Job 36:11

If they hear and serve, they end their days in good, and their years in pleasantness. But if they do not hear, their soul passes by the dart, and dies for lack of knowledge.

Obedience is the path of good and joy; not listening is the path of ruin in every way.

Here, I think, this is not about bringing the unconverted into God's favour. It is the discipline of the converted under His good hand. It is the ways of God, and the righteous government that He maintains with His own. But even such people might slip aside. Sadly, who does not know it? And here we see that from the very beginning the ways of God were essentially what they are now.

These "righteous" people are the objects of God's care. Yet at times they are "bound in fetters, held in cords of affliction." Is this a contradiction of what Elihu has just said? To Job it was, because he failed to see the possibilities of evil in his own heart. His pride was as real a transgression as the outright evils the friends falsely charged him with. God's purpose was to lay bare to man the hidden evil of his heart, to open his ear to His warnings and to turn him from pride. If they bow to this, sooner or later their sufferings will pass — even in this life. If not, they must be chastened to the end, and struck as by a speeding arrow from His hand.

Was there not, even at this time, an opportunity for Job to prove such blessing true? Yes indeed, and Elihu wanted it for Job. And Job did eventually experience such prosperity, for he did listen when God spoke to him.

The afflictions of the righteous reveal love and kindness, not His wrath and displeasure. He wants to instruct them by suffering. And if they listen and learn the lesson, they will spend their days in prosperity. They will end their life on earth in peace and pleasantness. It was a call to Job to acknowledge this. It is also a prophecy that he would soon find it out. When God has accomplished His purpose with him, his end would be peace and prosperity.

It is most important not to confuse two things: the believer's standing and salvation in Christ, and his walk under his Father's discipline. As to his standing in Christ, as we have seen, it is established forever. To make that depend, in the least, on his works would be to deny the grace of God. But how much does depend on his walk with God. Not earthly prosperity — not worldly pleasures. The nearer we walk with God, the less we shall have of these. Look at the Apostle Paul, and all who will live godly lives in this present evil world.

Would you have days of spiritual prosperity, and years of heavenly pleasures? Then let go of everything that does not fit a Christ rejected by the world and glorified in heaven. Seek whole-hearted, obedient service to Him. Depend simply on the Holy Spirit, and put no confidence in the flesh.