King Over Children of Pride

Job 41:1-34 

1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?

2 Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

3 Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?

4 Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?

5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?

6 Will your companions make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?

7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?

8 Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!

9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?

10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?

11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.

12 "I will not conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.

13 Who can remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?

15 His rows of scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16 One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.

18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.

20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

21 His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.

22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And sorrow dances before him.

23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.

25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.

26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.

27 He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.

29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.

30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.

31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.

33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.

34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride."

Various theories about what the Leviathan was here include a fire-breathing dragon or dinosaur of some sort with the armor skin and fire or smoke.  We may never know for certain in this life, and it is not the aim of God’s speech to Job here.  What does matter is that God used this formidable and untamable Leviathan as an example of pride having an unconquerable foe.  Those in pride against God face His power through creation which will ultimately defeat them.  It is a losing battle to hold such pride against the knowledge and power of the Almighty!  It is as trying to slay a dragon or take down a dinosaur bigger than a hippopotamus.  It is futile.  Everything under heaven is God’s and those He gives it to; Job is an example for us to not make a similar mistake by thinking we can have God answer to us, as if we know better.  When we suffer adversity, the cause is not always known, but God’s providence and sovereign grace are certain.  These we can and should rely on.  God used this example to show that He ultimately is the King over children of pride, not a powerful creature that He created.  Who are we to question Him or not trust His working when it is unpleasant for us?  We need to realize that all things He allows or gives is for our good and His glory as Romans 8:28 so succinctly says (Ecclesiastes 8:4-8, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  Just as the Leviathan was an example of a king over the children of pride by God’s power, our humility and living by trust in Christ is king over our own pride.  We can therefore be content while suffering, knowing divine providence is at work. 

God's Challenge to Answer

Job 40:1-24 

1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:

2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."

3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 "Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 "Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

8 "Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?

9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.

11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.

14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.

15 "Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.

19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.

20 Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.

23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.

The LORD counsels Job further, beginning with challenging him to give a response for trying to correct God as he questioned His workings in Job’s adversity.  He must answer for this.  Job responded by admitting his insignificance before the Almighty.  He put his hand over his mouth and refused to speak further as he had been doing, for he knew his error as God pointed out to him.  Out of the storm, God continued to speak with the challenge of rebuke and correction, telling Job to be a man and answer when God questioned him more.  He began by asking how in the world could His servant make His judgment as nothing in order to justify himself.  He asked if Job had God’s power or voice or majestic splendor.  He then told Job to humble others if he was really like God in these ways, pointing out of course that he could not because he was not; for if he could do these things, Job would have the power to be able to save himself from the suffering.  God pointed out the behemoth as an example of God being the only one who could bring such an uncontrollable beast under control.  Only God could care for such a powerful and massive animal; no man, including Job, had the power to subdue it.  This was the LORD’s way of using imagery to reveal Job’s prideful thinking of self-reliance and self-righteous pride, as if he were that immense and immovable behemoth.  We should consider our prideful ways as well, humbling ourselves to take every thought captive to His and His word (Romans 12:3, 2 Corinthians 10:5) as we confess and repent from such inflated opinions of ourselves.  Let us learn from Job’s example as we submit under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6-7).  God’s challenge to us comes daily from His word.  Do we submit humbly under His mighty hand of grace, or fight in our own supposed power and wisdom as if to save or deliver ourselves?

The Pride of Life

Job 39:1-30 

1 "Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their offspring.
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.

5 "Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.

9 "Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?

13 "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork's?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.

19 "Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, 'Aha!'
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

26 "Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is."

The LORD God continued to confront Job’s wisdom as flawed, demonstrating His power over creation and comparing it to man’s lack of understanding and wisdom.  He mentioned goats and deer give birth at times not known to Job, how wild donkeys are free because God set them free, and how a wild ox will not just willingly serve mankind.  These things are in God’s providence and power, not ours, and so should humble our pride in thinking we know so much (Proverbs 3:19).  He compared the ostrich to people, not taking care of her young because God deprived it of wisdom and did not provide understanding to the proud bird which outraces horsemen.  As to horses, the LORD asked if Job gave them their strength or brings fear to them.  In their majesty, the horses refuse to fear and charge into battle.  Even the hawks and other majestic birds of prey do not fly by the wisdom of Job or any other man.  They soar on high as God made them, spying out their prey from up above.  All these examples were given to challenge Job’s supposed wisdom as veiled in very limited understanding.  God’s wisdom and understanding rule His creation, and that includes mankind in our pride.  The uprightness of Job was not his self-righteousness or own wisdom; those things originate in God alone, and He was using these things to humble Job that he might wait on God for comprehension of his suffering in unwarranted adversity.  This teaches us by example to trust and wait on God when we suffer, and not to put words in His mouth to make sense of adverse situations we find ourselves in.  We are to avoid the pride of life by doing God’s will instead according to His word (1 John 2:16-17), humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord to see His mercy and grace. 

Who Gives Wisdom and Understanding?

Job 38:22-41

22 "Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?

24 By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?

25 "Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?

28 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.

31 "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?

34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, 'Here we are!'?

36 Who has put wisdom in the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?

37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?

39 "Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?

41 Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?

The LORD continued to question Job and his prideful words.  Who put wisdom in his mind or given understanding to his heart?  These answers come from God alone, as He spelled out His work in creation.  God asked if Job knew where snow and hail originate, and how He uses them for sovereign purposes of providence in His workings.  He asked if Job grasped how light is divided and diffused or how wind is likewise scattered as it blows from the East.  He used examples of lightning taking its course (which we even now understand partially with scientific observation), and rain falling on uninhabited land to water the plants for growth while unseen by man but known to God.  He was letting Job know that God knows everything because He is in absolute control, and He is directing everything in the world we see.  God further asked if Job knew where ice and frost originate and how the stars form constellations as they run their courses in the heavens above according to His design and outworking by His hand.  He asked if His servant could speak to the clouds and bring rain as the LORD does, and send lightning.  The key is in verse 36 where God questions who gives wisdom and understanding to man.  Of course, the answer is the LORD Himself; that is God’s point to Job here.  It is not man’s wisdom or work to understand, but God’s gift to man because it all originates in and with Him alone.  We cannot count the ever changing clouds or bring rain at will, nor can we hunt for the animals or provide food for the birds of the air as they need it, yet He provides for us more than the birds (Matthew 6:26).  They cry for food and He brings it; why do we not rely on Him in trusting faith to provide our needs (Matthew 6:31-33)?  Job should have not given up in waiting on the LORD for deliverance from His suffering.  Neither should we as we look in His word by His Spirit to understand and gain wisdom in all circumstances, no matter how painful. 

The LORD’s Omnipotence and our Pride

Job 38:1-21

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

2 "Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?

6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 "Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
'This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!'

12 "Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?

14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.

16 "Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

19 "Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?

After first letting Job know that empty words only hide good counsel, the LORD God questions Job and expects his answers in return.  He sets the foundation with His work and power of creation as in Genesis 1:1–10, and His omnipotence.  God asks where His servant was when He created the universe and the world beneath Job’s feet, asking him to measure the earth and tell its creator exactly how big it is.  Only the designer knows it’s foundations and anchor points of gravity and centrifugal force as it hurls around the sun.  God created and anchored it in place as the angels sang joyful praises to honor His work.  Job was not there; what could he then know of any of God’s ways or judgments?  God created clouds and rain, setting limits to form sea borders, telling the waves at the shores to go that far and no further, limiting their prideful attempts to overrun the land.  This is as an analogy of the limits we all have to set boundaries on our pride as well.  God alone spoke and the sunrise and sunset times were established.  He asked if Job did that.  Of course he could only humbly answer that he did not and could not.  God shakes out the wicked day by day in His time according to His will.  He holds back the light from the evildoers to demonstrate their end is darkness.  God asked if Job found out the measurements of the depth of the sea, or the place of death’s entrance, or the size of the earth.  These things the creator alone knows until He reveals it to us by enabling us to find out His blueprints of creation.  Job certainly could not do it then.  God asked if Job knew the physics of light and darkness, things which are largely theoretical to this day in the precise nature of photons and their makeup.  We still try to understand the creation as if to outthink God.  Job was not present at the instantiation of light and darkness as in Genesis 1:3-4, because he was not that old as God pointed out, but also because it was made before mankind.  In other words, God knows best and Job should have humbled himself instead of thinking he knew what God was doing with his suffering.  Job had been ascribing the reasoning and purpose of God’s working without knowing what was really happening.  We have this same sinful trait, judging His judgment and claiming we know His timetable for the end times, the reasons we suffer, and our blaming Him when things go unpleasantly for us.  We need to hear God speaking of His omnipotence and understand that we know only what is revealed; we are to act on what we know and not speculate further (Deuteronomy 29:29), letting our pride settle with the understanding He gives day by day as we walk by faith (Philippians 3:15-16, 1 Corinthians 4:5).  And we can learn of God’s mercy and compassion for us as Job did (James 5:11) as we patiently endure our own suffering. 

May Our Hearts Leap within Us

Job 37:1-24 

1 "At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.

2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven,
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 them when His voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

6 For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth';
Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.

7 He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.

8 The beasts go into dens,
And remain in their lairs.

9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.

10 By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His bright clouds.

12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of the whole earth.

13 He causes it to come,
Whether for correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy.

14 "Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

15 Do you know when God dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
16 Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?

17 Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?

18 With Him, have you spread out the skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

19 "Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
20 Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.

21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.

22 He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.

23 As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him;
He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.

24 Therefore men fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart."

We see Elihu continuing to extol God and His wondrous works.  When he and we hear His word and observe His mighty works, our heart leaps within us as the two journeying to Emmaus in Luke 24:32 heard the Master’s voice.  Elihu had this heart exaltation as he exalted the LORD and spoke of all His wondrous deeds in creation and towards men.  These things he was using to rekindle Job’s heart in the midst of his suffering.  They can encourage and move us as well.  He used the example of thunder and lightning, mighty displays of God’s power as if He speaks through them, thundering marvelously!  He used this to tell Job and us that God’s works are great and beyond understanding most of the time, of course unless He chooses to reveal some to us.  Snow and rainfall, hibernating animals, and even limits to man’s works are illustrated to demonstrate God’s wonderful working.  Winds, storms, ice, and clouds all move at His command, at His will and word.  He gives three reasons for these things: first, for correction of us, second for watering His land we are tending (Genesis 2:15), and third to show His mercy.  He sends storms to correct us that we may rely on Him alone.  He waters the land to help us maintain and tend it that we may have food.  He shows mercy in all His loving care by His power and control of the elements for our good and His glory.  This Elihu told Job to consider these wondrous works of God starting in verse 14, and he pointed to the perfect knowledge of God in bringing all things about for a purpose, His providence.  Job should consider this in his adversity and trust God’s working as unpleasant things are allowed with the good ones (Romans 8:28).  We need to be taught what to speak to Him, just as Elihu and Job.  The brightness of His glory and awesome majesty display God’s power and fair judgment, and we therefore fear Him to whom there is no partiality (Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9), as an example for us.  The lessons for Job apply in many ways to us as well, especially when we reach the end of the book and understand the insight Job learned from these discourses.  May our heart also leap within us as we consider these things from His word!

Who Teaches Like God?

Job 36:16-33

16 "Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress,
Into a broad place where there is no restraint;
And what is set on your table would be full of richness.

17 But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.

18 Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow;
For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.

19 Will your riches,
Or all the mighty forces,
Keep you from distress?

20 Do not desire the night,
When people are cut off in their place.

21 Take heed, do not turn to iniquity,
For you have chosen this rather than affliction.

22 "Behold, God is exalted by His power;
Who teaches like Him?

23 Who has assigned Him His way,
Or who has said, 'You have done wrong'?

24 "Remember to magnify His work,
Of which men have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it;
Man looks on it from afar.

26 "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.

27 For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
28 Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.

29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
30 Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.

31 For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.

32 He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to strike.
33 His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.

Elihu continues to extol God’s majesty and asks the question, ‘Who teaches like Him?”  He tells Job (and by example and principle, all who read this) that justice by judgment for presumptuous sin has kept him from deliverance so far in Job’s distress.  Fear of God was lacking according to His word in verse 18 here.  Neither great riches or a powerful army can deliver from adversity, nor hiding in the darkness of nighttime.  Don’t choose sin when affliction comes, and remember that God teaches us in His way, a way unlike any other could or would do.  There is none like Him, and His ways are past finding out (Job 9:10, Romans 11:33).  Nobody can tell Him how to run the universe or themselves, and nobody can correct Him for doing wrong according to their own standards (Psalm 115:3), so we should listen and learn from Him as He works in His ways and we follow in obedience.  We should magnify His name and understand His eternality.  He has created this world, this universe, to be sustainable by His design.  We only can understand the edges of His ways in how everything works, and in how He rules to judge righteously and with absolute justice, no matter how things appear in our limited perspective.  The lesson here is for us to hear what Job did, and to take it to heart as well.  This implies that we learn from God in our own adversity and distressing circumstances.  He is sovereign and good, and we should trust and follow in willing obedience to His word, knowing His love and care for His children, which we are (1 John 3:1-3).  Who teaches like God?

The Goodness of God

Job 36:1-15

1 Elihu also proceeded and said:

2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you
That there are yet words to speak on God's behalf.

3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 "Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the oppressed.

7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever,
And they are exalted.

8 And if they are bound in fetters,
Held in the cords of affliction,
9 Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—
That they have acted defiantly.

10 He also opens their ear to instruction,
And commands that they turn from iniquity.

11 If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures.

12 But if they do not obey,
They shall perish by the sword,
And they shall die without knowledge.

13 "But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
And their life ends among the perverted persons.

15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
And opens their ears in oppression.

Elihu now extols the goodness and severity of God (Romans 11:22).  Speaking for God with Job, he reminds the hearers that he gets his knowledge from above, and confesses all righteousness comes from Him alone.  It is not Elihu’s righteous standing or wisdom advising and exhorting his friend, but he is a spokesperson or messenger.  God is perfect in knowledge and understanding from the heart; He is omnipotent and yet restrained in goodness to his people without rejecting them.  God looks out for those who are oppressed with divine justice, but He does not keep the lives of the wicked from ending.  Those who live uprightly He keeps as the apple of His eye, put in places where He has ordained, such as rulers.  Those who suffer affliction for their crimes He reveals their sin that they might repent for their rebellion.  He opens deaf ears that they may turn from sin to Him.  If the then follow in obedience to His word to serve, then He prospers them in varying ways and with joy in Him.  We see how hypocrites ignore God and do not pray in their distress, and many die young along with the sexually immoral.  But those poor in spirit are delivered from affliction and when distressed or oppressed, they hear His words of goodness and merciful grace as He opens their ears to hear.  This advice to Job was meant to see God’s righteousness and man’s falling short of that perfection; we are all sinners, and God must reveal His word and will and character to each of us.  It is our responsibility to respond in joyful and willingly obedience by following Him and turning away from sin.  The goodness of God (Exodus 34:6, Psalm 51:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 1:11) opens our eyes and ears and leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).  May we listen to wisdom as Elihu did to exhort and encourage each other. 

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. 

Clapping Away the Hard Truths

Job 34:21-37

21 "For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.

25 Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.

26 He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
27 Because they turned back from Him,
And would not consider any of His ways,
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted.

29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
30 That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

31 "For has anyone said to God,
'I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more'?

33 Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.

34 "Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
35 'Job speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.'

36 Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!

37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God."

Elihu confronted Job further with an eye on God’s glory and sovereign righteousness.  He pointed out that Job’s righteousness was feigned because he lost sight of God’s, and had become self-righteous.  He pointed out how God sees every step we take and leaves no hiding place for sinners, not in life or in death.  There is no deliberation with God over man’s guilt, no great inquiry to determine it, for He knows it all.  Nothing is hidden from the Almighty.  Those who reject Him are held accountable and punished swiftly and justly for their rebellion of sinful disobedience.  Because the wicked don’t even consider God’s word and refuse to help each other in need as He does, they answer for it by God’s hand.  God keeps the hypocrites from ruling for long, and He sometimes steps back as if hidden to let men bring the consequences down upon themselves as verses 29 to 30 say.  Elihu then remarks how few actually learn from their disciplining to the point of repentance, turning from offending to asking for guidance to see what they are missing in order to do what is pleasing to God.  He also reminds Job (and us) that God deals justice and mercy on His terms, not ours, according to our words and deeds.  He wraps up this discourse by reminding his friend that others who understand God agree that Job had begun speaking self-righteously, not with the wisdom that he supposed.  He therefore concludes that Job should be tried further by God to change his answers, not to ignore wise counsel with a clap of his hands while continuing to speak against God.  These are hard lessons for us all to watch out for justifying ourselves at the expense of God’s truth and working through disciplining us for our repentance and restoration.  Humility and wise agreement with God’s word are required, not justifying ourselves and clapping away sound counsel in agreement with the Lord.  In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, we see an example of how Paul had corrected the Corinthians and they had taken it to heart.  Then they repented with godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:11) with diligent fear of God to do what was right.  May we not clap away the hard truths of correction, but look to God’s righteousness in Christ alone and not attempt to justify ourselves as Job did.  James 5:11 reminds us that the desired outcome is God’s compassionate mercy, His grace, to cover our sin in correcting us by His word (2 Timothy 3:16, Proverbs 3:11-12). In Hebrews 12:10-11, we find that God disciplines us as His children to correct us and make us conformed to His image in holiness.  Suffering is a small price to pay in this process. 

God's Justice in Adversity

Job 34:1-20

1 Elihu further answered and said:

2 "Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

3 For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 "For Job has said, I am righteous,
But God has taken away my justice;
6 Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

7 What man is like Job,
Who drinks scorn like water,
8 Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?

9 For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.'

10 "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11 For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.

12 Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?

14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

16 "If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:

17 Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him who is most just?

18 Is it fitting to say to a king, 'You are worthless,'
And to nobles, 'You are wicked'?

19 Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands.

20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

Elihu continued to address Job and his friends, the counselors of empty words and man of self-righteousness who knew much truth, but erred on God’s character and providence by expecting only good and not adversity.  Ironically, in the beginning of his suffering, Job expressly told his wife that he should accept adversity with the good from God’s hand of providence (Job 2:10).  Elihu therefore asks them to taste his advice as if food, choosing what is good and just as they reason together.  He began by summarizing the issue, how Job claimed to be righteous and sick because God stole away his justice.  He pointed out that such is acceptance of scorn from wicked men who he is keeping company with and taking on their attitudes.  This may have been those around him judging his condition, or even his friends attempting to counsel Job.  This Job went so far as to say it does no good to find pleasure in God in such suffering, an attitude which he did not have at first.  His company influenced his attitude (1 Corinthians 15:33) for the worse.  Elihu makes it clear that there is no injustice with the Almighty, that He does righteously and fairly with divine justice, for Je is not like men.  Nobody gave Him His authority.  He has the right and might to remove His Spirit from all living things to return them to dust if desired.  He is not fickle or partial in His reign over all, loving justice with equity and the people of His creation.  He is not a man like us, corrupt and flawed.  People of high stature are taken by death just as easily as the poor in His time and manner, for fairness and judgment is in God’s good and fair hands.  We learn then to listen to God’s word and trust His providence, not judging what God is doing or why when He does not choose to reveal His working to us.  Trust is faith, taking God at His word and leaning on His revealed character and works as always good and fair, not blaming Him for adversity or lack of our expectations of health or maternal prosperity.  Shall we not accept adversity with good?  This is part of the providence of God. 

Wisdom of God’s Work and Grace

Job 33:19-33

19 "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 So that his life abhors bread,
And his soul succulent food.

21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

23 "If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
'Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom';

25 His flesh shall be young like a child's,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.

27 Then he looks at men and says,
'I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did not profit me.'

28 He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

29 "Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31 "Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom."

Elihu continues to correct Job by pointing out how God works among men.  He talked of discipline by painful health problems, wasting away until a man welcomes death.  However, a mediator might come from God to him to demonstrate that God alone is truly upright and righteous, and then show grace to deliver him from destruction as if ransomed.  This is a picture of Christ as our Mediator who ransoms us from the pit of Hell and judgment.  He spoke of a renewal as if made young again, reminding us of a new birth in Christ.  This renewed one prays to God and finds His delight in them, as well as joy in the one made anew.  God’s word here speaks of renewing righteousness to man also, which righteousness we have in Christ alone as reborn children of His.  In verse 27, it appears to describe repentance and remorse for sin and the dead end of such living, continuing with redemption and coming to the light in the next verse, much like we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light as 1 Peter 2:9 says.  The summary is that God does all these things to rescue man from the Pit, to give light and life (John 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:10) to those He rescues.  Elihu Ends his exhortation with a plea for Job to listen to what he had been saying, and to respond in order to be justified in the sight of God.  If he had nothing to answer, then he was advised to remain silent to listen further and gain wisdom.  We then should learn from similar corrective exhortation by considering the grace and reconciliation in Christ and not our own self-righteous justification.  He must be the focus of our wisdom, the grace and delivering work of Christ and His wisdom from examples and commands and exhortations of the scriptures.  This is the wisdom of God’s work and grace. 

Correction for Presumed Righteousness

Job 33:1-18

1 "But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.

3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5 If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.

6 Truly I am as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

8 "Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,

9 'I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts me as His enemy;
11 He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.'

12 "Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.

13 Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,

16 Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,

18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.

Elihu exhorted Job by correcting his errant thinking.  He first asked Job to really listen and not just hear his words of advice.  He then spoke of his utter sincerity of heart as a fellow creation of God’s hand, as a brother.  Then he asked Job to take the stand and consider his answers well in the sight of God by implication.  Elihu Offered himself as an advocate for Job to represent him before God, promising not to terrify or be a threat to his client on the stand.  He continued by repeating Job’s testimony of his defense before God and the three counselors whom Job had been speaking with up till that point.  He represented Job’s defense in his own words by which Job had declared himself sinless and innocent, yet blaming God for unjustly punishment and under scrutiny, as if His enemy.  Elihu States clearly and bluntly that Job is not righteous by saying these things, just as we are not righteous by blaming God for suffering in the world as if any good works we have done could ever make us blameless in innocence before Him.  Our works are never perfect, and are as dirty and torn garments before His perfect purity (Isaiah 64:6, Philippians 3:9).  We are definitely not without sin as Job claimed here nor as we would like to think (Psalm 53:1-3, Romans 3:10, 19-20, 23).  Only God is righteous, and our righteousness is His alone, imputed or accounted as if ours, in Him alone.  Elihu Then asked Job why he argues with God, expecting Him to account for His words and actions to Job.  God does not need to justify Himself, but communicates to man as He sees fit, by His word in unclear ways like parables (Psalm 78:2) or dreams at night (Numbers 12:6, Psalm 17:3).  They do not understand until God opens men’s ears to hear to instruct them and to turn them from sin to Him and overturn their pride, keeping man from death and destruction.  This is an apt analogy of all of us before God’s certain judgment.  We are all sinners, blind and deaf to His word and righteousness, needing Him to give us ears to hear and eyes to see our state and His holiness, to find deliverance from deserved punishment, just and certain for us all.  We need His righteousness because we have none in or of ourselves; we need a mediator who is perfect and sinless (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 9:14-15, 26-28, 10:14).  That man is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the gospel of grace, of undeserved mercy on our hopeless state.  We therefore need this correction for our presumed righteousness (Romans 5:19), just as Job required.  Dependence on Christ alone is our Independence Day from the unrighteousness of sin and our just due of its wages earned by our rebellion against God. 

Moved by God’s Spirit to Speak

Job 32:1-22 

    1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

    4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.

    6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:

"I am young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.

7 I said, 'Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'

8 But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

9 Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.

10 "Therefore I say, 'Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.'

11 Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.

12 I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—

13 Lest you say,
'We have found wisdom';
God will vanquish him, not man.

14 Now he has not directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.

15 "They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.

16 And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
17 I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.

18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
19 Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
20 I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.

21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu, a younger man, had stood by silently as Job’s friends gave unwise counsel without a solution or even accurate assessment of Job’s adversity with severe suffering.  The three counselors had determined that Job was self-righteous, and therefore stopped speaking to him and reasoning with their suffering friend.  They themselves were not right in jumping to conclusions and throwing accusations at a situation which they knew little to nothing about.  Elihu then showed his anger against these three because they offered no help to Job, having condemned him with no concrete reasons in their bad assumptions.  He also was angry at Job because he was justifying himself and his own actions instead of glorifying God and justifying His work and assessment of uprightness in His servant.  In this way, Job was proven to be righteous in his own eyes (Proverbs 3:7, 1 Corinthians 3:19-21), boasting in himself instead of humbly leaning on the LORD for his righteousness.  Elihu then began to speak his turn after the older ones had finished.  He respected the elders as having the first say, but God moved him with wisdom also, since his elders had not been able to answer or assist Job with any wise counsel.  He pointed out that God gives wisdom, it does not originate in man’s reasoning.  He had carefully attended to the words of those three, and let them know that they did not even answer Job’s questions, let alone convinced him of their assessments of him and the reason for his suffering such adversity.  They were no help to their friend.  Since those three had ignored the presence of Elihu and had not spoken against him, he felt free to speak what God had revealed to him, but not with their arguments, which had eventually come to the nothingness of silence.  Elihu was so moved by God’s Spirit that he could not hold back any longer.  He was compelled to speak as led by the LORD, feeling as if he would explode if he held the words in any longer.  He had to speak being so led and moved to find relief from holding back what he needed to say in this matter according to God’s word.  Elihu did not want to show partiality or flatter Job, but desired to speak sincerely to honor and please God above all (1 Thessalonians 2:5) in speaking truth to Job.  We also may find ourselves needing to speak in a situation, as I have often in group studies, allowing God’s wisdom from His word drive our lips to bring a word of wisdom when required.  As Paul counseled his son in the faith in 1 Timothy 4:12, youth in physical (or even spiritual) age should not stop wisdom as given by the grace and gift of God to remain unspoken.  Not all elders have wisdom or sound assessment of a situation over their own assumptions, but they must be given the first opportunity to speak out of respect.  That does not mean age of any kind makes one always right, nor does it preclude the younger from speaking as God moves to bring clarity in a sound answer and wise counsel with the right assessment, free of assumptions and founded on God’s word with the mind of Christ.  If we are moved by God’s Spirit to speak, let it be wisely and in turn, yielding to allow others to be used by Christ as well (1 Peter 4:11, 1 Corinthians 14:29-30), prophesying understanding and explanation of God’s work and will in these matters.  He knows the minds and hearts, along with the spiritual struggles in heavenly places which we cannot see, just as Job with the adversary’s attacks spoken in God’s presence and unknown to men on earth like the friends of Job.  We then ought to exercise humility and not neglect the gifts of God nor His words of wisdom given as He pleases when we are moved by God’s Spirit to speak. 

If I Had Done These Things

Job 31:24-40

24 "If I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence';
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;

26 If I have observed the sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;

28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29 "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his soul);

31 If the men of my tent have not said,
'Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?'
32 (But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—

35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, that the Almighty would answer me,
That my Prosecutor had written a book!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

38 "If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or caused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley."

The words of Job are ended.

Job reasoned that if had sought wealth, or worshipped other gods of the sun and moon, or rejoiced in his enemies getting what they deserved, or hidden his sin as Adam covered his in Eden, or even had misused farmers and caused them to lose everything, then he could appeal to God because he knew he did not do these things.  That would be sin deserving judgment and requisite punishment, of course, especially worshipping idols, because it would be denying God as God in the heights above all things in His creation.  Job mentioned all these hypothetical things as if to say, “if I had done these things, then I deserved punishment.”  But he did not do these things, choosing to do what was right, even after losing everything and seemingly suffering punishment anyway.  He suffered for doing good, apparently (1 Peter 2:20), and held desperately to his uprightness of character and actions all his life.  He could not grasp why he suffered such adversity if it was not deserved as a result of having done these things.  We may find ourselves suffering for our own sin, reaping consequences as is right, but we may also find suffering for doing right.  Then we should rejoice, for the adversary is roaring about to attack those with the gospel testimony of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:17).  Not all suffering is because we have done those things as Job named, but also for the sake of God in Christ, filling up what sufferings (Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 4:13, 5:9) Christ endured for our sakes by our co-crucifixion with Him (Galatians 2:20) as Paul exemplified by his own life in Colossians 1:24.  If I had done these things, I deserve punishment and suffering, but God’s grace in Christ is sufficient if I have, or even if I have not (2 Corinthians 12:9, James 4:6).  Remember Job (James 5:11) and God’s sanctifying work in us to conform us to Christ, and rejoice in hope.  

Covenanted Eyes and Feet

 Job 31:1-23

1 "I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I look upon a young woman?

2 For what is the allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3 Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4 Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

5 "If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,

6 Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my integrity.

7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
8 Then let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be rooted out.

9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,
10 Then let my wife grind for another,
And let others bow down over her.

11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

13 "If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,

14 What then shall I do when God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?

15 Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

16 "If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it

18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother's womb I guided the widow);

19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;

20 If his heart has not blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 If I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;

22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.

23 For destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

Job not only justifies himself, but goes further to remind himself of his covenanted eyes and feet to live uprightly before God and man.  These echo the Ten Commandments in not coveting another’s wife, and the second greatest commandment to love his neighbors as himself.  He knows that because of the command to (Exodus 20:17, Leviticus 18:20) not desire his neighbor’s wife or anything else not his own, and to not have carnal knowledge with her either, that he has made a covenant agreement with the LORD to keep his heart and hands pure.  Jesus explained this in Matthew 5:27-28 as aa heart matter; just looking with desire to commit adultery is equal to the physical act itself.  That is why Job knew God gives a wife from above and he is not to take another in thought or deed, for such wickedness deserves the consequences of His judgment.  He knew that God sees everything he did and measures out his actions, just as we are accountable for our words and works (Matthew 12:36-37, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 3:15, Revelation 20:12, 15), even though not to perdition.  Job spoke of avoiding lying and deceit, integrity, justice and mercy (knowing the same God made the servant and himself equally), care for the poor and widow, and more.  He had met needs of the needy and not abused what God had given him by withholding from them what provision he first received.  If he had not given so freely, he wished that he would lose his arm and thus any ability to do anything else for himself.  Job feared God.  Do we?  Job exalted God in His majesty with praise of his lips and life (Hebrews 13:15-16), sacrifices of praise we should imitate. Do we take this to heart for ourselves?  May we have eyes and feet in covenant with God in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.