For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Job 34:1-12

1 Then Elihu said:

2 ‘Hear my words, you wise men;
    listen to me, you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;
    let us learn together what is good.

5 ‘Job says, “I am innocent,
    but God denies me justice.
6 Although I am right,
    I am considered a liar;
although I am guiltless,
    his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.”
7 Is there anyone like Job,
    who drinks scorn like water?
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
    he associates with the wicked.
9 For he says, “There is no profit
    in trying to please God.” 10 ‘So listen to me, you men of understanding.
    Far be it from God to do evil,
    from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;
    he brings on them what their conduct deserves.
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
    that the Almighty would pervert justice.

A. Find Out

1. What does Elihu call his listeners to do? v.1-4
2. What had Job been saying? v.5,6
3. What does he say of Job and why? v.7-9
4. What principle does he declare about God? v.10
5. How does God often work? v. 11
6. So, what again does he declare about God? v.12

B. Think:

1. What had been Job’s first complaint covered by Elihu? See 33:9,10
2. What had been his second complaint covered? See 33:13
3. What now is the third complaint covered? v.5,9

C. Comment:

As we’ve just seen, Elihu is holding Job to account for the various things he has said. First Job’s complaint was that he was sinless but nevertheless appeared as God’s enemy. Second, that God didn’t seem to be listening to him and certainly not answering him. Now he claims that God denies him justice (v.5). So, listeners, listen to all this and think about it (v.2-4) because there is yet a further expression of Job’s complaint: it seems pointless to try to please God (v.9). In this Job is putting himself into the category of those who pour out scorn about God (v.7) and who enjoy the company of bad men who revile God (implied, v.8). So how does Elihu seek to deal with these complaints?

Elihu simply states a general principle: God does no wrong! (v.10,12). If He seems to be doing bad to a person, it is the fruit of their actions that He is bringing back on them (v.11). Now the principle of v.10 & 12 is exactly right and verse 11 is so often true – but not here. This, we have seen many times, is not what this is all about.

We really do need to hold on to the statements of verses 10 & 12. I have said many times in my preaching ‘career’ that if we do not understand what is going on, I believe when we get to heaven the Lord might show us and we will see that we never have any cause to criticize God for what He has or has not done in our lives!  Hold that!

D. Application:

1. Declare your absolute trust in God’s goodness.
2. Thank Him that He does all things well.

Passage: Job 34:13-23

13 Who appointed him over the earth?
    Who put him in charge of the whole world?
14 If it were his intention
    and he withdrew his spirit and breath,
15 all humanity would perish together
    and mankind would return to the dust.

16 ‘If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn the just and mighty One?
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, “You are worthless,”
    and to nobles, “You are wicked,”
19 who shows no partiality to princes
    and does not favour the rich over the poor,
    for they are all the work of his hands?
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;
    the people are shaken and they pass away;
    the mighty are removed without human hand. 21 ‘His eyes are on the ways of mortals;
    he sees their every step.
22 There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness,
    where evildoers can hide.
23 God has no need to examine men further,
    that they should come before him for judgment.

A. Find Out

1. What question does Elihu next ask? v.13
2. What does he say about God? v.14,15
3. What does he ask about justice? v.17
4. How does God deal with the rich? v.18-20
5. What does he say about how God sees? v.21,22
6. With what conclusion? v.23

B. Think:

1. What does Elihu declare about God’s justice here?
2. Why doesn’t God need to ask men about their lives at judgement?

C. Comment:

Elihu has just made that strong statement that God does no wrong (v.10,12). Now he points out God’s greatness. Did anyone appoint God as lord over the world? (v.13). Of course not, He is the Creator of it. He is so great and so powerful that He could bring it to an end in an instant if He wanted to (v.14,15). God is clearly the ruler over all things, but you can’t rule and keep and maintain order (implied) unless you are just – and so God is just! (v.17). Without justice anarchy and chaos ensue but the creation is not chaotic. Justice here means everything working fairly and rightly and Elihu maintains that is how God works.

Look, he continues, He deals with all peoples and deals with them all the same, so that the rich and powerful are answerable to Him just as the poor man is (v.18,19), and He brings speedy judgment to all as it is needed (v.20).

Moreover, God sees everything (v.21) and so no one’s actions are hidden from Him, there is no darkness or dark places that He does not see into (v.22). The truth is that when people come and stand before Him in judgment, He doesn’t have to ask them what they have done because He has already been watching their lives and knows exactly what they have done (v.23).

The implication here is that everything points to God being a just God – His power and His observation all point to it. He is just!

D. Application:

1. God has no reason to be unjust. You can trust in His fairness.
2. Thank Him for the security that we have in this knowledge.

Passage:  Job 34:24-30

24 Without enquiry he shatters the mighty
    and sets up others in their place.
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,
    he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 He punishes them for their wickedness
    where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him
    and had no regard for any of his ways.
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
    so that he heard the cry of the needy.
29 But if he remains silent, who can condemn him?
    If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,
30     to keep the godless from ruling,
    from laying snares for the people.

A. Find Out

1. What does God do and why? v.24,25
2. In doing that, what is He doing and why? v.26,27
3. How had they brought that on themselves? v.28
4. How does He sometimes operate? v.29a,b
5. Yet what is He still doing? v.29c,30

B. Think:

1. What point is Elihu making in verses 24 to 28?
2. Yet what point does he make in verse 29?
3. How are we not to misunderstand that?

C. Comment:

Elihu has been saying that God does no wrong. He then went on to say that God is impartial in His judgements. He doesn’t have to ask about an individual’s sins because He sees everything. Thus He acts against the powerful and ungodly without having to ask (v.24) because He has been watching what they have been doing (v.25). All we see are His acts of judgement against them (v.25,26) but it is obvious that is because they were both ungodly (v.27) and had been oppressing the poor (v.28). Ungodliness and unrighteousness go hand in hand!

But the fact is that often He appears to remain silent and hidden from us (v.29a), but we must always remember that even if He is doing that, He is still Lord over all things and He will continue to bring judgement or discipline to the earth (v.29b,30). Merely because we do not see His activity, that does not mean He is not acting. He does still see and will still hold the ungodly to account.

In all of this Elihu is laying down a theology of God’s righteousness. He has been laying down key principles: 1. God never does wrong. 2. God’s judgements are always right because He sees absolutely everything and knows everything that happens. 3. He does act against ungodliness and unrighteousness. 4. Sometimes we may not be able to see His presence or His activity, but He is still there, He still sees, and He is still acting against wrong.

D. Application:

1. Again, are we convinced of God’s goodness?
2. Do we realise He is always working into His world?

Passage:  Job 34:31-37

31 ‘Suppose someone says to God,
    “I am guilty but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
    if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.”
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
    when you refuse to repent?
You must decide, not I;
    so tell me what you know.

34 ‘Men of understanding declare,
    wise men who hear me say to me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
    his words lack insight.”
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
    for answering like a wicked man!
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
    scornfully he claps his hands among us
    and multiplies his words against God.’

A. Find Out

1. What does Elihu envisage a man (Job?) doing? v.31,32
2. But then what does he envisage him doing? v.33
3. What had been said to him? v.34,35
4. What do they want to happen and why? v.36
5. What had they said Job had done? v.37

B. Think:

1. Of what failure does Elihu first speak in v.31-33?
2. What had others said Job had done?

C. Comment:

Elihu now moves from the general to the specific and the specific is about Job!  However, he approaches Job indirectly. He envisages a hypothetical man coming to repentance (v.31) who goes to God acknowledging his wrong and saying he will not do it again (v.32). But then he envisages him, despite his words, NOT repenting! (v.33). He asks the hypothetical question, should that man be rewarded for using words but having no acts to back them? The obvious implication is that this is what Job has done – just used words.

So then he becomes more direct. He calls on others to hear and declare what they think (v.34). Job, he says, has spoken without knowledge (v.35). The Lord Himself uses the same words (38:2). It is true; Job spoke without knowing what had gone on in the courts of heaven and so he had not known the true reason for what had happened and therefore he had jumped to wrong conclusions (e.g. that God was his enemy). Really, he goes on, Job deserves to be tested to the very end of this for answering as he has done (v.36) until he comes to see the truth (implied). To the folly of speaking out without knowledge he has uttered words that are tantamount to rebellion against God, and he just kept on doing it, adding more and more words (v.37).

This is a telling and truthful indictment. The good news is that although the Lord will correct him He will not hold it against him when Job sees what he has done (and that will happen!).

D. Application:

1. Beware speaking about what you only half understand!
2. Beware slipping into criticizing God.