Job 34
Elihu accuses Job of being apathetic and yearning for irreverent talk. Irreverent means showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously. Right before that, Job said that ears test the words it hears. How should Job conclude when Elihu called Job disrespectful? Elihu isn’t showing Job the love of a friend. God is love (1 John 4:8). I think that Job respects God, and Elihu is being unpleasant.
“For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights (Job 34:5 NLT).” Job is suffering in a way that the Apostle Paul pretty much welcomes. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul describes how he works as an apostle and provides a service to people, yet he doesn’t stay at their homes, and it is as if he works for the Lord, not for income. Paul would probably tell Job to do it all for the Lord: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV).
Job 35
Elihu addresses Job’s questioning of the success of wicked people by saying in verse 3, “For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me? What’s the use of living a righteous life?’” As he goes on, I get the sense that he is assuming things in his responses to Job because he says that when we sin, it only affects people and good deeds only affect people. Jesus came from heaven to live a life to teach us and then to redeem us from sin. This means that God cares a great deal about every detail of our lives – He is the Sovereign God.
As Elihu talks about how people ask questions to God and how God will answer, I start to think about all that Job lost. He still has friends in his life that talk to him about his concerns during this time. To me, Job is still rich. Even though Elihu says that Job has spoken like a fool, he is still rich because God has provided Job with people that he can turn to about what is on his mind.
Job 36
Elihu says something interesting in verses 11 and 12. If people listen to and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity, but if you don’t, you will cross over the river of death, dying from lack of understanding. God wants us to understand by listening to Him, reading the Bible, and talking to Him in prayer.
Job 37
The Bible uses descriptive language to vividly convey the majesty and power of God. In Job 37, the thunder is personified as God's voice, and the imagery of the storm is used to illustrate the vastness and purpose of God's creation. The chapter emphasizes that God's actions are beyond human comprehension, and it serves as a reminder of the limitations of human understanding.
Job 37:12 reminds me of the omnipresence of God. It says, “The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.” We need to be like the clouds and do what God says no matter where we are because God is everywhere.
What verse 13 sums up is that God controls everything, including the weather, and controls us by punishing or showing unfailing love. His sovereignty is mentioned in the rest of the chapter by Elihu, as he also prophesies of Jesus coming to earth from God in heaven. The chapter ends with mention that all who have wisdom worship and fear the Lord.
