Sep. 23, 2026

  “TRIED AND TESTED”

     “HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?”

                                                           JOB 34:1-37:24

In these next chapters, as Elihu lectures Job and his three other friends, we will discover that he has a very high view of God Almighty.

Job 34:1-4 “Elihu further answered and said: 2“Hear my words, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. 3For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food. 4Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good.”

vs.3- Job had earlier said that God’s words were more important than his necessary food. Job 23:12 

Elihu defends God's justice and encourages Job to look to God with the eye of faith.

1.  IS THE GOD WE SERVE A JUST GOD?- JOB 34-35

• Denial of the Justice of God- Job 34:5

Job 34:5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my justice.”

Job 34:6-9 “Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ 7What man is like Job, Who drinks scorn like water, 8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men? 9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing That he should delight in God.”

vs.6- Elihu’s conclusion is that Job is guilty of self-righteousness.

Job 19:7; 27:2-7- If we didn’t know better, we would be tempted to think that job was trusting in his own self-righteousness.

vs.7-8- Elihu was convinced that Job is guilty as charged, because he is getting what he deserves.

vs.9- What Job never said such a thing! Profit had never been Job’s motivation nor has it been his question.

Job 1:20-21 “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

Elihu is guilty of the same faulty logic that plagued the others.

• A Defense of the Justice of God- Job 34:10-37

In the rest of Job chapter 34, Elihu presents three arguments in

defense of God's justice:

1.  If God Is Unjust He Is Not God- Job 34:10-15

Job 34:10-12 “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity. 11For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way. 12Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.”

God does not deal with men according to their ways:

Proverbs 24:12 “If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?”

This is reminiscent of what Abraham: 

Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Warren Wiersbe puts it like this: "If God is truly God, then He is perfect; and if He is perfect, then He cannot do wrong. An unjust God would be as unthinkable as a square circle or a round triangle.”

Thirty-one times in the Book of Job, God is called "the Almighty.”

Job 34:13-15 “Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? 14If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, 15All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.”

vs.14,15- God is in charge of life and death, God is sovereign. If it were any different, God would not be God.

2.  If God Is Unjust He Does Not Govern- Job 34:16-20

Elihu is confident in God’s Fairness:

Job 34:16-17 “If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words: 17Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just?”

God is a just God, and He is fair.

But God does not do that. He governs without partiality. He treats princes and paupers the same.

Job 34:18-20 “Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’? 19Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands. 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; The people are shaken and pass away; The mighty are taken away without a hand.”

vs.18- Who is going to tell God that He is not fair?

3. If God Is Unjust He Is Not Good- Job 34:21-30

• God Sees Everything-Job 34:21-22

Job 34:21-22 “For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps. 22There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”

Verses 21-22 tell us why God is such a perfect judge—
He sees everything:

Psalm 139:7-10 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”

Proverb 15:3 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Jeremiah 16:17 “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.”

• God Knows Everything- Job 34:23-25

Job 34:23-25 “For He need not further consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment. 24He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place. 25Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.”

• God Judges Everything- Job 34:26-30

Job 34:26-30 “He strikes them as wicked men In the open sight of others, 27Because they turned back from Him, And would not consider any of His ways, 28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him; For He hears the cry of the afflicted. 29When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?— 30That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.”

Is Job a man of integrity?

vs.29-30- God promises quietness and peace to those who trust in Him:

Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

•  God Controls Everything-Job 34:31-33

Job 34:31-33 “For has anyone said to God, I have borne chastening; I will offend no more; 32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’? 33Should He repay it according to your terms, Just because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know.”

God's decisions cannot be questioned because He is an absolute sovereign over individuals and nations, and He accepts no substitute for righteousness.

• Elihu is Confident In His Challenge- Job 34:34-37

Job 34:34-37 “Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to me: 35‘Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom.’ 36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are like those of wicked men! 37For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.”

•  A Description of the Justice of God- Job 35:1-16

1.  God’s Justice Is Not Affected by Our Words-Job 35:1-3

Job 35:1-3 “Moreover Elihu answered and said: 2“Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?”

2.  God’s Justice Is Not Affected by Our Works- Job 35:4-8

Job 35:4-8 “I will answer you, And your companions with you. 5Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds— They are higher than you. 6If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?7If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? 8Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man.”

The truth is the truth whether we believe it or not. God is just whether we accept it or not.

3.  God’s Justice Is Not Affected by Our Ways-Job 35:9-10

Job 35:9-10 “Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. 10But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night.”

There are seven passages from the Psalms that help with finding rest in the night. They are better than any sleeping pills, and they will stay with you in every situation:

Psalm 4:8 “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 42:8 “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me A prayer to the God of my life.”

Psalm 63:6 “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.”

Psalm 74:16 “The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.”

Psalm 121:4 “Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Psalm 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.”

Psalm 149:5 “Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.”

These are wonderful truths from the Word of God that can be memorized and recited during the night for comfort.

Job 35:11-16 “Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ 12There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
13Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it. 14Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him. 15And now, because He has not punished in His anger, Nor taken much notice of folly, 16Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge.”

No one of us is qualified to offer opinions “in God’s stead.” Only God’s Word is the final word!!

2.  IS THE GOD WE SERVE A GREAT GOD?- JOB 36-37

Elihu has laid out the case that God is just. Now he helps Job understand the greatness of God: "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him" (36:26).

• God’s Treatment Of His Own- Job 36:1-12 

Job 36:1-12 “Elihu also proceeded and said: 2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you That there are yet words to speak on God’s behalf. 3I will fetch my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4For truly my words are not false;
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. 5“Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. 6He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
But gives justice to the oppressed. 7He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings,
For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted. 8And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction, 9Then He tells them their work and their transgressions That they have acted defiantly. 10He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity. 11If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. 12But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.”

*The Mind of God Is Great- Job 36:5, 22; 37:16

Elihu offers three verses that relay how awesome is the mind of the Creator. Job 36:5 says that God "is mighty in strength of understanding." Job 36:22 asks, "Who teaches like Him?"

37:16 describes God as "Him who is perfect in knowledge."

*The Mercy of God Is Great-Job 36:6,15

• The Might of God Is Great- Job 36:5; 37:5; 36:24-33

• We Also See God’s Treatment of the Lost- Job 36:13-21 

Job 36:13-21 “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them. 14They die in youth, And their life ends among the perverted persons. 15He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression. 16“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness. 17But you are filled with the judgment due the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it. 19Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress? 20Do not desire the night, When people are cut off in their place. 21Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, For you have chosen this rather than affliction.”

Job 37:5 says that "God thunders marvelously with His voice;

He does great things which we cannot comprehend.”

•  God’s Terrible Glories- Job 36:22-33 

Job 36:22-33 “Behold, God is exalted by His power; Who teaches like Him? 23Who has assigned Him His way, Or who has said, ‘You have done wrong’? 24“Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung. 25Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar. 26“Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, 28Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. 29Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 30Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. 31For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. 32He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. 33His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.”

•  God’s Tribulation Activities- Job 37:1-24

Job 37:1-3 “At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. 2Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. 3He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth.”

• The Majesty of God Is Great- Job 37:4-24

Job 37:4-24 “After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. 9From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land,
Or for mercy. 14“Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. 15Do you know when God dispatches them, And causes the light of His cloud to shine? 16Do you know how the clouds are balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? 17Why are your garments hot, When He quiets the earth by the south wind? 18With Him, have you spread out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror? 19“Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. 20Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up. 21Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, When the wind has passed and cleared them. 22He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty. 23As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. 24Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.”

Here Elihu offers a picture of the majesty of God. In verses 14-21, no human being can control the weather, the storm, or the lightning; but God does.

What was the difference between what the others saw and what Joshua and Caleb saw?

So how do we get to where Joshua and Caleb were?