October 21, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 33 (NIV)
1“But now, Job, listen to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;
my lips sincerely speak what I know.…..Continue Reading
Elihu now giving his talk is asking that they all pay attention to him for his heart is upright and his lips speak knowledge clearly. He knows that the Spirit of God has made him and given him the breath of life. And he like Job are the same both from the clay. Elihu is angry at Job for he claims to have no sin. He not only believes that Job has sinned by complaining toward God but is also is living in sin. Elihu gives a description of a wicked man how if only this wicked man would repent than he would be in a right relationship with God. He is talking to Job like he is talking about someone else but he really is talking about Job. For he tells Job to mark well and hearken to his words. Then he tells Job to listen to him and he will teach Job wisdom. So he thinks that he has more wisdom than Job. How foolish. When he talks about God he is correct for God can do anything He wants but as far as why God allowed this suffering too Job he is wrong. Although Job did complain to God. We are taught in scriptures that we are not to have a grumbling attitude. Philippians 2;14,15 [ Do all things without murmurings and disputings. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.] May God give us His wisdom in the midst of a wicked world.
Job 33
Job 33: And so Elihu starts his rant (again, no different than me). Not thinking he can say any more than what has been said, and I am not thinking Job justified himself before God.
Vss 9 to 11 are the core of his argument, Job thinks he’s sinless, and is God’s enemy for some reason because of his current distress.
I agree with 27 & 28, God seeks the confession of humble heart, and will reward their faith.
Elihu is off base in his opening arguments. And this is why: no one in this narrative is aware of what is going on in the spiritual realm, none are aware of what, and why God wants this distress to play out.
Debbie will counter my rants by saying, you don’t know everything. That causes me to stop and consider. It will be interesting to read how Elihu, and all of them, are given a divine course correction by God. Peace, gordy
Elihu is right in saying God works in mysterious and varied ways and He is the One who is supreme so we should always be careful questioning what He does and why He does it. God also has many things at His disposal through which to intervene in our lives and bring His comfort, consolation and restoration. And God is always working to improve our life to Him and through Him. But Elihu is wrong to assume Job needs to be taught a lesson through him, especially if he is presuming, like the others that these events in Job’s life have come about because of some sin Job committed. He is right to point everyone in this circle to the knowledge and greatness of God, but wrong to presume He knows what God thinks. As we ingest the Word in our lives and grow in Him, we will know His thoughts more, but we need to be careful when we are projecting those thoughts on others…both in what we say and how and why we say it.
Job 33
For God is greater than man.
Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
The very cool thing is that God did show exactly how He worked in Job’s situation…in the book of Job. We get a glimpse of some things we would never know.
Again Elihu thinks he is representing God in his words. He thinks he understands what is happening and he tries to give Job counsel from that perspective. However, like the others, his words while accurate in many cases are not the case here. He is urging Job to really listen for God and it seems advice he should be taking himself.