Wisdom Books Job

The Mediator

Discover Jesus as: Promised Redeemer Job 36 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 389 of 730
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INTRO

The goal of Revive School has been to point out how all of Scripture points to the Messiah. Sometimes that pointing is a foreshadowing of Christ; sometimes it has been Christ Himself who has shown up; sometimes we have seen a type of Christ figure. Elihu came onto the scene after Job prayed for a mediator. Elihu gives two speeches in today’s chapter, his fifth and sixth in total.

TEACHING

Job 36:1–7: Elihu asks for patience as he begins another speech by asserting that God has “perfect knowledge” (v. 4). MacArthur observes Elihu “began by repeating the thought that though God sends trouble, He is just and merciful.”1 Elihu challenges Job’s assertion that the wicked are not punished by God.

Job 36:8-15: MacArthur notes the word “affliction,” used in verse nine, came from a root word meaning “misery” or “poverty.” “The image evoked by this word is that of a person bowed down under the weight of a heavy burden. Scripture portrays the Lord as seeing the afflictions that bring pain to His people and hearing the anguished cries of those in distress. The Lord urges us to place our burdens on Him, for he is strong enough to bear them and loves us so much that He will assist us in our time of need. Moreover, since He controls all events, we can be assured that He is accomplishing good out of the temporary difficulties we are now facing. The entire story of Job provides a vivid example of this fact.”2

“Casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Constable observes two possible outcomes to God’s teaching according to Elihu: “hearing (v. 11) and not hearing (v. 12), and each has consequences.”3 Those who have a godless heart, who do not want to hear God’s teaching harbor anger, refusing to turn to God for help, live a life of shame, and eventually die (vv. 13-14). The godly who suffer turn to God, submit to Him, learn from their suffering, and live (v. 15).4Nelson’s Commentary charges, “Do not reject God’s message by failing to cry out to him for help.”5

Job 36:16-21: Wiersbe highlights three warnings Elihu gave to Job:6

  1. Job might try to buy his way out of his suffering (vv. 18–19)—A writer in the Wall Street Journal observed, “Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider for everything except happiness.”7
  2. Job might consider taking his own life (v. 20)
  3. Job might give up hope and turn to sin (v. 21)

Job 36:22–33: In his final speech, Elihu urges Job to try something new. He paints a picture of the greatness of God and urges Job to praise God.8

Elihu was a picture of Christ. He represents a mediator between God and Job. Elihu’s name means “He is my God” or “God, the Lord.”9 His father’s name was Barachel, which means “God blesses” or “May God bless.”10 So Elihu was “He is my God,” the son of “God blesses.”

““After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. And there came a voice from heaven: ‘This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!’” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Elihu suddenly showed up in Job’s story similarly to how Jesus suddenly made His first public appearance at His baptism.

Elihu was a Buzite (Job 32:2). Buzite means “the Despised.” So Elihu was “He is my God,” the son of “God blesses” of the tribe “The Despised.”11

“‘Elijah does come first and restores everything,’ He replied. ‘How then is it written about the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?’” (Mark 9:12). All of Elihu’s names and his entire family heritage pointed to the coming Christ.

“Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt, mocked Him, dressed Him in a brilliant robe, and sent Him back to Pilate” (Luke 23:11).

Elihu was also from the family of Ram (Job 32:2), which can mean “high” or “exalted.”12

Elihu began his speeches by being angry at Job “because he [Job] had justified himself rather than God” (Job 32:2). The self-righteous will always try to justify their lives. It doesn’t work. We can see another picture of this in the story of the good Samaritan found in Luke 10, when an expert in the law questions Jesus. “But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29). Jesus responds with the famous parable and shows the man just how impossible it is to live a self-righteous lifestyle.

CLOSING

Job asks for a mediator and got one in Elihu. Elihu serves as a picture of Christ. Christ serves as our mediator. Christ serves as our ransom. Christ is the light of life, and Elihu shows up in the midst of Job’s darkness with a better answer than Job’s three friends. Elihu told Job that Job could not justify himself. He needed God to do that, just like we need Christ to justify us before God.

  1. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 590.

  2. MacArthur, p. 590.

  3. Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Job, p. 118; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/job.pdf.

  4. Constable, p. 118.

  5. Earl Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), p. 638.

  6. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2004), p. 74.

  7. The Wall Street Journal; cited in Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2004), p. 74.

  8. Wiersbe, p. 74.

  9. Steve Kline, Living Room Theology, iTunes; available at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/living-room-theology/id1195467009?mt=2.

  10. Constable, p. 107.

  11. “Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite,” www.thetrueman.org, November 11, 2018; available at http://www.thetrueman.org/elihu-the-buzite/.

  12. Mark Allen Powell, ed., HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, abridged (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009, “Ram”; available at www.Bibleodyssey.org.

Questions

  1. Elihu said he had more to speak on God’s behalf (Job 36:2). Did God need or want someone to “speak” for Him? Elihu also said “one who has perfect knowledge is with you” (Job 36:4). Did Elihu claim that he was perfect? Has someone in your life spoken like Elihu?
  2. Elihu said if you obey and serve God, then all your days will be spent in prosperity and pleasure (Job 36:11). Was this statement accurate? Why or why not (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12; Hebrews 12:1–11; 1 Peter 4:12-13)?
  3. Elihu said Job chose iniquity instead of affliction from God (Job 36:21). Was that true? Why or why not? Has there been a time when you felt you were being judged by someone who “spoke for God”? Did that alter your perspective of God? Why or why not?
  4. WWhat did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Job 36 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Job 36:21

“Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction.”

Elihu continued speaking into Job’s life and even asked Job to be patient with him a little longer. In many ways, Elihu answered Job’s plea for a mediator. As one who received knowledge from a distant place, Elihu spoke different truths into Job’s life in the midst of his suffering. Elihu warned Job to be careful not to turn to sin in the midst of his affliction.

When you are stuck in a pit of despair, this is not the time in your life to turn to sin. Lord willing, through your affliction, you will be refined and will grow in perseverance, character, and hope. Don’t give up on hope and choose sin. When life gets tough, don’t turn to alcohol and begin drinking your sorrows away. When life gets tough, don’t just go out shopping and accumulate debt. When life gets tough with your marriage, don’t turn to other relationships to fill the void. Instead, turn to the Lord. Press on in hope through the affliction. Nothing else but Christ will satisfy your heart. Nothing. No woman. No man. No drink. No purchase. Nothing but the love of Christ. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus until He shows up. And He will show up because He is faithful. Don’t lose hope.

“Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity, for that is why you have been tested by affliction.”

–– Job 36:21

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Psalm 37:24 — “Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand.”
  • Romans 5:3–5 — “And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:1–2 — “Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, we do not give up. Instead, we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking in deceit or distorting God’s message, but commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in God’s sight by an open display of the truth.”