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Text: Job 36:1-21
Elihu said in the last chapter to look into the heavens and behold the clouds. There he would learn valuable lessons about the Lord and about Job’s situation. In this chapter there is a prophecy of the coming kingdom and a picture of the physical properties of water as they are like the righteous.
There are four times Elihu says to behold something about the Lord in this chapter: verses 5, 22, 26, 30. These form the outline of Elihu’s instruction to Job.
The first behold describes the people of the kingdom (vss 5-21)
- Crowned humble
- The poor is not a financial description, but a spiritual description of humility
- Isaiah 66:2 …but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
- Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- James 4:6 God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
- When you come under the full weight and consequence of your sin and instead of getting made at God for pointing your sin out you’re broken and look to a merciful, loving God for help.
- Crown belongs to the righteous (vs 7)
- Kings and priests. Remember the righteous are those who have submitted themselves to the Lord and allowed Him to give them His own righteousness in Job 33:26-28.
- Chastening to benefit God’s people (vss 8-12, 15-16)
- 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time
- This means I will not accuse or blame God for things I don’t like that come my way, but I’ll seek the Lord in them and accept whatever He allows into my life. And I will try to learn from the painful experiences instead of getting bitter at God.
- vs 10 – He that hath an ear, let him hear is what the Lord Jesus Christ says
- The poor is not a financial description, but a spiritual description of humility
- Cursed hypocrites (vss 13-14, 17-19)
- Notice the hypocrites in heart are impenitent and store up wrath against the day of judgment. When these souls come under conviction and weight of their sin, they become angry at God for pointing their sin out.
- The Lord Jesus Christ constantly dealt with the Pharisees and called them hypocrites.
- Romans 2:1-5
- These are the same hypocrites the Lord Jesus Christ was always calling out. Don’t be as the hypocrites, don’t be as the hypocrites. And when he was talking to these stubborn souls with bitterness toward God and God’s people in their hearts. The Lord Jesus Christ said, ye hypocrites.
- vss 19-21 – Proverbs 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
