Job
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Job 35
Job 35
1Moreover Elihu answered and said, 2Thinkest thou this to be thy right, Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God’s, 3That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?
4I will answer thee, And thy companions with thee.
1Elihu spake moreover, and said,
2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
3For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
4I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.
Commentary · verses 1-4
5Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.
6If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand?
5Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?
Commentary · verses 5-7
Elihu referred to a statement made by Eliphaz from Job 22:2.
8Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.
9By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10But none saith, Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night, 11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?
12There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it.
8Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
9By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;
11Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
12There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
Commentary · verses 8-13
Huge point: If the innocent cried to anything except God, then God did not answer.
Elihu said God would not hear a cry that was not directed to Him...if He did, it would be unjust. If God responded, then He would be telling people they did not need to recognize Him.
14How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!
14Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.
Commentary · verse 14
Elihu stated Job was worse off than those who did not call on God because he was expecting an answer. Those who were enemies of God did not expect God to respond. Job thought God looked at him as an enemy. Job thought that because he was experiencing the same effects as a wicked person, that the cause was that God treated the wicked and good the same. Job was abusing causality, the same thing his three "friends" did.
15But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance; 16Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.
15But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:
16Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
Commentary · verses 15-16
Elihu stated that since God had not punished Job out of anger, Job had been allowed to speak without knowledge. Job was missing a Fourth Truth. Notice, Job was not contrastive and he abused causality after his suffering occurred. This was the same thing Satan did at the beginning of this book! Satan was not contrastive and he reversed causality. God was contrastive and used causality correctly to prove He was right. In fact, God let Satan try to prove himself right first. Elihu did the same thing as God. Elihu allowed the three friends and Job the first opportunity to prove themselves correct, which was contrastive. Then, Elihu correctly used causality to justify God.
Elihu stated Job's Conclusion #2 from Job 9:30-31 (If profitability did not prevent God from destroying, then there was no profit in trying to be good).
Job's Conclusion #2 actually depended on his Conclusion #1. Elihu had already proven Conclusion #2 was wrong, however, Elihu continued to walk through his model in order to show Job the cause of his wrong conclusions...