Righteousness of Self, or of God?

Job 35:1-16 

1 Moreover Elihu answered and said:

2 "Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
'My righteousness is more than God's'?

3 For you say,
'What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'

4 "I will answer you,
And your companions with you.

5 Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.

6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?

8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
9 "Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.

10 But no one says, Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,
11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?'

12 There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.

15 And now, because He has not punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
16 Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge."

Elihu asked Job if he thought he was more righteous than God, if any good was from his own supposed righteousness or God’s righteousness.  He accused Job of thinking it was better to sin than to strive for more righteousness and suffer anyway.  Elihu answered these errant thoughts to Job and his three counselors.  He first pointed heavenward to demonstrate how much higher God is than man, even the clouds which are far beneath the LORD in heaven.  He then pointed out that whether a man sins or acts righteously, you do not harm God nor give Him something which He does not already have.  God is sovereign and self-existing apart from us; we are not so important as to sway who He is by our actions, but rather harm ourselves or please Him as we are created to do.  Our wickedness and righteousness alike lead us to cry out to God for help.  We should be looking for God who gives us songs in the night (Psalm 42:8, 77:6, Acts 16:25) and teaches us to be wise by His word, the One who cares more for us than the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26).  Pride keeps the answers away and the empty words from being regarded by God.  He reminded Job and we who read this that we cannot see God, yet must wait patiently for His justice in His time.  Because Elihu saw the self-righteousness in Job, he spoke this way to remind him to not blame God for perceived unjust suffering, but to watch his words to avoid folly by lack of wisdom backing them.  Is then our own righteousness of God, or of ourselves?  This question should keep us from empty words of blame or reasoning, instead waiting on God in all circumstances for His resolution and wisdom.  Let us learn from such biblical exhortation that we converse with God in honoring prayer of trust and long suffering.