Daily Scripture Reading Job 32:11 - 33:22
There is a lot of pressure in modern society to always get along, don’t make waves, and don’t offend anyone. That mentality puts a damper on speaking the truth. Many times, speaking the truth involves saying things people don’t want to hear. Saying things people don’t want to hear is not the path to always getting along and never making waves.
Elihu was a young man, and he allowed the older men to speak while he remained silent. Eventually, he started speaking and said some things that were critical of Job and Job’s three friends. He spoke because he experienced something all righteous people should experience at some point. Elihu reached a point where he was so disturbed by what was happening that he felt compelled to speak. He could no longer refrain from expressing his opinion.
Today, we resume reading the 19th section of Job. This section is Elihu’s pronouncement about Job and Job’s condition. Elihu was young, so he allowed the older men to speak first, but when they ceased talking because they couldn’t convince Job he was suffering because of sin, then Elihu began his discourse.
Job 32:11 ¶ “Behold, I waited for your words,
I gave ear to your reasonings,
While you searched out what to say.
The pronoun “I” refers to Elihu. The pronoun “you” refers to Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
Job 32:12 I even carefully considered you;
And behold, there was no one who reproved Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
Job 32:13 Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God will drive him away, not man.’
Job 32:14 Now he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I respond to him with your words.
Job 32:15 ¶ “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
Words have moved away from them.
The pronoun “they” refers to Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Elihu changed his focus in this verse. He was no longer speaking to the three men, he was speaking about them.
Job 32:16 Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they stand still and no longer answer?
Job 32:17 I myself will also answer my share;
I also will tell my knowledge.
Job 32:18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within my belly presses me.
Look at the words “full” and “presses”. Elihu felt compelled to speak.
Job 32:19 Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, not opened;
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
The art of Hebrew poetry is creating repetition and contrast. Verse 19 is a repeat of verse 18, only stated in a different way. Elihu was so compelled to speak, his belly was about to burst.
Elihu had allowed the elderly to speak, but when they failed to convince Job he was suffering due to sin, Elihu could no longer remain silent. He had to give vent to his beliefs.
There is a lot of pressure in modern society to always get along, don’t make waves, and don’t offend anyone. There may be a time and place for that, but when people become convinced something is wrong, they develop an urge to speak. People who go against the status quo are not necessarily trying to offend people, sometimes they simply feel compelled to speak the truth. Sometimes that is good, because the Bible tells us to speak the truth.
Job 32:20 Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
Job 32:21 Let me now be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
Job 32:22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon carry me away.
Job 33:1 ¶ “However now, Job, please hear my speech,
And give ear to all my words.
Take note of the name “Job”. At this point, Elihu was addressing Job.
Job 33:2 Behold now, I open my mouth;
My tongue in my mouth speaks.
Job 33:3 My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:5 Respond to me if you can;
Arrange yourselves before me, take your stand.
Job 33:6 Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay.
Job 33:7 Behold, no dread of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.
Job 33:8 ¶ “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your speech:
Job 33:9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no guilt in me.
Job 33:10 Behold, He finds reasons for opposition against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
Job 33:11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
He keeps watch over all my paths.’
Notice the single quotation mark at the beginning of verse 9 and the end of verse 11. Those verses are Elihu quoting Job. That is an accurate summary of Job’s speeches. Job declared he was innocent and that God was treating him as an enemy.
Job 33:12 Behold, let me answer you; you are not right in this,
For God is greater than mortal man.
The pronoun “me” refers to Elihu. The pronoun “you” refers to Job. Elihu told Job he was wrong. Elihu’s reason was that God is greater than man. Elihu was correct that God is greater than man.
Job 33:13 ¶ “Why do you contend against Him?
For He does not give an answer for all His doings.
I agree with Elihu on this. God does not give an answer for what He does. God is sovereign. He can do anything He desires.
Job 33:14 Indeed God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one perceives it.
Job 33:15 In a dream, a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
Job 33:16 Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals in their discipline,
Job 33:17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep man from pride;
Job 33:18 He holds back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over to death by a weapon.
Job 33:19 ¶ “Man is also reproved with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing contention in his bones,
Elihu claimed that man is reproved with pain. That may be true sometimes, but it is not always true. The story of Job proves that is not always true.
Job 33:20 So that his life loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
Job 33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones which were not seen stick out.
Job 33:22 Then his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.
There is a lot of pressure in modern society to always get along, don’t make waves, and don’t offend anyone. There may be a time and place for that, but when upright people become convinced something is wrong, they develop an urge to speak. People who go against the status quo are not necessarily trying to offend people, sometimes they simply feel compelled to speak the truth. Sometimes that is good, because the Bible tells us to speak the truth.
What is an occasion when you felt compelled to speak the truth because you could no longer tolerate the falsehoods that were allowed to stand?
What were the results or consequences of speaking the truth?
Is there a time you should have spoken the truth, but didn’t because you were afraid of making waves?
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to Bible Mountain dotcom, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold nor given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”