Job 33:8 Commentary and Bible Study

Elihu has some forceful things to say to Job and he is going to say them publicly in front of all present. He charges Job with saying he is clean. Job, as Calvin says, is not justifying himself in general, but he is justifying himself with regard to his afflictions. We must accept that Elihu is right in saying this, for God does not later correct him in any way, as he corrects the three friends. In spite of his continuing adherence to God, Job has publicly criticised the Almighty, and, for the sake of those that have heard and also for Job’s sake, his words must not be allowed to stand. This, as Matthew Henry says, would not have been appropriate if Job had said these things in private, but he had said them before all. Pauls also says, ‘Those that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.’ Job had troubled God’s people by what he had said and this has serious effects upon the faithful. It is especially damaging when someone who is of high reputation falls, because so many look to him for an example. Those in authority should be especially careful not to stumble, since so many eyes are upon them.Elihu has been present all the time and has heard Job say for himself. It is always important to establish the facts of a case before we make any move to correct others; it is shameful to dive in when we are acting on mere hearsay, but Elihu knows what he is saying. Literally Job had said, ‘Pure I, without transgression. Clean I, and no sin to me.’ There was too much ’I’ in this for Elihu’s liking. These words would have been inappropriate for all but the Lord Jesus Christ himself, for no fallen human being can speak of themselves in this way. Solomon asks, ‘Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?’ (Proverbs 20:9). Job surely knew that he was exaggerating, but he felt that his exaggeration was justified. He also had admitted, ‘And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? ⁴ Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one’ (Job 14:3-4). He knew that it was not possible for him to be entirely clean because he had been born with a sinful nature. He like all men was unclean within. Yet these words had come from him and Zophar had attempted to rebuke him along exactly the same lines: ‘For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes’ (Job 11:4). The comforters had seen the problem as much as Elihu but they had been unable to convince Job because they had attempted to do so on the basis of their own mistaken theology. Job had said, ‘Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it. ³⁰ Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?’ (Job 6:29-30), and ‘Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days, ⁶ That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? ⁷ Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand’ (Job 10:5-7). The difficulty with this is that a believer may speak of his righteousness in a relative sense without meaning to imply that he is without sin. David speaks in a very similar way in the Psalms: ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? ⁴ He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully’ (Psalm 24:3-4). Here David certainly does not mean to teach that a believer can attain the status of being without sin. This is rather about inner integrity which every believer ought to have. Yes, the old nature is still within us but it does not have dominion over us and the prevailing characteristic of our lives must be integrity. This is true even though there is a struggle within us against sin. For this reason the saints who still have to daily confess their sins are nevertheless called ‘the righteous’ (Psalm 1:5-6). How do we know that Job was not just saying this about himself? We know it because it is his argument that God should have treated him differently because of this righteousness. He was therefore so clean that it was inappropriate for him to suffer troubles. Job was dealt with by God for his own sake. Job not only regarded himself as a man who was upright; he went further and believed he should not have to suffer. He could see no reason for his troubles other than that God had rejected him and made him his enemy. God tracked his every path with the intent of destroying him. This, Elihu sets out to prove to him was wrong. Job had set himself above the discipline of God.What did Elihu say to Job that was different to the three friends? How did he succeed in admonishing and silencing Job where the others failed? Firstly he made clear that he regarded Job as a believer. Secondly he showed real sympathy with Job. Thirdly he put his finger on the real problem instead of shooting in the dark.