Job 33:23-33
These verses continue the speech of Elihu.
Elihu was the younger man who had listened to Job and his friends arguing, and now they were silent is giving vent to his thoughts.
.jpg)
Having previously spoken of how God speaks to men in dreams and illness to keep them from destruction (and yet men don't perceive it), he now speaks of the blessing of having an interpreter or messenger at these times - one who can point out to the afflicted person God's goodness.
Elihu then tells how God will be gracious to the repenting praying sinner and restore them to health and joy as they 'see' God's face, their soul being brought back from the brink of hell - the reason, 'I have found a ransom' (verse 24).
Job had been accused by all of his friends of bringing his own troubles upon himself by his own wickedness, but Elihu is now showing how much better it would have been for Job to have had a messenger or interpreter who could have explained to Job what was going on - a messenger who would be so special that they would be as 'one among a thousand'.
Not just anyone would do - this messenger was special, unique, rare. Matthew Henry suggests it would be someone such as a minister or a faithful friend.
Could we be described as such?
When our friends are in trouble and cannot understand their situation do we lovingly give counsel from the scripture and from the ways the Lord has taught us, to likewise comfort them?
As Paul writes, '...the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God' (1 Corinthians 1:4).
And I wonder if Elihu is also here referring to the ultimate mediator, Jesus, who speaks to God the Father on our behalf; of His messages - the Word of God, the Bible; and of the messenger, the Holy Spirit, who 'teaches' us 'all things' (John 14:26).
A gracious GodJob has been longing to be able to talk with God and ask why he has brought him into such misery, seeing as he believed he had lived a good life. His friends had all blamed Job for his own troubles - because they believed he was reaping the just rewards of his sins.
But now, Elihu is speaking of the mysterious ways God uses dreams, illness and troubles for our good.
God will deal with each of his children uniquely in the way best suited.
He will know how they need to be taught, how their faith needs to be tested so that they will grow and learn more of themselves and him.
He will know whether to withdraw himself a little so that they search for him more earnestly again.
He will know when their heart has become more involved in the attractions of this life again and they need attracting back to him.
How merciful and kind God is!
How merciful that in love to sinners he diverts them from the path that they were going in, here -as Elihu points out - with illness to make them stop and think, to turn their hearts and thoughts to him.
How kind that he delivers his people from hell! They deserve it! We all '...like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way ' (Isaiah 53:6).
But in his mercy God has 'laid' on Jesus 'the iniquity of us all' (Isaiah 53:6). And as Elihu speaks here, God will be 'favourable' to him, or alternatively as my Study Bible renders it, 'delight in him'.
Imagine - God 'delighting' in you!
And then what joy there is for the repenting sinner when they find mercy! How that person's face beams from the happiness within their heart!
The freedom with which they can now pray to God and feel their 'access' to him is as if like Elihu says, they 'see' God's face.
Have you ever known this? Or have you ever seen this joy in another's face and longed to know it yourself?
It is a time that can never be forgotten! There is no joy on earth which compares to it.
The repenting sinner is brought to their rightful place at God's feet, confessing their sins to him, and finding acceptance. They believe and feel his love towards them and their heart melts in wonder at his goodness to them.
What is the reason they have this wondrous happiness, joy and closeness to God in their spirit?
'I have found a ransom', God says in verse 24.
It isn't anything that they have managed to find or do - we haven't bought our way out of eternal trouble and misery! Who or what is this ransom then you may ask?
Jesus! That beautiful name meaning Saviour (Matthew 1:21). The wonderful person, the Son of God, who becomes to that repenting sinner the most precious friend they will ever know.
One to whom they can take every trouble, talk to at all times, trust in without fear, adore, cling to and find all they need - whether comfort, counsel, forgiveness, compassion or understanding.
***
What encouragement there is in this Old Testament book of the Bible to come to Jesus, pleading the promise, 'He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him' (verse 26).
May the Lord be a messenger to you - through his Word, through your life and your circumstances - to show you your need of him as your Saviour, to show you when you are living in ways displeasing to him.
May he give you a truly repentant heart and help you to confess your sins before him, that you too may 'see his face with joy' (verse 26) as you hear him say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom' (verse 24).
*'Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song' by Stocker, Hymn 11 in Gadsby's Hymns
Enjoyed this post?
Subscribe for weekly content
Comments
Post a Comment