Job 34 Summary & Study Guide

Elihu continues his speech by addressing the wise men and those who have knowledge, calling them to test his words as the palate tastes food. He quotes Job’s claim of being righteous despite being denied justice, and he expresses his shock at Job for "drinking up scoffing like water" and keeping company with evildoers. Elihu’s primary concern is to "vindicate the character of the Creator," asserting that it is "unthinkable that God would do wrong" or that the "Almighty would pervert justice." He argues that God "repays everyone for what they have done" and "brings on them what their conduct deserves." To Elihu, a "God who is not just" is a "God who cannot rule."

Elihu emphasizes that God "is the one who gave the earth its charge" and "who holds the spirit and breath of all life" in His hand. If He were to "withdraw His Spirit," all humanity would "perish together and return to the dust." He argues that God’s "sovereignty is inseparable from His righteousness," and that He "shows no partiality to princes" nor "favors the rich over the poor," for they are "all the work of His hands." God’s eyes are on the "ways of mortals" and He "sees their every step." There is "no deep shadow" where "evildoers can hide," and He "shatters the mighty" without an inquiry because He "knows their deeds" in the night.

This chapter teaches the "moral consistency of the Universe," where the "Authority of the King" is "tethered to the Truth of the Law." Elihu is arguing that Job’s "protest" is a "strike against the very foundation of the reality," for if "God is not just," then "order is an illusion." It reveals that "divine observation" is "continuous and absolute," leaving "no room for the hidden crime" or the "unnoticed sorrow." The "Eyes of the Watcher" are not "coldly investigative," but "formatively governing," ensuring that "every action" eventually "meets its Echo." Elihu is calling for a "submission to the Rule" that is "too vast to be mistaken."

The "Justice of God" that Elihu defended was perfectly demonstrated at the Cross, where Jesus Christ bore the "repayment for our conduct" so that we could receive the "favor of His hand" (Isaiah 53:5). While Elihu said that God "returns man to dust" if he sins, the Gospel shows us a God who "entered into the dust" to "raise us to the life." This chapter teaches us that "justice is not a distant decree," but a "Divine Reality" that was "satisfied by the Son." We are invited to "trust the Eyes of the Watcher," knowing that they are "eyes of love" that "searched for us" in our "deep shadow." Our "steps" are "known by the one" who "walked the path to Calvary" to "shatter the power of the death" (Hebrews 2:14-15). We are people who "praise the King" and "rest in the Justice of the Grace."