“Listen to my words, Job;
pay attention to what I have to say.
2 Now that I have begun to speak,
let me continue.
3 I speak with all sincerity;
I speak the truth.
4 For the Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can;
make your case and take your stand.
6 Look, you and I both belong to God.
I, too, was formed from clay.
7 So you don’t need to be afraid of me.
I won’t come down hard on you.
8 “You have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard your very words.
9 You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin;
I am innocent; I have no guilt.
10 God is picking a quarrel with me,
and he considers me his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks
and watches my every move.’"
Now Elihu has Job solely in his sights. I have to at least commend this dude for his approach in talking to Job. So many times we just simply assume we understand what a person is saying, even when they might not seem to be as clear as they could be. Here Elihu repeated back what he heard Job say. This is a very important thing that I've learned that can help you avoid misunderstanding and arguments when talking with someone, haha.
Verses 12-22:
For God is greater than any human being.
13 So why are you bringing a charge against him?
Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints?
14 For God speaks again and again,
though people do not recognize it.
15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they lie in their beds.
16 He whispers in their ears
and terrifies them with warnings.
17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
he keeps them from pride.
18 He protects them from the grave,
from crossing over the river of death.
19 “Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds,
with ceaseless aching in their bones.
20 They lose their appetite
for even the most delicious food.
21 Their flesh wastes away,
and their bones stick out.
22 They are at death’s door;
the angels of death wait for them."
The biggest critique, based upon what I said about the previous section is that he didn't give Job a chance to respond to his understanding of what Job had said, or at least not that we're shown here in the book. I agree with Elihu's words in verse 14. There are many times that God is speaking to us, yet we fail to realize it because we aren't looking for it. It's a little funny that this verse came up here, because this idea is what this semester's theme is based off of. So you guys should feel privileged because you've gotten a sneak preview of what we're going to be doing this fall. =)
Verses 23-33:
a special messenger to intercede for a person
and declare that he is upright—
24 he will be gracious and say,
‘Rescue him from the grave,
for I have found a ransom for his life.’
25 Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s,
firm and youthful again.
26 When he prays to God,
he will be accepted.
And God will receive him with joy
and restore him to good standing.
27 He will declare to his friends,
‘I sinned and twisted the truth,
but it was not worth it.
28 God rescued me from the grave,
and now my life is filled with light.’
29 “Yes, God does these things
again and again for people.
30 He rescues them from the grave
so they may enjoy the light of life.
31 Mark this well, Job. Listen to me,
for I have more to say.
32 But if you have anything to say, go ahead.
Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.
33 But if not, then listen to me.
Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”
Reread verses 23-24. I know that he's saying this about an angel, but think about this. If this is true of an angel, think about our situation where God's own SON is mediating for us! Now, I'm sure these people would have been confident and assured if an angel had done this for them, but how confident and assured should we be that we have Jesus doing this for us!?!? What do you guys see here?
"Father thank You for saving us! Thank You for allowing Your Son to be our intermediary. I pray that You would fill us with the confidence and assurance that comes from Your Spirit. May we align ourselves with Your will and the message that You want the entire world to hear. We love You! It's in Jesus' name that pray, amen."
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