JOB LESSON 32


     We will begin this lesson in Job 33:1 "Wherefore, Job, I pray
thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words."

     In the last lesson, we were introduced to Elihu. We may safely
assume that this was Elihu speaking, here. He was a young man. He
believed that God had guided what he was about to say. Job had not
received the messages from his three friends, so Elihu started out by
telling Job to listen carefully to what he had to say. Elihu felt that
he was speaking the words to follow, for God.

     Job 33:2 "Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath
spoken in my mouth."  Job 33:3 "My words [shall be of] the uprightness
of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly."

     Elihu had carefully considered what he was about to say and he
felt the things he would say were more important than what Job's
friends had said. He would be speaking from a pure heart. He will not
speak in circles, but directly as much as his knowledge would allow
him to.

     Job 33:4 "The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the
Almighty hath given me life."

     This was Elihu's way of saying, that what he was, was by the act
of God.  Even the life within him was put there by God. Elihu believed
the Holy Spirit of God had quickened him to speak. He was not saying
that he spoke as an oracle of God, however.

     Job 33:5 "If thou canst answer me, set [thy words] in order
before me, stand up."

     He wanted Job to carefully listen to him and then answer him, if
he could.

     Job 33:6 "Behold, I [am] according to thy wish in God's stead: I
also am formed out of the clay."

     Job had asked for audience with God, or for God to send an angel
with a message for him, that he might state his case to God. Elihu
claimed to be sent of God for that purpose. He explained to Job, that
he was flesh and blood man, and not an angel.

     Job 33:7 "Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither
shall my hand be heavy upon thee."

     Elihu would not be a terror to Job as God would have been, if He
were arguing with Job. Job would not be intimidated by Elihu.

     Job 33:8 "Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have
heard the voice of [thy] words, [saying],"

     It appears, that Elihu had been there, when Job was talking to
his three friends. He heard both sides of the conversations. The
things Elihu heard and repeated, here, were not exact, but
approximately what he believed he heard Job say.

     Job 33:9 "I am clean without transgression, I [am] innocent;
neither [is there] iniquity in me."

     Job had never said these exact words. He had said, that he was
innocent of the charges that his friends had made. Job knew and
expressed, that all men were sinners to some extent. He was not living
a sinful life, however. His heart was stayed upon God. He had asked
God to weigh him on the balance scales. Job, also, knew that he had
been forgiven of all sins he ever committed, when he said his Redeemer
liveth.

     Job 33:10 "Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth
me for his enemy,"  Job 33:11 "He putteth my feet in the stocks, he
marketh all my paths."

     Again, these exact things were not said. Job, in his despair, had
thought for a moment that God had turned against him. In a sense, God
had turned his back on Job for just a short time. God even turned his
back on Jesus on the cross for just a moment. Jesus even said, "Why
hast thou forsaken me?" Job just felt forsaken for a moment in time.

     Job 33:12 "Behold, [in] this thou art not just: I will answer
thee, that God is greater than man."

     Job had never denied that God was greater than man. The only
reason that Job had questioned what had happened to him at all, was
because he did not understand what he had done, to be punished with
such calamities. Job had not done anything offensive to God. This was
Satan bringing all of these calamities to Job.

     Job 33:13 "Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not
account of any of his matters."

     Elihu had obviously misunderstood Job's intentions. Job was not
criticizing God for anything He had done. He was not asking God for an
account. He just wanted to understand, why this was happening? I
personally do not feel that Job erred in this.

     Job 33:14 "For God speaketh once, yea twice, [yet man] perceiveth
it not."

     Eliihu was trying to say that God would not answer Job. God
speaks to man on His own terms. Elihu believed that God speaks, and
man does not understand.

     Job 33:15 "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep
falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;"

     In the very earliest of times, this might have been true to some
extent. It was not true in the case of Adam. God came in the cool of
the evening and fellowshipped with Adam. I would believe that Elihu
believed this to be the only communication that God had with man,
simply because it was the way He communicated with him. We all believe
in the things that have happened to us personally. God does use dreams
and visions, but He uses many other ways, as well.

     Job 33:16 "Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their
instruction,"

     This was not speaking of the physical ear. It was speaking of the
ear of their understanding. This was speaking of God speaking to the
spirit of man, and giving him instructions.

     Job 33:17 "That he may withdraw man [from his] purpose, and hide
pride from man."

     Elihu believed that God would re-direct a person's life through
dreams and night visions. Elihu believed that Job was a prideful man.
Job's friends had thought this, too. They all believed that, because
Job had been a wealthy man, and God had taken all of it away.

     Job 33:18 "He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life
from perishing by the sword."

     He again said, that God would warn man in a dream not to go to a
battle, or get killed, if he would listen.

     Job 33:19 "He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the
multitude of his bones with strong [pain]:"

     Elihu said, that the pain and suffering that Job had been feeling
on his bed was a chastisement from God. He said, that even that was a
message from God to Job.

     Job 33:20 "So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty
meat."

     He was speaking of a sickness so bad, that he did not want to
eat.

     Job 33:21 "His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
and his bones [that] were not seen stick out."

     He was describing the very illness that Job had. He counted Job's
illness as a chastisement from God. Elihu believed that God brought
this illness on Job to give him time to repent, before he died. We
know that this part of his statement was not true. Job was attaacked
by Satan, because God thought Job to be righteous.

     Job 33:22 "Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his
life to the destroyers."

     Elihu went on to say, if the person did not repent, God would
send the angels {destroyers} to take his life from him. These threats
by Elihu were very obvious.

     Job 33:23 "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one
among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:"

     The messenger, interpreter, could be speaking of an angel sent
from heaven to shew uprightness. This was prophetically speaking of
that great Redeemer Jesus Christ who came to save the sinner.

     Job 33:24 "Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him
from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."

     The prophetic meaning, here, was that Jesus ransomed all who
would believe. He is the great Mediator between God and sinful man. We
are saved by grace.

     Job 33:25 "His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall
return to the days of his youth:"

     This is speaking of the restoration provided by God to man. Jesus
took the sin of the whole world on His body on the cross. It is sin
that destroys the flesh. When the sin is removed, man is restored.

     Job 33:26 "He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto
him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man
his righteousness."

     This was prophetically speaking of that great Intercessor for all
mankind {Jesus Christ}. Notice, He gave His righteousness to man.

     Job 33:27 "He looketh upon men, and [if any] say, I have sinned,
and perverted [that which was] right, and it profited me not;"
Job 33:28 "He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his
life shall see the light."

     All of this was prophetic about the sinner coming to Christ and
being saved. Jesus is the Light of the world.

     Job 33:29 "Lo, all these [things] worketh God oftentimes with
man,"

     Elihu had gone back to his statement of God working with men
through dreams and visions.

     Job 33:30 "To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened
with the light of the living."

     He was stressing, in this, that God was their only hope, and that
they could reach Him through repentance and receiving their
instructions from God.

     Job 33:31 "Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and
I will speak."
     He wanted Job to pay very close attention to what he had said. He
wanted Job to hold his peace and not speak, until he was completely
through, and then he could speak.

     Job 33:32 "If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I
desire to justify thee."

     It appears, he believed that Job would be so astonished by what
he had said, that he would not have any answer to this. He said, if
you can answer this, then go ahead and speak. Elihu said, that he
would like to find Job innocent of all charges.

     Job 33:33 "If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall
teach thee wisdom."

     Elihu had become over zealous, or else he felt he knew a great
deal more than Job. This I would call being conceited, or self-
centered. Job, probably, did not answer him earlier, because he felt
he did not need to justify himself to this young man. It was a very
braggadocious {bold} statement on his part, that he might teach Job
wisdom.  Job found it totally unnecessary and unprofitable to speak to
Elihu.  We could safely assume that this was Elihu's youth speaking.
He should have known better.































                           Job 32 Questions


1.  Who was speaking in verse 1?
2.  He thought he was speaking for whom?
3.  Elihu believed he would be speaking from a pure ________.
4.  Elihu said, the very life within him was from _________.
5.  In verse 6, Elihu said he was in _________ stead.
6.  Elihu was formed of what?
7.  Job would not be _____________ by Elihu.
8.  How did Elihu know what had been said up to now?
9.  Quote Job chapter 33 verse 9.
10. Instead of what Elihu said in verse 9, what had Job really said?
11. What were some other things that Elihu said Job had said?
12. Job had never denied that God was greater than _______.
13. What was Elihu trying to say in verse 14?
14. What were the only ways that Elihu knew of that God spoke to man?
15. Why did he believe that?
16. Verse 16 is speaking of what ear?
17. Elihu believed that Job was a ____________ man.
18. What did Elihu believe the pain and suffering of Job was?
19. Who actually had attacked Job?
20. Who were the destroyers in verse 22?
21. Who was verse 23 prophetically speaking of?
22. What wass the prophetic meaning of verse 24?
23. Who is the great Intercessor?
24. Why did he think Job would not answer him?
25. What was the real reason Job did not answer him?