LIVE DISCUSSION: "With God Is Terrible Majesty" (JOB 37), Part 1/3

A thunderstorm rolls in across Job 37 and Elihu treats it like a sermon illustration: God directs lightning to the ends of the earth, commands snow to fall, sends wind and frost, and turns clouds by His counsel. We slow down in the text and let it say what it says about God’s sovereignty, providence, and the limits of human understanding. If you’ve ever searched for clarity in chaos, Job 37 forces a hard kind of humility: creation obeys, and we are not the ones holding the sky in place.

But we also press on the uncomfortable gap. Elihu’s theology is often accurate and still feels useless to Job’s pain. He offers grandeur when Job needs comfort, questions when Job needs companionship, and pressure to “confess” when the story has already shown deeper forces at work. Our panel reacts in real time, weighing Elihu’s heart posture and noticing how easy it is to speak truth with no tenderness.

From there we widen the lens to biblical counseling and Christian suffering: when someone is depressed, grieving, or crushed, what does it look like to put gospel truths into shoe leather? We talk about silence as love, presence as ministry, and why 1 Corinthians 13 becomes a warning for anyone who wants to help with facts but not compassion. If the Book of Job raises the question “Why is this happening?” we ask the equally practical one: “How should we show up while we wait for God’s perspective?”

Subscribe for the next chapter as God finally speaks, share this with a friend who cares for hurting people, and leave a review with your answer: what has comforted you most when life made no sense?

Transcript

Setting Up Job 37

SPEAKER_05 0:00

But anyway, we're going to be in Job chapter 37. Job chapter 37, and it is the last chapter of Job before God speaks and gives his perspective on the matters that prevail in the narrative regarding Job. And in chapter 37, you have Elihu speaking. And this is the last chapter that he is speaking. And he has spoken for five of the last chapters. And this is the last one before God breaks in and um says to Job the things that he wants to say to Job. And we look forward to that. So Job chapter 37. I'm going to start by reading the first five verses, and I will probably go through these verses not fast, but I'm going to go through them and we'll see how it goes. But Elihu in this chapter, like the last chapter, he really doesn't have a whole lot to say. He does extol the glories of God, but he doesn't really get into anything with specif with specificity as it pertains to Job himself. But we will go through them and we'll see what happens. So in Job chapter 37, starting at verse 1, Elihu says this. At this also my heart trembles and is moved out of his place. Hear attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goes out of his mouth. He's speaking about God. He directs it unto the whole heavens and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars. He thunders with the voice of his excellency. And he will not stay them when his voice is heard. God thunders marvelous. Excuse me. God thunders marvelously with his voice. Great things he does, which we cannot comprehend. And what Elihu definitely does quite a bit of is explaining the glories of God, which is great. It's great. So we will see if he ever accomplishes that. So in these first verses, Elihu describes the thunderstorms of God as a display of God's power. Rightly so. It is true. The thunder he calls God's voice. And the lightning his work across the whole sky. So he speaks about how God's control over the natural phenomena to us as it appears in the skies is from God and directed by God. And he calls these, and he says that these natural events are not random, but they are actually directed by God. He's the maestro of nature. He controls it all. He orchestrates all of the things that take place in the providence of his creation. And he says that these things cause fear and all because they display power that is beyond human control because it is God. And he lays out that the conclusion is in this situation, in these first few verses, first five verses, is that God does great things that men cannot fully understand. And so his works should lead to reverence. We should be awed by things that God does. We should have reverence for what God does, even in the natural order of things. And this is what Elihu is saying. And so in these first five verses so far, one through five, he says a lot of things about God that are true, that no one should dispute. No Christian should dispute true things. Did he say anything that adds to giving that that contributes to giving an answer as to Job's affliction? No, he doesn't. But what he does say are true things about God. He does. Verse 6. 6 through 10. Elihu continues. And he says, For he saith to the snow, God that is, he says to the snow, Be thou on the earth, likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. He seals up the hand of every man, that all men may know his work. Then the beasts go into the dens and remain in their places. Out of the south comes the whirlwind and the cold out of the north. By the breath of God, frost is given, and the breath of the waters is straightened. So God controls the seasons. He controls the seasons. And not only does he control the seasons, but he controls the weather of these seasons. Snow, rain, wind, frost, all of these things come by God's sovereign order, by his sovereign command. Again, what Elihu is saying are true things about God. None of these things are have anything to do with Job in terms of explaining why he's being afflicted. Yet he is saying many things that are true about God. Winter storms stop human labor, forcing people to recognize God's power in their own dependence. And according to this passage, even animals respond by seeking shelter. It says, Then the beasts go into the dens and remain in their places. Out of the south comes the whirlwind, and the cold out of the north. But God is saying that even the animals, when they sense these things are happening in the natural elements, even animals respond by seeking shelter. Even the animals, they respond by seeking shelter. The natural world is presented as obeying God's commands, showing his authority over all creation. So again, here we are in the first ten chapters of Job 37, and Elihu has not addressed God at all, or addressed Satan, or Satan, sorry, has not addressed Job in any meaningful way in terms of why he's undergoing his affliction, nor has Elihu now, in the future, or in the past, ever offered anything that brings comfort to Job. Never. But what he does do is give us a lot of platitudes about God things that are true. We won't fault Elihu for saying something that is not true about God. The only issue that we would have with Elihu is whether or not he addressed Job, whether or not he actually answered Job as he said he was going to be doing, based on being him telling Job that he is speaking on God's behalf in an answer to Job's wish. And so we see here that even animals respond. But here's something that we need to understand in a very practical situation. Because what Elihu is saying is that animals, when God's when God's dealing in his providence, when it comes to weather and the seasons and the elements, even animals can tell. Even animals can tell when God is moving. But here's the problem. How much more ought not rational human being beings respond when God is moving in his creation? Jesus was the one who said, You can tell the times and the seasons, you can tell the signs of the times in terms of the weather, but you can't tell the signs of the times when it pertains to the providence of God manifesting itself in creation and manifesting itself in ways that through creation affect us. And so we see that God here is shown governing seasons and weathers and the weather and even the animals. The natural world is presented as obeying God's command, showing his authority over all creation. We get to Job chapter 37, verse 11 through 13. And Elihu continues in by saying that also by watering, by watering, he, meaning God, he wearies the thick cloud, he scatters his bright cloud, and it is turned round about by his counsels, by his decree, by his order, by his command, that they may do whatsoever he commands them upon the face of the world and the earth. He causes it to come whether for correction or for his land or for his mercy. So what is he saying? Clouds and the rain are directed by God having different purposes on the earth. So what is he saying? Well, he's saying this sometimes weather brings correction, sometimes it provides for the earth, sometimes it is a sign of God's mercy. So the same natural event may serve different purposes, but whatever the purposes are, they are according to God's will. According to God's will. So now I will start before I go into verse 14. I will ask for initial thoughts by those who are on the panel. Start with you, Brother Jeffrey. How are you doing? And good evening.

SPEAKER_03 13:50

Well, good evening to you. I'm happy to say, brother, Joni and I are finally back online after uh some rather lengthy discussions with our cable or uh internet provider. Anyway. Umie, who here is just continuing to lay out his heart to Job, again, trying to convince him that it's best that he uh confess his sins to God. One last attempt in 37 chapters of Job, his three friends, and Elihu. Job, confess your sins. Confess your sins. And we're gonna see in verse 38, God is gonna step up and speak to Job and tell Job what's really going on here. But uh again, I just see Elihu, seemingly to me, making one final plea before God speaks to Job. Job, confess your sin. Confess your sins. And of course, Job has heard this before. That's all I got right now, brother. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 14:51

Just a man. Go ahead. And good evening.

SPEAKER_06 14:56

Good evening.

SPEAKER_04 14:57

It's a long time.

SPEAKER_06 15:02

This is a really good chapter. Um, I think that it's I think that it's so interesting that I think it sets up, you know, 38, and it just talks about the thunderstorms, and it's so interesting when it when he goes into the creation and nature, and then God speaks from a whirlwind. I think it's just a cool setup. I think this is really good. And what you said that was really good was how is it that animals and nature react to God, but human beings and people don't even see, but nature sees before they do. That was fire. I mean, that is so true. Yes, it's true. That really gets you thinking.

SPEAKER_04 15:49

Yep, for sure, for sure. Sister Lisa, opening remarks, and good evening.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Good evening. Um, well, you know, you can't, again, you can't um fault Ellie Hugh here for, you know, speaking the way he is about God. I mean, he's not saying anything incorrect here that I that I can see. Um, but again, like you said earlier, he he's he's speaking to to Job, who is he he's suffering, and and none of this is helpful. He's almost um it feels like he's speaking to Job as as though Job doesn't know these things. He's sort of the the tone is um like even like in the next verse, do you not know? You know, look, Job. And you know, Job is a man of God, and we know that, and I think his friends knew that. I don't know if Elihu knew him before that, if he just happened to maybe you guys can enlighten me on that one if he if he actually knew him from before. Um, but Job knows God, so this isn't it's not helpful to him. And um kind of if it were me, if I was Job and somebody was speaking to me this way, I don't I don't think it would make me feel good. I think it would it almost be like, I know, I know these things, I know God is good, and what you're saying is true. So, you know, it's almost as though he's he's wanting Job to um question, like, am I really in this relationship with God? Because, you know, God's mighty in these things, and I know these things, I know he's wondrous, and he speaks, and you know, he commands the the rain, he commands the weather, the animal. You know what I mean? It just almost feels like that it would make Job even feel worse. Like, I know all these things, I know God is good. Um, I know God is powerful. Now tell me something I don't know. Right, you know, I don't know, but that's all I I don't know. I'm I'm I'm I know in the end here the very next verse, he's again, Joe. Why don't you think about these things, Joe? As if he hasn't in his months of anguish. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 18:24

Right. So we'll we'll see, we'll go through it. Sister Mariah, opening remarks, and good evening.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Good evening, everyone. Um, I mean, yeah, it's it's just speaking to God's sovereignty. Um, and we know that all things will obey him in the end. Um, especially, I don't know why humans or men have such a hard time, and they some people reproach God, but um in the end, it is God who will cause all things to be as though he says that they should be. So um I don't think that this is anything that is um uncommon knowledge to at least these five uh five, yeah, five uh gentlemen. You know, uh um I think that Job even spoke to this to some degree throughout his time here with his friends. So yeah, I think that it's just spewing like almost like I wouldn't say kindergarten knowledge, but this is something that they all are well aware of, you know. Even um, I think it was Bill Dad who uh goes on in chapter 25 saying something similar um about um what Elihu is saying. So it's not uncommon knowledge to these men, which is great. They they have some knowledge uh of the sovereignty of God and how the the weather or uh nature itself and animals uh obey God and He causes them to do whatever it is that He pleases them to do. Um and it also just reminded me of how um Noah and the Ark and how God called the animals and told them to go to Noah, you know, and um I think that gets overlooked a lot, but um it's a beautiful thing um to witness God's sovereignty and just to remember that He is in control of all things and matters.

SPEAKER_04 20:38

Amen, sister. Sister Savannah, your thoughts and good evening.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Good evening. Um I don't know. I don't honestly like I don't know what to think about Elihu. Like, um, cause it seems like it seems like he is accusing Job, but the question is, is like what's his heart posture? Like where is he coming from? Like, is he is he accusing Job in such a way, like, um, you know, like, you know, how rebuke is better than a silent love, you know? Is he rebuking him in a way, you know, that he's like, you know, man, I really gotta set this guy straight, you know, because I care about him. Or or you know, or is he just being um what's the word for it? Like prideful in a way that he's like, oh, I know better than you, or something like that, you know. I I don't really know what to think of Ellie who and this whole job thing, to be honest.

Questions That Humble Human Pride

Knowledge Without Love Misses Job

SPEAKER_05 21:47

Right. Yeah, Ellie Who is a differ he's he's a different character as we have been discussing in the last several uh meetings on on this issue. Um and and and we will deal with we, you know, we're dealing with him. But I think I think that Elihu. I don't see him adding anything to Job. I don't see him bringing anything to the table that is new to Job. I don't see him bringing anything helpful to Job. I don't see him displaying any type of compassion or whatever. Like in other words, he he himself started off by saying, I'm going to answer Job in the right way that his friends haven't answered, but he doesn't do that. And he never does. He never does. I mean, he is saying a lot of true things. He's saying a lot of true things, but he is not doing, he's not providing any comfort to Job at all, nor is he telling Job anything new that Job doesn't understand. He's not doing it. I don't think he's saying anything new that even Job's friends understand. He's not saying anything that that is that is um tailored to this the situation that is at hand and that warranted responses by Elihu or any of his friends. I think that he is just simply saying a lot of things about God that none of these men will be confused by or misunderstand. The issue is what are you saying that applies to Job in any meaningful way that should bring comfort to him in terms of his situation? And so the first three, Zophar built at Eliphaz, they don't do it, but neither does Elihud. Neither does Elihud. And so um so he's unique in this way, in a way, in that he is not saying a whole lot of offensive things about Job because he's saying a lot of things that are true about God, but what we're trying to get down to the bottom of is why is Job suffering? Why is he suffering? And no one answers that. Not Bildad, not Eliphaz, not Zophar, and not Elihub. None of them do. And so this is what we're dealing with. So in Job 37, verse 14 through 18, he continues by saying, Job, hearken unto this, stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God, because Job never thought about this. Do you not, do you uh know when God disposed them and caused the light of his cloud to shine? Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? How thy garments are worn when he quiets the earth by the south wind. Have you with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and has molten looking glass? And so he's asking Job to take careful consideration of God's works, pay attention to God's works and understand them. And then there are several questions that he levels to Job, and these questions are designed to expose the ignorance of humans and humanity in general. And he points out that man cannot explain how God orders the clouds. Man cannot explain how God orders the winds or how he positions and structures and and and holds the sky where it is. In other words, he's saying that man doesn't understand how God sustains all these things. And so the purpose of these questions that that Elihu is asking are designed to humble human pride and remind man of his limited understanding compared to God's absolute, perfect knowledge. Again, I can't fault Elihu for what he is saying when it comes to God. What he is saying about God is true. What he's saying about God is true. What Job's other friend said about God is true. But what no one has been able to answer is this. Why is Job suffering? Why did he lose his ten children? His business. Why did Job incur this health issue? Why did all this happen at once? What was the reason for it? Because this is what this book is about. Why is this happening to Job? Now you might say, well, no, it's not about what this what Job is about or what happened to Job. This is about God's, what he's doing. Yes, it is. It is about what God is doing. Why is God doing what he's doing? And what all of these men are trying to answer to Job is why God is doing these things. Why did he afflict Job to this degree? That's what the whole question is. Why? What was God's goal in all of this? Why did God let this happen? Why is Job, who was a righteous man, being afflicted in such an egregious way? And when we get down to it, it it is always about God's sovereignty. God is sovereign in every aspect of our existence. We know that. Elihu is saying that. But to any true believer, anyone who knows what God is about and how he works, we know that he is sovereign. He's not saying anything new, he's not bringing any revelations to Job. He's not even bringing revelations to Job's friends. But he is, he is dispensing with several platitudes about the glory of God, all of which are true. But they don't address why Job is suffering. He doesn't contribute to Job in any meaningful way that brings Job comfort. None of them do that. Not Elihu nor the three miserable comforters. They don't do, none of them bring Job any answer as to why he's going through what he is going through. And this is what we need to get down to the bottom of in this, in this, in this part of the scriptures. Sister Lisa and then Brother Jeffrey, go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 29:30

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. They answer me.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

I got a verse. First Corinthians 13, verse 2. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have if if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. This is Elihu. But he is speaking as though he knows. I mean, he'll say, Well, we here's this man saying, I mean Job, but there's no love here. He's not saying, Hey, let's figure this out, let's pray, let me sit with you, let me comfort you. There's no love here. He's spouting off what he knows, and I believe it truly is in the attempt, like Jeffrey said earlier, Job, when are you just gonna relent and confess your sin and God will be you'll be okay with God again? But I I mean that verse just came to me. He's a clinging symbol. There's to me, there isn't um, I don't, I don't see him caring for Job's, I don't see him caring for Job.

SPEAKER_04 31:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

I see him elevating himself with his own knowledge of the word or his own knowledge of God that he thinks he has, and he wants to show Job, I've got these facts, and I'm you know, you need to confess. Let's just get this over with. But anyway, did you write it down? Because I'm saying 1 Corinthians at the time of the day, May 1st. Because I don't get I don't have verses very often, but man, oh man, that one came to me and popped right in my head.

SPEAKER_05 31:32

Right. No, it's good. And it's good to get these different these different perspectives on the on these matters. And so, yeah, because you know, like I said, he he he he's a tricky guy to sort of pin down. And uh and so he is he is divisive in this way, and not maybe not intentional, intentionally divisive, but but he is definitely divisive none the way, none, none, nonetheless. And um, but when it comes to how he addresses the glory of God, he's telling the truth. He really is. He's telling the truth.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

But if you have all the knowledge and have not love, what it's not good. It means nothing.

Putting Truth Into Shoe Leather

SPEAKER_05 32:13

Right. So and so the thing the thing about it is, the issue is here, is how do you how do you take the word of God, how do you take the truth of God, how do you, how do you take the attributes of God and use them in such a way to bring comfort to a person who is undergoing affliction of this significance, of this, of this degree. And this is what I think has to happen because here's the thing: there's a lot of people who know Bible facts. A lot of people know Bible facts, and more often than not, we don't really know how to take these truths and use them in a way to be a blessing to someone who is going through a difficult time, and see, and everyone knows, we we all know that when you're going through a hard time, the last thing you need when you are going through a really deep struggle, deep, depression, whatever it is. I had a good a good uh uh one one of our brethren reached out to me today expressing prayer, needing the need of prayer for depression. You can't always, sometimes you can't always just start spouting biblical verses. Now, some people will think, why not? Why not? Because sometimes you need to put those those truths into shoe leather. How do I use my understanding about of God and what he does to bring comfort to you? And so sometimes it's not about quoting verses, someone who is depressed, someone who is struggling with sin, someone who is struggling in any capacity in a deep, meaningful way, sometimes showing comfort or bringing comfort. And and and it we need to be able to figure out how do we mourn with that person, how do we sit alongside with them, how do we put the gospel truths into practice? It is always um at the forefront of most people's mentality to just throw out biblical facts, but we need to be able to put these facts into practice. How do you put them into practice? And so I give, you know, the the the when you look at Job's friends, the three, the first three, Bildad, Zophar, and um and Eliphaz. Now, if you remember, in the beginning, these men, they come to Job where he is, and for seven days, they say nothing. They say nothing. They were silent, they just sat there. And this was reverence. This was the first expression of how it is that Job needed to be dealt with. So look at the look at it this way. They began, these three men, with seven days of silence. Elihu comes on the back end, on the other side of this experience with Job, and he can't shut up. He's talking too much. He's verbose. In the beginning, with the other friends, they were quiet. This guy comes at the end, can't shut up. And the only thing that does shut him up is God who steps in and says, uh, now it is time for me to deal with my servant. And this is what is end up happening. Brother Jeffrey, go ahead.

Why These Friends Fail Job

SPEAKER_03 37:01

Well, I just want just a couple things here. Number one, uh, Job's three friends wouldn't be friends of mine. Well, let me explain why I say that. They have done zero through 37 chapters to encourage or serve Job. Nothing. All they've done all that time is condemn him. They have tried to get him to confess sin that we know.