We have next the final discourse of Elihu, in which he proceeds to clench his justification of God's ways against Job, who had virtually impeached them. He no longer deals with the human side, but rises up to God's own character, and His moral government of men, wherein mercy rejoices against judgment. But there is, withal, that distinct reference to His glory in creation and providence which is characteristic of the Old Testament generally, whether law or prophets, yet with ample and definite application ethically; an admirable transition to the interposition of Jehovah Himself, which immediately follows:
And Elihu added, and said,
Wait for me a little, and I will show thee;
For [there are] yet words for God.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
For truly my words [shall] not [be] falsehood:
One upright in knowledge [is] with thee.
Lo! God is great, and despiseth not,
Great in strength—in heart.
He letteth not the ungodly live,
And giveth the afflicted their right.
He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous,
And with kings on the throne, yea, He establisheth them forever,
And they are exalted.
And if, bound in fetters, they be held with cords of affliction,
Then He showeth them their work,
And their transgressions that they have been mighty—
And He openeth their ear to instruction,
And saith to them, that they turn back from vanity,
If they hear and serve, they end their days in good,
And their years in pleasantness.
But if they hear not, their soul dieth [or like] the dust,
And expireth in want of knowledge.
And the impious in heart lay up wrath,
They cry not when He bindeth them.
Their soul dieth like that of youths,
And their life among the polluted.
He delivereth the afflicted by His affliction,
And He uncovereth their ear by trouble.
And there, too, He lureth out of the jaws of distress,
A wide place, on the site of which [is] no straitness,
And the setting of thy table fullness of fatness.
But hast thou filled up the judgment of the wicked?
Judgment and justice will take hold.
For beware, lest wrath stir thee against the blow,
And a great ransom turn not the scale in thy favor.
Will He value thy wealth? Not gold, nor all the powers of might.
Desire not the might, the going up of nations on the spot.
Take heed—look not to sin,
So that thou wouldest choose this rather than affliction.
Lo! God exalteth by His power:
Who is a teacher like Him?
Who hath assigned to Him His way?
And who hath said, Thou doest wrong?
Remember that thou magnify His work,
Which mortals behold; all men looked on it;
Mortal man looketh attentively from afar.
Lo! God [is] great—we know not;
As for the number of His years, [there is] no searching.
When He draineth off the drops of water,
They condense into rain in place of its mist,
So that clouds drop, they distil copiously on man.
Yea, doth one understand the spreading of the cloud?
The noises of His tabernacle?
Lo! He hath spread over it His light,
And hath covered the depths [or roots] of the sea.
For by them He judgeth the nations;
He giveth, food in abundance.
On both hands He covereth lightning,
And giveth it a charge in striking.
The noise of it announceth concerning Him,
Store of wrath against perversity.
Chapter 37.
Yea, at this my heart trembleth,
And it standeth up from out of its place.
Hear, O hear, the roar of His voice,
And the rumbling that goeth forth out of His mouth.
Under the whole heaven He directeth it,
And His light into the borders of the earth.
After it roareth a voice,
He thundereth with the voice of His majesty,
And restraineth them not when His voice is heard.
God thundereth marvelously with His voice,
Doing great things which we know not.
For to the snow He saith, Fall to the earth,
And to the small rain, and to the rains of His strength.
The hand of every man He sealeth up,
That all mortals of His work may come to knowledge.
And the wild beast goeth into lair,
And continueth in his abodes.
Out of its chamber cometh the hurricane,
And cold out of scatterings.
From the breath of God frost is given,
And the breadth of the waters is compressed.
And He loadeth with moisture the cloud,
He scattereth the cloud of His light,
Round about it turneth itself by His counsels,
That they may do all for which He commandeth them
On the face of the world—earth.
Whether for a scourge, or for His earth or land,
Or for mercy, He causeth it to come.
Hear this, O Job; stand and consider the wonders of God.
Knowest thou how God charged them,
And He maketh the lightning of His cloud to flash?
Knowest thou the balancings of a cloud,
The marvels of Him that is perfect in knowledge,
Thou, whose garments are warm,
When the earth becomes still from the south?
Dost thou with Him spread out the sky,
Firm as a molten mirror?
Teach us what we shall say to Him?
We cannot set forth because of darkness.
Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Did he say that he would be destroyed?
And now indeed one seeth not the light
Which shineth brightly in the skies;
But a wind passeth by, and cleareth them away.
From the north cometh forth gold [that is, golden brightness]:
With God [is] terrible splendor.
The Almighty! we do not find Him out; great in power and judgment,
And great in righteousness; He will not give answer.
Therefore men fear Him: He looketh not on all the wise of heart.
Elihu had yet somewhat to say on behalf of the impugned dealings of God, who is not one-sided, like man, always apt to fail in power if benevolent, if mighty in compassionate goodness. In God, not only is each reality perfect, but so is the whole, if we may so speak of the Infinite. If His greatness be beyond measure, so is His condescending mercy, and His heart, or understanding, is as vast as His power. The Lord, in the New Testament, asserts, to us incessantly, the minutest care of His Father's, while all things serve His will. Hence the assurance to the soul that knows Him, that, in the long-run, the godly shall not be permitted to wither, nor the afflicted be denied their right. But as Job had already sinned most truly against his friends, it is not yet the day for the exercise and display of his earthly righteousness in. His kingdom, and hence piety suffers, and iniquity of every sort, especially toward God, may flourish in high places. He speaks of the righteous, as under His eye, in the highest honor, but presently as bound with fetters of humiliating sorrow, which God, nevertheless, uses for good, in showing them their ways of pride, opening their ears to discipline, and turning them back from the evil which they had failed to judge. Obedience is the path of good and joy; heedlessness, of ruin in every way. They do always err in their heart; they have not known His ways. Corruption, or hypocrisy, and its course and end, are graphically set forth; as is the patient goodness of God in using affliction for the blessing of him who is taught by it. Not that He has pleasure in inflicting sorrow, but contrariwise, when the lesson is learned, brings out the sufferer into a large place, where is no straitness, but all abundance. Still wrong is wrong in whomsoever, and he that does it, though righteous in the main, must bear his own burden, and justly, for nowhere is it worse than in one who has so far forgotten God, after, it may be, long serving Him.
Job, therefore, had reason for care, lest his excited feeling might stir him up against the blow, and a worse thing befall him, where all resources fail, and the night, wherein none can work, is no comfort. It is dangerous, but very possible, to choose what is worse than affliction, or because of it. Elihu presses how God works loftily by His power, as he challenges anyone to say, Who is a Master like Him? Who hath given Him a charge concerning His way? or who has ever said, Thou hast acted unjustly? It wore better to reflect that His work should be magnified which men have beheld, or celebrated, all looking at it with amazement, mortals gazing at it from afar.
Again, does he assert that God is great, or exalted, and to us incomprehensible, as the number of His years cannot be searched out. If the phenomena are so admirable, what the wisdom, power, and goodness that devised and formed all, with the most evident view to the earth, and man on it, unto His own glory! What skill and care in this production of every drop of water filtered into rain, in or with His mist What bountiful provision, as the high clouds drop down, and distil it on the multitudes of men! Then what outspreadings of the clouds, and what the tumult of His tabernacle! Not that there is any lack of light which He spreads over it, whilst He wraps up in darkness the roots of the sea. By these (the clouds and lightning) He judges nations, whilst He gives food in abundance; and most graphic is the image of God covering His hands with light, while He commands it, the one that strives against Him, the noise of the storm telling of Him, a store of wrath against iniquity, or, as others understood, the very cattle telling of the rising tempest.
There is every reason to connect, not to sever, chapter 37. “Yea, also, at this my heart trembleth, and is moved out of its place.” And what can be finer than the description that follows of the thunder and lightning, so vivid, that not a few conceive that Elihu sees a storm in progress, with its attendant roar and rumble, followed by the fall of snow or rain, in varying measures? What can man do, in presence of God's awful voice, but seek to learn? Even the wild beast retires to covert, and keeps to his abodes, while the whirlwind comes out of its chamber, and out of the north the cold. But God's breath, too, works marvelous change. Out of it is given ice, and the broad waters are compressed; and He loads the cloud, too, with moisture, and scatters the clouds of His light. Turn about as it may, it none the less executes what He commands it on the face of the world of the earth. Whether it be as a chastising rod, if this be destined for His earth, or for kindness, it is God's causing it to come.
Who and what was Job, then, to arraign His ways? It were better to weigh all, stand still, and consider His wonders. Granted, that there is such a thing as law in the universe; but did Job know in whom to speak of them now, how God imposed it on the atmosphere, and caused the light of His cloud to shine? Did he know aught about the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge, and gives the earth rest [and so sultriness] from the south wind, so that all is changed to scorching heat? Man can feel, but can he explain? Had Job, with God, spread out the skies, strong as a molten mirror If so, he could inform us what we should say to Him: otherwise we have no ability to sot aught in order because of darkness. Shall it be told him that I would speak? or did he say that he would be swallowed up? as Elihu insinuated for his presumption. Yet now man sees not the light which glances brightly in the skies. But a wind passes, and clears them. From the north comes the golden light: as around Eloah is terrible majesty. Shaddai, whom we cannot find out, excellent in power and in justice, and abounding in righteousness, will not oppress. Therefore men fear Him, as He regards not those that are wise in their own conceit.