Job 33:13 | KingComments | STEP | Elihu said to Job that he will not be hard on him. That does not mean he will not point out to Job his faults and call him to account. Yet he speaks differently from his friends. That is why there is no response from Job. Job is ready to listen to Elihu. Elihu starts by reminding Job of something he heard from his mouth ( ). This is not vague, enigmatic or presumptuous, but concrete. Everyone present at the conversations will confirm the correctness. Elihu does not quote verbatim what Job has said, but he does so entirely according to its content. He summarizes Job’s argument and gives the main lines of it. Job has repeatedly asserted that he is sincere and innocent ( ; ). Especially in Job 31 he makes a powerful plea for his innocence. Elihu summarizes this in the four concepts of “pure”, “without transgression”, “innocent” and “no guilt”. This was not arrogance on the part of Job. Elihu does not throw that at Job as an accusation either. Job’s claim of innocence is justified, as we know from Job 1 ( ). Job does not mean here that he is sinless (cf. ), but that he has done nothing that deserves the judgment of his heavy suffering. But Job has gone too far by suspecting that God is looking for something with him and that He is therefore acting with him in this way ( ). Job believes that God is seeking something with him in order to sue him and that He is acting with him as His enemy ( ). Elihu has heard Job say that God puts his feet in the stocks and that He watches all his paths ( ). Elihu answers to this ( ). Elihu’s answer to this is that Job is “not right in this” ( ). In this he has not done justice to Who God is and who he himself is. He has forgotten Who God is and who he himself is, for “God is greater than man” as Job is. How did Job dare to call God, Who is so much greater than man, to account ( )? That God is greater than man does not only apply to God as Creator, but here above all to the greatness and exaltation of His actions with man. Furthermore, Job has accused God of when he called to Him, that God did not answer Him ( ). Surely, God can’t do that, can He? Surely, He can say why He makes him suffer so much, can’t He? Surely, he has a right to that, hasn’t he? But God is God. He is in no way obliged to account for His actions to man, not even to His own. What Job says, we see time and again in the history of mankind up to the present day, to a much greater extent and also in a rebellious form. With Job there is no rebellion, but a wrestle. He does not put up a big mouth against God. With rebellious man this is so. In man there is resistance, opposition and rebellion against God’s actions, which is inspired by unbelief and self-exaltation. Man puts God in the dock and challenges Him to tell us why He allows or works things ( ).

‏ Job 33:13

God Is Greater than Job

Elihu said to Job that he will not be hard on him. That does not mean he will not point out to Job his faults and call him to account. Yet he speaks differently from his friends. That is why there is no response from Job. Job is ready to listen to Elihu.

Elihu starts by reminding Job of something he heard from his mouth (Job 33:8). This is not vague, enigmatic or presumptuous, but concrete. Everyone present at the conversations will confirm the correctness. Elihu does not quote verbatim what Job has said, but he does so entirely according to its content. He summarizes Job’s argument and gives the main lines of it.

Job has repeatedly asserted that he is sincere and innocent (Job 33:9; Job 9:21 ; Job 10:7 ; Job 13:18 ; 23 ; Job 16:17 ; Job 23:10 ; Job 27:5). Especially in Job 31 he makes a powerful plea for his innocence. Elihu summarizes this in the four concepts of “pure”, “without transgression”, “innocent” and “no guilt”. This was not arrogance on the part of Job. Elihu does not throw that at Job as an accusation either. Job’s claim of innocence is justified, as we know from Job 1 (Job 1:1). Job does not mean here that he is sinless (cf. Job 7:21 ; Job 13:26), but that he has done nothing that deserves the judgment of his heavy suffering.

But Job has gone too far by suspecting that God is looking for something with him and that He is therefore acting with him in this way (Job 33:10). Job believes that God is seeking something with him in order to sue him and that He is acting with him as His enemy (Job 13:24 ; Job 19:11 ; Job 30:21). Elihu has heard Job say that God puts his feet in the stocks and that He watches all his paths (Job 13:27). Elihu answers to this (Job 33:11).

Elihu’s answer to this is that Job is “not right in this” (Job 33:12). In this he has not done justice to Who God is and who he himself is. He has forgotten Who God is and who he himself is, for “God is greater than man” as Job is. How did Job dare to call God, Who is so much greater than man, to account (Job 33:13)? That God is greater than man does not only apply to God as Creator, but here above all to the greatness and exaltation of His actions with man.

Furthermore, Job has accused God of when he called to Him, that God did not answer Him (Job 19:7 ; Job 30:20). Surely, God can’t do that, can He? Surely, He can say why He makes him suffer so much, can’t He? Surely, he has a right to that, hasn’t he? But God is God. He is in no way obliged to account for His actions to man, not even to His own.

What Job says, we see time and again in the history of mankind up to the present day, to a much greater extent and also in a rebellious form. With Job there is no rebellion, but a wrestle. He does not put up a big mouth against God. With rebellious man this is so. In man there is resistance, opposition and rebellion against God’s actions, which is inspired by unbelief and self-exaltation. Man puts God in the dock and challenges Him to tell us why He allows or works things (Rom 9:20).