JOB LESSON 33

     We will begin this lesson in Job 34:1 "Furthermore Elihu answered
and said," Job 34:2 "Hear my words, O ye wise [men]; and give ear unto
me, ye that have knowledge."

     Elihu was speaking in this chapter to the wise men. This was,
possibly, the three friends of Job, and possibly, others who had come
to hear the debate. These men were supposed to be the learned men.
Notice, his arrogance, in telling them to pay attention to his words.

     Job 34:3 "For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat."

     Job had previously made this statement himself. The ears of the
wise men could determine whether something was to be retained that
they heard or not. Anything they heard that they knew did not line up
with the Word of God, they would discard.

     Job 34:4 "Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among
ourselves what [is] good."

     This was a very bold statement. He had corrected Job for judging,
and now, he said that he and these other men would judge this matter
for themselves.

     Job 34:5 "For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken
away my judgment."

     Job had maintained from the beginning his innocence of all
charges made against him. He had known that God would eventually
acquit him. Job had not judged unfairly. Job felt that God had brought
this trouble on him, but would eventually turn this around and bless
him. The only thing Job had asked God to do was review the facts of
his life.

     Job 34:6 "Should I lie against my right? my wound [is] incurable
without transgression."

     In this, Job was a type and a shadow of Jesus. Jesus was
crucified for sins He did not commit. Job was being punished for sins
he did not commit. Even Elihu believe that Job was guilty as charged.

     Job 34:7 "What man [is] like Job, [who] drinketh up scorning like
water?"

     Elihu believed that Job was paying no attention at all to the
scorning of his friends and even of him. He was absorbing them,
without them affecting him at all.

     Job 34:8 "Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,
and walketh with wicked men."

     This was a total untruth. His accusation is found in Scripture in
Psalms 1:1 "Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful." He was trying to say, that Job was walking in
the counsel of the ungodly and sitting in the seat of the scornful. I
guess, in a sense he was, because he was sitting with Elihu and his
friends. They were definitely sinful in accusing Job.

     Job 34:9 "For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he
should delight himself with God."

     This was exactly the opposite of what Job believed. Job had said,
that his righteousness had not saved him from the calamities that had
come upon him. That was a true statement. He had not been spared, even
though he was righteous in God's sight.

     Job 34:10 "Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:
far be it from God, [that he should do] wickedness; and [from] the
Almighty, [that he should commit] iniquity."

     It was very obvious that Elihu did not understand God to the
fullest. He was blaming God for what had happened to Job. He was not
aware, that God had allowed this to happen to Job, to prove to Satan
and the angels in heaven that Job was a righteous man, and would
remain righteous under terrible circumstances.

     Job 34:11 "For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and
cause every man to find according to [his] ways."

     Even though they could not settle on just what sin Job had
committed, they believed that Job's problems were a judgement upon him
from God.

     Job 34:12 "Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the
Almighty pervert judgment."

     This was the very same thing he said in verse 10. Whether he was
trying to convince himself, or the wise men he was speaking to, was
uncertain. God will not do iniquity, and the Almighty will not pervert
judgement. This was neither of those things. This was a test to see,
if Job would falter under pressure. Satan had brought the calamity,
not God. God had allowed it for a purpose, however.

     Job 34:13 "Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who
hath disposed the whole world?"

     God is in charge of the earth and everything in it, because it is
His creation. God is the only one who could dispose of the earth.

     Job 34:14 "If he set his heart upon man, [if] he gather unto
himself his spirit and his breath;"

     It is only God who can remove His breath from man, and cause him
to die. We remember in the beginning of this great trial, that God
told Satan he could not take Job's life. The only way man stops
existing, is for God to take His breath away.

     Job 34:15 "All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn
again unto dust."

     When the breath of man {spirit} is removed from the body of man,
the body decays and turns to dust.

     Job 34:16 "If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken
to the voice of my words."

     Elihu was a very conceited young man to assume that these wise
men did not know of God, and he would have to teach them. He believed
he was the only one who had the truth.

     Job 34:17 "Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou
condemn him that is most just?"

     Elihu was trying to defend God. He was asking, if it was possible
that God, who was King of all, could be unjust?

     Job 34:18  "[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked?
[and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?"

     In the earthly realm, a person could get in serious trouble by
saying such a thing. He might even get killed for such a remark. In a
sense, he was saying, that Job deserved to die for questioning God.

     Job 34:19  "[How much less to him] that accepteth not the persons
of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all
[are] the work of his hands."

     Elihu said, "if it was dangerous to say that to an earthly king,
how much more dangerous was it to say to the Creator of the universe?"

     Job 34:20 "In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be
troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken
away without hand."

     Whenever God chose they would die. It did not make any difference
what their station in life was. When God chose they died.
He kept threatening Job with death, and Job would welcome death. He
did not dread death.

     Job 34:21 "For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth
all his goings."

     God knows everything man does, thinks, and even is. He knows the
heart of man, which is what man really is.

     Job 34:22  "[There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where
the workers of iniquity may hide themselves."

     This is true, but the people who believe themselves to be right
with God cannot hide their secret sins either. God knows everything
about everyone. We have no secrets from God.

     Job 34:23 "For he will not lay upon man more [than right]; that
he should enter into judgment with God."

     Even though this was not spoken directly to Job, it was a
derogatory statement made about Job. He was saying that Job was wrong
in asking God to consider his situation.

     Job 34:24 "He shall break in pieces mighty men without number,
and set others in their stead."

     Job had been a mighty man. He had, in fact, been a judge. Elihu
and Job's so-called friends, probably, would like to take Job's place
as judge. They were all jealous of Job. Elihu said, that God had
destroyed Job to set one of them up as governor.

     Job 34:25 "Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth
[them] in the night, so that they are destroyed."

     He had made a true statement that God rules the earth by
elevating one man to be a ruler, and tearing another down. He was
pointing this to Job, and that was an error, however.

     Job 34:26 "He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of
others;"

     Elihu said that public embarrassment went with the tearing down
that God did.

     Job 34:27 "Because they turned back from him, and would not
consider any of his ways:"

     This was a strong statement. They turned away from God, and would
not consider His ways. This would be a serious sin. It was not a sin
that Job had committed.

     Job 34:28 "So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto
him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted."

     Elihu was saying that Job had offended the poor and the
afflicted.  This was the exact opposite of the truth. Job had been the
champion of the poor and the afflicted.

     Job 34:29 "When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?
and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be
done] against a nation, or against a man only:"

     Most of the statements that Elihu was making, were the same
statements Job had made himself. Job was not only aware that these
things were wrong, but had made absolutely sure that he was not
guilty of any of these things.

     Job 34:30 "That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be
ensnared."

     A hypocrite was a man who pretended to love God, and really was
just making a show for the people around him. People who believed a
hypocrite were in for a bad surprise. Job was not a hypocrite.

     Job 34:31 "Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne
[chastisement], I will not offend [any more]:"

     The three friends and Elihu tried to get Job to say, that the
chastisement from God was because of some sin he had committed. They
wanted him to ask God to forgive him. Job knew of no sin that he had
committed. He could not ask for forgiveness, without knowing what he
had done wrong.

     Job 34:32  "[That which] I see not teach thou me: if I have done
iniquity, I will do no more."

     Job had already asked God to reveal to him where he had failed.
Job was a man of a pure heart.

     Job 34:33  "[Should it be] according to thy mind? he will
recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I:
therefore speak what thou knowest."

     Elihu believed that Job wanted God to listen to him and do it his
way. He, also, was saying that it would not matter what Job wanted,
God would do it His way, anyhow. God would not be influenced by
anyone's explanation. Elihu wanted Job to answer this.

     Job 34:34 "Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man
hearken unto me."

     Since Job would not answer him, now he asked the wise men he had
addressed this to, to answer him. He was just sure they understood.

     Job 34:35 "Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words
[were] without wisdom."

     The attack by Satan on Job was terrible. These men who should
have known Job well enough to know he was not a practicing sinner,
were making things worse, and not better for Job. This young Elihu was
judging Job, who was a much stronger man of God than he was.

     Job 34:36 "My desire [is that] Job may be tried unto the end
because of [his] answers for wicked men."  Job 34:37 "For he addeth
rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and
multiplieth his words against God."

     This young man had judged Job severely. He was wishing for God to
do even more terrible things to Job, than Satan had already done. Just
the fact that Elihu wanted this for Job, was a sin on Elihu's part.
Elihu believed that Job had rebelled against all authority. The truth
was that it was Elihu who had rebelled against his elders.
                           Job 33 Questions


1.  Who did Elihu address this to?
2.  How do we know he was arrogant?
3.  The ear _________ words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4.  What was Elihu setting himself up as in verse 4?
5.  Job had maintained his __________ of the charges.
6.  Who was Job a type and shadow of in verse 6?
7.  What was Job accused of in verse 7?
8.  Quote Psalms chapter 1 verse 1.
9.  Quote Job chapter 34 verse 10.
10. They believed Job's problems were a __________ from God.
11. Surely God would not do ___________.
12. Neither will the ____________ pervert judgement.
13. Why is God in charge of the earth?
14. It is only ________ who can remove His breath from a person.
15. When the breath is removed from the body of flesh, what happens to
    the body?
16. Why does the author believe Elihu was conceited?
17. Who chooses the time of death for everyone?
18. God knows everything man does, ________, and even ___.
19. God knows the _________ of man, which is what he really is.
20. Elihu and Job's so-called friends would like to take Job's place
    as ________.
21. What was Elihu saying about Job that was untrue in verse 28?
22. Who was a hypocrite?
23. What were Elihu and Job's three friends trying to get Job to do
    and say?
24. When Job would not answer Elihu, he tried to get an answer from
    whom?
25. What did Elihu want to happen to Job?