ELIHU SAYS GOD IS BACK OF THE STORM JOB 37:1-24

Transcription

1 1 ELIHU SAYS GOD IS BACK OF THE STORM JOB 37:1-24

2 2 Text: ELIHU SAYS GOD IS BACK OF THE STORM Job 37:1-24 (NASB), 1. At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place. 2. Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that goes out form His mouth. 3. Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4. After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, and He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard. 5. God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend. 6. For to the snow He says, Fall on the earth, and to the downpour and the rain, Be strong. 7. He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. 8. Then the beast goes into its lair and remains in its den. 9. Out of the south comes the storm, and out of the north the cold. 10. From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. 11. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. 12. It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth.

3 Whether for correction, or for HIs world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. 14. Listen to this, O Job, stand and consider the wonders of God. 15. Do you know how God establishes them, and makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? 16. Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, the wonders of one perfect in knowledge, 17. You whose garments are hot, when the land is still because of the south wind? 18. Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, strong as a molten mirror? 19. Teach us what we shall say to Him; we cannot arrange our case because of darkness. 20. Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up? 21. Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies; but the wind has passed and cleared them. 22. Out of the north comes golden splendor; around God is awesome majesty. 23. The Almighty we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power and He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. 24. Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart. Commentary: Job 37:1-13, At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place. Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that goes out form His mouth. Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the

4 4 ends of the earth. After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, and He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard. God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend. For to the snow He says, Fall on the earth, and to the downpour and the rain, Be strong. He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. Then the beast goes into its lair and remains in its den. Out of the south comes the storm, and out of the north the cold. From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. Whether for correction, or for HIs world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. (NASB) Chapter 37 continues Elihu s final speech, and opens with a continuation of his discourse on the power of God as it is demonstrated in nature. We typically do not think of Job s friends as being inspired, certainly not in the sense that David was, that the New Testament authors were. Nevertheless, his words as he describes the wonders of God s power in nature have the ring of inspired truth. One wonders if the ancients were not far more aware of what we now call science than they have previously been credited. In Elihu s descriptions of how God brings the rain and the snow and the ice, he touches on aspects of meteorology that western civilization did not discover for millennia.

5 5 In v. 1 Elihu acknowledges the awe he experiences as he views God s power on display. It is not incidental that Elihu attributes every aspect of a thunder storm to the actions of God. He has a sincere respect for God and is genuinely moved by the power of the God he worships. It is God s voice in the thunder. It is God s lightning that streaks through the sky. It is God doing things that humans cannot comprehend. It is God who commands the snow and the rain (v. 6). In vs. 7-8 Elihu illustrates the power of God in the weather. The hand of every man is sealed, which refers to the fact that men cannot continue their activities when God sends His storms on the earth. Men must wait for the storms to pass. Even the wild animals must take refuge when God sends His storms. In vs Elihu shows his awareness of the weather patterns of God. The thunderstorms come from the south, but the cold comes from the north. These are patterns that still ring true today. The north wind, the breath of God, brings the ice and freezes the waters. The moisture from which the rain comes is stored in the clouds, and is unleashed by God s command. V. 12 is particularly interesting in that it describes the rotation that is present in a thunderstorm. Again, Elihu credits this action to the command of God. V. 13 summarizes Elihu s view. For whatever reason that God sends the weather, it comes only at His command. Such power as Elihu has described from 36:27-37:13 must be respected. Elihu s purpose, of course, was to impress upon Job the awesome nature of God s power and thus compel Job to humble himself and accept God s justice which had been meted out to him.

6 6 Job 37:14-20, Listen to this, O Job, stand and consider the wonders of God. Do you know how God establishes them, and makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, the wonders of one perfect in knowledge, You whose garments are hot, when the land is still because of the south wind? Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, strong as a molten mirror? Teach us what we shall say to Him; we cannot arrange our case because of darkness. Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up? (NASB) In vs Elihu makes a final personal appeal to Job. Although all his previous remarks have been directed to Job, Elihu makes a direct appeal to Job in v. 14. The call to stand and consider the wonders of God is Elihu s challenge for Job to finally acknowledge God s great power. Acknowledging this power, it is assumed, would lead Job to submit to God s judgment without further complaint. Elihu offers a series of rhetorical questions that are similar to those God Himself will offer when He finally speaks. Does Job know how God makes the clouds and the lightning? Of course he does not, because no one does. Does Job know how the clouds are made? No, he does not. How can he, since God is the one perfect in knowledge. Job is a mere man who suffers from the heat that comes by the south wind. There is no way he can understand the intricacies of God s great power over nature. In v. 18 Elihu continues his questions of Job. Can Job spread out the skies, as God has done? No, he cannot. Elihu knows this, and so does Job, if he is honest with himself.

7 7 At this point, Elihu offers some sarcasm to drive his point home. In v. 19, he invites Job to teach him and his other friends what to say to God. Then, he admits that such is impossible because they were all, Job included, in the darkness of ignorance. Elihu concludes his final appeal by assuring Job that he would never presume to speak to God as Job had lest he be swallowed up by the Almighty. Job 37:21-24, Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies; but the wind has passed and cleared them. Out of the north comes golden splendor; around God is awesome majesty. The Almighty we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power and He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart. (NASB) In vs Elihu concludes his final speech with one last declaration of the majesty and power of God. He compares the glory of God to a sky that has been swept clear of clouds after a storm. The brightness of such a sky hurts the eyes, but God s glory is far more brilliant. As he leads up to his conclusion, Elihu asserts five fundamental affirmations about God. He is: 1) inscrutable (We cannot find Him,); 2) He is powerful; 3) He does not use violence to oppress; 4) He is just; and 5) He is righteous. The conclusion of the matter, then, is to fear God (v. 24). The final statement of Elihu s speech is unclear in the Hebrew. Some translations take it in a negative sense, as in the NASB. Thus, God does not show regard for those who are wise in their own hearts. Other translations take it in a positive sense, as in the

8 8 NEB, which says all who are wise look to him. In the context, it seems that the negative connotation is more consistent with Elihu s attitude toward Job.

9 9 Questions on Job 37: What is Elihu s reaction to the power of God in nature? (37:1) 2. How does Elihu describe the thunder? (37:4, 5) 3. How does Elihu glorify God s power in his description of the thunder, lightning, rain, and snow? (37:3-6) 4. What is the reaction of man and beast to the weather God sends? (37:7, 8)

10 What does Elihu call upon Job to do? (37:14) 6. How are Elihu s rhetorical questions intended to humble Job? (37:15-18) 7. What is Elihu s sarcastic invitation to Job? (37:19) 8. Why is this a sarcastic request? (37:19)

11 How does Elihu suggest that he would not do what he believes Job has done? (37:20) 10. How does Elihu use the weather to exalt the majesty of God? (37:21:22) 11. What are the five assertions about God that comprise Elihu s final argument? (37:23) 12. What conclusion does Elihu draw from his arguments for the greatness of God? (37:24)

12 Why should men fear God? (37:24)