Job 35:14 | KingComments | STEP | Elihu has explained why God sometimes does not answer when a cry is made to Him. By this he does not mean to say that Job is a proud sinner who is insincere and does not fear God. God Himself has given His clear testimony about this ( ). What Elihu wants to make clear to Job is that the reason for God’s silence lies with man. Job has said that he does not behold God ( ; ), that God does not respond to his complaints and does not show Himself. He is in great distress and struggles with the reason for this. In his life he cannot find any justification for the misery God has brought upon him. As a result, he has come to accuse God of iniquity and to start, as it were, a trial before Him ( ). But to his great disappointment, God does not appear at the trial! Elihu does not blame Job for this, but gives him advice: “Wait for Him.” It is important that Job takes a different attitude toward God. He must stop calling God to account and forcing Him to justify him. He can only patiently take this waiting attitude if he accepts and acknowledges that God is not human and that he cannot control Him. God does not let Himself be commanded. Then he will wait for God in the confidence that He is in control. Elihu points out to Job that he may be thankful that God did not respond to his summons and did not appear at the trial he had planned. God has been reticent toward him and has not punished him in His wrath ( ). In the same reticence, God also has not “acknowledged transgression well” which Job expressed about Him. God’s attitude has been interpreted by Job as indifference. This caused him so much inner turmoil that he could not keep his mouth shut ( ). A multitude of words came out of his mouth, both to God and to his friends, to defend himself. From those words, however, it has become clear that he has no knowledge of the ways that God goes with a man, with him, and with the purpose that is before Him. From Christians we may expect insight about Who God is. The knowledge that God “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” ( ), is enough to know in all difficulties that nothing and no one “will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( ).

‏ Job 35:14

Learning to Wait

Elihu has explained why God sometimes does not answer when a cry is made to Him. By this he does not mean to say that Job is a proud sinner who is insincere and does not fear God. God Himself has given His clear testimony about this (Job 1:1 ; 8 ; Job 2:3). What Elihu wants to make clear to Job is that the reason for God’s silence lies with man.

Job has said that he does not behold God (Job 35:14; Job 23:3), that God does not respond to his complaints and does not show Himself. He is in great distress and struggles with the reason for this. In his life he cannot find any justification for the misery God has brought upon him. As a result, he has come to accuse God of iniquity and to start, as it were, a trial before Him (Job 23:4). But to his great disappointment, God does not appear at the trial!

Elihu does not blame Job for this, but gives him advice: “Wait for Him.” It is important that Job takes a different attitude toward God. He must stop calling God to account and forcing Him to justify him. He can only patiently take this waiting attitude if he accepts and acknowledges that God is not human and that he cannot control Him. God does not let Himself be commanded. Then he will wait for God in the confidence that He is in control.

Elihu points out to Job that he may be thankful that God did not respond to his summons and did not appear at the trial he had planned. God has been reticent toward him and has not punished him in His wrath (Job 35:15). In the same reticence, God also has not “acknowledged transgression well” which Job expressed about Him.

God’s attitude has been interpreted by Job as indifference. This caused him so much inner turmoil that he could not keep his mouth shut (Job 35:16). A multitude of words came out of his mouth, both to God and to his friends, to defend himself. From those words, however, it has become clear that he has no knowledge of the ways that God goes with a man, with him, and with the purpose that is before Him.

From Christians we may expect insight about Who God is. The knowledge that God “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all” (Rom 8:32), is enough to know in all difficulties that nothing and no one “will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39).