April 30, 2015.

Daily Reading: Job 35-37.

Background: Job 32-34.

Concepts and Connections.

Chapter 35

Who is man in relation to God? As Elihu continues his discourse, he turns to Job and starts to define man’s relationship to the Almighty. From here to the end of his argument, Elihu will basically be telling of the glory and majesty of God. To do this, he begins by asking who is man in relation to God. His answer is that God is above all and does not even need to regard man. Elihu asks Job, if man sins, what is that to God? Why would that matter to Him? Or if man does well, why would that matter. God does not need for us to do anything, for He is God. Why would we think that our service to Him is necessary? Elihu was likely not advocating that man never do anything for God, or that they should not keep His commands, but rather man should always remember the bigger picture, that we serve Him because of who He is, not because of what He needs. Elihu basically tells Job that he does not have a right to call the Almighty into audience to plead his case before Him, for he would be mute before God, his maker.

Chapter 36

God’s greatness: Elihu continues on, but before he gets into detailing the greatness of God, he rest takes a short intermission to let Job and his three friends know how confident he was in his logic and reasoning, even to the point of of saying that he was perfect in knowledge. Elihu here focuses on both the goodness and righteousness of God, as He looks upon the righteous to deliver them, but does not even tolerate the wicked. God is exalted in power, and no man could answer Him. This included Job and his three friends. His works are great and are hard to be understood by the wisest of men. Elihu reminds Job that he should be glorifying the name of God, for He is highly to be praised. He also starts on his analogy of God to wondrous storms that we see in nature, an idea that he would carry on though to the next chapter.

Chapter 37

The majesty of God: Elihu continues on his thoughts on glorifying God for His greatness and awesome power, as he really compares God to this huge storm full of His thunder and lightening, thundering with a majestic voice wherever it could be found. He makes it abundantly clear that God is in complete control over nature. Elihu then turns to Job and asks him who he is to stand up to God, that he might ask to defend himself. God was God Almighty, creator of the earth, and Elihu obviously did not like the way Job talked a about God. The Almighty is great in power, and Elihu suggests that we are not always able to find Him. But we must fear Him and keep His commandments. With these words, Elihu finishes his speech just before God comes and speaks to Job directly out of the whirlwind.

Tomorrow’s Reading: Jeremiah 22-26.

Grace and peace.

-Walter