This chapter begins with some of the most memorable verses in Scripture,
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up is planted;
A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and atime to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek and obtain and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away;
A time to tear up and a time to fix; atime to keep silent and a time to speak;
A time to love and a time to hate; a time of War and a time of Peace.
This symbolic pairing highlights the dualism inherent to nature. Our attention is drawn to the common experiences of life, arelentless sequence. It is yet another reference to our existence “under the sun.”
Qohelet moves on to reiterate a prominent theme – Whatprofit hath Man that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth?
The Preacher provides a simple answer: forGod hath made everything beautiful according to his time and plan. This highlights this cosmic symphony of this world; even though so much is beyond Our understanding.
The Preacher then describes how God hath set the nature of the earthly world in man’s heart, so he will never find out satisfactory answers to His ultimate questions.
Yet the Preacher acknowledges how man has an appreciation for and a tinge of knowledge of the eternal, which is overwhelming but also a source of limitation and frustration.
He then notes:
I know there is nothing good in it (the life experience) but to be merry and to partake of small enjoyable things in his life. Thus, every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour, for it is the gift of God.
He appears to be urging us to enjoy small pleasures; but many rabbis and commentators contend he just playing a role to demonstrate the limitation of what you can experiencewithout proper worship.
He continues: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall beforever, nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it and God has acted so Man should revere him.
Here we have a mandate for the reverence the Almighty isdue.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
In essence, God requires an account of all.
The lesson is: It is impossible for man to judge our fellows, or to come up with causes for great movements as that is reserved for Him with a vantage of more than a lifetime. He then speaks to the ineffable nature of Justice.
And moreover I saw under the sun, the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; but also in the place of righteousness, iniquity was also there. I said in mine heart, God shalljudge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and work.
Essentially, in our Halls of Justice, we will see inequity even among the righteous. Moreover, life is not just a dynamic of reaping what you sew.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God reveals how might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; as the one dieth, so dieth the other, so thata man hath no preeminence above a beast - for all is vanity.
Here, man and beast are announced as equals. All areof the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Qohelet then ponders the nature of the afterlife and the ascent of the soul:
For who knoweth – in actuality that the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goethdownward to the earth?
Then, the Chapter ends by stressing again, the nature of life “under the sun.”
Wherefore, I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
The Preacher/Qohelet focuses on the lack of value in hedonistic pleasure and then more generally on the nature of life without a God-centered focus.
Qohelet’s heart guided him with wisdom while being driven to explore the human condition. He set out to test himself with mirth and pleasure to find what is good and instruct his fellow man. This includes luxuries, wine, sexual delight and frivolous amusement. He came to realize what little such pleasures accomplish. While there may be a time and place for aspects this behavior, the implication is to keep God first.
Qohelet moves onto to substantive accomplishments. He built magnificent structures, parks, vineyards and gardens. There were pools and flowing water to irrigate and beautify. He had generations of servants. He amassed treasures, acquiring more than anyone in Jerusalem. He commissioned the greatest entertainers. He also availed himself of lustful pleasure, holding many a wife and concubine. In military affairs, he received the fruits of conquest – land and tributes from Kings and provinces.
Whatever mine eye desired for pleasure; I took for myself.
Through endeavors that were both useful and decedent, hisheart would became temporarily cheerful.
Still, he recognized: my labor was as productive as herding thewind, for all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no gain under the Sun.
The grandest earthly accomplishment fails to bring the lasting satisfaction that comes from a relation with the Almighty.
There is little for even the man who succeeds the king. In other words, the Next Great Man will do no more. The most famous often grow old and observe their influence fade. Solomon’s own heir inherited Jerusalem at its apex, but presided over a miserable decent into civil war.
Qohelet moves on to focus on death, observing how it reaches us all – the wiseman & fool. So to what end, he ponders, did that all his intellect amount to?
Thus, Qohelet came to hate life because all done under the sun was distressing, being vanity and vexation of spirit. He despaired over his labor and possessions, for he mustleave it all behind to someone without the same drive and stewardship. Such thoughts solidify the pointlessness of life. He considered much of our days are sorrowful, doing burdensome work for no lasting result, where even night brings no rest.
He ponders if it would be better to take a “live for the day” view, that man should merely enjoy what is in front of him.
Implicit is that death can rob our lives of meaning, ifoverly focused on the earthly. Yet, Qohelet is making the point that such living is profane; and there is a Holy way to conduct oneself.
He stresses how nobody could acquire more than he -- in enjoyment, homes, gardens, women, riches, and luxury. His life could be expected to have been a never-ending stream of Joy. Instead, his experience revealed the meaningless world. He feels much worse-off than than the most humble man connected to the Lord.
Qohelet seems to acknowledge, that if you life without God as your anchor, temporary relief brings no lasting good. It willonly yield moments of levity.
He concludes the capture noting,
For God giveth good to a man that is good in his sight: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up,that he may give to him that is good before God.
Is this saying all eventually goes to the Good, in someway or another? Or, is this saying that God makes the ultimate decision on whom to favor and when? And that tryingto trying to keep score with respect to one person's situation versus another is the ultimate vexation of spirit. For we will never be able to make sense of the infinite problems of the world, as you can only see them from Your limited vantage point, with one lifetime of experience.
Ecclesiastes begins: The Words of the Preacher (Qohelet), son of David, King in Jerusalem, which references Solomon or someone in the Davidic Line.
Qohelet famously exclaims (in the King James), Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity! T he ancient Hebrew uses “Hevel,” which differs from “vanity” in that it signifies empty air, like the breath we emit on a cold day. Akin to our concept of vanity, however, the lament centers on much of life being meaningless.
There is a notion that the Preacher is playing a role, pointing out how grim existence is without Faith. He continues:
What profit hath a man of all his labors which he taketh under the sun? In other words, What good has all your earthly work accomplished? Further, the phrase, “under the sun” aptly contrasts our world with the transcendence of the heavens beyond.
One generation passeth away and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever.
The sun also arisesth, and the sun goeth down, and hastens to the place he rose.
This poetry clashes with the majesty of the Creation story. It is often considered part of ancient pessimistic wisdom literature, which lays bare the sadness and mundaneness endemic to life – in terms of the endless cycle of growth, decay and death. However, this is the despair of one who lacks a view of the transcendent.
Qohelet continues to speak to fundamental observations every generation will uncover:
The winds goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and returneth again according to its circuits. The waters do the same – all rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full. The poetry is symbolicfor humanity never being able to get their fill from materialistic gains.
All things are full of labour; but man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing; nor the ear with hearing. Though cryptic, this is generally understood to mean that no matter how wise, one will never fully understand this world. Much is ineffable, including the questions of: Why are we here?, Why are things as they are?, Why is there suffering?, What is our purpose?
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and thatwhich shall be done. AND THERE IS NOTHINGNEW UNDER THE SUN.
Is there anything whereof it may be said, see this is new?Truly, it hath been already of Old Time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things, neithershall there be any remembrance of things to come .
What we observe each day, so full-of-life and brilliant, will decay and die. As to material riches (jewels, an amazing house, fancy car or new toy), they will lose luster. All around us will be gone and forgotten. This goes for he who lived hundreds of years ago, just as it does for those who will be born hundreds of years from now. Only though the Almighty, can we obtainsomething lasting.
Qohelet describes himself as King all over Israel in Jerusalem – the only mention of Israel in the Book. In the mold of Solomon, Qohelet was renowned for his wisdom through contrasting the philosophies of the day and pursuing all knowledge under the sun. Qohelet was in the position to find answers and guide humanity, but discovered there is only so much we can know. He concludes that such pursuits are as futile as trying to capture the wind. His words imply that within each of us is the desire for a connection with something more, referencing the Bread of Life that Deuteronomy and Jesus speak to.
Qohelet also devoted himself to madness and folly, perhaps referencing hedonistic pleasure and the hundredsof wives Solomon was attributed. His conclusion remained, All is Vanity and Vexation of spirit. Simply, you better look beyond Man for something more.
To close the chapter Qohelet announces: The wiser you become, the more you get frustrated in realizing what you don’t know. For in much wisdom there is much grief; and he that increases knowledges increases sorrow.
Ecclesiastes or Qohelet is a stand-out Bible book which has the potential to catch readers at the wrong time and infect them with a perception that life is meaningless. However, if read at the right time, it is a window to what life is without living a God-centered life.
This mysterious Book contrasts observable life cycles “under the sun,” versus the majesty of the heavens beyond. It is especially relatable to the experiences of those not interested in Scripture; as many are compelled to concede the timeless Wisdom within.
The Hebrew Title, Qohelet, remains something of a mystery. The root, something like the sounds Q-H-L make, has been interpreted to mean: to assemble. We have a hint of a meaning, that begins with Q, which for for millennia has signified the unknown. Qohlet later came to be interpreted to mean: Preacher, in the sense of one who speaks or assembles sayings of wisdom in a House of God. Another related interpretation is a searcher for truth.
The Hebrew etymology influenced the Greek title. The Septuagint chose Ecclesiastes, with the Greek word "ekklesia" (ἐκκλησία), originally meaning "assembly" in a secular context, but later came to be used to refer to a church congregation. Ecclesia, in Latin, correspondingly came to mean church and the Spanish and French are similar: iglesia and église. All are synonymous with an assemblage for the most sacred purpose.
The Greek title references a searching for or an assembling of profound observations speaking to those cycles of life that are objectively observable. There are certainly timeless observations in this Book, most notably from Chapter 3:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matterunder heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck/take/ up what isplanted (reap);
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stonestogether;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
In the opening verse of the initial chapter, Qohelet is identified as a son of David, which could refer to Solomon the Wise. Pointing to Solomon are multiple references to the Preacher’s extravagant wealth There is also scholarly and rabbinical thought that this could reference one from the Davidic Line. Qohlet does have the persona of a radical preacher whose lessons shock you into listening.
There is some chance the writer of this Book was influenced by Greek thought as this material is thought to have been written around time of Alexander the Great, who conquered Palestine in 333 B.C., when there were substantial Hebrew trade and cultural connections with the Greeks.
Overall, the Preacher is attributed as having examined various philosophies of life. Each of us in our own way, search and contend with the meaning of life but relatively few explore the subject so vigorously and adeptly. Many, just live and pick up what they can. Some are those said to be in tune with the ways of life without questioning same. They live more analyze. This Book indicates either of these methods is NOT necessarily more fruitful. There is an implicit admonition by Qohlet against the pride of intellectualism.
A critical lesson of the Book is that searching for purpose apart from God is meaningless and the simple as well as intelligent come this realization, or miss the mark, in different ways, all in accord with our ability.
Simply, living by Man’s way, or doing what is right in one’s own eyes, is as futile trying to catch the wind.
After Job spent seven days in silence with his three friends, there came a time when this upright soul succumbed and cursed the day he was born.
In poetic form, Job cursed that day, declaring: Let the day perish wherein I was born; and the Night in which it was said there is a child conceived. Let that day be darkness, letnot God regard it from above. Neither let the sun come upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it. Let the day be purged from the calendar and never see the eyelids of dawn. Let no joyful noise come from that night.
Job’s outburst raises the question: Did Satan (or Ha’Satan) prevail? While Job did not curse the Almighty, Jobdid curse His wisdom; as the Lord made such decisions as when Job would be born and the tribulations he would face.
Regardless, Job is not cursing the world. He does not wish to destroy everything around him in a fit of wrath. He will contend with what is before him, bringing us through his suffering in a soul-bearing exercise.
Job calls for those engaged in divination, such as those who would rouse Leviathan (a reference to Canaanite mythology), play their trade and curse his day!
Job voices how he wishes the doors of his mother’s womb had been shut and to have perished within or shortly after birth. He wishes to have long ago reached the destination of stillness. Such would have been a welcome alternative from his suffering. He yearns to be where slave and prisoner are no longer subject to the whips and shouts of the taskmaster.
Further, Job proclaims the desire to be among the past Kings and Counsellors of the earth, who built structuresof magnificence that ultimately turned to desolate places, and now lie equal with their subjects. He brings up the idea,almost as an aside, that we will experience the idle rest of death for a lot longer than we will be active on this earth.
Job is facing a hellish existence. He ponders why should the Lord give light/life to those bitter in soul. He laments how God allows him to continue when the Lord’s Way has been hidden, after he had walked in it all his life. He also realizes he lost the Godly hedge of protection he once had. He is lamenting a perceived broken relationship with God. The loss of his spiritual estate weighs tremendously on Job.
Job closes out the chapter by noting, For the thing I greatlyfeared has come upon me. He realized all he had was bestowed on him by God and could be gone in a moment. He was not naïve, but is explains that he made the proper sacrifices and held the proper reverence, yet tragedy still came. While Job's sacrificial walk was an unsuccessful attempt to keep such suffering at bay, Job will come to learn that his ordeal is ultimately for a greater, even if it remains unknown,purpose.
And there came a day when the Sons of God once again stood before the Lord; and Satan (or ha’Satan) also.
The Lord again queried: From whence comest though?
Satan answered: From roaming the earth and walking up and down in it. This repetition highlights how Satan shares and asserts some dominion over our space. Satan’s level of access to God is eye-opening and this meeting is more of a curt conversation than epic clash in the sky. Although brief, this is one of their most substantial interactions in the Biblical corpus.
The Lord inquires: Has thou considered my servant Job? That there are not like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man? One that feareth God and eschews evil. Although though movest me to destroy him without cause, he still holdeth fast to his integrity.
Satan answers cryptically, “Skin for Skin!” We have some sense of the meaning of this cryptic proverb from Satan’s next missive… “All that a man has he will give for his life.” Satan believes man’s essence is not sacrificial, so the message is – God has affected all around Job, now let’s turn the heat on him and see how much longer he keeps faith.
God was content after Job responded to the initial series of terrible events, so it is worth asking, Was Satan tempting God? And why is the Lord so open to maltreatment of a favorite son? Further, Is Satan’s dialogue the posture of a subordinate, or reflective of being on more level terms? Or is God testing both Job and Satan? The relationship fascinates and perplexes. It has been argued that this Book reveals as much as we, with our limited abilities, can understand of the divine.
As to poor Job, reap & sow doesn’t apply; and while that may be a general rule, there are boundless instances of undeserved suffering. Many tribulations are more than punishment. Some experiences put us through fire to forge us into steel. In what proportion harsh results are reprimands, we are left to wonder.
Satan continues: Put forth thine hand now and touch his Bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face. Another question this book spurs: What would it take for you to curse God? And how much less would it be than what Job went through?
The Lord responds: Behold, He is in thine hand, but spare his life. Once again, Satan gets what he wants, leaves and gets to work. He smote Job with sores and boils from the sole of his feet unto the crown of his head.
Job was relegated to sitting among those ashes, with a broken piece of pottery -- scraping himself for some comfort. This is a test of physical suffering to weaken Job’s resolve.
Here, Job’s unnamed wife makes her lone appearance. In most translations her words are few. She tells Job: Dost though still retain thy integrity? Curse curse God and Die. There is greater exposition in the Greek Translation, the Septuagint, which explores her plight and how she has become a wanderer waiting for death. After discussing their devastation, she questions how long Job will hold out expecting deliverance.
Job responds: Thou speakest as one of the foolish women…shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall not we receive evil? The text implies that while she may have cursed God for the loss of their children and household, Job has not.
With his wife turning on him, Job is closer to breaking down. However: In all this Job did not sin with his lips. There comes relief in terms of human bonding. When three of Job’s friends heard of his plight, they came to comfort and grieve with Job. They were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. The horror of Job’s presentation shocked the three. They wept, tore their clothes, and sprinkled dust ashes over their heads, then turned their eyes upward. They sat down with him for seven days. None spoke a word for they saw the greatness of Job’s grief. This is a wonderful lesson of how to comfort when words will not do.
The day arrived when Satan began to inflict Job. It happened when it was Job’s eldest son’s turn to host a feast for his siblings. Job did not attend this gathering. While home, Job was visited by a series of messengers of bad tidings.
The first messenger relayed that on one of Job’s estates, while Job’s oxen were plowing and asses feeding, Sabeans (men of stature who were rivals to Uz -- perhaps from Sheba) fell upon the land. Job’s servants were struck down and livestock taken away. The messenger relayed, I alone escaped to tell thee.
While this messenger was speaking, a second arrived and conveyed another tragedy. He relayed how the fire of God fell from heavens, consuming the servants and sheep in another of Job’s properties. Again, he was the sole survivor.
A third messenger came while the second spoke. He indicated how three bands of Chaldeans (nomadic marauders from southern Mesopotamia) invaded and struck down Job’s household by the edge of the sword. Notably, they pounced upon Job’s camels and took them off.
Alas, Job faces the horror of horrors from the final messenger. This man describes, Your children were eating in the Home of Your first born. Behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the home. The building collapsed and all of the young people (Job’s children) were killed. I alone escaped to tell the tale.
It becomes apparent that Satan can exert great influence over this world. He uses forces such as the weather, fire as well as our enemies to impose tribulations. A lesson is that some portion of suffering we face is NOT a penalty for sin. Tribulations provide us the tools necessary for navigating this World. Those perils we face, at times, are for God’s purpose, even when we have no ability to determine said purpose. This opening chapter provides a revelation on a tinge of the nature of God. Our Lord is both majestic and mystifying.
Despite the worst circumstances that can befall any man, Job’s initial reaction is ideal. He worshipped. More particularly, Job rose, tore his garments and shaved his head, which was once a tradition of near-Eastern mourning. Job fell to the earth, bowed and proclaimed:
Naked I came out from My Mother’s Womb; and Naked shall I return thither.
The Lord has Given; and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Job was accepting of his plight and limitations. He sets a near impossible example of how to stomach extreme affliction.
With all Job suffered, he did not offend. Nor did he question God’s justice or wisdom. It serves as an early victory of a Faith that will be further tested. We see the embodiment of a phrase that has come down through the ages, the patience of Job, which doesn’t last. Soon we will move onto chapters of soul-searching, doubt and debate. Then the Lord will speak.
We are also taught that our mothers who bear us are analogous to mother earth, which our remains return to. Another beautiful lesson is that we only come to this earth with what God gives us; and more poignantly, we leave with nothing earthly. Within the words of the first chapter is the idea that when we start our lives, we are naked and vulnerable. We also leave in a similar state of powerlessness. We are subject to something greater – independent of our wants and will. At all times, we must regard our Lord as worthy of reverence. All the good that comes to us are precious gifts, including health, shelter, and any material possessions.
This episode covers the first half of Chapter 1. It will be the only chapter covered in two parts.
"And there was a man in in the Land of Uz" begins the one of the oldest and most universal books of the Hebrew Bible.
And Job (Īyyōv) was his name.
There is no mention of Job being Jewish, as lacking is any reference to the Covenant. Some scholarly thought suggests this episode stems from the time Abraham was called by God from Ur, Mesopotamia.
Uz is considered east of Israel, across the Jordan. Scholars often regard Uz as mythical -- think, for example, how the Land of Oz was inspired by the Land of Uz.
Whether actual or allegorical, Uz is a sphere where Job was the greatest of men.
Job was upright and blameless, though the King James misses the mark by indicating “perfect.” Job served in a priestly function where he offered sacrifices, an implicit acknowledgement of the Lord’s power and human frailty. Job was God-focused and holy. He feared the Lord and avoided evil. He is close to the ideal man who faces the ultimate test of faith.
Scholars (including Robert Alter) note this Book to be a masterpiece of the original language, with a rich repetition of ideas through Hebrew parallelism. The words of one line relate to others, frequently the immediately following line, in a variety of artistic ways. Especially in the first few chapters, limited wording says so much.
Job was exceptionally wealthy, taking into account his bountiful family as well as his material possessions. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. He had a multitude of servants, as well as 7,000 sheep and 3,000.
As the ideal father, Job set up each of his sons for success. Each would host the family on a special occasion, perhaps a birthday. In this rotating bliss, all could undertake the responsibility. On such days, Job would make a burnt offering to the Lord, thinking there was a chance one of his sons could have cursed God in their hearts.
We are then transported to a Celestial forum. There came a day, that the Sons of God, came to stand in attendance before the Lord.
Among the Sons of God was Satan or the Adversary. The superior translation from ancient Hebrew is ha’Satan, which stresses an identifiable function, more than a name. The ha’Satan can be thought of something like an Inquisitor, performing necessary but harsh work.
The Lord posed a question to Satan - From where does though comest? There was no warm greeting, but more of an acknowledgement of an un-beloved visitor. The response: From roaming the earth, and walking up and down in it. The implication is the Devil is here with us, all around, serving in his designated capacity.
The Lord queries: Have you paid head to my Servant Job, for there is none like him? The Adversary proffers the fundamental question of the Book -- Does Job Fear God for Nothing?
We see Satan's role as cynic. He poses a question tempting the ultimate power, which takes things a step further than the Serpent tempting Eve in the Garden. What lacks is any semblance of a demonic personification. There is more nuance, where Satan has a role to play in the Lord’s grand order.
Satan continues, Have you not made a hedge about him, this household and all that he has? You have blessed the work of his hand. And spread his flocks. And yet, reach out you Your hand and touch all that he has. Will he not curse you to Your face? Satan is essentially asking, Let Me Test his Faith.
The Lord responded to Satan, All that he has is in Your hands. Only against him do Not reach out Your Hand. This essentially means - don't kill him. Satan got what he wanted and left, without a word wasted. Satan then went out from the presence of the Lord.
There is some thought that Job, as the ideal man, stands in for us all. For if the Lord granted Satan the authority to test his beloved son, surely Satan has the grant of authority, ability and desire to test us all.
Job demonstrated a level of hubris in questioning God’s justice; yet one of the Book’s innumerable lessons is that only one who lived such an unblemished life could so connect with the Lord and serve as a guiding light.
In this revelatory chapter, Job recognizes God’s omnipotence while absorbing the impossibility of understanding of God’s ways and jurisprudence.
The Lord has moved past describing the terrifying Behemoth and Leviathan. He also took Job through the beauty and tragedy of life -- from the depths of the sea to the far reaches of the universe. Job comes to embrace that infinite wonders that lie beyond his comprehension.
Job announces -- Through the ear (ear’s rumor), I heard of thee; but now my eye seeth thee. This can also be translated -- By rumor I heard of you; yet now I hear you directly. Job continues -- I know Thou can do anything. There is no devising beyond you. No thought can be hidden from thee. No purpose of Yours, denied.
Job concedes having no understanding of his previous words and abhors his former intransigence. He asks for the chance to atone and repents in dust and ashes.
The Lord then turns to Eliphaz and says, My Wrath has flared against thee and your two companions because you have not spoken rightly of me as my servant Job has. He commands Job’s friends prepare sacrifices (seven bulls and seven rams) and to go to Job. The friends will make the burnt offering, but must petition Job to pray on their behalf. The Lord is angry because the friends view the theory of “reward and punishment” as THE theory of life. The Book seems to imply that “reap & sow” is part of it; but God’s justice is so much more! All of life, including trials and sufferings, serve God’s purposes.
The three friends went out and did all the Lord commanded. Elihu, however, was not mentioned. Job prayed on their behalf without resentment for his treatment by the Lord, Satan, and his friends. Job didn’t dwell in the unfairness of the past. He moves on, looking outward and upward. It was at this point Job was restored and the Lord Blessed Job’s latter days more than the former.
Job was immediately accepted back into society. His kinfolk came before him and broke bread. They grieved and comforted Job over all that was lost, most notably his children. Each gave Job something of value.
Job was again blessed with 7 sons and 3 daughters. His daughters were given priority and were the only children given names. The first was called Jeminah, meaning Dove, Turtle-Dove or Day-Bright. The second he called Keziah, which can mean cinnamon or fragrance. The last was named Qeren Hapukh, meaning Horn of Eyeshade or Beauty. And Job gave his daughters an equal estate among their Brothers. His household was once again bountiful and he acquired 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 she-asses.
And Job lived 140 years, seeing his children, and children’s children -- 4 generations of them. Finally, Job died, aged and sated in days.
The Lord confronts Job through describing the massive Sea Monster, Leviathan. God inquires -- was it you who can conquer, tame, or create such beast?
Ideas of serpents, sea-monsters, and dragons creating mayhem is ancient and the Book of Job is from around the 5th or 6th century B.C., when such motifs were popular. Even in our era, it is astounding how pervasive dragons remain in relaying stories.
Relevant questions become: What is our fascination? Is it having to face dragons in a metaphorical sense? Are dragons/sea beasts easier to conceptualize than God?
This chapter calls upon pre-biblical mythology. As the Babylonian empire grew, people came together through commerce and conflict, each with their own gods, customs and ideals. Some of these inevitably prevailed over others.
One legend involved a Babylonian storm god, Marduk, who excelled to the position of “top god.” Civilization faced destruction through a flood brought about by Tiamat – goddess of the sea, who was called “Glistening one,” and depicted with a tail of scales. Marduk defeated this Sea Dragon, who shares similarities with Leviathan. Marduk had a multitude of names because of the number of gods he conquered and absorbed. Marduk cut Tiamat into pieces, which represent the earth we inhabit. A version of this story finds itself in Job.
This Babylonian legend proffers that we live, so to speak, on from the remains of an ancient god. Additionally, Leviathan is referenced in Psalm 74, as a sea serpent God defeated, and Isiah 27, as a twisted serpent God will defeat.
God asks Job a series of questions: Can thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? Will Leviathan ever make a supplication unto thee? Will he speak to you with soft words? Could you fill his skin with barbed iron? Could this treacherous monster become Your servant? Can you play with him like a bird? Could you bind him to be toyed with by the maidens? Could you make a banquet out of him?
Any hope or effort to defeat Leviathan is in vain. He who lays his hand upon him will lose his life. It will not resemble a battle. Yet the bridge between God and man is even greater. Even at the sight of Leviathan, man is cast down. Here is a creature of invulnerability. But there comes a hint of God’s admiration for those who try to beat the unbeatable. There may be a lesson that to defeat such malevolent forces, even everyday ones, you must stand with God.
If a mortal succeeded in besting Leviathan (which is impossible), God would elevate him to His own platform. Such a person would become the Lord’s beloved and his greatness proclaimed. The point is, however, that there are some forces only God can defeat.
The Lord continues: Who can meet Leviathan face to face? Get close enough to take in his features? Who could survive those jaws? Who could control him as a horse with a bridle?
This mighty beast – his scales are his pride! They are impregnable, even to air, and resemble a row of shields. As he breathes, he exhorts flashes of light. Out of his nostrils emit smoke as if from a cauldron. These are references are to the beauty and terror of the dragon.
His eyes are the eyelids of dawn! Out of his mouth fires a burning lamp. Sparks of fire leap out; and his breath can kindle coal.
All joy is turned to sorrow before Leviathan. His heart is as cold and unwavering. There is a cruelness and majesty within him.
When he riseth; the Mighty become afraid. When he crashes down into the sea, all inferior gods and man suffer. He can make the cold of the Deep boil.
Whoever brings the sword against him fails. He esteemeth iron as straw; brass as rotten wood. He turns arrows and stones to stubble.
And when he disappears, Leviathan maketh a majestic path. He swims away leaving a shining wake.
Here a monstrous figure from pre-Biblical belief systems, who is cast as an enemy of God’s order, is transformed into something that continues to play a role in that order.
Job has what he has been asking for, a forum where he confronts the Lord. Imagine staring into that overwhelming power, here taking the form of the Whirlwind.
The Lord inquires - Will you challenge me? Or shall he who contends with Shaddai, be corrected?
Job becomes utterly deferential: Behold, I am vile – meaning of no account! Job concedes his place before the Almighty. He continues: I will not answer. I place my hand over my mouth.
The Lord revealed himself to Job, who eschewed evil, walked with God and made the proper sacrifices, as a lesson to mankind. It is the mindset we should all have toward the Almighty.
Job is hit with the realization -- God was present all along and recognizes himself wrong for thinking otherwise.
The Lord continues: Gird up thy loins like a man! I will question you; and you will answer.
God is teaching Job and asks us all to consider: Would thou annul my judgment? Would you condemn me so that you may be justified? Would you speak as if you were more righteous? Have you the arm (power) of God? Can you thunder with the voice of God? Can you adorn yourself with majesty and splendor? Do you recognize the Pride of man and justly punish same; and bring the wicked to their knees and hold sin to account? Do you hide the malevolent in the dust and bind their faces; shutting them in the grove?
God is making the point, being the universal King is infinitely complex! Job is reminded of all the Lord is responsible for. He realizes the symphony of life goes on with an ineffable beauty.
The Lord concludes: If you can do any and all of this, I will confess – that you are God and that you can save yourself by your own hand.
It is quite easy for us to point to infinite aspects of life we think unjust. Many conclude: I was wronged! There is no justice! This is an all-too-easy cop-out leading some to dispense with proper reverence. The more enlightened road is to pursue spiritual wisdom with maturity, coming to realize we are not fit to question God. This involves acknowledging limits of our perspective.
You are best off accepting divine wisdom you are fortunate to be granted. So much of this involves trusting, praying, and repenting.
The Lord moves on to one of his mystical, mighty or allegorical creations: Behold, my Behemoth!
Behemoth is initially referenced as a mighty beast; but then is taken to mythical proportions. The Lord points to how he devours grass like an ox. He directs us to his mighty physical features, meant to highlight the similar power of the monster’s creator.
Look at his strength – the power in his hips and loins as well as his navel! Behemoth is quite the masculine figure, with fierce verity. Look how he moves his tail like a cedar! This likely references an erect phallus. Continuing with sexual prowess – God references the sinews of his stones (testicles) being tightly knit. He then moves on the beast’s envious physique -- his Bones are strong as brass and ribs like iron rods. He is chief is ways of God. Only He who made him can approach him! God is the ultimate tamer of beasts.
Behemoth has been referenced, by some scholars, as a primitive chaos monster, who God overcome and controls. The question is raised: is the Scripture utilizing Canaanite or pagan concepts and importing it with new meaning, for any variety of purposes? Nevertheless, Behemoth is an expressive mega-beast. This figure roamed the earth causing discord but God brought him under control.
The Lord continues: My mountains yield him food. He plays in the fields. He is able to find shade and lie under trees. The willows of a brook surround him. Indeed; he can drinketh up a river. He remains unbothered as it flows down his gullet.
Behemoth is ultimately a giant force under God’s domain. Intertwined with this chapter are timeless psychological & mythological lessons.
The Lord presents images of the glory of life in relation to Job’s appeal for death. He asks Job if has mastery over the mountain goat, who thrives at heights which confound our sense of logic. He then queries if Job knows the mountain goat’s gestation or “calving” of the gazelles who sprint across the plains. The point is that the animal kingdom is an immaculate wonder!
The Lord puts aside the complexities of mankind, which highlights how even his lesser kingdoms are infinite in their majesty. Job is led to recognize the extent of man’s knowledge as he has just one lifetime to take in lessons.
In somewhat violent poetic imagery, the Lord describes how mothers crouch down, split open, and through them bursts forth life. They bring their young into a harsh world, many of which will grow and become strong. This is symbolic in multiple ways. There comes a time, where it is right to leave one’s parents and chart one’s own course – but we must keep in mind to do it in God’s way. Animals do not have this ability. Instead, they go forth by a virtue of a biological imperative. Further, those who chose to live without God are metaphorically thrown to animalistic chaos.
Canst Thou Bind the Unicorn?, reads the King James in a controversial translation. The term translated (re’em) is not technically correct. However, the Church of England scholars who approved said term, make the point quite well. The mythical Unicorn appears to be a docile creature, but if approached, will NOT be tamed.
God has imbued some animals with a spirit no man can break. Such mysteries can be appreciated, if not understood. If you corral, say a rhinoceros, man quickly learns a harsh lesson. Each creature has been accorded a nature and habitat. Some are made for the jungles others the steppes. Some dwell in barren areas. None of us have power to control the animals God has placed beyond man’s control.
One can ponder: what world would you create if given the chance? Could you imagine starting from scratch and coming up with the balance of the world we have? An author who pursued this concept is Robert Coover, in his novel from 1968 -- the Universal Baseball Association.
The Lord turns to the World of Birds to further make His point. Behold, the Ostrich, who flaps her wings so joyously! She beats them as if she expects to take off like the peacock, an odd bird you might not expect to see fly. Who knows why God allowed the Peacock to fly but not the Ostrich? Perhaps by reason of a sense of humor passed to all of us -- made in His image.
Continuing with the Ostrich, the Lord remarks how mothers of this species often leave their eggs unprotected. She allows the eggs to be warmed by the sun, instead of her feathers. She forgets about the danger of predators and accidents. God’s nature has hardened her to the possibility. She has not been imbued with the wisdom we have. Without fear, all her labor can be rendered in vain. But how she races free when unencumbered and scoffs at animals that allow riders!
God then turns to the horse. The Lord asks if Job clothed his neck with thunder and made his snort a majestic strike of terror. Think of the great clamor a horse makes as he churns up the valley, swallowing the ground with every gallop. The Lord has made it so the horse will run into death before an enemy. He will meet the clash of arms, scoffing at fear. He ignores any trumpet or meant to distract him.
The Lord then turns to the air. He asks, Does the Hawk soar by Your wisdom and spread her wings? By Your command does the Eagle set her nest on the Heights and seeks her pray, and feed her babes. What Wondrous masters of the air His creature are!
It is a lesson to appreciate the majesties and glory of God and to be humble to recognize how little authority we have over the natural world.
And the Lord Answered Job from the Whirlwind. While the Almighty speaks over the next four chapters, He provides a response to the themes Job has been lamenting over. It is grand poetry that express the majesty of the ineffable.
The Lord queries, Who is this who, in words without wisdom, darkens counsel? He could be addressing Job or all who have appeared in this Book, including: Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. The Almighty continues, Gird up Thy Lions like a man and ready yourself for My Word, so you can inform me.
Where were you when I founded the Earth? The Lord has existed for an infinite period, while we are fortunate if we near the century mark. Each of us is like a grain of sand in the Cosmic order. Since we have an infinitesimal fraction of His perspective, Job is not fit to question God nor to claim to be as righteous as Him.
Tell me, if you have understanding, Who fixed the World's measures. The Lord is asking, who, like an Architect and Engineer, designed and constructed this World, with the proper angles and adjustments.
At the Dawn of Creation, who moved the Angelic Beings in the Heavens to rejoice and sing together? This references a celebration of celestial beings.
Who hedged the sea with doors and releases waters as if they break forth from a womb? Have you been able to explore the majesty of the seas and the depths? When there is a torrent of rain; who devises how it runs off? It is folly to think there is no Master behind this.
The Lord continues and expresses: Have you brought Light to the void, ushering in the Spring of Day, to shake out the filters of wicked darkness?
Have you an understanding of the gates of death? What do you really know about the mysteries of this earth, those which are all around you? And when a discovery is made, does it not open door to new unknowns?
You surely have answers to all this; for weren’t you around when I brought forth this World through the Introduction of my Word. Since you were around, please offer advice. The number of Your days is great – just as mine are.
The Almighty continues: Have you controlled the storehouses of power – of rains, snow and hail, which I keep in reserve for times of strife? Do you send the Lightening Bolts on Their Way?
So tell me, how does one send the wind where it goes? How does that East Wind scatter and whip all over the Earth? Declare it if you Know— How is it that you may embrace the Light; and take it with you; to avoid the darkness. God is stressing that He created the rhythm of light and darkness.
And who decides that in uninhabitable areas, like jungles and desserts, that it rains to feed the earth? And from whose Womb does Ice Come Forth?
Then the Lord points to Outer Space – Can you show us each of the Constellations in their proper season. Could you have tied together the Band of Pleiades. Or create Orion the Hunter. Could you lead, bring forth, create, the Great Bear & Her Cubs (Arcturus)?
And Who hath put wisdom in the mind, or understanding to the Heart.
Who made it so the Lion hunts for it’s prey? I set who is the leader of the food chain? Who made it so the predators lie in wait for their prey? And who provides a means for the Raven to get his Food? This is likely a source of Jesus’s lesson in Matthew 6:26 of the Lord providing for all, emphasizing that man is given what he needs by God’s care.
Elihu demands Job Hearken attentively to the grandeur of Lord’s Voice, which Elihu characterizes as raging Thunder and Lightning. Elihu signifies that the power of God is on the horizon. Scholars see a reference to the approaching Whirlwind, the form in which God will soon reveal himself. As this glorious storm approaches, Elihu’s heart trembles.
Elihu observes how God controls all beneath the Heavens with magnificent works. They are manifestly awesome yet much of His nature is beyond our comprehension.
Elihu preaches The Lord causeth it all. For example, God establishes the seasons as well as weather and water cycles. His Voice commands rain and snow to fall. He orchestrates the flow of rivers and ice formation. The world spins around us by reason of his wisdom.
Natural weather cycles speak to the need to set aside time for devotion. When frigid or stormy, man is often separated from his toil. This provides occasion to pursue spiritual wisdom. During nightly reprieves, we are afforded a chance to look up and observe the constellations. A level of deference and awe is due. We must ask ourselves, where has our focus been?
Elihu demands Job take in the wonders of God. Then Elihu the mocks Job, asking Have you spread out the sky and planets? Elihu asks whether Job has any idea how God does His work, particularly referencing having Light shine. Elihu brings attention to how God warms us, with a wind from the South. How He handles it all demonstrates the workings of a perfect knowledge.
In our lives, His lessons can be for correction or mercy. Elihu suggests that instead of Job continuing to murmur and complain, it would be better to be repentant.
Elihu then tells Job (mockingly) to teach what man should say if granted a forum before God. This is an accusation of Job being too prideful. Elihu feels that if Job actually was granted what he asks, Job wouldn’t be able to articulate anything sensible.
Elihu stresses that many are stuck in darkness and have not seen His brightness burst through the darkness. From the Lord comes a glorious golden splendor.
Elihu preaches that the Lord will not answer us overtly. In other words, he does not expect God to commune, face-to-face, with His subjects. This is because God holds a terrible majesty and awesome glory. We cannot be too close to Him as He is transcendent and Holy.
Elihu closes his speech by noting the Lord does not regard the overly intellectual. He looks at each person's effort to reach him in accord with their abilities.
As Elihu finishes, God is approaching in the form of a Whirlwind. Get Ready to Hear His Voice.
Elihu continues: There are still words left for me to say on God’s behalf. He announces that a perfect knowledge stands before Job ready to impart the lessons of life. These are bold statements and amount to Elihu contending he speaks with the authority of a prophet.
Elihu proclaims how God is mighty as well as great in understanding. The Lord does not hold enmity against anyone, meaning he does not view us as an overpowering monster does a gnat. Instead, He is merciful towards His subjects. When it appears God is unfair – the situation should be viewed differently as God’s justness and wisdom is always at hand. He saves the righteous a place on his throne and establishes their legacy. The Lord ultimately grants justice to the afflicted and does not let the wicked thrive.
For those who find themselves bound in cords of affliction, God will impart their follies and transgressions – if they open their ears. Therefore, if someone suffers, the reason can be learned.
The Lord commands we return from inequity. When there is repentance; God will bring one from dire straights to the broad plane, where there are no further oppressions and one’s table will be heaped with rich fare for many days.
With the proper relationship with God; a man will cross the Current (the mythological dividing line between this world and the next) into a welcoming afterlife. Those without the proper closeness will perish by the sword. Many will cry out to God in the approach to death bound in a punishment of their own making and find themselves among profane souls. The unfortunate meet their end without spiritual wisdom. They spent their short time on earth struggling for the wrong things.
The implication is that Job remains at fault for denying his guilt. Elihu turns to Job and admonishes that he shares the heart of the wicked. God’s wrath has been kindled and Job is a proper and obvious target. Further, no ransom can save Job; just as wealthy men cannot redeem themselves with earthly treasure. There will be no hope for an overturning of fortunes, unexpectedly in the middle of the night.
Elihu instructs: Take heed; for you have chosen iniquity rather than to receive the lessons affliction can impart. In other words, Job has chosen continued wrongdoing; rather than learning from his plight.
Job is told to behold how God is exalted all over the world. Elihu asks these questions: Who teaches life lessons like him?, Who teaches God?, Who challenges God?. We all observe his work. We behold the majesties of nature even if we can only appreciate a tinge of the greatness.
We may demand answers; but God is too Glorious and his wonders overwhelming to comprehend. One example is how he provides the water needed to sustain us – a relatively constant amount of water, whether in the form of ice, liquid (rain); or vapor rising form the ocean -- the hydraulic cycle.
Demanding answers from God is declaring to be on same level as Him and represents an arrogance.
Elihu asks, Can one grasp the spread of the sky above? There is a roar from His pavilions which speaks to his power. For He spreads his Thunder and Lighting from his hands.
His power is such, good men naturally exalt him. Even those who don't acknowledge Him react like animals who know a great power is on the horizon.
Elihu is angry Job believes himself on a plane where he thinks he can complain of God’s decisions. He accuses Job of contending he is more right or righteous than God and even asking What use is God? Elihu stresses Job is NOT appreciating God’s majesty. Nor is Job humble in the face of God. Job is also accused of denying any moral order.
Elihu then re-emphasizes that Job has sinned then rebelled for not acknowledging same and endlessly clamors. Elihu instructs Job to look to the Heavens. This is a Reminder to LOOK UP and behold that infinite majesty. The fraction of the sky we perceive speaks to God’s omnipotence.
Elihu uses this portion of his speech to take Job to task for questioning whether it even profits man to refrain from sin.
Elihu then discusses the subject of how sin affects God. He implies there is an arrogance in Job believing his actions impact the Lord. Elihu notes: For even if Your crimes be many – what does it do to him? This idea seemingly contradicts the Old Testament theme that sin profoundly wounds God. However, it can be reconciled. We can come to appreciate the ways God is both unreachable and vey reachable. Never lose sight, however, that the Lord is the ultimate King and none of us are “masters of the universe.” Elihu posits that Job has lost his fear and reverence.
Elihu also takes up the corollary – that even if Job is in the right – what extra benefit does God receive? Additionally, when we act in ways we regard as pleasing to God, we may find ourselves challenged by a test of faith. Though difficult, just being tested can be looked at as a badge of honor in that we have been deemed worthy of such a challenge.
Elihu moves on to mentioning obvious human suffering. Multitudes cry out to God on such occasions, including many who did not honor Him. Calling to the Lord, even in frustration, serves as an acknowledgment of his power. In our own troubles, we should ALWAYS look to him first. Elihu is speaking to the need to commune with God and recognize his wisdom, protection and road to salvation.
Elihu implies that sinful people historically oppress others. So, Your sin, even if it does not hypothetically reach God, has an impact. In the same vein, acting wickedly can affect the transgressor without God’s interference based on some underlying law of nature, which we often try to explain through karma or cause-and-effect.
Elihu asks Job where he gets the audacity to cry out in the manner he has. He acknowledges Job’s plight but considers that others have had it equally bad. In this world, if you look hard enough, we will always see worse suffering. It is a never-ending conundrum.
Elihu also points out that God is less likely to answer the proud. He is much more likely to respond to those who have attempted to maintain the proper relationship. Elihu expresses: God does not answer from evil man’s haughtiness.
One way to look at Job’s conundrum is that Job was sent to suffer for reasons he could never understand. His case is a lesson to humanity -- provided through the arrangement between the Almighty and Satan (or Ha-Satan – Accuser/Adversary). We can never grasp the full meaning dynamic. The answers are multi-faced and multi-dimensional. However, through the proper approach to analyzing Job’s plight we can get a tinge of the answers to man's most profound questions.
Elihu directs himself to the sages of the world by announcing “Hearken to Me! O ye wise men!”
He then - mirroring Job’s prior appeals - desires to take Job to a forum where disputes will inevitably be decided in the favor of the one who called for it and thinks himself most right. Elihu also announces the intention to engage in open discussion with Job, saying: Let us debate and agree among ourselves, who is good and right.
Elihu then summarizes Job’s argument in a mocking sense, noting how Job claims to be faultless. Elihu proclaims sarcastically that God has diverted, wounded and lied about Job. Eilhu then asserts that Job erroneously argued that it profits a man little to delight in God. However, Job’s arguments can be better-characterized as complaining of the disproportionality of his punishment. Job hasn’t declared himself perfect and has left room for occasions where he may have fallen short. Even though the text says Job was upright and made the correct sacrifices, Job is not meant to symbolize divinity. While he may be an ideal man, he is still a man nonetheless, with our limitations.
Elihu continues, in poetic language, that Job drinketh up the waters that scorn and consorts with the wicked. Elihu argues that Job went from embracing God’s majesty to rejecting his sovereignty.
Elihu then moves on to exhorting God’s magnificence, somewhat resembling Job’s friends. He proclaims it is impossible for God to reign wickedly and that God will render to man based on his works. For a man’s acts he pays him back & and by a person’s path – He provides. After all, nobody gave the universe to God to govern. Rather the Almighty came up with the whole thing out of the primordial chaos.
Our world is His domain and His order reigns, even if we do not understand it. Elihu takes it as a given that God rules with a sense of justice.
Relating to God’s power, if hypothetically, God set his eyes on man to destroy us -- he could do it in an instant. To dust we would we return.
As to the wicked, there is no darkness or shadow in which they can hide with respect to facing consequences - for His eyes are on the ways of Man. The Lord knows our deeds and divine justice will become apparent to those who turn away from him. His justice is unquestioned by virtue of His status.
While the wicked may seem to prosper, they don’t escape consequences. The Lord also hears the pleas of the poor man as well as the call of the lonely. He has no limits and can smash any barrier. Ultimately, God’s grandeur is ineffable and many of His ways we simply can’t understand.
Elihu is scolding Job for blaming God for his problems rather than looking to within. He notes that Job insults the Most High and has the audacity to call the Heavenly King a scoundrel. Instead, what is due is awe and reverence.
Elihu then advices Job on what he should have done; namely to have approached God with a sense of reverence. He asks Job if he has ever asked, in prayer, what he did wrong – with an open heart trying to understand. He should have made such an exploration in repentance and demonstrated a willingness to bear his punishment.
This chapter teaches: You have to accept the Lord's discipline and come out saying “I have borne my punishment and will offend no more.”
Then Elihu ponders if Job thinks he can provide more Justice than God. He is asking, in essence, if man could even fathom doing a fraction of the orchestrating that God does. Men need to admit that we can’t see the whole picture; so for better vision we must ask for His help.
Elihu summarizes Jobs plight. He finds that Job committed some undetermined sins, then compounded his mistakes. He finds Job’s defense as a clamor of empty rhetoric. Elihu concludes that Job likely deserves even more punishment.
Elihu instructs Job to hearken to his words as God’s spirit has stirred him, granting wisdom and authority. Elihu is not deferential and speaks with a youthful arrogance.
Elihu articulates a similarity he shares with Job - how God has pinched and molded both from clay. The idea is to show man’s equal and minuscule stature before the Lord. Elihu concedes that his words may not weigh upon Job. Nevertheless, Elihu attempts to connect with Job in the most meaningful way.
Elihu goes onto paraphrase Job’s argument in a mocking sense. For example, Elihu has heard Job: declare himself pure; count God as his enemy; and announce how all is designed against him. He notes how Job expressed feeling trapped -- as if his feet were placed in stocks. When able to move, Job feels all his steps are scrutinized and punished.
Elihu expresses that he will be the one to convince Job how much more righteous God is than man. This seems to be an effort to defeat a sense of perceived pride in Job.
Elihu then asks Job why he contends with God if Job believes God has not answered his pleas. He preaches that Job should know that while God does not account for his ways; He does speak to us. Elihu contends that Job (and man in general) is not attuned to listening.
Elihu believes God can speak to us in various ways, including through dreams, meditation, and the trials of life. Elihu instructs – if your ears are open to hearing the Almighty, He can lay bare the truth. He posits that dreams can serve as an avenue for God to reach us -- as it is the realm where the mind is at rest and not encumbered by earthly matters.
Perhaps the most common way God speaks to us is through the ordeals he has us endure. As this Book demonstrates, the lessons can be terrifying and painful but there is a purpose to them, which is often to have us turn from sinful ways.
Elihu teaches that God’s nature is to save man from the “Pit.” He appears to be referencing a punishing afterlife that awaits if we do not submit and allow the Lord to save our soul. God provides each of us what we need to reach him though his probing tests, which can manifest in countless varieties given our individuality. The Hebrew Bible says remarkably little on the afterlife but the Book of Job touches on this mystical arena.
This other dimension or afterlife is also referenced as the “Current,” which, in antiquity, was regarded as a dividing line between our world and the one beyond.
Elihu is stressing that Job must yield to the Almighty to be saved. This demonstration of deference is needed because of our stature before an awe-inspiring God.
Elihu then goes back to referencing Job’s suffering. He implies that some level of suffering is universal before we reach the point of communion with God.
Job, for example, is so ill he despises nourishment. Bread is referenced in this regard – which, in the Bible, often symbolizes spiritual knowledge. Elihu continues that Job’s flesh wastes away and his bones are laid bare. In a sense, this is a process all humanity goes through during our earthly cycle.
Elihu then turns to possibility of a redeemer or messianic figure. He speaks about how fortunate man would be to have a spokesperson to declare our righteousness. Elihu posits this savior often manifests just as man reaches the edge of the Pit and is at the point of despair. Elihu characterizes this dynamic as being rescued from “the Angels of Death.”
Elihu speaks of the Lord bringing man into his Light and restoring Job to something akin to his youth. He speaks about Job’s flesh being made new and placed back into the prime of his life. Many Christians will find a “born again” reference in this message.
Upon hearing Job’s latest impassioned defense, the three friends fall silent. The dialogue has gone as far as it can go. The story then takes an unexpected turn -- Elihu, a new speaker with no articulated connection to Job, steps in. Despite the mystery, Elihu is provided a genealogy -- son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram. One theory proffered by various scholars is that Elihu is a descendant from a brother of Abraham, Nahoor, who is referenced in Genesis 22. Nahoor was the father of “Buz,” who is thought to be patriarch of the Buzites.
There is controversy surrounding Elihu, whose name translates to “My God is He" or "God is Lord.” Some scholars contend his lengthy speech is an addition to the Book of Job, as there is no mention of him in the beginning nor tail end - points the three comforters are referenced. Estimates have this Book being created between the 4th and 6th centuries before Christ. Others consider Elihu a messianic figure whose outlook is most significant and serves as an avenue to reach God. It is noteworthy that Job recently asked for someone to intercede on his behalf and in jumps Elihu, who provides the longest continuous speech in book. This chapter serves as Elihu’s introduction to his own speech.
Elihu announces that while listening to the discussion, his wrath was kindled. He endured the back-and-forth, where the comforters failed to teach Job a lesson. He continues: “I am young and ye are aged,” explaining holding his tongue out of respect, which the three friends, were not deserving of. He highlights that it is the spirit of Shaddai that grants wisdom and comforters failed to showed sufficient discernment confronting Job. Now he can’t hold in his words in any longer and is ready to burst with his own perspective.
He expresses Job has been busy justifying himself and has not perceived God as the fair arbitrator of all things.
Elihu expresses that the friends have effectively gave up – saying to themselves that God will confound Job since our words failed to reach him. Elihu thinks he can do better and boasts he will not be redundant. The friends are silenced and shocked by the young man's audacity. Elihu announces he will show no favor or flattery – as his maker, the Lord, would have it no other way.
Here is Job’s closing appeal. It is the last chapter where he speaks at such length – so the episode will be a bit longer than the 10-minute goal. There are 10 more chapters in the Book of Job and a mysterious new voice, Elihu, will speak for the next few. Then the Lord will reveal himself. Consequently, there is something transcendent to Job’s final words of substance.
While arguing that he has been righteous, Job provides quite the morality lesson and takes the reader through a number of familiar Commandments (worship only God, do not craft idols, do not commit adultery; do not covet), as well as a number of the “deadly sins” of the Old Testament (including Lust; Pride; Greed and Gluttony).
Through Job speaks about the malevolent conduct he avoids, we observe how faithfully Job has followed God’s way.
Job stressed that he has stayed two steps away from sin and that his heart has been devoted to the Lord, as well as his wife and family. More specifically, he starts to preach how he avoided Lust and Adultery, a sin many influential men (like Job) are prone to commit. He also covers how he stayed devoted to the Lord and avoided worship of false gods or icons. He never made wealth his standard, but rather goodness in the eyes of God.
Job maintains that has been a good host to strangers and guests (a critical responsibility of the time) and provided charity to those in need. He went out of his way, for instance, to cloth whoever needed it. Job describes how he has been fair in all business dealings and never took advantage of his privilege. In this sense he has avoided greed.
Job strived to serve by example in his role as community leader. He took responsibility for his actions and did not blame others for his behavior – referencing Adam and the Garden of Eden when Adam made excuses before God. Job notes how he never wishes ill-will upon an enemy, nor covets beyond what God allotted him.
Job, for the last time, begs for God’s attention in a forum where he can approach the Lord like a Prince. Job is demanding something from God, but later realizes later that God does not owe him anything; and later regrets this stance.
Job gives a good account of himself and believes that the soil of the earth is a witness to his uprightness. This is a possible reference to Genesis, and the story of Cain & Abel, where the ground cried out to God for the murder of Abel. The lesson: even if no person sees Your crime, Job realizes you can’t hide your malevolence from He who ultimately counts. Throughout the ordeal, Job remained confident of his innocence.
