Job 36

CHAPTER 36

Elihu Continues (36:1–33)

1–4 Here begins Elihu's fourth and final speech; it is addressed mainly to Job. Elihu's purpose in this speech is to emphasize once again that God is always good and always just in His dealings with mankind. Elihu claims to have knowledge from afar—knowledge given by God—and that therefore he is perfect in knowledge, that is, “perfectly” correct in what he says (verses 3–4). Of course, Elihu was overstating his credentials as God's spokesman; as we have already seen, Elihu's understanding of the relationship between God and Job was far from perfect!

5–12 In these verses, Elihu summarizes the standard Old Testament teaching concerning God's justice. Though God is the all—powerful Creator of the universe, He has a deep concern for mankind; He does not despise men (verse 5). But He does expect them to live righteously—to obey His commands. Therefore, He punishes those who do not obey, that is, the wicked (verse 6); and He rewards those who do obey, that is, the righteous (verse 7). But there is a third group (and this is Elihu's great contribution to the debate between Job and his three friends): namely, those people who are basically righteous but who have fallen into sin. God sends afflictions upon these people in order to discipline them (verse 8). He makes them listen to correction by means of the affliction He sends them (verse 10). If they listen and repent and obey, then God will restore them to prosperity and contentment (verse 11). If they don't, they will die without knowledge—that is, without having learned anything from their affliction (verse 12).

It is important to affirm that everything Elihu says in verses 5–12is true, and it applies to the majority of human beings. Elihu's only error was in thinking there could be no additional cause for affliction or suffering. Elihu was sure his knowledge was “perfect,” and it was, as far as it went; but it was incomplete. Elihu failed to understand Job's situation; he, like everyone else, didn't know what had happened in heaven between God and Satan (Job Chapters 1–2). And this is one of the main points of the book of Job: we humans do not know all of God's purposes. There are still mysteries that we cannot understand.

13–15 Here Elihu repeats his main point: the godless—those arrogant people who do not cry out to God-die in their youth and in shame⁷⁴ (verses 13–14); but those (the godly) who suffer, God delivers (verse 15). Elihu says that God speaks to godly sufferers in their affliction. This is one of Elihu's profoundest insights; whenever suffering comes to us, we need to ask one question: “God, what are you saying to me?” Suffering is one of God's main ways of getting our attention.

16–21 Elihu still holds out hope that Job is one among the godly who suffer; he tells Job that God is wooing him away from the sins that have caused him such distress (verse 16). Elihu is certain that Job has sinned, and in verses 17–21 he tries to persuade Job to turn away from those sins. In other words, he tries to get Job to respond to God's discipline. The thought that Job might be innocent does not enter Elihu's mind.

22–33 Hoping to persuade Job to respond to God, Elihu reminds Job of God's greatness and power. Let Job stop arguing with God and demanding vindication; rather, let him humbly submit to God, whose greatness is beyond our understanding (verse 26). Here again, Elihu's words are correct; indeed, this final speech of Elihu prepares us—and Job—for the words that God is about to speak in Chapters 38–41.