October 24

Reading: Job 33

1  “But now, hear my speech, O Job,

     and listen to all my words.

2   Behold, I open my mouth;

     the tongue in my mouth speaks.

3   My words declare the uprightness of my heart,

     and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

4   The Spirit of God has made me,

     and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5   Answer me, if you can;

     set your words in order before me; take your stand.

6   Behold, I am toward God as you are;

     I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.

7   Behold, no fear of me need terrify you;

     my pressure will not be heavy upon you.

 

8  “Surely you have spoken in my ears,

     and I have heard the sound of your words.

9   You say, ‘I am pure, without transgression;

     I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.

10  Behold, he finds occasions against me,

     he counts me as his enemy,

11  he puts my feet in the stocks

     and watches all my paths.’

 

12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,

     for God is greater than man.

13  Why do you contend against him,

     saying, ‘He will answer none of man’s words’?

14  For God speaks in one way,

     and in two, though man does not perceive it.

15  In a dream, in a vision of the night,

     when deep sleep falls on men,

     while they slumber on their beds,

16  then he opens the ears of men

     and terrifies them with warnings,

17  that he may turn man aside from his deed

     and conceal pride from a man;

18  he keeps back his soul from the pit,

     his life from perishing by the sword.

 

19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed

     and with continual strife in his bones,

20  so that his life loathes bread,

     and his appetite the choicest food.

21  His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,

     and his bones that were not seen stick out.

22  His soul draws near the pit,

     and his life to those who bring death.

 

23 “If there be for him an angel, a mediator,

     one of the thousand,

     to declare to man what is right for him,

24  and he is merciful to him, and says,

     ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;

     I have found a ransom;

25  let his flesh become fresh with youth;

     let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;

26  then man prays to God, and he accepts him;

     he sees his face with a shout of joy,

     and he restores to man his righteousness.

27  He sings before men and says:

     ‘I sinned and perverted what was right,

     and it was not repaid to me.

28  He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit,

     and my life shall look upon the light.’

 

29 “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,

30  to bring back his soul from the pit,

     that he may be lighted with the light of life.

31  Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;

     be silent, and I will speak.

32  If you have any words, answer me;

     speak, for I desire to justify you.

33  If not, listen to me;

     be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

 

The subtleties of Job are truly amazing.  This book has been around longer than almost any other ancient writing and yet the poetry, emotions, and complexities are astonishing.  The reader must pay close attention and use one’s imagination to understand the interaction.

For the first time in his first speech Elihu addresses Job.  Everything he said in the previous chapter was only to justify his speechifying.  Even still in verse 2, “Hey!  Look at me!  I’m talking now!”  Elihu is a blowhard.

In verses 3-7 Elihu is again justifying his moment to speak, but this time by claiming that the Almighty has made him with the breath of God in him.  He is just as good as Job.  Is he claiming to speak for God?  He urges Job not to fear him.  This kind of condescension is gracious when found in God but patronizing when found in a person.

In verses 9-11 Elihu is characterizing the self-righteousness of Job.  One ought to read these three verses in a honeyed, mocking tone.  Beginning in verse 12 Elihu informs Job that he has no grounds to talk to God like that because God is so much greater than Job.  In fact, God keeps Job alive moment by moment and when He stops doing so Job will die.  So quit complaining!

Then, worst of all, Elihu begins to mock Job’s request for a representative, a mediator, to “deliver him.”  Job has cried out for someone to represent him before God and plead his case. (Job 9:32-35)  Job has said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” (Job 19:25)  But Elihu tells him now that the best he can hope for is to pray more and repent and hope that God will make him righteous and accept him.  In verses 29-30 he tells Job that God has been known to do this sort of thing.

Elihu finishes his first prosecutorial harangue by asking Job for a response before he immediately announces that he’s going to speak again and impart more wisdom.