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Job 34 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Elihu uses some quotes from Job to reiterate that God can do no wrong. Specifically, he uses the words from Job found in Chapter 27.
As God lives, who has deprived me of justice, and the Almighty who has made me bitter,
JobJob 27:2 HCSB
Elihu appears to have taken Job’s words literally to mean that he has no character flaws and God is wrong to punish him. Taking into consideration what we know of Job, I think the better explanation is that his character was under assault from his friends, so he was defending himself against those unwarranted attacks.
It is true Job does say, “God has taken away my right,” which is better translated, “God has deprived me of justice.” Does this mean that Job thinks God is not fair? Elihu would probably say so. I see Job’s questioning as trying to understand the mystery of why he has been subjected to this suffering – not necessarily that he thinks he is perfect and should be treated as such.
Whatever the case, Elihu makes claim to the fact that God is always righteous and should not be questioned, which of course, is true. I believe Job knows this and it’s why he’s struggling so much in the first place! If we know God’s judgments are perfect but we don’t understand them, our natural response is to question. However, that questioning does not necessarily mean we don’t trust Him. It’s the practical working out of our faith.
We find these stories all throughout Scripture. We are hesitant to step out in faith and trust when things don’t make sense, but after we do, and we eventually see the fuller picture, we are drawn closer to God and our faith in His sovereignty increases.
Elihu is upset because he thinks Job has acted irreverently. On one hand, this is pretty natural for someone who is enduring great suffering. We question and wrestle with God. On the other hand, Elihu is right in voicing concern for lacking a fear of God because so much of our relationship depends on that.
In the end, what’s most amazing is that God allows us to be part of His plan in this way. He allows us to struggle with His ways in our flesh. He’s patient with us when we fall prey to the limitations of our human minds. But, He continues to call us deeper. He continues to put us back into His refining fire to scorch the impurities from our character. The fact that He meets us where we are is an incredible thought that should motivate us to seek Him more than ever.