Teaching Notes

TH1087: JOB

As we saw last week, Job's three friends; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have run out of gas, they have nothing left to say, for they have said it to Job before and more than once. And as we saw, by this time a crowd had gathered to watch this confrontation, a confrontation that was loud and very animated. And in this crowd was Elihu, a young man who has heard all these words and now he has something to say. In fact, he says "I also will answer my part, I too will declare my opinion. For I am full of words; The spirit within me compels me. Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; It is ready to burst like new wineskins." Job 32:17-19. Elihu, if he doesn't speak, is going to explode, at least that is what he is saying.

Now what Elihu has to say is a little different than what Job's three friends were saying. Job's friends were saying that God was punishing Job for his sin, while Elihu said that these judgments were not punishment, but a corrective action to get Job to repent of his sin and get right with God. He recognized that Job was not guilty of some gross sin, but he believed he must have done something wrong because God was correcting him. This was closer to the truth but Job had not sinned.

And as we enter Job chapter 34, Elihu is still speaking and trying to get Job to agree with his view and repent of his sin.

JOB 34

VERSES 1-6

1. Elihu is repeating what Job has already stated, that he was innocent and did not deserve all that has come upon his life.

VERSE 7

1. This is kind of like good cop, bad cop. Job's three friends blasted Job for hiding some sin. Now Elihu comes in, being the good guy, saying that Job has taken all this garbage from these other guys, how these guys gave Job such a hard time, but he is not going to do the same. And what he is doing is trying to get Job to confess his errors and get right with God by using a different approach.

VERSES 8-9

1. Job knew that the wicked would be punished. He did know there was a profit in doing good, but Elihu again is misrepresenting what Job had to say.

VERSE 10

1. God does not need us to defend Him. He is very secure in His position. We spend far to much time defending our sword instead of using it. Can you imagine going into battle and telling the enemy as you approached him "This is the finest sword around. It is a double-edged sword made of rust proof material with a life time guarantee!" At this point in the conversation your guarantee would be over because you would be dead! Peter admonishes us to "...sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." I Peter 3:15-16.

VERSES 11-12

1. As Paul said in Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!" God can not do evil, He can not sin. He is holy, He is righteous, and that will never change.

VERSES 13-15

1. God holds us together and gives us the very breath we breath. Colossians 1:16-17 says "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

VERSES 16-17

1. He is accusing Job of turning the tables and making God unjust in His dealings with Job, and that Job is exulting self.

VERSES 18-19

1. He is saying that Job honors those in high positions, like kings, and yet when it comes to God, he puts Him down. And Job did struggle with why this was happening to him, but he never cursed God.

VERSES 20-24

1. God raises people up and He brings them down. He is in control. He is sovereign.

VERSES 25-30

1. God is fair, He is just in all His doings, and He will take care of the wicked.

VERSES 31-33

1. "Job, just confess your sin and get right with God! Don't be silent any longer!"

VERSES 34-36

1. He wants God to give it to Job because Job refuses to come clean before God.

VERSE 37

1. He is accusing Job of not only having sin, but refusing to confess that sin and thus rebelling against God's chastisement. And understand, that these confrontations were loud, emotional, and very animated, with the clapping of hands and-so-on.

JOB 35

VERSES 1-2

1. Elihu felt that since Job was claiming that he was innocent, that meant God was guilty. And if you continue down that path, with that kind of logic, in the end it would make job more righteous than God. But that is not how Job felt.

VERSES 3-8

1. God does not owe us anything. Nor is he affected by how good or how bad we are. Now as much as we can't hurt God by our actions, we can very much hurt ourselves and others or help ourselves and help others by what we do and what we say. Man is affected by the good things we do and by the bad things we do.

VERSES 9-10

1. Many cry out for help during difficult times, but they look for their help in all the wrong places. They look to drugs, alcohol, therapists, relationships, and-so-on, that only bring more difficulty in their lives. They don't look to God who will put a song in their heart, God who will give them hope and joy again. You see, during those difficult times, in the blackness of soul, God can put a song in our heart and give us peace through the storm. Many of the great hymns were born out of these difficult times and many of the Psalms were also written from this vantage point. God gives us songs of hope, songs of joy, He does not give us the blues, but takes the blues away!

VERSES 11-16

1. Many today speak so boldly about things they don't know, things they in fact know nothing about. To me, the worst is religious leaders who speak with such zeal, but without knowledge. In the June 16th issue of Time magazine there is a story regarding Pope John Paul II who is reportedly thinking of exercising "his power of infallibility to declare Mary Co-Redemptrix of humanity and 'Mediatrix' of all graces. That would make her a participant of salvation - along with her son Jesus Christ." How sad when people multiply words without knowledge, for they lead people down the same path of destruction that they are heading in. Jesus said in John 14:6 "...'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'

JOB 36

VERSES 1-2

1. Elihu has elevated himself to the position of spokesperson for God - but God has not given him this position.

VERSES 3-4

1. Elihu is trying to authenticate his words by claiming he is receiving direct revelation from God and has obtained this perfect knowledge, so Job better listen. Many do that today by tagging onto their words "Thus says the Lord..." Be careful when people try to elevate themselves to that kind of position, especially if it is contrary to the Word of God. If God is speaking through you He will lift you up. "Southern Baptist pastor Bill Ligon claims that God is directly responsible for this condition of 'spiritual drunkenness.' According to Ligon, God told him: 'I have to get My people drunk in My Spirit because they have been drunk on the world. Their minds have been polluted, they feed their doubts - there is no confidence in Me and My power. I have to get them so drunk that I can change their thoughts and their attitudes.'" How wrong it is to claim this kind of garbage, that God is going to get us drunk as a skunk on the Holy Spirit. God says to be filled, continually with the Holy Spirit, not to be drunk with the Holy Spirit and act like you are physically drunk for the world to see.

VERSES 5-6

1. God is not a respector of persons and he loves us all. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." But many times that is all people focus on, the love of God, which is tremendous, don't get me wrong. But you can't just dissect the attributes of God or place one above another. God is also holy and righteous, and because of that He must deal with unrighteousness. People don't want to hear that today. Now if you could dissect God's attributes, there is one that probably describes Him the best. To clearly see this, we must go to those who spend night and day with God, the Cherubim, and hear their cry. They do not say "Love, love, love" do they? No, they say "...'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!'"

VERSE 7

1. What a comfort to know that God's eyes are continually upon us and He is going to complete in us the work that He began in us because He loves us and wants what is best for us. As Psalm 34:15 says "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry."

VERSES 8-9

1. He is speaking of those who exalt themselves. King Nebuchednezzar was a man who allowed pride to get in his way of his relationship with God. And God warned him through Daniel, but he refused to listen, and God caused him to act like an animal for a time, until he looked up and repented of his sin. Then God restored him and his kingdom. God has a way of dealing with us to draw us back to Him.

VERSES 10-12

1. People are dying today, spiritually speaking, because of the famine that has spread across this land. Amos 8:11 says "'Behold, the days are coming, 'says the Lord GOD, 'That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.'" When that takes place, the Lord then says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6.

VERSES 13-18

1. Elihu is pleading with Job to confess his sin and get right with God, for he is treading on very dangerous ground, trying to fight with God.

VERSES 19-21

1. He wants Job to wake-up and get right with God. To allow God's chastisement to correct his error but if he refuses to do so, he will continue to be afflicted.

VERSES 22-23

1. There is no one who teaches like God does. Psalm 32:8-9 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you." God wants to direct our lives as we are focused upon Him. That means as we listen to Him speak to us through His Word, He will direct our paths. But if we refuse to be guided in that manner, He will do it with a bit and a bridle. That means He will direct us like a wild animal who is guided to move through pain, and He will do the same to us. Not because He is mad at us, but because He loves us and wants what is best for our lives.

2. God is not wrong and He will never be wrong. He is God. As Paul said in Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!"

VERSES 24-26

1. We can know God for He is revealed to us through the Scriptures. Peter admonishes us to "...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." II Peter 3:18.

2. God's days can't be numbered for they are eternal. He has always existed. John 1:1 says of Jesus "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In the Greek there is no definite article. Thus, it should be read "In Beginnings..." You see, there was no beginning, Jesus always existed no matter how far back you go in time. He is eternal just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are eternal. And as difficult as that may be to comprehend with our finite minds, it is the truth, God is eternal!

VERSES 27-33

1. Here we are told how rain forms. Henry M. Morris put it this way. "The 'hydrologic cycle' describes the cooperation of atmosphere and hydrosphere in maintaining a fresh supply of water for daily needs of all forms of life...Water is converted by solar energy into the vapor state. Since water vapor is lighter than air, the winds can first elevate, then transport the water from the oceans to the lands where it is needed. There, under the right conditions, the vapor can condense around dust particles, salt particles, or other nuclei of condensation. When this happens, clouds are formed. Water vapor is invisible, whereas clouds are aggregations of liquid water droplets."

2. Many feel, as I do, that as Elihu is speaking to Job, in the distance is a huge storm forming. And as Elihu is trying to make his point, he sees this storm and begins to draw illustrations on the power of God, the awesomeness of God.

JOB 37

VERSES 1-8

1. God is deeply involved with all aspects of His creation, even the hibernation of animals. He did not just create life and then kick back to watch what would happen next - that is the deist view, which many of our founding fathers had as a belief. In Matthew 10:30 Jesus said "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Now I know for some of you it is a lot easier for God to count them than it is for others, but think of it this way. Each time any of us go to comb our hair, God has to recalculate that number. If He knows us that intimately that tells me that He is deeply involved with every aspect of our life!

VERSES 9-18

1. God is in control and He brings things into our life for a purpose. Things do not just happen for no reason at all or because of some bad luck or good luck. In fact there is no such thing as bad luck or good luck, only God and His sovereign plan for our life.

VERSES 19-21

1. Just as we find it difficult, almost impossible to stare at the sun with our naked eyes, so too is it impossible to stand in the brightness of a holy and righteous God in our own righteousness. The sun can not compare with the glory of God and yet many feel that they can approach God in their own goodness, and they are wrong!

VERSES 22-24

1. As Elihu finishes his words, and this storm, this whirlwind is approaching, God is getting ready to speak. For some 35 chapters Job and his friends have spoken - but now it is time for God to speak. For 35 chapters man has attempted to understand the how's and why's of God with his finite mind - and he has come far short of understanding these things. Yes they did have some truths mingled within all their words, but there was a lot of false information that was also given by them, information that came from their own heart and not from God. But now God will speak in truth for four chapters and not really speak regarding the how's and why's. In fact He doesn't answer Job's questions but turns it around and asks Job a series of questions. So then what is the answer to those questions? Simply speaking, God gave HIMSELF as the answer! If we truly believe that, then we won't need to know the how's or why's, but we can rest in Him and His great love for us. So next week we will conclude the book of Job as God is going to speak out of the whirlwind!