Job 28-37

Ode to wisdom (28)

• 1-11 Man searches for hidden treasure, but cannot find wisdom
• 12-20 Wisdom is priceless
• 21-27 But God is the only source of wisdom
• 28 Reaffirmations: The fear of the Lord is wisdom
  • To shun evil is understanding

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Job’s final disclosure (29-30)

• 29:1-10 Job longs for days of God’s blessing
• 29:11-17 When Job cared for the poor
• 29:18-25 And he could look forward to a long life and the respect of his society
• 30:1-11 Now he faces disrespect of disreputable people
• 30:12 because God has humiliated him
• 30:12-14 that is why these things rise against him
• 30:15-19 God has abandoned him
• 30:20-23 and does not answer Job’s cry, but attacks him
• 30:24-31 Job expresses utter despair
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Job’s final protest of integrity (31)

• 1-4 He has avoided lust
• 5-8 Avoided falsehood
• 9-12 Avoided adultery
• 13-15 Avoided injustice
• 16-23 Succored the poor
• 24-25 Avoided covetousness
• 26-28 Avoided idolatry
• 29-30 Avoided rejoicing in evil on an enemy
• 31-32 Has practiced generosity
• 33-34 Avoided covering his sin
• 35-37 Asking for a chance to defend himself to God
• 38-40 Avoided injustice on tenant farming
• This protest does not anticipate death, but an audience with God

Speeches of Elihu (32-37)

• Elihu’s first speech (32)
  • He (Elihu) is angry with Job for justifying himself
  • 32:7, 11-12 He waited for older wisdom, and it failed to refute Job
  • 32:13, he reminds Job’s friends that they cannot say, “let God refute him”
  • 32:8, 16-20 Elihu acknowledges that the old wisdom has failed to answer Job’s question. Elihu displays the pent-up emotion of the young and those who believe they have the final answer.
  • 32:12-13 Elihu believes, with Job’s friends, that Job must be refuted
• Elihu’s second speech (33)
  • 33:8-9 Elihu faults Job for his claim to be without sin
  • 33:13 Elihu focuses on Job’s complaint that God has not answered him, which is more precisely what Job has been complaining about. What is Elihu’s response?
  • 33:14-18 God does answer in dreams and visions to protect men from error;
  • 33:19-22 God also speaks through the bed of suffering to chasten him
  • 33:23-28 Or God sends an angel to mediate for the man, who is restored and then confesses his sin.
  • 33:29-30 God does all these things to turn men back from evil. Elihu has a more precise understanding of Job’s complaint but winds up rehashing a similar issue: Job’s presumed sin.
• Elihu’s Third speech (34)
  • He takes Job’s statement: “I am innocent, but God denies me justice;” and “It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God” (34:2, 9) and accuses Job of scorn and association with evildoers. He responds with the following syllogism:
  • 34:10-20 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong.
  • 34:21-30 God sees everything and responds with justice
  • 34:31-37 So Job’s admission of past evil and request for insight is presumptuous!
  • Elihu grasps some aspects of Job’s argument but still sees Job as incurably arrogant!
• Elihu’s fourth speech (36)
  • 36:4 Elihu, intoxicated by his own words, says, “One perfect in knowledge is with you”!
  • 35:5-10 Claims to defend God: God is just and speaks to those he disciplines.
  • 35:11-12 If they respond they are blessed but if not, they perish.
  • True, but misses Job’s whole question: what about when obedience is not blessed? Elihu disallows the possibility.
  • 36:16 He says trouble is to woo Job back to God
  • 36:18-21 he accuses Job of preferring evil to God’s affliction.
  • He ultimately does not take Job’s protest seriously. He then extols God’s greatness (36:22-37:13), which he uses to suggest that there is much that Job does not know (37:14-19), which the Lord’s speech will build on; but also suggests that Job should not ask questions of God (37:20-24). Elihu suggests that Job may be asking for more than he can handle!