Hello again, I hope you feel you know me well. I don’t mind sharing so many of my life stories.
These are things which God allowed me to experience, good or bad. The Holy Spirit brings them to memory, allowing me to turn them all into something He uses for good.

Today, we will read Job 33-36.

We are still listening to the discourse of the young man Elihu. He has requested permission to speak and demanded the elders listen to what he says.
Testing Words
He moves into the imperative of discernment. Stating “For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.” (Job 34:3, NIV).

Elihu makes a common mistake in this verse. He assumes that a nonbeliever would have the same discernment as a believer.

We do this in the Christian church all the time.

When we see a person living lasciviously; drinking at all hours too excess, dressing provocatively, engaging in lewd or immoral acts. We condemn them.

This describes me when I first trusted Jesus.

Although my sinfulness was clear to me and I had prayed for repentance and forgiveness, I continued to hang out with the same friends.

This meant drinking as much as a twelve-pack of beer a day. Smoking cigarettes. Looking at adult magazines.

In Romans 6:20-21, Paul tells us, “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” (NIV)

As my pastor says, “Jesus will let you come as you are, but He won’t let you stay that way!”

In my prayer, I asked God to forgive me and give me the power to change.

Some of that was quick to happen, but other parts took time.

I stopped smoking, but I still would drink. The pornography disgusted me, but I would tell dirty jokes.

Elihu is telling these men that we must have spiritual ears to understand what was being said.

Jesus said, “Let those who have ears to hear, hear.” (Matt 13:9, NIV)

Christians place a high value on the cross, as they should. Without it, we all would be condemned.

But, we must remember, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,” (1 Cor. 1:18, NIV)

Elihu is correct that we need to get to this point.

Jesus, when tempted by Satan, said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4, NIV)

We see people embracing a lifestyle which we know will lead them to perdition. Because we love them and want them to enjoy heaven with us, we admonition them and criticize their values.

They feel their actions only affect themselves, so they tell us to back off. (v35:8)

This makes them retreat and tune us out. We can never reach them with the love of Christ, because all they can hear is the hatred of man.

Without having ears to hear, they never understand what they are losing by refusing Jesus. (v35:3)
God’s Justice
From here, Elihu refutes Job’s comment that, “There is no profit in trying to please God.” (v34:9), Declaring God’s holiness and perfection in the next verse.

He is sovereign and since we all sin, would be within His right to smite us all. (v34:14)

By His grace, He allows us to live and gives us a heart to repent.

We try but always fail. He can see every sin we commit (v34:21)

When we backslide, He catches us and restores us.

If He didn’t have such mercy, humanity would have ended long ago. (v34; 15).

Not wanting us all to perish, He gives us a chance to repent (v34:32-33)
From Distress, to Delight
As Elihu moves into chapter 36, we hear a change in tone. He is no longer accusing, but guiding, these elders towards salvation.

Now that he has opened the wound, he stops pouring salt into it. He tells them: “those who suffer, he delivers” (v36:15)

Jesus is calling us all to a place where the suffering ends. (v36:16).

To a table which is always full.

People like to hear this part of the gospel message. We like the image of Jesus being Love. God is Love (1 John 4:8).

They place their hopes in absolute unconditional forgiveness. Unwilling to repent.

Then, faced with pain and suffering, they question God, just as Job did.

They cling to their sins. Not realizing the chastisement should encourage correction. (v36:21)

God is a perfect parent. He does not want His children to be in the corner crying because they needed a time out.

But, He knows to enter His kingdom, we leave that behavior behind. More than our current comfort, He wants our eternal joy.

Please consider today if what you are holding on to is worth what you are giving up.

When you let go of the sin, the chastisement will leave with it.
Tomorrow, we will read Job 37-39