Author: © Christian National Church of Christ

“Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice”
¶ Moreover Elihu answered and said,
¶ Hear my words, ye wise men;
¶ And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
¶ For the ear trieth words,
¶ As the palate tasteth food.
¶ Let us choose for us that which is right:
¶ Let us know among ourselves what is good.
¶ For Job hath said, I am righteous,
¶ And God hath taken away my right:
¶ Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar;
¶ My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
¶ What man is like Job,
¶ Who drinketh up scoffing like water,
¶ Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,
¶ And walketh with wicked men?
¶ For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing
¶ That he should delight himself with God.
¶ Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:
¶ Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,
¶ And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
¶ For the work of a man will he render unto him,
¶ And cause every man to find according to his ways.
¶ Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly,
¶ Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
¶ Who gave him a charge over the earth?
¶ Or who hath disposed the whole world?
¶ If he set his heart upon himself,
¶ If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
¶ All flesh shall perish together,
¶ And man shall turn again unto dust.
¶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this:
¶ Hearken to the voice of my words.
¶ Shall even one that hateth justice govern?
¶ And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?—
¶ Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile,
¶ Or to nobles, Ye are wicked;
¶ That respecteth not the persons of princes,
¶ Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor;
¶ For they all are the work of his hands.
¶ In a moment they die, even at midnight;
¶ The people are shaken and pass away,
¶ And the mighty are taken away without hand.
¶ For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,
¶ And he seeth all his goings.
¶ There is no darkness, nor thick gloom,
¶ Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
¶ For he needeth not further to consider a man,
¶ That he should go before God in judgment.
¶ He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out,
¶ And setteth others in their stead.
¶ Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works;
¶ And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
¶ He striketh them as wicked men
¶ In the open sight of others;
¶ Because they turned aside from following him,
¶ And would not have regard in any of his ways:
¶ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him,
¶ And he heard the cry of the afflicted.
¶ When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn?
¶ And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?
¶ Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:
¶ That the godless man reign not,
¶ That there be none to ensnare the people.
¶ For hath any said unto God,
¶ I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
¶ That which I see not teach thou me:
¶ If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?
¶ Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it?
¶ For thou must choose, and not I:
¶ Therefore speak what thou knowest.
¶ Men of understanding will say unto me,
¶ Yea, every wise man that heareth me:
¶ Job speaketh without knowledge,
¶ And his words are without wisdom.
¶ Would that Job were tried unto the end,
¶ Because of his answering like wicked men.
¶ For he addeth rebellion unto his sin;
¶ He clappeth his hands among us,
¶ And multiplieth his words against God.

If he gather unto himself his spirit and his__________ ;

For his are upon the ways of a man,
Shall his __ be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it?
And multiplieth his words ________God.

“Elihu Claims To Speak For God”
¶ Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,
¶ And hearken to all my words.
¶ Behold now, I have opened my mouth;
¶ My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
¶ My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;
¶ And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
¶ The Spirit of God hath made me,
¶ And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
¶ If thou canst, answer thou me;
¶ Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
¶ Behold, I am toward God even as thou art:
¶ I also am formed out of the clay.
¶ Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
¶ Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
¶ Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,
¶ And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
¶ I am clean, without transgression;
¶ I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:
¶ Behold, he findeth occasions against me,
¶ He counteth me for his enemy;
¶ He putteth my feet in the stocks,
¶ He marketh all my paths.
¶ Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;
¶ For God is greater than man.
¶ Why dost thou strive against him,
¶ For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?
¶ For God speaketh once,
¶ Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
¶ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
¶ When deep sleep falleth upon men,
¶ In slumberings upon the bed;
¶ Then he openeth the ears of men,
¶ And sealeth their instruction,
¶ That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
¶ And hide pride from man;
¶ He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
¶ And his life from perishing by the sword.
¶ He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
¶ And with continual strife in his bones;
¶ So that his life abhorreth bread,
¶ And his soul dainty food.
¶ His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
¶ And his bones that were not seen stick out.
¶ Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,
¶ And his life to the destroyers.
¶ If there be with him an angel,
¶ An interpreter, one among a thousand,
¶ To show unto man what is right for him;
¶ Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,
¶ Deliver him from going down to the pit,
¶ I have found a ransom.
¶ His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;
¶ He returneth to the days of his youth.
¶ He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him,
¶ So that he seeth his face with joy:
¶ And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
¶ He singeth before men, and saith,
¶ I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
¶ And it profited me not:
¶ He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
¶ And my life shall behold the light.
¶ Lo, all these things doth God work,
¶ Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
¶ To bring back his soul from the pit,
¶ That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
¶ Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
¶ Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
¶ If thou hast anything to say, answer me:
¶ Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
¶ If not, hearken thou unto me:
¶ Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.

For God is ___________than man.
He hath __ my soul from going into the pit,
That he may be __________with the light of the living.

If thou hast anything to say, _______:

“Elihu in Anger Rebukes Job”
¶ So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were elder than he.
And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.
¶ And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,
¶ I am young, and ye are very old;
¶ Wherefore I held back, and durst not show you mine opinion.
¶ I said, Days should speak,
¶ And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
¶ But there is a spirit in man,
¶ And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
¶ It is not the great that are wise,
¶ Nor the aged that understand justice.
¶ Therefore I said, Hearken to me;
¶ I also will show mine opinion.
¶ Behold, I waited for your words,
¶ I listened for your reasonings,
¶ Whilst ye searched out what to say.
¶ Yea, I attended unto you,
¶ And, behold, there was none that convinced Job,
¶ Or that answered his words, among you.
¶ Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom;
¶ God may vanquish him, not man:
¶ For he hath not directed his words against me;
¶ Neither will I answer him with your speeches.
¶ They are amazed, they answer no more:
¶ They have not a word to say.
¶ And shall I wait, because they speak not,
¶ Because they stand still, and answer no more?
¶ I also will answer my part,
¶ I also will show mine opinion.
¶ For I am full of words;
¶ The spirit within me constraineth me.
¶ Behold, my breast is as wine which hath no vent;
¶ Like new wine-skins it is ready to burst.
¶ I will speak, that I may be refreshed;
¶ I will open my lips and answer.
¶ Let me not, I pray you, respect any man’s person;
¶ Neither will I give flattering titles unto any man.
¶ For I know not to give flattering titles;
¶ Else would my Maker soon take me away.

Breath of the Almighty giveth them _____.

The spirit within me_______me.

Who is full of words?

“Job Asserts His Integrity”

¶ I made a covenant with mine eyes;
¶ How then should I look upon a virgin?
¶ For what is the portion from God above,
¶ And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
¶ Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
¶ And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
¶ Doth not he see my ways,
¶ And number all my steps?
¶ If I have walked with falsehood,
¶ And my foot hath hasted to deceit
¶ (Let me be weighed in an even balance,
¶ That God may know mine integrity);
¶ If my step hath turned out of the way,
¶ And my heart walked after mine eyes,
¶ And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:
¶ Then let me sow, and let another eat;
¶ Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
¶ If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman,
¶ And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;
¶ Then let my wife grind unto another,
¶ And let others bow down upon her.
¶ For that were a heinous crime;
¶ Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
¶ For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction,
¶ And would root out all mine increase.
¶ If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant,
¶ When they contended with me;
¶ What then shall I do when God riseth up?
¶ And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
¶ Did not he that made me in the womb make him?
¶ And did not one fashion us in the womb?
¶ If I have withheld the poor from their desire,
¶ Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
¶ Or have eaten my morsel alone,
¶ And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
¶ (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
¶ And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
¶ If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
¶ Or that the needy had no covering;
¶ If his loins have not blessed me,
¶ And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
¶ If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
¶ Because I saw my help in the gate:
¶ Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade,
¶ And mine arm be broken from the bone.
¶ For calamity from God is a terror to me,
¶ And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
¶ If I have made gold my hope,
¶ And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
¶ If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
¶ And because my hand had gotten much;
¶ If I have beheld the sun when it shined,
¶ Or the moon walking in brightness,
¶ And my heart hath been secretly enticed,
¶ And my mouth hath kissed my hand:
¶ This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
¶ For I should have denied the God that is above.
¶ If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
¶ Or lifted up myself when evil found him
¶ (Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin
¶ By asking his life with a curse);
¶ If the men of my tent have not said,
¶ Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
¶ (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street;
¶ But I have opened my doors to the traveller);
¶ If like Adam I have covered my transgressions,
¶ By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
¶ Because I feared the great multitude,
¶ And the contempt of families terrified me,
¶ So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—
¶ Oh that I had one to hear me!
¶ (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me)
¶ And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
¶ Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
¶ I would bind it unto me as a crown:
¶ I would declare unto him the number of my steps;
¶ As a prince would I go near unto him.
¶ If my land crieth out against me,
¶ And the furrows thereof weep together;
¶ If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money,
¶ Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
¶ Let thistles grow instead of wheat,
¶ And cockle instead of barley.
¶ The words of Job are ended.

I made a covenant with mine ________.
Job’s only fear was of___________ .
Job had been ___ to the LORD.
Why did Job want his adversary to write down his complaints?
Who had Job given an accounting to of himself?

“Job’s Present State Is Humiliating”
“But now those who are younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock. Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. From poverty and famine they are gaunt, They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, Who pluck saltweed by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. They are driven from the community; They shout against them as against a thief, So that they live on the slopes of ravines, In holes in the ground and among the rocks. Among the bushes they cry out; Under the weeds they are gathered together. Worthless fellows, even those without a name, They were cast out from the land. “And now I have become their taunt, And I have become a byword to them. They loathe me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting in my face. Because He has undone my bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before me. On the right hand their mob arises; They push aside my feet and pile up their ways of destruction against me. They break up my path, They promote my destruction; No one restrains them. As through a wide gap they come, Amid the storm they roll on. Sudden terrors are turned upon me. They chase away my dignity like the wind, And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. “And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of misery have seized me. At night it pierces my bones within me, And my gnawing pains do not rest. By a great force my garment is distorted; It ties me up like the collar of my coat. He has thrown me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You persecute me. You lift me up to the wind and make me ride it; And You dissolve me in a storm. For I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house of meeting for all living. “Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand, Or in his disaster does he not cry out for help? Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was my soul not grieved for the needy? When I expected good, evil came; When I waited for light, darkness came. I am seething within and cannot rest; Days of misery confront me. I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help. I have become a brother to jackals, And a companion of ostriches. My skin turns black on me, And my bones burn with fever. Therefore my harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

“Job’s Past Was Glorious”
Job again took up his discourse and said, “Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; Just as I was in the days of my youth, When the protection of God was over my tent; When the Almighty was still with me, And my children were around me; When my steps were bathed in cream, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me! When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the public square, The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood. The leaders stopped talking. And put their hands on their mouths; The voices of the prominent people were hushed, And their tongues stuck to their palates. For when an ear heard, it called me blessed, And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me, Because I saved the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one who was about to perish came upon me, And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a headband. I was eyes to those who were blind, And feet to those who could not walk. I was a father to the poor, And I investigated the case which I did not know. I broke the jaws of the wicked. And rescued the prey from his teeth. Then I thought, ‘I will die with my family, And I will multiply my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies on my branch all night. My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ “To me they listened and waited, And they kept silent for my advice. After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouths as for the late rain. I smiled at them when they did not believe, And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously. I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And lived as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.

“Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures”
“Certainly there is a mine for silver And a place for refining gold. Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock. Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out. The rock in gloom and deep shadow. He sinks a shaft away from inhabited areas, “Forgotten by the foot;” They hang and swing, away from people. From the earth comes food, And underneath, it is turned over like fire. Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold. No bird of prey knows the path, Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it. The proud animals have not trodden it, Nor has the lion passed over it. He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base. He carves out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious. He dams up the streams from flowing, And brings to light what is hidden.

“The Search for Wisdom Is Harder”
“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mankind does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold. Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than pearls. The topaz of Cush cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is this place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature, And concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’ “God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth; He sees everything under the heavens. When He imparted weight to the wind, And assessed the waters by measure, When He made a limit for the rain, And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

“Job Affirms His Righteousness”
Job again took up his discourse and said, “As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Until I die, I will not give up my integrity. I have kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

“The State of the Godless”
“May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the criminal. For what is the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life, When God requires his life? Will God hear his cry? When distress comes upon him? Or will he take pleasure in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times? I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you talk of nothing? “This is the portion of a wicked person from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty: Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep. Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay, He may prepare it, but the righteous will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver. He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or a hut which the watchman has made. He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it no longer exists. Terrors overtake him like a flood; A storm steals him away in the night. The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; For it sweeps him away from his place. For it will hurl at him without mercy; He will certainly try to flee from its power. People will clap their hands at him, And will whistle at him from their places.

‘Job Chapter 26’

Then Job replied: “How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?
“The Greatness Of God”
“The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. The realm of the dead is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

1. What had driven Bildad to some of these accusations?
2. Who had Bildad been used of in accusing Job?
3. Even hell is within the view of __.
4. Where did Bildad think God was?
5. What is verse 7 saying about what God had done?
6. Who releases the rain to the earth?
7. How is the throne of God in heaven hidden from the human eye?
8. God set the bounds of the _.
9. What causes things in heaven to tremble?
10. Who formed the crooked serpent?
11. What did Job ask Bildad in verse 2 of chapter 26?
12. What had Bildad said about Job?

‘Job Chapter 25’

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: “Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. Can his forces be numbered? On whom does his light not rise? How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm!”

1. Who spoke in the first and second verse, here?
2. What two things was Bildad saying in this chapter?
3. When is the only time there will be real peace on the earth?
4. How many chariots do many Scriptures say God has?
5. When is the first specific mention of armed guards of God on the earth?
6. Every __ _________is the answer to “upon whom doth not his light shine?”
7. What is the Light within the believers?
8. It is the _ of man that is born in sin.
9. What does “justified” mean?
10. What are the moon and the stars?
11. Who is the source of all Light?
12. What did he call man in verse 6?
13. What had Bildad forgotten?