At the end of his speech, Elihu delivers a veritable panegyric to God, worthy of becoming a hymn if set to music. This is not merely an actor's declamation...
At the end of his speech, Elihu delivers a veritable panegyric to God, worthy of becoming a hymn if set to music. This is not merely an actor's declamation. What we have here is the vivid speech of a charismatic preacher, which, judging by the character of his speech, is what Elihu was. He concludes his address to Job by bearing witness to the greatness and might of God, who created the world and governs it. In Elihu's eyes, this greatness and might justify anything that may happen to a person. A human being is too small for any of his troubles or misfortunes to disturb the majestic harmony of creation.
The problems of a grain of sand or a drop of water are nothing compared with the cosmos. And it is precisely on a cosmic scale that both God's power and God's wisdom are manifested. What is a human being, then, to question His power and His wisdom against the backdrop of the universe's grandeur merely because of his own sufferings? Such a view may seem like the worst example of theodicy. But it is important to remember that Elihu is by no means speaking here as a theoretical theologian.
He speaks as a charismatic carried away by the action of the very power of God whose praises he sings. And this explains a great deal. A person caught up in ecstasy may indeed be inclined to forget both himself and others. This is especially true when the source of that ecstasy is a power external to the person, even God's power, rather than his own awareness of God's presence and God's will. Enveloped by this external power, a person quite genuinely sees and notices no problems, either his own or anyone else's.
And if he does notice them, he remains convinced that they are all merely an illusion compared with the power revealed to him. A person has no reason to complain: let him come into contact with that same power, that same breath of God, and everything will fall into place. In the language of charismatics, this is what is usually called “knowing God”. From Elihu's perspective, Job does not truly know God, hence his complaints and demands for some meeting, some trial. Elihu is certain that Job is behaving inappropriately, and hopes that his impassioned speech, bearing witness to God's power, a power he himself has come to know, will help Job understand how things stand and reveal the truth to him.
37 Elihu observes the hand of God, in thunder and lighting, Job 37:1-5.
In frost and snow, rain and wind, Job 37:6-13.
Challenges Job to account for these, Job 37:14-22.
Concludes, that God is great and greatly to be feared, Job 37:23-24.
37:2 Hear - It is probable that while Elihu was speaking it thundered, and that tempest was begun, wherewith God ushered in his speech. And this might occasion his return to that subject of which he had discoursed before. Voice - The thunder is called God's voice.Because by it God speaks to the children of men, to fear before him.Mouth - That is produced by God's word or command, which is often signified by his mouth.
37:3 Directeth - His voice: which he guideth like an arrow to the mark, that it may do that work for which he sends it.
37:4 After - After the lightning, which is seen before the thunder is hard. Them - The lightnings spoken of in the beginning of the verse.
37:6 Strength - Those storms of rain which come with great force and irresistible violence.
37:7 Sealeth - By these snows and rains he drives men out of the fields, and seals or binds up their hands from their work. That - They may seriously contemplate on these, and other great and glorious works of God.
37:9 Cold - Freezing winds.
37:10 The waters - The waters which had freely spread themselves before, are congealed and bound up in crystal fetters.
37:11 Watering - The earth. They spend themselves and are exhausted watering the earth, until they are weary. Wearieth - Them with much water, and making them to go long journeys to water remote parts, and at last to empty themselves there: all which things make men weary; and therefore are here said to make the clouds weary by a common figure. Scattereth - As for the white and lightsome clouds, he scatters and dissolves them by the wind or sun.
37:12 Turned - The clouds are carried about to this or that place.Not by chance (though nothing seems to be more casual than the motions of the clouds) but by his order and governance.
37:13 Correction - To scourge or correct men by immoderate showers.Earth - The whole earth, which is said to be the Lord's, Psa 24:1 Job 37, Psa 50:12, and so this may denote a general judgment byexcessive rains inflicted upon the earth, and all its inhabitants, even the universal deluge, which came in great measure out of the clouds. Mercy - For the benefit of mankind and for the cooling of the air and improving the fruits of the earth.
37:14 Consider - If there be so much matter of wonder in the most obvious works of God, how wonderful must his secret counsels be?
37:15 Them - The things before mentioned, the clouds, rain, snow, and other meteors. Did God acquaint thee with his counsels in the producing and ordering of them? His cloud - Probably the rainbow, seated in a cloud, which may well be called God's cloud, because therein God puts his bow, Gen 9:13.
37:16 Balancings - How God doth as it were weigh the clouds in balances, so that although they are full of water, yet they are kept up by the thin air.
37:17 Quieteth - The air about the earth. From the south - By the sun's coming into the southern parts, which makes the air quiet and warm.
37:18 With him - Wast thou his assistant in spreading out the sky like a canopy over the earth? Strong - Which though it be very thin and transparent, yet is also firm and compact and steadfast.Looking glass - Made of brass and steel, as the manner then was.Smooth and polished, without the least flaw. In this, as in a glass, we may behold the glory of God and the wisdom of his handy - work.
37:19 Teach us - If thou canst. Say unto him - Of these things.Order - To maintain discourse with him, both because of the darkness of the matter, God's counsels being a great depth; and because of the darkness of our minds.
37:20 Shall - I send a challenge to God, or a message that I am ready to debate with him concerning his proceedings? Speak - If a man should be so bold to enter the lists with God. Swallowed up - With the sense of his infinite majesty.
37:21 Light - The sun; which is emphatically called light, and here the bright light: which men cannot behold or gaze on, when the sky is very clear: and therefore it is not strange if we cannot see God, or discern his counsels and ways. Them - The sky by driving away those clouds which darkened it.
37:22 North - From the northern winds which scatter the clouds, and clear the sky. Elihu concludes with some short, but great sayings, concerning the glory of God. He speaks abruptly and in haste, because it should seem, he perceived God was approaching, and presumed he was about to take the work into his own hands.
37:23 Find - We cannot comprehend him: his power, wisdom, justice, and his counsels proceeding from them are past our finding out.Power - Therefore as he doth not need any unrighteous action to advance himself, so he cannot do it, because all such things are acts of weakness. Judgment - In the just administration of judgment, he never did, nor can exercise that power unjustly, as Job seemed to insinuate.Afflict - Without just cause.
37:24 Fear - Fear or reverence him, and humbly submit to him, and not presume to quarrel or dispute with him. Wise of heart - Wise in their own eyes.