Job 34:10 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Job 34:10

Comments

‘For the work of a man shall he pay him.’ It is a statement that refutes the idea that God judges here and now. Life is like a day’s employment, and judgement is like being paid at the end of the day at end of life. It does not contradict the idea of there being token judgements here and now.Elihu will establish the absolute integrity of God; he lays this down from the outset. Let all men of understanding recognise this foundational truth from which they never dare to depart come what may: that God can under no circumstances do wickedness. When Elihu says this, he is giving us an unquestionable principle from which we may safely begin our reasoning. Any other starting point will lead to darkness of understanding. This is true in spite of many unfathomable events in life, and deep troubles such as those that Job experienced. Elihu is speaking to men and saying, ‘Far be it from you to think that God could do wickedness of any sort; far be it for you to even toy with this idea, let alone build on it. To think so is to put in place a belief leads to every conceivable error and confusion. This we hold even though we see evil in the world, for if we believe that God is exclusively good and ‘cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man’ (James 1:13), then we must attribute all evil to another agent, even though that agent operates under God’s sovereign government. Satan has been able to do what he does only by God’s permission, for the Lord is able to bring good out of evil and greater good comes from doing so than if evil had never existed; God has a morally sufficient reason for allowing evil to come into the world. But God himself can do only good and Job’s complaint was not that God permitted evil but that he acted unjustly.But how is it that Elihu claims not to say the same as the three friends (Job 32:14) and yet uses arguments that seem so close to those of Eliphaz (Job 4:17) and Bildad (Job 8:3). Had they not also argued that we must take it for granted that God cannot act wickedly? Certainly they had, and yet the God they had in mind was very different to the God of Elihu. They argued in this way to prove that Job must be a hypocrite since God was treating him as a wicked man. To their minds Job’s sufferings were incontrovertible evidence that he was far from the Lord and his life a charade. Elihu on the other hand showed how Job’s true standing could be reconciled with his troubles, because God in his justice could disciplines his child to teach him further lessons in righteousness. Yet Job had made the mistake of seeing his hardships as incompatible with the justice of God.When therefore Elihu says that God repays man according to his work and rewards him according to his way, he is saying that God is not arbitrary in sending providences which have nothing to do with how individuals behave. The difference is that Elihu sees Gods repayments as disciplinary rather than as evidence that he is against the man; punishment and chastisement are not at all the same thing. The one is not intended to benefit the guilty party but only to enforce justice, but the other is a training measure designed to bring one who is capable of learning to a better state of mind.

Application

Surely, says Elihu, it must be a cardinal truth among all who have understanding that God cannot do evil. If any truth which we hold leads to this conclusion then we must abandon it; if any temptation comes upon us which raises this suspicion the we must reject it. This is true even though we have to turn against ourselves and against some cherished idea which we hold. Pride causes us to cling to things which harm us but all must give way before the justice and integrity of God.

‘Until we come to the point where we are quiet and obedient to God in all things that he does, even though things don’t fall out the way we wish or according to our judgment, we are in effect accusing God of unrighteousness. Why? Because since he governs the whole world, nothing happens but by the disposition of his government and power. So then let us learn to submit to God’s providence, confessing that all that he does is good, and then we shall count him righteous and yield him his due praise’ (Calvin – in modern English).

‘Saint Paul, speaking of the righteousness of God, does not say that he will recompense from day to day, but only that he will recompense. Our faith must be exercised in waiting patiently for the things we do not see as yet … Secondly, God does not so recompense every man according to his works, but that he also bears with those whom he punishes, and shows them some favour … Thirdly, God does not so recompense men according to their ways, that he leaves himself no power to pardon those whom he chooses when he intends to bring them back to himself. God does not punish his chosen. It pleases him to receive them to mercy, and to be at one with them of his own free goodness. In so doing he buries their sins and enter not with them into judgment’ (Calvin – in modern English).

‘Neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.’ ‘Although an innocent man may be oppressed by earthly judges, who charge him with something in which he is not at fault, and a man may often be punished wrongfully and without cause, it is not so with God’s justice. He does not need to show why, or to keep great registers of proof to excuse himself when he is slandered by men. Every man carries his own indictment written and sealed within himself. We need no other judge than our own consciences. And though every man does not acknowledge it right now, after we have flattered ourselves for a long time, we must still return to the point of conviction, namely that he has just cause to punish us’ (Calvin – in modern English).

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Job 34:10 Commentary and Bible Study