Job 37:24

Whether we read it as poetry or as teaching, the close of Elihu's address gives us noble language and holy feeling. It commands our wonder and our worship... In all we see the almighty power and majesty of God, and man's feebleness. Yet all is for purposes of wise government in mercy and blessing. Let Job think it all over: is he like God? Fittingly Elihu closes with the basic note of his theme — the complete all-sufficiency of God and His hatred of the pride of man.

And now the concluding words of his great, God-given testimony. They are meant to impress on Job and on all of us the frailty, the nothingness of man. "As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him out; He is excellent in power; and in judgment and abundant justice He will not afflict. Men do therefore fear Him; for none can know Him, however wise they are." This must be man's true attitude. This should have been Job's place before the Almighty.

He is Almighty and we cannot discern His greatness. His power is greater than anything that might come from any direction (v.23). His judgment is supreme in wisdom. His justice is pure, untainted by anything questionable. He does not in any way oppress, as is the case with practically every government of men, to some degree at least.

"Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart" (v.24). Job and his friends all considered themselves wise. Their wisdom did not impress God. He showed no partiality to any of them, as they may have hoped He would. All men everywhere have serious reason to fear God, and indeed to tremble in His presence.

That is, that even with those men of God, it is only in part that we know. There is great darkness even now... There was just where Job had made a mistake. He was wise of heart, and he admired the fruits of grace, and all that was quite inconsistent with what was due to God. And here Elihu ends.

And so we come to "the conclusion of the whole matter." Who or what is Job, but a frail man whose clothes weigh on him in the blast of the desert wind? Can he spread out the expanse that arches over our heads like a shining mirror? As he goes on, Elihu himself becomes the spokesman for all the lowly. We have taken it on ourselves to speak, and we are only dust and ashes. "We cannot order our speech by reason of darkness." Let us hush our voices and listen to Him!

Elihu took the place of the "interpreter" of God's ways, so that Job might recognise what "uprightness" demanded. He closed his discourse on the lofty theme of the majesty and the justice of God. So the moment had come for divine intervention. He is God, and Almighty, as the closing verses of Job 37 declared. He is also Jehovah, and He spoke out of the whirlwind, which Elihu had also mentioned.