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

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!