job 35 and 36

Read Job 35 and 36 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for each man’s speech are like the divisions in the Psalms that we studied in 2014. There is an understood {s} division at the end of each numbered line, with an {n} marking where a new line begins within a numbered line.

Job 35:1-36:33 {s} Division at the end of each numbered line; with these {n} divisions within lines:
Job 36:7a He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; {n}
Job 36:16a Indeed He has brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; {n}

Continuing the outline of Elihu’s speech:

The graciousness of God:

Job 33:8-13, God is not Job’s enemy;
Job 33:14-28, God uses many methods to speak to men to turn them from a destructive path;
Job 33:29-33, God is motivated by desire for repentance, not only to dispense punishment.

The justness of God:

Job 34:1-9, Job has unwisely charged God with injustice because of his suffering;
Job 34:10-15, Far be it from God to pervert justice;
Job 34:16-33, God deals with all men impartially according to what is right.
Job 35:1-8, Does a man’s righteousness profit God? No, righteousness benefits others;
Job 35:9-16, Justice is always before God, and if you do not see it yet, you must wait on Him;
Job 36:1-4, Elihu will yet ascribe righteousness to God.

The greatness of God:

Job 36:5-15, God is mighty but despises no one: He deals justly with the righteous and wicked alike;
Job 36:16-21, Elihu warns Job not to let his affliction turn him to wickedness;
Job 36:22-23, God is powerful, who has taught Him? who has instructed Him?
Job 36:24-25, Ascribe to God the majesty due Him;
Job 36:26-33, God is great, who can discover His limits?

Elihu provides an answer to one of Job’s questions that remains a common question in our own day:

If the righteous and wicked alike both suffer, then how does my righteousness profit me?

Job 35:6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
Job 35:7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?
Job 35:8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man.

God does not suffer nor profit from either wickedness or righteousness. But who does profit from righteousness, and who does suffer from wickedness, is our fellow man. Thus we see that wickedness is an act of hatred toward others, while righteousness is an act of love toward others. This truth of Elihu’s from the Spirit of God needs to be restored to culture today, for we have separated wickedness from hate, and righteousness from love. Indeed, you even hear it said that some acts of wickedness are acts of love while some acts of righteousness are acts of hatred! But this is God’s bottom line, and why He asks righteousness of men – He is seeking love, first and foremost!