Job 34:17 | KingComments | STEP | In , Elihu magnificently presents God’s righteousness and declares about Him that He 1. is great, impartial and omniscient ( ) and 2. will judge ( ). From Elihu turns to Job again with a new exhortation to listen. In doing so, he appeals to the insight that he presupposes to be present with Job. Job can show this by taking the words Elihu speaks to heart and absorbing them. Elihu asks Job if someone who hates justice can rule ( ). It is clear that those who are averse to justice cannot govern well. Although this is often the case with human rulers, it is not the case with God. Only someone who loves justice can rule well. God is “righteous”. Well, if there is any insight in Job, he will have to admit that he cannot declare God guilty of committing injustice. God rules. He does so through His Son. He has already given to Him “all authority … in heaven and on earth” ( ). David spoke of Christ, the Son of God, as the Ruler in the future, in the realm of peace, when he spoke of One “who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God” ( ). We hear the same from the writer of the letter to the Hebrews who says about the kingship of Christ that “the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom” and that He “loved righteousness and hated lawlessness” ( ). Everything with God and Christ is perfectly righteous. Every injustice is absent. People should not use abusive words against a king ( ). People today dare to do so, but that does not change what suits us. We are called to honor the king and other dignitaries ( ; ). We should have an attitude of respect toward them because of their position, even if they need to be clearly confronted with their sins. We see this with Daniel toward Nebuchadnezzar and with John the baptist toward Herod. But what is forbidden to man, God does. He says to a king that he is a “worthless one” and He does say to nobles that they are “wicked ones”. He has the right to do so, because He is their Creator and sees through them. In His assessment and judgment, He shows no partiality ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ). It makes no difference to Him whether He has to do with a prince, or a rich one, or a poor one. He need not spare anyone, “for they are all the work of His hands”; He made them all (cf. ). And He made them for the purpose of serving Him. If they do not fulfill that purpose, He takes away their lives ( ). To Him this is only a matter of “a moment”. The darkness of the night is not a problem for Him, for “at midnight” it is as light for Him as it is in the middle of the day. Nor is it a matter of whether they are a mighty people or a mighty individual. A people has power because of the multitude of people; a single person sometimes has power because of his position. To God it makes no difference. He shakes a people to and fro as if they were a few, and the people pass away. Just a touch with His almighty, invisible hand, not the weak hand of some mortal, and they are gone. God is omnipotent as well as omniscient. He sees and sees through every man in the way he goes ( ). He sees all the footsteps a man sets on his way, that is, he notices all his behavior in all his actions and all his words. There is no need for anyone to point out to Him something He would have overlooked. To Him there are no secrets. He doesn’t need to do a thorough investigation to find out the truth. It doesn’t take months of processes with multiple trials. He sees through everything immediately ( ). He sees every worker of iniquity, even in the darkest and most hidden places, even in the deep shadow of death ( ). All sinners who are in the grave, wherever that grave may be, will not escape judgment. People can mean to escape a certain punishment by putting an end to their own lives. But that is a terrible mistake. God will make them rise up and will judge them ( ). That He judges is shown by Elihu in the following verses.

‏ Job 34:17

God Is Great, Impartial and Omniscient

In Job 34:16-30, Elihu magnificently presents God’s righteousness and declares about Him that He

1. is great, impartial and omniscient (Job 34:16-22) and

2. will judge (Job 34:23-30).

From Job 34:16 Elihu turns to Job again with a new exhortation to listen. In doing so, he appeals to the insight that he presupposes to be present with Job. Job can show this by taking the words Elihu speaks to heart and absorbing them. Elihu asks Job if someone who hates justice can rule (Job 34:17). It is clear that those who are averse to justice cannot govern well. Although this is often the case with human rulers, it is not the case with God. Only someone who loves justice can rule well. God is “righteous”. Well, if there is any insight in Job, he will have to admit that he cannot declare God guilty of committing injustice.

God rules. He does so through His Son. He has already given to Him “all authority … in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). David spoke of Christ, the Son of God, as the Ruler in the future, in the realm of peace, when he spoke of One “who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God” (2Sam 23:3). We hear the same from the writer of the letter to the Hebrews who says about the kingship of Christ that “the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom” and that He “loved righteousness and hated lawlessness” (Heb 1:8-9). Everything with God and Christ is perfectly righteous. Every injustice is absent.

People should not use abusive words against a king (Job 34:18). People today dare to do so, but that does not change what suits us. We are called to honor the king and other dignitaries (1Pet 2:17; Acts 23:5). We should have an attitude of respect toward them because of their position, even if they need to be clearly confronted with their sins. We see this with Daniel toward Nebuchadnezzar and with John the baptist toward Herod.

But what is forbidden to man, God does. He says to a king that he is a “worthless one” and He does say to nobles that they are “wicked ones”. He has the right to do so, because He is their Creator and sees through them. In His assessment and judgment, He shows no partiality (Job 34:19; Rom 2:11; Deu 10:17; 2Chr 19:7; Acts 10:34; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; 1Pet 1:17). It makes no difference to Him whether He has to do with a prince, or a rich one, or a poor one. He need not spare anyone, “for they are all the work of His hands”; He made them all (cf. 1Sam 2:7). And He made them for the purpose of serving Him.

If they do not fulfill that purpose, He takes away their lives (Job 34:20). To Him this is only a matter of “a moment”. The darkness of the night is not a problem for Him, for “at midnight” it is as light for Him as it is in the middle of the day.

Nor is it a matter of whether they are a mighty people or a mighty individual. A people has power because of the multitude of people; a single person sometimes has power because of his position. To God it makes no difference. He shakes a people to and fro as if they were a few, and the people pass away. Just a touch with His almighty, invisible hand, not the weak hand of some mortal, and they are gone.

God is omnipotent as well as omniscient. He sees and sees through every man in the way he goes (Job 34:21). He sees all the footsteps a man sets on his way, that is, he notices all his behavior in all his actions and all his words. There is no need for anyone to point out to Him something He would have overlooked. To Him there are no secrets. He doesn’t need to do a thorough investigation to find out the truth. It doesn’t take months of processes with multiple trials. He sees through everything immediately (Heb 4:13).

He sees every worker of iniquity, even in the darkest and most hidden places, even in the deep shadow of death (Job 34:22). All sinners who are in the grave, wherever that grave may be, will not escape judgment. People can mean to escape a certain punishment by putting an end to their own lives. But that is a terrible mistake. God will make them rise up and will judge them (Rev 20:11-15). That He judges is shown by Elihu in the following verses.