Sunday, December 17, 2017

Job 33:25 says, His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth:  I believe that in this verse and the ones following in this chapter that Elihu was speaking of our restoration after this life, since he had just been referring to the Deliverer in verse twenty-four.  Even though Job was restored to his health and position, not all are in this life.  Still, we will be delivered, not to the old sinful body, but to a new and glorious one in the life to come.  Verse twenty-six says, He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.  Elihu stated that when we prayed to God, which is but communicating with Him, that we will see His face, because He has rendered us righteous.  We know that the concerns and sin of this world keeps us from seeing God face to face, but in the coming resurrection, this will not be true.  Again, we could apply this to our relationship with God today, but I believe that sin will always keep us from that face to face relationship with God.  Verse twenty-seven says, He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;  I believe that Elihu was speaking of acknowledging our sins as being worthless, even if they brought us riches in this world.  We must confess our sins to God, and acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves.  Verse twenty-eight says, He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.  Elihu said that even though we are hopeless and helpless on our own that we have hope through the mercy of God.  God will deliver us from the pit, or hell, and restore us to the light if we put our trust in Him.  Verse twenty-nine states, Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,  Elihu states that God had been and is working in the world to restore people to Himself.  Verse thirty says, To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.  I believe that Elihu was saying what we as followers of Christ know, and that is that God has provided a way of deliverance, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ.  No matter what goes on in the world, God is always ready to restore anyone who puts their faith in Him.  Verse thirty-one says, Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.  Elihu asked Job to listen to what he had to say and to hold his peace, or not interrupt him in other words.  When we hear someone speaking the truth of God today, we need to listen attentively, even if they are younger than we are.  Verse thirty-two says, If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.  Elihu did ask Job to speak, but only if he had something to say the would dispute what he was saying as being wrong about God and His nature.  Elihu said that he wanted to justify Job.  I believe that Elihu meant that he wanted to show that Job was justified before God, no matter how much he might have lost materially.  We can never justify anyone else before God, but we can stand with them if they are suffering and remind them that God is still with them if they have put their faith in Him.  In verse thirty-three Elihu asks, If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.  If we have nothing of value to add to what someone is saying about God, we need to do as Elihu asked Job to do.  We need to be quiet and listen and learn.

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