An Apt Answer Is A Joy

Praise God! He speaks when we need to hear from Him!

Long ago, the Lord gave Governor Zerubbabel a word via His prophet Zechariah: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” [1] We need the Holy Spirit’s strength to overcome trials that are too great for us.

Thus, Elihu said to Job, “There is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice.” “The spirit within me compels me. Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; it is ready to burst like new wineskins.” [2]

God’s Spirit led Elihu to wait until Job and his three friends stopped talking. Then, he spoke because the Almighty had given him understanding. He compared God’s Spirit to wine ready to burst forth from his belly. Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to rivers of living water flowing from the belly. “Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” [3]

Elihu beseeched Job, saying, “Please, Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.” “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” “Truly I am as your spokesman before God...” [4] Elihu’s authority to speak for God was God’s Spirit.

“God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” [5]

The goal of God given words, God given dreams and God given visions is to save people!

“If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom;’ his flesh shall be young like a child’s, he shall return to the days of his youth. 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. Then He looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it did not profit me.’ He will redeem his soul from going down to the pit, and his life shall see the light.” [6]

God sends messengers to people, especially to those who are heading in the wrong direction. Ultimately, God sent His Son to speak to us. Jesus is our Mediator who shows us God’s uprightness. Jesus is God’s grace to us. Jesus ransomed us from the pit of hell. Jesus communicates with people via His Spirit. His goal is to make us delightful to God. Give us joy! Bring us into His marvelous light! Thus, Elihu described the conversion process. [7]

“Behold, God works all these things, twice, in fact, three times with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.” [8]

Jesus is the Good Sheperd who lays down His life for the sheep. He temporarily leaves the ninety-nine sheep who are safe to find that one sheep that has gone astray. Praise God! He brings prodigals back home. [9]

Elihu said to Job, “I desire to justify you.” This was a case of Elihu speaking on behalf of God. God wanted to justify Job. God is only One who can justify a sinner. He says, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.” Jesus blotted out our sin so we not need to do so. [10]

Everyone should allow their ears to taste the Word of God. Elihu put it this way, “The ear tests words as the palate tastes food.” [11] God’s Word feeds and satisfies our souls.

It is wrong to think: “It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.” Elihu told Job, “Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.” [12]

God’s goal is to save us from the pit and bring us to paradise. Death may come to us when we least expect it. “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.” [13]

“Elihu also proceeded and said: ‘Bear with me a little, and I will show you that there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf.” “Behold, God is mighty but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.” “If they are bound in fetters, held in the cords of affliction, then He tells them their work and their transgressions—that they have acted defiantly. He also opens their ear to instruction, and commands that they turn from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” [14]

God is for us. Though He is Creator and Sustainer of the universe, He despises no one. He is a chain breaker. He exposes sin to remove it. God opposes defiance because He wants to instruct, prosper and help us experience His pleasure.

Elihu declared, “Hypocrites in heart store up wrath; they do not cry for help when He binds them. They die in youth, and their life ends among the perverted persons.” Paul wrote, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” [15]

People widely propagate fables of fake superheroes nowadays but suppress the truth about the real and only Savior of humankind... Jesus Christ. So, what does God do? He lets idolators, who masquerade as His followers, slip into cesspools of perversity to expose their hypocrisy.

We need to abide in Christ to keep from abiding in sin. We need a stronger king, namely the King of Kings Jesus Christ, to dethrone the sin from reigning in our lives.

Amidst trials, Elihu urges us by God’s Spirit to, “Remember to magnify His [God’s] work, of which men have sung.” [16]

Then, Elihu magnifies God because God:

“Gives food in abundance.” [17]

“Covers His hands with lightning, and commands it to strike.” [18]

“He does great things which we cannot comprehend.” [19]

“Says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.” [20]

“With moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy.” [21]

God created water and clouds to be multi-purposeful. He uses them to correct people, to irrigate fields and to express His mercy.

Elihu says to us, “...Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.” [22]

Next, God speaks directly to Job from a whirlwind. [23] A mighty wind of His Spirit! He starts where Elihu left off. It’s almost as if Christ has spoken to Job and Job listened, and now the Father also speaks to Him.

God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding.” [24]

“I fixed My limit for it [the sea] and set bars and doors; when I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’” [25]

“Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place.” [26]

“Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me if you know all this.” [27]

“Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?” [28]

The mighty armies of Napoleon and Hitler were defeated by God’s snow while attacking Russia.

“Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?” [29]

The Lord asked Job, “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.” Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” [30]

The Lord spoke to Job out of the whirlwind again, and said: “Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; look on everyone who is proud and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low, tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, bind their faces in hidden darkness. Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.” [31]

One of the wondrous works of God is to humble proud people.

The Lord asked Job if he could overcome Leviathan? “Any hope of overcoming him is false; shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me? Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.” [32]

The devil is a spiritual foe that we cannot overcome with human strength, and yet he trembles before God. [33]

The Lord says of Leviathan, “His heart is as hard as stone.” “On earth there is nothing like him, which is made without fear. He beholds every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride.” [34]

Job served the Lord before his earthly losses, but after his losses, he knew the Lord better.

Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ... participate in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” Peter and John rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace for His Name. Jesus told the Smyrna Christians, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” [35] God fills the void that trials leave behind with Himself. He is more than enough.

After God spoke to Job, Job said to God: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.” [36] God replaced Job’s limited view of God with greatly expanded view of Him.

“And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” [37]

God affirmed twice that Job had spoken rightly about Him. Job’s losses were not because of a particular sin that he had committed as the three friends assumed. They needed to make sacrifices to atone for bearing false witness against him. They needed Job to pray for them.

“So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” [38]

The Lord blessed Job with more property, children and a longer life. These are the things disciples want to do for Jesus. We want to bring to Jesus the lands of the nations! See pagans converted unto Him and adopted into His family! Have people inherit eternal life!

“Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” James wrote, “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” [39]

I praise God for His words to Job: “An apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” [40]

[1] Zechariah 4:6
[2] Job 32:8-9, 18-19
[3] John 7:38-39
[4] Job 33:1, 4, 6
[5] Job 33:14-18
[6] Job 33:23-28
[7] Jeremiah 35:15; 2 Chronicles 36:15; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 1:16; Mark 10:45; Romans 8:26; John 14:26
[8] Job 33:29
[9] John 10:11; Luke 15:3-7, 17-20
[10] Job 33:31; Romans 8:33
[11] Job 34:3
[12] Job 34:9, 12
[13] Job 35:20
[14] Job 36:1-2, 5, 8-11
[15] Job 36:13-14; Romans 1:18, 24-25
[16] Job 36:24
[17] Job 36:31
[18] Job 36:32
[19] Job 37:5
[20] Job 37:6
[21] Job 37:11-13
[22] Job 37:14
[23] Job 38:1
[24] Job 38:4
[25] Job 38:10-11
[26] Job 38:12
[27] Job 38:17-18
[28] Job 38:22-23
[29] Job 38:36
[30] Job 40:1-5
[31] Job 40:6-14
[32] Job 41:9-11
[33] Job 41:24, 33-34
[34] James 2:19
[35] Philippians 3:10; Acts 5:41; Revelation 2:10
[36] Job 42:2, 5-6
[37] Job 42:7-8
[38] Job 42:9-10
[39] Job 42:12; James 5:11
[40] Proverbs 15:23