, the one thing you can be sure of is that those generalizations are wrong. My Facebook feed this morning bears this statement out. Two different relatively young police officers have died from horrific injuries suffered when motorists deliberately ran into them. Family men with wives and children, men who have dedicated their lives to saving others, are dead because of someone’s spite and anger.

“God is leading you away from danger, Job, to a place free from distress. He is setting your table with the best food.” Say what??? Elihu, you are speaking to a man who has lost everything, including his sense of taste. From great wealth, this man is now impoverished and wretched.

 “But you are obsessed with whether the godless will be judged. Don’t worry, judgment and justice will be upheld. But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin. Could all your wealth or all your mighty efforts keep you from distress? Do not long for the cover of night, for that is when people will be destroyed. Be on guard! Turn back from evil, for God sent this suffering to keep you from a life of evil.”

Obsessed? At this point, the only thing about which Job is obsessed is gaining some relief from the infernal itching, pain, and smell of his sores-and gaining relief from self-styled comforters such as Elihu. Besides, why is Elihu nattering on about wealth? Doesn’t he remember that Job has lost everything? One wonders if Elihu has been secretly envying Job and is now delighted to lecture him on the pitfalls of riches.

Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Power

“Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise. Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance. Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted. He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits. Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance. He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger.”

Once more, Elihu goes off on a long description of God’s power. Taken out of context, these statements are wonderful and certainly worth being meditated upon. Elihu’s problem is that he intersperses generic statements about God with attacks on Job’s character. If Job tries to argue, Elihu will hide behind those same generic statements, rather than admitting that he has always envied Job and is trying to tear him down. The only way one might appreciate Elihu is from a distance….a very great distance!

What’s wrong with Elihu’s arguments? Simply this: God knows the human heart and only God is fit to judge the motives and ideas of His creatures. While Elihu claims to be refuting all of Job’s arguments, he has only seized the opportunity to take advantage of Job’s losses and infirmities by talking at Job.

You can always identify those who have actually suffered, for in any given situation, these are the people who talk little but who help much. These are the people who will quietly find out the needs of the suffering and then work to fill those needs. If such people speak, they speak out of compassion. If such people pray, their prayers are blessings and not curses cloaked in religious jargon. If such people share the needs of a suffering individual or family, they do so without a hint of gossip.

No matter what Elihu has to say about God, Elihu is simply a poseur, a fake who only wants to take advantage of Job’s wretchedness so that he can hear himself orate at length. You can imagine Elihu returning to his place of repose at sundown, patting himself on the back for all the great things he has said, repeating them to himself. And while Elihu is congratulating himself on his eloquence, Job is undoubtedly gazing heavenward and begging, “Oh Lord, how much longer must I endure this foolish young man?”

Once more, we must realize that theological correctness is never a substitute for compassion. I have met many people who had no idea of sophisticated theological concepts; however, if you were in trouble, these people would be right there bailing you out. C.H. Spurgeon once preached a sermon about life boats and pointed out that when a ship wrecks, the victims don’t worry about the name on the life boat; they just want to be rescued. Elihu is the kind of guy who would refuse help if it didn’t come from a source of which he approved. May God help us, so that we will serve Him and not our prejudices!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow You and to do Your work, regardless of theological or philosophical differences. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 35 Elihu Reminds Job of God’s Justice

Then Elihu said: “Do you think it is right for you to claim, ‘I am righteous before God’? For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me? What’s the use of living a righteous life?’

“I will answer you and all your friends, too. Look up into the sky, and see the clouds high above you. If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him? If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him? No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans.”

“People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty. Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night? Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals and wiser than the birds of the sky?’

“And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride. But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen, to say the Almighty isn’t concerned. You say you can’t see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait. You say he does not respond to sinners with anger and is not greatly concerned about wickedness. But you are talking nonsense, Job. You have spoken like a fool.”

Well, for a guy who has claimed to honor his elders, Elihu certainly doesn’t hesitate to repeatedly insult Job. This part of Elihu’s rant is a perfect example of being theologically correct while being morally insensitive.

A little of Elihu goes a very long way! First, Elihu wants to be snarky about how God refuses to notice whether people are good or bad. But we know that when we do what God wants us to, we give Him joy. True, God is eternal and all-powerful, but God is also all-knowing and merciful. People on the other hand, are swift to judge and slow to be compassionate.

Obviously, Elihu is full of himself, sure that HE has never sinned, nor will he. Judging people who have cried out to God? Come on, Elihu! How do you know that God refuses to answer those people? God is far more compassionate than any person can be, and only God knows the human heart. If people cry out to God sincerely, God WILL answer. How can those people know that God gives songs in the night if they have never been in God’s presence at night?

While much of Elihu’s discourse is tiresome, the phrase about songs in the night is a gem. Many times, it’s far easier to pray at night than in the daytime, for there are fewer distractions, less noise, and it’s easier to hear from God. Many times, I have returned from doing an emergency nighttime operation to spend time sitting quietly before the Lord. I emphasize being quiet because prayer is a two-way communication and it’s impossible to hear from God when you’re making noise.

Benefiting from studying Elihu’s speeches requires “chewing up the meat and spitting out the bones.” Parts of Elihu’s speech glisten while the rest of it is barely endurable.

Years ago, we had a friend who prided himself on defending the Gospel, no matter what. But our friend was so focused on winning arguments that he lost sight of the fact that the Gospel is all about love. Elihu is a lot like our friend-so bent on gaining points in debate that he has lost all compassion for anyone failing to bow to his superior statements. In the end, all we can say is, “OUCH! Don’t be like Elihu!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to listen rather than judge and to remember that You are Your own best defense. Help us to be compassionate rather than arrogant. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 34 Elihu Accuses Job of Arrogance

Then Elihu said: “Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge. Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’ So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’

“Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk? He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men. He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’

Oh no! Elihu is at it again! Have you ever confronted a pathologic liar? No matter what you say, such individuals will twist your words to accuse and convict you, claiming you have said things you have never even thought of. At no point has Job been keeping bad company, nor has he spoken irreverently. Job is frustrated and upset, but not irreverent.

“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve. Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place? If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.”

“Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge? For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’ He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all. In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.”

Here Elihu is lecturing Job about God’s nature when Job knows more about God than does Elihu. Poor Job! He’s likely sitting there wondering how much longer he will have to endure this stuff.

“For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes. We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment. He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place. He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them. He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see. For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy. But if he chooses to remain quiet,
who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation. He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people.”

Having insulted Job, Elihu now tries to redeem himself by generic expressions of belief in God. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with what Elihu is saying, why is he saying this? What’s the point of lecturing Job when Job knows these things as well or better than Elihu does?

“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?”  The point is that sometimes people DO repent and they DO turn back to God. Obviously, Elihu has no experience with people who are repentant.

“Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us. After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say, ‘Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.’ Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.”

Great, Elihu! Now you’re accusing Job of rebellion in addition to all your other charges. If Job had truly rejected God, he wouldn’t be voicing his concerns about God but would be simply sitting there silently suffering. Job speaks out because despite all his suffering, he still believes that God is there, that God is listening, and that God truly is just. What’s frustrating Job is that he feels confused because God appears to be acting against everything Job knows about Hi

Isaiah 49:2 tells us, “He made my mouth like a sharp sword; He hid me in the shadow of His hand. He made me like a polished arrow; He hid me in His quiver.”  Sometimes God hides us as He is perfecting us. We might feel as if we are under a cloud and cannot see anything; meanwhile, God is working out greater purposes than we can possibly imagine. At this point, Job is in that cloud and it’s too early for him to understand what God is doing in his life.

The problem for us is simple: most of the time when we enter God’s clouds, we are confused, angry, frustrated, and questioning everything we have ever learned about God. At the same time, somehow, there’s always an Elihu to confront and accuse us, even though he/she remains clueless about God’s perfect will for our lives. May God help us, so that we continue to trust where we cannot see and hang on to what we know about God, despite all evidence to the contrary.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, especially in the times when we feel covered by Your cloud. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 33 Elihu Presents His Case against Job

“Listen to my words, Job; pay attention to what I have to say. Now that I have begun to speak, let me continue. I speak with all sincerity; I speak the truth. For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Answer me, if you can; make your case and take your stand. Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you.”

“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’”

“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.”

“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them.”

“But if an angel from heaven appears—a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright—he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’”

“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life. Mark this well, Job. Listen to me, for I have more to say. But if you have anything to say, go ahead. Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified. But if not, then listen to me. Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”

Well, Elihu has been fuming, waiting for his chance to lecture Job. But Elihu isn’t doing any better than his elders. Job has complained that God is picking a quarrel with him and considers Job His enemy. Given Job’s circumstances, these conclusions are perfectly reasonable, if unpalatable. Elihu’s argument is that God is greater than any human being and that He answers prayers and delivers people. But Elihu is sitting there saying these things as he enjoys good health and presumably an average amount of wealth and success. Job, on the other hand, has lost everything and is suffering miserably. Not only have Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad accused Job of all kinds of horrific sins, but Job’s wife has even advised him to curse God and die.

St. Paul would never agree with Elihu. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

In verses 8-10 of the same chapter, Paul goes on to say, “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

As the junior man in the group, it is possible that Elihu has never truly suffered in his entire life. Eilhu may be coming from a loving family enjoying a comfortable life style. Perhaps Elihu is married and has one or two sons who have always been healthy. Elihu likely enjoys excellent health and cannot possibly understand the everlasting torment that Job is enduring.

In many grocery stores, vegetables are shrink-wrapped in cellophane to protect them from contamination. Many people also live shrink-wrapped lives; that is, they have been insulated from problems. Unfortunately, such people are generally the ones most likely to give unsought-for advice, based on sheer ignorance. Elihu is obviously that kind of a guy.

Recently, we met with Madam Doris Hokett, an 86-year-old independent evangelist. Although Doris was quite tall when she was younger, Scheurman’s arthritis has severely bent her back to the point that she must use a walking frame. But Doris continues to base in Nigeria and travels through many countries in Africa, not to mention India and the United States each year. Not only does Doris preach and teach, but she also issues monthly calendars with inspirational daily sayings and scriptures, plus sending out email updates. If you have a problem, you want Madam Doris to pray for you, for when she talks, God really listens!

Years ago, Doris and her late husband Arthur began raising funds to build churches in northern Ghana. When Arthur died 14 years ago, they had built 46 churches. Now Doris is preparing to dedicate the 146^th church! Such efforts would be awe-inspiring for anybody, but when you see Doris and realize how much she is accomplishing despite her infirmity, you can only stand and glorify God for what He is continuing to do through her.

Were Doris to spend time with Job, she would never waste words as does Elihu. Doris would ask Job how he feels, sympathize, and then encourage without accusing. Doris might even advise Job that God is not finished with Job yet and that God can still do something wonderful and even redeem every minute that Job has suffered. Certainly, Doris struggles, for she can remember the time when she was tall and graceful, before this condition contorted and shrank her. But Doris has more important things to do than blaming God or worrying about her physical condition. And Doris continues to laugh and praise God in the midst of her trials, encouraging those around her to do so also.

One of the things sadly lacking in every one of Job’s self-styled comforters is a sense of humor. These guys are about as grim as it’s possible to be, and it shows. For these guys, life is real and life is earnest and anybody daring to crack a smile simply doesn’t understand how serious things really are.

One of the things I struggle with as a surgeon is my failures. No matter how carefully one operates, sometimes things happen. When something goes wrong, there are always people standing around demanding that I immediately fix the situation. The limitations of our facility pose constant challenges, as do the finances of our patients. Is it better to attempt to fix something in our small facility where costs are reasonable or must we refer everyone to a bigger hospital? Sadly, costs at the bigger hospital are so prohibitive that many people leave unoperated to take their chances at home.

Elihu’s problem is simple: there are no short-cuts to compassion and Elihu doesn’t have a compassionate bone in his whole body. Once more, we must regard Elihu as a perfect example of what not to do and beg God to help us so that we will be sensitive to the suffering of others.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to listen far more than we speak and to exercise compassion rather than judgment. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 32 Elihu Responds to Job’s Friends

“Job’s three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence. Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him. He was also angry with Job’s three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments. Elihu had waited for the others to speak to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily.  

Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said, “I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think. I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’ But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.
So listen to me, and let me tell you what I think.”

“I have waited all this time, listening very carefully to your arguments, listening to you grope for words. I have listened, but not one of you has refuted Job or answered his arguments. And don’t tell me, ‘He is too wise for us. Only God can convince him.’”

“If Job had been arguing with me, I would not answer with your kind of logic! You sit there baffled, with nothing more to say. Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent? Must I also remain silent? No, I will say my piece. I will speak my mind. For I am full of pent-up words, and the spirit within me urges me on. I am like a cask of wine without a vent, like a new wineskin ready to burst! I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers. I won’t play favorites or try to flatter anyone. For if I tried flattery, my Creator would soon destroy me.”

At this point, Job is probably tearing out what little hair he has left! Job has endured insults and accusations from Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad. Now Elihu, the youngest in the group, insists on weighing in. Elihu’s excuse? He feels “impelled” to speak out because he is certain that he can confound Job, even though his elders have failed.

There is a saying “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” Obviously, Elihu is certain that this saying cannot possibly apply to him. There’s no arrogance in Elihu’s family; he got it all. And Elihu has no acquaintance with brevity, for he will continue to rant for a total of 5 chapters.

Why study Elihu’s speeches? Unfortunately, the temptation is always there to behave like Elihu. Many of us LONG to give advice and wait impatiently while others are talking. You almost have the feeling that Elihu has been sitting there jiggling his leg nervously as he waits his turn to dump his opinions on Job.

As we study Elihu’s speeches through the next four chapters, notice that individually, much of what Elihu says is quite acceptable. But the problem is that Job has already endured quite enough. Elihu has no compassion for Job but is only interested in making speeches. May God help us, so that we will NOT behave like Elihu!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be sensitive to those around us so that we will not cause more suffering by inflicting our opinions on others. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 31 Job’s Final Protest of Innocence

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? Isn’t it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil? Doesn’t he see everything I do and every step I take?”

Job is fully conscious of a fact many people choose to ignore: God is omniscient; He knows everything we do and everything we think. So many people think that they can hide wrong-doing from God; yet, such a belief is ridiculous. Job knows that he has not willingly sinned, and he knows that God also knows.

“Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone? Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity. If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin, then let someone else eat the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted be uprooted.”

Again, Job knows that he has not deliberately lied or deceived, nor has he envied anyone their wealth. Considering Job’s statements, we must continue to wonder how well the men who have come to grieve with Job actually know him. These men have spent days and weeks accusing Job of every kind of sin imaginable, including envy and lust.

“If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife, then let my wife serve another man; let other men sleep with her. For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.” We have no idea where Job lives or if he has ever heard of the Ten Commandments, but Job certainly believes that sexual sins are crimes against God.

“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me, how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb.” Again, Job’s treatment of his servants follows God’s commandments very closely. Repeatedly, God warns the Israelites against poor treatment or abuse of servants and grants servants certain rights.  

“Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?” Job’s comforters have accused him of crushing the poor and widows; yet, all his life, Job has been doing his best to care for them, as well as clothing the poor and needy with decent garments. One must wonder if Job’s critics have ever lifted a finger to help anybody

“If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?” God cares for orphans, even if corrupt judges do not. Again, Job knows that God is watching everything he does. The last thing Job wants to do is to grieve God.

 “Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own?” Even though Job has previously enjoyed wealth, he has never trusted in it nor worshiped it; neither has Job lorded it over others on account of his wealth. Many others in Job’s previous situation would have followed the dictum “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”

 “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.” God knows that Job has always worshiped Him and not the sun or the moon or any other created thing. This sets Job apart from many of his contemporaries, who follow cults based on sun or moon-worship.  

“Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge.” Job has not been vengeful, even when that would have been the most normal response. In Job’s day, powerful men were willing to annihilate enemies, wiping out entire families over imagined slights.

 “My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’ I have never turned away a stranger
 but have opened my doors to everyone.” Servants know everything, including whether or not a master or mistress is kind or miserly, begrudging anyone in need.  

“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart? Have I feared the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?” As a leader in society, Job knows that everyone in town has watched him, and he has nothing to hide. For those prominent in society, there are no secrets. Why then, have Job’s alleged friends accused him of all kinds of evil, rather than checking things out with the local inhabitants?

“If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me. I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown. For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince.” Job is fed up with withering criticism. Let these men record their accusations, and then Job will happily present them to God. What Job doesn’t know is that his accusers’ words have been recorded for eternity and that God is about to settle those accusers forever.

“If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together, or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners, then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” Job’s words are ended.

The land knows and remembers. Land that is farmed lovingly and righteously bears far more than land that is farmed badly. In George Otis Junior’s “Transformations Series” videos, repeatedly, land in places as far apart as Fiji and Guatemala suddenly becomes fertile when its inhabitants repent, seek forgiveness from those whom they have wronged, and then get right with God. (You can check out those videos at sentinelgroup.org or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjdky5a5ULAMAnuEO1fbBb3Nj7zTMQB1V )

What can you do when you have been accused of horrible things you would never dream of doing? Here Job is not making fantastic claims about his righteousness but simply describing his way of life until now. Job has lived in this community his entire life; surely neighbors can testify as to the truth of these claims. Why then have Job’s self-styled comforters repeatedly accused him of crimes he has never dreamt of, let alone committed?

Unfortunately, in any disastrous situation, there are always those who choose to feel morally superior to the wounded and hurting. We suffered a great deal during our first missionary term, mostly because the fledgling organization that had sent us failed to make proper provision for our living situation. We found ourselves virtual prisoners in a household where key members were heavily involved in the occult. When we truthfully reported problems, the mission group blamed us. After we returned to the United States, we went for healing prayer at a large church. Sadly, the woman leading much of the prayer began her instructions by informing us that we must have been responsible for everything that went wrong, even though she had never spoken with us previously. We later learned that her late husband had been one of the founders of that mission group and that she had received misinformation from nameless sources. That experience was shattering and opened new wounds, rather than healing the ones we had already suffered.

When we read the Book of Job, most of us identify with Job; however, it’s wise to ask ourselves if we might truly be as insensitive as Zophar, Eliphaz, or Bildad. May God help us sot that we comfort the afflicted rather than afflicting them further!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to refrain from judging but to comfort instead. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 30 Job Speaks of His Anguish-Being Misunderstood

“But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs. A lot of good they are to me—those worn-out wretches! They are gaunt from poverty and hunger. They claw the dry ground in desolate wastelands. They pluck wild greens from among the bushes and eat from the roots of broom trees. They are driven from human society, and people shout at them as if they were thieves. So now they live in frightening ravines, in caves and among the rocks.  They sound like animals howling among the bushes, huddled together beneath the nettles.”

In any society, there are always those who want to build themselves up by mocking others. These days, such spineless cowards take to electronic social media. In Job’s day, things were simpler, for worthless young men would gang up together to mock anyone weaker and more vulnerable. Now Job has become the latest target of these human jackals.

“They are nameless fools, outcasts from society. And now they mock me with vulgar songs!
 They taunt me! They despise me and won’t come near me, except to spit in my face. For God has cut my bowstring. He has humbled me, so they have thrown off all restraint. These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path. They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me. They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down. I live in terror now. My honor has blown away in the wind, and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud.”

Poor Job! Even if he dares to walk around town, these delinquents lie in wait for trip him, spit in his face, and lay traps for him. Some of them will run up behind Job, pushing him to the ground and running off, laughing hysterically. Sometimes several of these young will suddenly block Job’s path, daring him to try to pass through them. Now Job lives in terror, for his nine sons who would have protected him are dead and buried. Now Job has nobody to help him, and all Job’s honor and wealth have evaporated.

“And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days. At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat. He has thrown me into the mud. I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.”

Job feels as if God has grabbed him by his shirt front and his collar and has shaken him till there’s nothing left. Now Job feels as if God has thrown him into the mud and nothing remains of him except dust and ashes that might blow away at any moment.

“I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look. You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me. You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy me in the storm. And I know you are sending me to my death—the destination of all who live.” Job feels as if he’s a tiny piece of flesh caught in a tornado and being torn to pieces by broken pieces of material caught in the whirlwind. Job has never before dreamt that God might be so cruel!  

 “Surely no one would turn against the needy when they cry for help in their trouble. Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was I not deeply grieved for the needy? So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me. I walk in gloom, without sunlight. I stand in the public square and cry for help. Instead, I am considered a brother to jackals and a companion to owls. My skin has turned dark, and my bones burn with fever. My harp plays sad music, and my flute accompanies those who weep.”

Job is completely baffled! All these years, he has done his best to help the needy and to relieve suffering. But now Job is needy and suffering and there seems to be no relief in sight. Job is ready to begin chanting funeral dirges for himself.

Why has God included such depressing material in His Word? A Gospel that only emphasizes prosperity and good feelings is a fallacy and a lie, for bad things DO happen to good people, and the righteous DO suffer. We are living in a fallen sinful world, one in which the consequences of sin and evil are readily apparent. God is much more realistic than many believers, for there are many people who want to believe that their righteousness automatically qualifies them for nothing but good things.

One of the challenges for anyone enduring suffering is our ignorance of God’s perfect will. One of the illustrations Corrie Ten Boom used frequently in her sermons was a piece of embroidery. Corrie would show the back side of the embroidery with its messy threads that made now sense. After describing that side to the audience, Corrie would then show the other side, a beautifully embroidered crown. As a survivor of concentration camps, Corrie could testify that God could redeem horrific situations to bring glory out of them. As we study the Book of Job, let’s remember that embroidery. Perhaps your life feels as tangled as the back side of that piece of embroidery; remember, God knows the end from the beginning and while all you see is tangled threads, God is creating a crown.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please help us to remember that You know the end from the beginning, and that You can bring glory out of our suffering. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 29 Job Speaks of His Former Blessings

Job continued speaking: “I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. When I was in my prime, God’s friendship was felt in my home. The Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me. My steps were awash in cream, and the rocks gushed olive oil for me.”

“Those were the days when I went to the city gate and took my place among the honored leaders. The young stepped aside when they saw me, and even the aged rose in respect at my coming. The princes stood in silence and put their hands over their mouths. The highest officials of the city stood quietly, holding their tongues in respect. All who heard me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who required help. I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy. Everything I did was honest. Righteousness covered me like a robe, and I wore justice like a turban. I served as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame. I was a father to the poor and assisted strangers who needed help. I broke the jaws of godless oppressors and plucked their victims from their teeth.

“I thought, ‘Surely I will die surrounded by my family” after a long, good life. (Hebrew after I have counted my days like sand.) For I am like a tree whose roots reach the water, whose branches are refreshed with the dew. New honors are constantly bestowed on me, and my strength is continually renewed.’

“Everyone listened to my advice. They were silent as they waited for me to speak. And after I spoke, they had nothing to add, for my counsel satisfied them. They longed for me to speak as people long for rain. They drank my words like a refreshing spring rain. When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them. Like a chief, I told them what to do. I lived like a king among his troops and comforted those who mourned.”

For all of Job’s life, he has remained righteous, despite all the horrible things these men have said. Few things are more painful than being falsely accused, particularly when we have lived a lifetime of sacrifice. While Job has previously enjoyed wealth, he has earned that wealth honestly and he has shared it freely. Look at the long list of Job’s charitable works and you realize that Job has tried to pass on God’s blessings to all those around him.

Repeatedly during our missionary careers, we have endured false accusations from those with no idea of the scope of our ministry. Such accusations demonstrate far more about the accusers than they do about us. During one meeting, an official was so shocked at the amount of money we were channeling to the mission hospital where we work that he said, “I would never do that.” Obviously, this man would have kept donor money for himself; however, we feel that every bit of money that comes to us is God’s money; therefore, we must handle it as God directs, not as we decide.

Now that Job’s friends have spent huge amounts of time accusing him of crimes he has never committed, Job is finally informing them of his life prior to the onset of disaster. Job enjoyed widespread respect in the community, giving advice and helping the poor, widows and orphans, strangers, the blind, and the lame. Each day brought new honors and Job occupied a seat of honor in the city gate, dispensing advice and comfort and receiving adulation.

Considering Job’s description of life prior to the calamities that have destroyed health, wealth, family, and community standing, it’s baffling as to why Job’s comforters have been accusing him of unspeakable evil. Obviously, these men really don’t know Job well at all, so why have they turned up? Why did these men bother to mourn with Job for seven days and nights, only to pour vitriol on him?

Comforting sufferers is an art; however, pitfalls abound. From the remarks made by Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad, they have decided that their act of grieving has earned them the right to pummel Job with insults. These vicious remarks have been cloaked in pseudo-religious verbiage.

If we are going to comfort someone, we must think about them rather than ourselves. Sadly, would-be comforters can say incredibly hurtful things, blaming God for causing someone to die prematurely or to be severely injured in an accident or in a natural disaster. Equally unhelpful is the phrase “I know how you feel.” Nobody can possibly know exactly how someone else feels, and to say so is the height of presumption. It’s far more helpful to say, “I don’t know how you feel, but I love you. I’m praying for you.” And then find something practical to help those suffering.

During the recent floods in Texas, there were many examples of practical ministry. One group provided laundry facilities and shower facilities for rescuers, as well as dry socks and other clothing. Another lady with extensive experience with restoring antiques rescued personal belongings such as stuffed animals, refurbished them, and then posted photos on social media, thus allowing surviving family members to recover treasured mementoes. Yet other groups rescued family pets, posting their photos so relatives could recover them or finding new homes for those whose owners had died in the flooding. Numerous groups brought heavy construction equipment, cadaver dogs, rescue divers, and other experts to recover as many of the victims as possible. Churches and other groups sent food trucks, trailers, and all kinds of practical help.

Yes, there were critics who mindlessly blathered about mistakes made by emergency services who actually did the best they could under horrible circumstances. Wherever there are disasters, Job’s comforters will always show up. But something the late Fred Rogers’ mother used to tell him seems most applicable. Mr. Rogers’ mother always told him to “look for the helpers” in any bad situation, for there would always be those who would be helping. The take-home lesson for us is simple: Be a helper, not a critic.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be helpers and not critics. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Job 28: Job Speaks of Wisdom and Understanding

“People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock. They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.

Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire. Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold. These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe. No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there. People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures.

 “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea. It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies. Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold.”

“But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it. Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’

“God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

Talk about the patience of Job! Few things are more frustrating than enduring lectures on subjects in which one is expert from amateurs who feel qualified to speak out of a minimum of experience coupled with sheer ignorance. For days, perhaps even weeks or months, Job has sat scratching himself with a broken piece of pottery as these men have orated at great length about a God whom Job knows better than they do and life events that they have never truly encountered. One wonders if Job was ever tempted to go off by himself and scream in frustration.

Those who have divided the Book of Job into chapters have divided Job’s response to his friends into Chapters 26-31, but originally this was all one speech. Here Job describes the scarcity of true wisdom and gives a fascinating picture of ancient mining practices in the process. While Job is avowing that wisdom is more precious than any precious stones or metal, he describes miners sinking mine shafts, cutting tunnels in the rock, descending into the earth on ropes, and even diverting streams to expose hidden mineral treasures. In the process, Job mentions gold and silver, particularly the gold of Ophir, precious onyx, lapis lazuli, crystal, coral, jasper, rubies, and precious peridot from Ethiopia. 

Even in Job’s day, traders roamed throughout Europe, the Mideast, Africa, India, and Asia to bring back treasures; yet, God’s wisdom is so precious that none of this wealth can purchase even a single bit of it. Not only is God’s wisdom priceless, but we can only receive true wisdom from God.

“God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

These days, AI, artificial intelligence, and other computer-generated writing has become popular. But before buying into computer-generated matter wholesale, it’s wise to remember a phrase from 40 years ago-GIGO-Garbage In, Garbage Out. Computers are only as wise as those who feed them information in the first place. I struggle with the grammar “corrections” generated by AI on a daily basis, and I find some of its suggestions grammatically incorrect. (Example: Regarding commas, I was taught “when in doubt, leave it out.” But AI LOVES commas and inserts them as frequently as possible!) Those programming the AI have never encountered some of the expressions I use, for much of my speech has been gained by sayings I learned from my parents and grandparents. Reliance on AI can reduce a vivid piece of writing into tasteless blandness and possibly untruths as well.

We need God’s wisdom far more than we do artificial intelligence, for God is real, and AI can be faulty. AI also reflects the particular views of those programming it-a potentially dangerous or even lethal phenomenon. Even so-called facts checkers have been found to be pursuing philosophical agendas of their own, and there have been questions raised about foreign powers manipulating American social media to skew elections. Why trust human beings who may have hidden agendas when we can trust the One True Living God, who is all-knowing? May God help us to rely on His wisdom above all else!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You above all else and to rely on Your wisdom, rather than on computer-generated opinions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.