Job 36:3

We have to notice this in Elihu's speech, that he brings God forward and gives Him first His rights, and draws all his conclusions from there. It was not a question of who was right and who was wrong between God and men, nor, as the friends said, of a justice bound to pay back what each man deserves.

Elihu applies all this to Job himself (Job 35), and then goes on to justify God. "To speak on God's behalf, to ascribe righteousness to Him." It is very striking how Elihu's work is to justify God.

Elihu asks Job to let him speak for God still. He will bring near the knowledge of Him who dwells far off. His constant aim is to defend God. In doing so he will speak with a knowledge that is "perfect." This is no proud boast about himself. It is the solemn awareness that he is speaking for God.

He always takes his stand on that — the impossibility of God either saying or doing what was beneath Himself... "Look, God is mighty, and despises no one." There we have a beautiful hint of the grace of God.

He is not finished yet with speaking on behalf of God. He stands up for God magnificently. "I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker." He tells Job, "One who is perfect in knowledge is with you." How could he say this? Because Elihu knew that in speaking for God, His Spirit would speak through him to Job.

Where did Elihu find his knowledge? He fetched it "from afar" (v. 3), which reminds us that the Lord Jesus brought the knowledge of God from heaven itself, far above man's ability to produce wisdom. He would ascribe righteousness to his Maker. Job had not done this. Elihu insists that his words are not false, and that One who is perfect in knowledge was with them (v. 4). This can be said only of God, and Elihu implied that God was with Job rather than against him.

That is the great point of this chapter. In chapter 33 it was "man," but here He looks above all at the "righteous" man. God disciplines man to win him to Himself. That discipline is far stricter over the righteous man, to keep him right. If He has justified him, it should not be to His dishonour. For it is a terrible thing when one of God's people goes wrong.

The great business of Jesus, the Son, was, by His death, to glorify the Father in justifying the ungodly. Everything depends on the soul understanding this: God is righteous when He justifies the ungodly by the blood of Jesus. And those justified in this way are looked at as righteous in the risen Christ.