Job 34:1-9

C.

THE SOURCE OF JUSTICE (Job 34:1-37)

1.

Job is walking with wicked men when he attributes injustice to God. (Job 34:1-9)

TEXT 34:1-9

1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,

2 Hear my words, ye wise men;

And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 For the ear trieth words,

As the palate tasteth food.

4 Let us choose for us that which is right;

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 For Job hath said, I am righteous,

And God hath taken away my right:

6 Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar;

My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

7 What man is like Job,

Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walketh with wicked men?

9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing

That he should delight himself with God.

COMMENT 34:1-9

Job 34:1Elihu now turns to defend God from the charges of Job, who has argued from his own particular case which is reinforced by evidence of other injustices around him to God's responsibility for his situation. Elihu deals with a general, a priori theological assumption, and deduces Job's sin from it. Elihu's second discourse in Job 34:1-37 divides into four divisions: (1) Job is an impious manJob 34:2-9; (2) Response to Job's charges against GodJob 34:10-15; (3) Defense of omniscience and impartiality of GodJob 34:16-30; and (4) Exposes Job's rebellion against GodJob 34:31-37.

Job 34:2Once more he calls on his audience to pay attention. He addresses the bystanders and appeals to their sense of righteousnessJob 34:10; Job 34:34 for support. After Job 32:11 ff, Elihu could hardly be referring to Job's three friends by the phrase you wise men.

Job 34:3Here we have an almost verbatim quotation from Job 12:11. The ear is the faculty of man's reason. Hearing is more than listening. In both Old Testament and New Testament, we often find the word rendered disobedience to be to not hear, Isaiah 6:1 ff; Matthew 13:1 ff; Acts 28:16 ff; Romans 9:1 ff; and Hebrews 3; Hebrews 4. The parallelism between the ears and the palate is crystal clear.

Job 34:4We must determine whether Job has made a just charge against God. We must decide whether Job's or the traditional orthodox view toward the question of theodicy is correct.

Job 34:5Elihu in part quotes Job's words and in part summarizes themJob 27:2. After a process of discrimination, we will reach a sound conclusion. He proceeds to rip Job's words to shreds.

Job 34:6Job has repeatedly claimed that though he is innocent, he is made to appear impious. Should I lie, i.e., Should I confess guilt when I am innocent? The LXX has he lies, that is, God lies, instead of as in the Hebrew, I lie. Perhaps the implication is if Job is right, then that is tantamount to making God a liar. Since God cannot be a liar, that necessitates Job's repentance and confession of sin. Job's challenge of God's justice stems from Job's sinfulness, not God's unrighteousness or partiality. The phrase my wound is literally my arrow or my dart. My condition cannot be healed, though I am without sin, so Elihu reports Job's position. Elihu avoids the crude oversimplification of Job's friends by rejecting the thesis that Job's sufferings are sure proof of his evil heart, and that rewards are the infallible results of repentance.

Job 34:7Job had spoken of God scoffing at the sufferings of the innocentJob 9:23, Zophar of Job's scoffing at traditional doctrinal understandingJob 11:3, and Eliphaz at the innocent scoffing at the misfortunes of the impiousJob 22:19. Elihu charges that Job is an irreligious man who is a public menace. As with Job's three friends, mercy, grace, love, compassion are not words which Elihu understands.

Job 34:8Psalm one is an excellent commentary on this verse. Who takes the path of evil menJob 11:11; Job 22:15; Job 31:5? By expressing his views, Job finds himself in the company of the ungodly.

Job 34:9Elihu correctly attributes to Job the view that piety is not for profitJob 9:22; Job 10:3; Job 21:7; Malachi 3:13-14. Elihu's next discourseJob 35:5 ffis preoccupied with an effort to refute the thesis. This fundamental assumption is part of the American Dream, i.e., piety is to be rewarded by prosperity. As America enters her third century, one of the conditions of spiritual survival will be how production, prosperity, piety, and poverty are correlated, with a biblical world-life viewpoint, as opposed to a humanistic-naturalistic-pragmatic survival-security perspective. Job is our contemporary. The same God who shattered His silence for Job can and will speak to the crises of the last quarter of the twentieth century.

2.

God will do no wickedness nor injustice, but imparts to every man according to his deeds. (Job 34:10-15)