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The Book of Job

Chapter Thirty-six: On God's Behalf

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On God's Behalf

Job: chapter 36
1 Elihu also proceeded, and said,

2 Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.
3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return 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 obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
19 Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
20 Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
24 Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
25 Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
27 For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof;
28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.
32 With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.

“Elihu also proceeded” (36:1). Barnes suggests that each of the friends has had three speeches, with the exception of Zophar who failed to speak up the last time, and now, according to Hebrew commentators this remark indicates that this is added, i.e. Elihu is proceeding into a forth speech (Barnes, notes to 36:1). “Suffer me a little” (36:2). Elihu appears to be struggling to hold his audience. Elihu does add to the narrative, but at this moment he has put off all four of his elders, none of which cares to dignify him with a reply.

“He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee” (36:4). Elihu promotes himself as a great teacher: “I have yet to speak on God's behalf. I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker” (36:2-3). As for whether, “He that is perfect in knowledge” indicates that Elihu believes God to be present, or whether Elihu believes himself to be perfect in knowledge, the context leaves it open to debate. But the fact that he immediately describes the ways in which he will summon knowledge and form eloquent praise would indicate that he believes himself to be the great teacher.

In actuality, both views seem remarkable. Elihu declares his words to be true and makes this statement, forming one sentence, (I don't know if this applies to the original Hebrew). The obvious assumption is that Elihu is saying his words are true because he is perfect in knowledge. If this is the case, this statement stands out as incredibly arrogant, if not blasphemous.

By the end of this chapter, the presence of God is descending in power, so it is possible that Elihu is genuinely sensing the Spirit. If this statement is Elihu's announcement that the Holy Ghost is present, it is the first time that anyone has acknowledged the immediate presence of God. Up to this point, God has been addressed in third person for the most part. When Job reaches desperation he has shouted to the Lord, as one shouts to the clouds above, fully admitting that he is not getting an answer.

Unfortunately, Elihu begins to trot out the same tired theology that all three men are well versed in, and which is not solving the questions of the hour. If he were genuinely sensing the spirit, I would imagine that he would make way. So, unfortunately we should conclude that Elihu believes himself to be the one perfect in knowledge.

My Words Are True

Elihu's theology is predictable: those who obey God “shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (36:11), and those who do not “shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge” (36:12). Both Elihu and Job have flashes of insight into deeper understandings of God and His workings. Essentially they both agree, those who do right are blessed and those who do wrong are torn asunder.

For Job, his present circumstances would seem to put him in the camp of the unrighteous. He is devastated in the physical, so his righteousness is called into question as well. Job is simply unable to explain his great affliction. His theology works against him, and yet he holds to it (21:17-20). He cries out, but God isn't answering (19:7).

Elihu and the three friends reach for the obvious answer: “thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked” (36:17). They don't know what the sin is, but there must be one. Elihu goes on to warn Job, “beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee” (36:18).

God Does Not Despise You

The Spirit is moving again for Elihu. He softens his ‘what are you to God’ approach here: “Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any” (36:5), and “who teacheth like him?” (36:22). He warns Job, “Do not turn to evil; for you have preferred this to affliction” (36:21). Job is caught in an unseen balance. His choice is to harden himself against God, who appears for all intents and purposes to have abandoned him completely, or to turn to God in faith and believe that God's goodness is still there, even in his affliction. This is a very difficult choice. It is Job himself who clings the most firmly to the faith that God will not desert him in the final judgment (19:25-27). Elihu is still seeing things in black and white, lightning or gentle rain: “For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance” (36:31).

God will soon appear from out of a whirlwind. Elihu speaks of rain (36:27-28), the movements of the clouds, the thunder (36:29), and lightning (36:30). One almost feels the clouds gathering: “With clouds he covereth the light” (36:32), the thunder rumbling: “noise thereof”, and the cattle looking for shelter, (36:33). A powerful storm is approaching rapidly.


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*All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.



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