Job 34 GOD IS JUST - ALWAYS! Apparently neither Job nor the "three friends" had anything to say to Elihu after he had spoken frankly against all of them. He had condemned the friends for their lack of answers to Job's question and their false reasoning behind their condemnation of Job. Then Job was the object of Elihu's corrective words because Job had accused God of being unjust in allowing him to suffer as he had without knowing why. After the silent pause in which there was no reply from any of the four, the young man spoke again, going further in expressing his limited understanding of God. He charges the listeners to test his words with their ears, in the same way they would test the food they eat with their mouths to determine if it was good or bad.
We need to "try the spirits." There is a lot of teaching today that is not biblical or spiritual. Some is actually given that seeks to explain away the fundamentals of the faith. Probably one of the most prevalent of the false teachings is to challenge the doctrine of eternal punishment. Most people think "God is too kind" to punish sin. Even many "evangelicals" do not teach or accept the fact of a literal hell and lake of fire that awaits the ungodly who reject Christ in their lives. They think that is incompatible with their view of God who is merciful and loving. In their opinion, tolerance and acceptance, and just punishment for sin cannot coexist. Consequently, the doctrine of God, the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the infallibility of the inspired word of God are merely subjective. In order to accept this position their view is the Bible is merely allegorical giving a general view of humanity that is not based on unchanging standards of God's holiness. Even the ten commandments turn out to be mere suggestions rather than "thou shalts," and "thou shalt nots."
Elihu's point in this chapter is that God is not capable of injustice. Whether He is silent or active, He has reasons behind what He does not do as well as what He does. Those reasons are just, because God Himself is just. In this dissertation he seeks to make Job understand, his claims against God for allowing calamity to happen to him, are unjust. Job also claimed that God was unfair to him for not telling him why he was suffering. We know a person in the throes of deep pain and emotional suffering, may often say things and think things that are extreme and exaggerated. The situation doesn't make it right, nor does it excuse us from the consequences that might come from what is thought and said, but we can identify with Job in this.
Job had been outspoken in his criticism of God, and that had offended Elihu. Job had indicated, even though he may not have articulated it exactly, that there is really no benefit in being righteous, because God is going to punish you anyway if He so chooses. This is a very important lesson for us to consider and learn. When we are in a condition of extremity, be careful what you say and how you act.
Ecstatic words or complaining words have a way of going beyond what we really mean or meant to say. Often those are the words people pick up on and remember. From them they will form opinions and even pass on to others what they heard or perceived from what was said. Even though it may not be consistent with what we actually meant or what we believe, when it is said, it may be easily taken out of context and used in a wrong way.
Descriptions of activities, suffering - even hell and the lake of fire need to be right, not speculation. To go beyond what the Bible says in explaining the doctrine of eternal punishment can be negative in its results rather than have a positive benefit to lead people to repentance. Bible knowledge and life's experiences do not negate the necessity of basing our convictions on the word of God in its context and entirety, not on taking parts of it out of context and making them suit our opinions.
Elihu contradicted Job's complaint that God acts as He wants in spite of the innocence or guilt of those involved. He states that God is too good to commit wickedness, and "He repays everyone for what they have done." God is absolute and unchanging in His justice, because He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything. He is Almighty and absolute in His supremacy. For Him to be unjust would mean there is nothing right. The whole basis of life is dependent on our unchanging God. Every standard of life we live by; every law that governs people and nations; every principle upon which our existence depends is based on the fact that God is just, all-powerful, all-knowing and unchanging in His character.
He does not favor the rich over the poor, the high and mighty over the lowly and humble. Every person is dependent on God for survival until the time of their death either in bed or on a battlefield. No matter who they are, life and death are in His just hand. Those who do wrong will not escape just judgment, and even then, God is not unfair when He "strikes" the "wicked who turn back from Him." God's judgment is always accurate and appropriate whether it be justice brought on an individual or a nation. If God chooses to take His time in bringing about the consequences of wickedness that is His prerogative. He is the universal Sovereign.
Elihu seemed to have a pretty sound understanding of God and His ways in spite of his youth and limitations. As he comes to the end of his second monologue, he questions his listeners to state if they know God has been wrong towards anyone who has sincerely sought for instruction from Him. It seems like he accused Job of commanding God to answer and deal with his situation on his terms. That would be like challenging God to prove that Job has been wrong in some way, and that God was obligated to respond to Job's challenge.
It is to this attitude Elihu addresses the three men listening as well as Job at the end of this discourse. He said Job spoke unadvisedly and without wisdom, and has "added rebellion" to what he had said, by refusing to yield to God by being silent and waiting for God to bring the whole situation to the conclusion of His choice.
Lest we be too condemning of Job and his complaints, we need to consider ourselves and how we would (and do) respond to tension, discouragement and what we consider unfair. Also, we need to think about what we would do and how we would speak in order to say what we mean, and at the same time not blame someone else for the disaster that comes on us.
The holy and unholy both have their humanity in common, and many speak hasty words without thinking of the consequences that may result. For us to "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey," is easy to sing when things are going good with us. It is quite different when things all fall apart. Whether we like to admit it or not, doesn't change the fact that God is in control, and He has divine objectives that may be way beyond our comprehension at the present time. Our circumstances in life, "our time," and the length of our training time here on earth, are totally dependent on the sovereign will of God.