JOB LESSON 35


     We will begin this lesson in Job 36:1 "Elihu also proceeded, and
said," Job 36:2 "Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that [I
have] yet to speak on God's behalf."

     Elihu acted as if he was fighting in behalf of God against Job.
Job was not opposed to God, and never had been. Elihu was not through
saying things that he thoughy might benefit in answering what he
called Job's charges against God. Job really had placed no charges
against God. Job just wanted to know what he had done to cause all of
the calamity that had come upon him.

     Job 36:3 "I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe
righteousness to my Maker."

     Everyone who is a true believer {including Job} know that
righteousness belongs to God. He was trying to prove to Job that God
was righteous and Job already knew that He was righteous. Job, also,
knew that we could put on the righteousness of God through belief in
the Lord.

     Job 36:4 "For truly my words [shall] not [be] false: he that is
perfect in knowledge [is] with thee."

     This was an extremely egotistical statement. Perhaps, he said
this to impress on Job that he was telling the truth.

     Job 36:5 "Behold, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not [any: he is]
mighty in strength [and] wisdom."

     Job fully agreed that God was mighty. He, also, agreed that God
was just in his dealings with man. Job, also, knew that God had great
love for all men. He is not a respecter of persons, and does not
esteem one over another. God's strength is greater than any other, and
He is the source of all wisdom. All of these things were stated by
Elihu to prove that God was just. Job had not questioned whether God
was just or not.

     Job 36:6 "He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth
right to the poor."

     Elihu had said, that he would say new things that would convince
Job. All of these statements, Job, himself had already given.

     Job 36:7 "He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but
with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for
ever, and they are exalted."

     God exalts, and God brings down. There is no argument with that.
Job had mentioned earlier that he had been under the watchful eye of
the LORD, before all of these calamities came. Job was not judging
God.  He just wanted to understand what was happening.
     Job 36:8 "And if [they be] bound in fetters, [and] be holden in
cords of affliction;" Job 36:9 "Then he sheweth them their work, and
their transgressions that they have exceeded."

     Elihu, along with Job's friends, were relating difficulties in
this life with being out of fellowship with God. This is absolutely
not true. All of the apostles who followed Jesus, except for one, were
believed to have died a martyr's death. That, in itself, discredits
the theory that Elihu had here. These apostles suffered for doing
good, not for doing wrong. Stephen was stoned to death for preaching
the gospel. Those who are looking for just good times when they come
to the Lord, have come to Him for the wrong reason. II Timothy 2:12
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he
also will deny us:"  We must be extremely careful ourselves about
coming to Christ, because wethink it will eliminate our problems.

     Job 36:10 "He openeth also their ear to discipline, and
commandeth that they return from iniquity." Job 36:11 "If they obey
and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their
years in pleasures."

     We must be careful to remember that these statements were made by
Elihu. This did not happen for any of the prophets of old, and
certainly, is not the criteria for a perfect life on earth now. In the
old covenant, there were blessings that went with obedience to God,
and curses for disobedience, but that did not mean that, that was a
blanket policy. God judges the heart more than he judges the actions
of people. Many people who are wonderful God-fearing people are poor.

     Job 36:12 "But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword,
and they shall die without knowledge."

     To disobey God is to say that He is not Lord. Your Lord tells you
everything to do. The only thing that God will not forgive is a person
dying not believing in Him.

     Job 36:13 "But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry
not when he bindeth them."

     There was much truth mingled in with the false accusations of
Elihu, here. Notice, in this, he mentioned the hypocrisy was in the
heart. This statement is true. Hypocrisy is showing the world one
thing and having an entirely different feeling in your heart.
Hypocrites store up the wrath of God for themselves.

     Job 36:14 "They die in youth, and their life [is] among the
unclean."

     This was Elihu's opinion. Many hypocrites live to be very old.

     Job 36:15 He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth
their ears in oppression."

     We discussed earlier, that Job was the champion of the poor.
Elihu said that suffering for one's sins leads to God.

     Job 36:16 "Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait
[into] a broad place, where [there is] no straitness; and that which
should be set on thy table [should be] full of fatness."

     It appears, that Elihu was trying to say that Job would have been
delivered from this terrible calamity he had been in, if he had
accepted that calamity in the right spirit, and repented of his sins.

     Job 36:17 "But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked:
judgment and justice take hold [on thee]."

     It seems, that every few verses Elihu weny back to telling Job he
deserved all of the punishment that had come upon him. He was saying,
here, that God had judged Job, and now, all of this calamity was the
just punishment from God.

     Job 36:18 "Because [there is] wrath, [beware] lest he take thee
away with [his] stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee."

     In this particular verse, he was saying that Job had gone too
far. Elihu thought that God should have just killed Job. Elihu told
Job there was danger of getting to the point where nothing could
ransom him.

     Job 36:19 "Will he esteem thy riches? [no], not gold, nor all the
forces of strength."

     Gold and other riches will not be of help to Job, or anyone else,
if the wrath of God came. Job's riches could not take away the
terrible disease in his body. The wealth could not bring his children
back to life.

     Job 36:20 "Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their
place."

     Job wanted God to take his life and end his suffering. Job had no
desire to kill himself. He wanted God to end his life. Job knew that
life and death should be in the hands of God, not in the hands of man.
Elihu told Job not to even desire to die.

     Job 36:21 "Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou
chosen rather than affliction."

     Elihu thought that Job should not complain, or even desire to
die. He thought Job should just patiently accept his affliction as
just punishment from God.

     Job 36:22 "Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like
him?"

     Elihu thought God was teaching Job a lesson in these calamities.
He thought if Job would accept his punishment, God would eventually
restore him. He, also, thought that it was by His power that God
ruled.

     Job 36:23 "Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou
hast wrought iniquity?"

     Of course, no one can say this to God. The thing was, Job had
never said this to God. He was being accused of things he had never
done.  Elihu accused Job of trying to teach God a better way.

     Job 36:24 "Remember that thou magnify his work, which men
behold." Job 36:25 "Every man may see it; man may behold [it] afar
off."

     Elihu was instructing Job to magnify God even in his sufferings.
He was reminding Job that many were looking on, to see how he handled
this problem. Elihu had no idea the extent of what he had said. It was
true, Satan and all the angels in heaven were looking on. Of course,
the people around Job on the earth were looking, too. It is strange,
but even our generation look to Job in awe at his endurance. Many
times, we compare out troubles with his. We always think, my troubles
are less than his were, perhaps we too can stand without falling. He
is an encouragement to us all.

     Job 36:26 "Behold, God [is] great, and we know [him] not, neither
can the number of his years be searched out."

     This was an understatement by Elihu. God's greatness endures
forever. His years cannot be numbered, because He is eternal. He is
Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. There is no way that mere
man can comprehend the greatness of God.  He is omnipresent. He is
omniscient. He is omnipotent. Ephesians 4:6 "One God and Father of
all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all." The best
view we have of God is in Jesus in Ephesians 1:20 "Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own
right hand in the heavenly [places]," Ephesians 1:21 "Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:"
Ephesians 1:22 "And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him
[to be] the head over all [things] to the church,"

     Job 36:27 "For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down
rain according to the vapour thereof:"

     God has complete control of all nature. He causes the sun to draw
the water from the earth. It is held in the clouds, until He causes it
to rain. He is all power.

     Job 36:28 "Which the clouds do drop [and] distil upon man
abundantly."

     It is God's decision how much rain will fall, and where it is to
fall. One of the promises God made to those who obeyed Him, was that
it would rain when they needed it for their crops to grow. Rain at the
right time and in the right amount is a blessing from God.

     Job 36:29 "Also can [any] understand the spreadings of the
clouds, [or] the noise of his tabernacle?"

     The answer to this is no. The only time we will understand, is
after we have left this body of flesh and are with Him in heaven. The
noise of the tabernacle, here, could be speaking of thunder in the
heavens.

     Job 36:30 "Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth
the bottom of the sea."

     The source of all Light is God. Jesus said He is the Light of the
world. In Him is no darkness at all. He is that Light in Genesis that
gave everything the power to be.

     Job 36:31 "For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in
abundance."

     Job would not argue about these last few verses. Job had made all
of these statements earlier, himself. All good gifts come from God.

     Job 36:32 "With clouds he covereth the light; and commandeth it
[not to shine] by [the cloud] that cometh betwixt."

     It is not Satan who controls the weather, it is God. He causes
the Light to shine. He causes the clouds to come between the Light and
the earth. God is in control of everything and everyone, including
Satan.

     Job 36:33 "The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle
also concerning the vapour."

     Even the lowly cattle know that God controls the elements of
nature.


















                           Job 35 Questions


1.  What had Elihu charged Job with, that he had not done?
2.  What do all true believers know about God?
3.  What egotistical statement did Elihu make in verse 4?
4.  What statements of Elihu did Job agree with {verse 5}?
5.  He preserveth not the life of the ___________.
6.  Job was not judging God. He just wanted to ___________ what was
    happening.
7.  Elihu and Job's friends were relating difficulties in this life
    with what?
8.  Why does the author say that is absolutely untrue?
9.  Quote 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 12.
10. The author warns that we must remember these statements were made
    by _________.
11. Many people who are God-fearing people are _______.
12. To disobey God is to say what?
13. What is the only thing God will not forgive?
14. In verse 13, Elihu said hypocrisy was in the _________.
15. What was Elihu trying to say in verse 16?
16. Elihu believed the calamities that Job had were _________
    punishment from God.
17. What did Elihu believe Job was depending on to save him?
18. Job wanted God to take his life and end ______ __________.
19. Job had no desire to _______ himself.
20. What did Elihu think Job should patiently do?
21. Elihu thought God to be _________ Job a lesson in these
    calamities.
22. Elihu accused Job of trying to teach God a _________ _______.
23. Who truly was, and is, looking on to see how Job handled these
    calamities that came to him?
24. Quote Job chapter 36 verse 26.
25. Why can God's years not be numbered?
26. Quote Ephesians chapter 4 verse 6.
27. Quote Ephesians chapter 1 verses 20, 21, and 22.
28. Who controls the rain?
29. What is the answer to verse 29?
30. The source of all Light is ________.
31. _________ gave everything the power to be.