Job 31-33
Day 14: Job 31-33 Notes & Takeaways
Notes from day 14 in my Bible, @myrenewedfaith
“This whole chapter is occupied with Job’s solemn oath of innocence. It was his final and explicit answer to the line of argument adopted by his three friends.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
We start chapter 31. “Chapter 31 is Job’s Sermon on the Mount, for in it he touches on many of the same issues of spiritual ethics that Jesus covers in Matthew 5-7, including the relationship between lust and adultery (Job 31:1, 9-12), loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Job 31:13-15), almsgiving and social justice (Job 31:16-23), and the love of money and other idolatries (Job 31:24-28).” (Mason)
Job 31:1 says “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” When he says that made a covenant with his eyes he doesn’t mean that he will never feel the lust of the flesh and desire for a woman, but he means he won’t allow himself to dwell on those lustful feelings that may cause him to sin. He is also honoring the women that he could be eyeing because he is showing them respect.
He continues to speak and shows us that not even his heart has been enticed. Which points tot he fact that although there may not be sexual sin, the heart can still be enticed emotionally by another in a marriage and we must guard ourselves from it as well. He lets his friends know that he has always remained faithful to his wife, and that if he was not, they could give his wife to another and let them sleep with her, for it would have been wicked for him to do such a detestable thing.
Job was also not afraid to have his life examined and weighed by honest scales, he knew in his heart that he had lived a life of honor and faithfulness for God. We see in verses 16-23 that he was compassionate and cared for those that worked under him. He also cared for the widows and the fatherless. We can see the true nature of someone by how they care for those that may be inferior to them, and Job cared greatly for them.
He also mentions that he never trusted in gold or put his security in his wealth or lands. he knew that there were those that were rich and that they often made idols of their wealth, but not Job. He knew that his blessings came from the Lord, and that “the Lord giveth and taketh away” (Job 1:20-21).
Job’s friends truly believed that Job had sin hidden away in his heart for which he should repent of, but Job tells them that he is not like those that they speak of that hide their sin for fear of those around him. He just had no sin to confess because he did his best to live a godly life (Job 31:34). The following verse is the demand in which the says, “let the Almighty answer me,” and to which he later repents of in Job 42:5-6.
The chapter ends with the words “The words of Job are ended.” This does not mean he won't speak ever again, it just meant that he was done. He said all that he could to his friends and argued his case with them enough. He wasn’t going to keep going anymore. He knew he was in the right and that was it, there was no convincing them any longer.
In chapter 32 we see a new character enter the story: Elihu. Elihu means “My God is He” and is the only one of the characters in this book that has a genealogy written for him. Now Elihu had waited to speak because he was younger than his friends and Job. The story doesn’t tell us exactly how far apart, but by his remarks in Job 32:4, 6, we see that there must have been a larger one.
Elihu tells them that it is the spirit in a person, the breath of God, the Almighty, that gives them understanding, that makes them wise and that it is not just he old who are wise, therefore it is his time for him to speak (Job 32:8-10). He states that not one of them proved Job to be in the wrong or answered act of the arguments he threw their way, and this frustrated him.
Enduring Word commentary states, “Elihu certainly was full of words [Job 32:18]; for this and the next five chapters he will drone on and on, unable to shut up and unable to let anyone else speak. It is by far the longest single speech in the Book of Job, longer than even God’s speech in later chapters.”
Chapter 32 is Elihu introducing his speech, it’s not even his actual speech yet, just his introduction. He thought he was smarter and wiser than all of them combined and continues to drone on trying to flatter no one except himself. In chapter 33 “It is obvious that Elihu does have some glaring faults: he talks too much; he repeats himself; he is enormously conceited. Worst of all, like the other friends, he seriously misreads Job’s problem as being one of unrepented sin, and as a result he condemns a righteous man.” (Mason)
He goes on to say to Job that he is wrong because Job is in fact a sinner even though he believes Job to have said he is not. He states that he has heard Job’s words (Job 33:8) but by his words, we can deduce that he has not. Job never said he was sinless, he himself spoke about his being sinful (Job 9:2, 19:20, 9:28) but that he tried to live righteously.
Elihu continues and speaks about the way that the Lord speaks to mankind.
Adam Clarke saw in this section six ways that God speaks to mankind:
· Dreams (Job 33:15).
· Night Visions (Job 33:15).
· Secret Inspirations (Job 33:16).
· Afflictions (Job 33:19).
· Messengers (Job 33:23).
· Through a Ransom/Atonement (Job 33:24).
He continues to say that God does all these things “twice, even three times — to turn them back from the pit” (Job 33:29-30) and that Job should pay attention to how patient God has been.
Tomorrow we move on to chapters 34-36, where Elihu will continue to speak. We will finish Job and come back to where we left off in Genesis on January 18. I hope you’re learning a lot and enjoying it all at the same time. I know I am! Make sure to follow RF on Instagram, and join our FB Group to stay up to date for our upcoming weekly zoom sessions!
