Job 36:1-33
Exalted by His Power
Read the passage
1And Elihu continued:
2“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.
3I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
4For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.
5Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6He does not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted.
7He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.
8And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,
9then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed.
10He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity.
11If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.
12But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.
13The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help.
14They die in their youth, among the male shrine prostitutes.
15God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.
16Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness.
17But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you.
18Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray.
19Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress?
20Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes.
21Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.
22Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him?
23Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?
24Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song.
25All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar.
26Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.
27For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist,
28which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind.
29Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
30See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea.
31For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance.
32He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
33The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Elihu asks Job to bear with him a little longer while he shows that more can be said for God. He claims knowledge from afar and tells Job that one perfect in knowledge is with him. Elihu is making a bold claim for his own words. The confidence is striking, especially because God Himself will soon speak.
Elihu says God does not keep the wicked alive or turn His eyes away from the righteous. He gives the afflicted justice, lifts them from distress, and tells them what they have done so they may turn from iniquity. Again, the general pattern is appealing, but it does not explain every case.
If people obey and serve God, they spend their days in prosperity; if they do not listen, they perish. Elihu warns Job against choosing iniquity over affliction. Wrongdoing is no escape from pain, and wealth cannot purchase deliverance. He describes God rescuing people through affliction by opening their ears to correction. That is more than punishment, though it does not establish that secret wrongdoing caused Job’s original losses.
He tells Job to magnify God's work and remember that people have seen it. God is exalted by His power and cannot be searched out. The speech ends with God drawing up water and sending rain, providing food as well as commanding lightning. His power sustains life; it is not merely a force to frighten Job.
Questions
1 What does Elihu say God gives the afflicted?
AnswerHe gives them justice, lifts them from distress, and tells them what they have done.
2 What happens to those who serve God?
AnswerElihu says they spend their days in prosperity, though the book challenges this formula.
3 What does Elihu warn Job not to choose?
AnswerHe warns Job not to choose iniquity rather than affliction.
4 What does Elihu say about God's power?
AnswerHe says God is exalted by His power and cannot be searched out.
What This Means for Us
Suffering can bring temptations of its own: bitterness, dishonesty, or the wish to hurt someone else. Elihu’s warning asks us to consider what we choose while pain remains.
Ask God for relief and for help to keep from wrongdoing. A patient friend can help with both. We need not know why an affliction came before seeking God’s strength to endure it faithfully.
Prayer
God of perfect knowledge, make our confidence proportionate to what we truly know. Give us compassion in affliction, wisdom in counsel, and humility before the greatness we cannot search out. Amen.