Job 34:30 | KingComments | STEP | God doesn’t need much consideration to judge man ( ). He made him and also gave him the ability to serve Him. He does not impose too much trouble on man either. Concerning the believer, He does not tempt him beyond what he is able to endure ( ). Job has difficulty with that, which we can understand very well. Only he wants to go against God about this in court, and therein he goes too far. No one can call God to account for what He imposes on a man in His wisdom. Again Elihu points to the exaltation and sovereignty of God ( ). How could a man (like Job) disagree with that mighty, judging God about what He does to him? God has the right and power to break in pieces the mighty men and set others in their place (cf. ; ). He does not do this arbitrarily, without reason. The fact that man cannot fathom that reason does not give him the right to demand that He tells him why He is doing it. Still, Elihu gives an explanation, which we see in the word “therefore” ( ). God does so because He knows the works of these mighty men. How He has acted with Pharaoh and his people, the Egyptians, is an example of this. God shattered the pharaoh when He killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt in the night, thereby crushing His power ( ; ). Other examples are the Assyrian soldiers who were killed in the night, and Belshazzar, who was also killed in the night ( ; ). God is perfectly righteous when He strikes the wicked because they are wicked ( ). Among other things, He has done this with the wicked inhabitants of Canaan. He does this in a public place, where other people see it. He makes His actions of judgment visible to everyone. He does not hide His power and righteousness. For the righteous it is an encouragement and joy, while the wicked are warned not to continue living wickedly, but to repent. God’s judgment affects especially the apostates, those who first followed Him but “turned aside from following Him” ( ). These are those who live wickedly ( ) by oppressing the poor ( ) whose cry for help is heard by God ( ). The act of these wicked people is seen as a stunning abandonment of God’s commandments and departing from behind Him. They have not noticed His ways in His government with men and nations. They do not want to see Him interfering in the lives of men and peoples, but attribute everything to natural causes or bad luck. They don’t want to see that a higher hand controls everything. The wicked is punished by God for oppressing the poor. God thus responds to the cry for help of the wretched. He hears it when they call to Him in their need. God does not always respond directly with judgment about injustice or with help in case of need. He can also remain silent ( ). Job has reproached God for keeping quiet and allowing everything to be done. But if He does not judge or help, who will condemn Him? This is what Job did. To Job it was as if God was hiding His face. We too may sometimes feel that God is hiding from us, that we cannot perceive Him because we only see misery, like Job. God can hide Himself both from a people and from a single human being. He considers “the nations … like a drop from a bucket” and regards them “as a speck of dust on the scales” ( ). If God hides His face, it has a purpose, which is indicated by the words “so that” ( ). He wants to make people feel the lack of Him and begin to ask for Him. If they do so, He ensures that no godless or hypocrite men will come or stay in power. A godless or hypocrite man is someone who has nice talk for the people, but who only uses it to manipulate and exploit them ( ). He sets traps for the people and causes their demise. Those traps are the ungodly laws he enacts and the ungodly life he leads.

‏ Job 34:30

God Judges

God doesn’t need much consideration to judge man (Job 34:23). He made him and also gave him the ability to serve Him. He does not impose too much trouble on man either. Concerning the believer, He does not tempt him beyond what he is able to endure (1Cor 10:13). Job has difficulty with that, which we can understand very well. Only he wants to go against God about this in court, and therein he goes too far. No one can call God to account for what He imposes on a man in His wisdom.

Again Elihu points to the exaltation and sovereignty of God (Job 34:24). How could a man (like Job) disagree with that mighty, judging God about what He does to him? God has the right and power to break in pieces the mighty men and set others in their place (cf. Dan 2:21; Pro 8:15-16). He does not do this arbitrarily, without reason. The fact that man cannot fathom that reason does not give him the right to demand that He tells him why He is doing it.

Still, Elihu gives an explanation, which we see in the word “therefore” (Job 34:25). God does so because He knows the works of these mighty men. How He has acted with Pharaoh and his people, the Egyptians, is an example of this. God shattered the pharaoh when He killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt in the night, thereby crushing His power (Exo 12:29-30; Psa 105:36). Other examples are the Assyrian soldiers who were killed in the night, and Belshazzar, who was also killed in the night (2Kgs 19:35; Dan 5:30).

God is perfectly righteous when He strikes the wicked because they are wicked (Job 34:26). Among other things, He has done this with the wicked inhabitants of Canaan. He does this in a public place, where other people see it. He makes His actions of judgment visible to everyone. He does not hide His power and righteousness. For the righteous it is an encouragement and joy, while the wicked are warned not to continue living wickedly, but to repent.

God’s judgment affects especially the apostates, those who first followed Him but “turned aside from following Him” (Job 34:27). These are those who live wickedly (Job 34:26) by oppressing the poor (Job 34:28a) whose cry for help is heard by God (Job 34:28b). The act of these wicked people is seen as a stunning abandonment of God’s commandments and departing from behind Him. They have not noticed His ways in His government with men and nations. They do not want to see Him interfering in the lives of men and peoples, but attribute everything to natural causes or bad luck. They don’t want to see that a higher hand controls everything.

The wicked is punished by God for oppressing the poor. God thus responds to the cry for help of the wretched. He hears it when they call to Him in their need. God does not always respond directly with judgment about injustice or with help in case of need. He can also remain silent (Job 34:29). Job has reproached God for keeping quiet and allowing everything to be done. But if He does not judge or help, who will condemn Him? This is what Job did.

To Job it was as if God was hiding His face. We too may sometimes feel that God is hiding from us, that we cannot perceive Him because we only see misery, like Job. God can hide Himself both from a people and from a single human being. He considers “the nations … like a drop from a bucket” and regards them “as a speck of dust on the scales” (Isa 40:15).

If God hides His face, it has a purpose, which is indicated by the words “so that” (Job 34:30). He wants to make people feel the lack of Him and begin to ask for Him. If they do so, He ensures that no godless or hypocrite men will come or stay in power. A godless or hypocrite man is someone who has nice talk for the people, but who only uses it to manipulate and exploit them (2Sam 15:2-6). He sets traps for the people and causes their demise. Those traps are the ungodly laws he enacts and the ungodly life he leads.