October 25, 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 37 (NIV)
1“At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.…..Continue Reading
I know we are all giving Elihu the business for believing he is able to speak for God, or that God needs someone to speak for him (which of course He does not!), but God often used broken, fallen people to speak on His behalf, including prophets and pastors, evangelists and shepherds, and even as Elihu gets a lot wrong, he certainly offers some insight on God that is useful, I believe. I am certain that God dealt with Elihu and his arrogance, but clearly there was some reason that the Spirit saw fit to have him say some of the things he did.
In verse 23 he says “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.” I love this. As Mark mentioned a couple days ago, he is reminded of the reality that God’s ways are not our ways…that while we are invited into intimate fellowship with God through the sacrifice of His Son and subsequent gift of His Spirit which unites to God at all times, we will still never fully be able to approach or understand the fullness of God…he is indeed beyond our reach! One of the ways I have begun to offer my prayers to God is to start with the expression “God, you are God, and I am not…” I find that it helps me come before our Father with a heart that often wants to me by own god…but that God, in His great mercy, shows me that sin, and beckons me to surrender to His power, daily.
Elihu says his last words and mostly praises how great God is. He says in verse 23 that He is beyond our reach for He is the Almighty and His voice thundereth marvellously. He does great things which we cannot comprehend. Verse 5. It is interesting that he says that we cannot comprehend God`s ways; yet he is so sure that he knows the mind of God when it comes to Job. Totally convinced that Job is a sinner. This should make us stop and think before we give rash statements without considering the result. The tongue can be a deadly weapon. We can either bless men with it or curse. Be careful how we speak. James 3;6a,8,9 [ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. But the tongue can no man tame ; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. There is scripture that reads ; When words are many transgression is not lacking. I couldn`t remember where it is in scripture and I missed placed my Strong`s Concordance and the little one in my Bible didn`t reference it. Please feel free to give the reference. May the Lord bless us in our Christian walk.
Job 37; 1 Samuel 8-12
Certainly Job has been in a mighty storm. A whirlwind of sadness, hurt, loneliness, and pain and we know God is about to come calm that storm and it seems He is using these long-winded words from Elihu to introduce Himself. I believe He used all of these friends as part of this situation as they brought up many good truths about God even if they were misguided in this situation. As we read this it makes us stop to pause and search ourselves in the hard times…is there something we are doing that needs to stop, is there a lesson God is trying to teach. But the most important lesson from these friends is that our counsel should always come from God. Man even with the best of intention, the deepest knowledge, and the most faithful of heart is still not God and still has no power in the storm but HE does!
Job, His friends kill me with their advice…
Job 37
Job 37
Dennis, I found the scripture you were looking for by searching on Google .
Proverbs 10:19 ESV
ESV When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. NIV Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
Job 37
Ch 37. Is not a bad description of who God is. His power and his presence in all things is beyond words. So why did these guys presume that they could speak for God. To think that God’s absence in Job’s life means He is unconcerned. God always cares no matter what our circumstances are. He is in control and will speak. He speaks to us through the Bible first. With the Holy Spirit and through circumstances and fellowship with others. Life is tough always reminded of the verse. To exalt and lift each other up in love. Let God be God. Elihu concludes by telling job. Faith in God is much more important then getting answers of why the suffering. Easy for him to say. Yahooooo ch 38!!!
I can’t wait to say. Ch 38. Woe is me!!!! You would think God would answer why job is suffering. Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge!!!! My lord forgive me !!!!
Perhaps Elihu should have introduced his knowledge of God in a Psalm of worship and lead his friends and Job in a time of worship and prayer.
Job 37: what strikes me here, is a reality of counsel from different people.
Elihu, from the previous chapters, is a real “meat head”. Not to hard for any of us in the study to see. On the face of it, I might ignore his perspective altogether, and think not much if it. He’s just a fool spouting off.
But then chapter 37, and Elihu sounds like a wise man! Why the change? Difference?
I have heard great things from godly men, only to hear them speak absolute nonsense. Should everything from him be rejected off hand? Or should we listen, and discern truth from error?
As an expert myself in spewing forth sewer water, and the truth of Scripture from the same mouth, I try to hear what others have to say, but reserve the right to disagree, and still accept the rest. Who on earth is perfect in speech? In professing the very truth of Scripture? Certainly not me!
Elihu spoke his peace, good and ill. I take from him, and all the other actors in this play, truth and error. Good exercise for my heart, to hear these opinions, and check them against my own frail ideas, and the Holy Book. Listen carefully in every Bible study! Peace, -gy
It is interesting that Elihu talks about God’s thundering voice and how all creation responds to it in this chapter when God will effectively say the same thing in chapter 38. Elihu does a good job of exalting God here without really condemning Job’s behavior. He does point to, as God does, that because He is so powerful and knowledgeable He should be trusted and regarded. He even points to how all those things are displayed in creation. Maybe that is why Elihu is not addressed in 38….
“The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.” Thank you Jesus for creating a bridge between us and your Father so that he is not beyond our reach. Because of this, He is here with us always and forever.