84. In God’s Stead

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Hymns: RHC 254 Break Thou the Bread of Life, 319 It Is Well with My Soul, 460 Send the Light!

Job 33:1-7

1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words. 2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. 3 My words shall be ofthe uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly. 4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. 5 If thou canst answer me, set thy wordsin order before me, stand up. 6 Behold, I amaccording to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. 7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

In God’s Stead

OUTLINE

  • Uprightness of Heart (v1-3)
  • Humbleness of Mind (v4-6)
  • Gentleness of Spirit (v7)

INTRODUCTION

In John 13:14, Christ speaks of the extradordinary gifts of the Spirit to the apostles after His ascension: by help of which, residing amd abiding in them, they should be privileged from erring, and made to understand many things concerning Christ’s kingdom which as yet they understood not; but here is not a syllable of setting up a teacher that should overthrow the scripture.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, thatshall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Indeed, the Scripture that holy men of God were inspired to write is the supreme law, judge, and rule; every man’s opinion and actions must stand or fall by it. Scripture is the voice of God; the judgment of God in scripture is authentic and immutable, and shall stand for or against us in the last day. The writings and minds of men give way one to another, and are mended one by another. But that which must correct all is the scripture; when that speaks, all must stop. Therefore, hath the Lord given it to all, and made it common to all, that by it all controversies might be decided all doubts resolved, all heresies confuted, all truths established, every man’s life framed. Nothing is sound, holy, just, or true, which does not agree with scripture: and nothing is unsound, unjust, unholy, untrue, that is agreeable to it. [William Lyford, The Instructed Christian, 36, 63]

Our words are sanctioned by the truth of Scripture. With Scripture as the basis, because it is the very breath of God, the believer imbibed Scripture and its authority as from God to guide his life and to share it with others.

Elihu in speaking to Job is adopting an approach that when practised puts one in good stead to speak, “Thus saith the Lord”.

  • Uprightness of Heart (v1-3)
  • Humbleness of Mind (v4-6)
  • Gentleness of Spirit (v7)

(1) Uprightness of Heart (v1-3)

1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words. 2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. 3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

Elihu said, “My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, the genuine product of my convictions and sentiments.” [1]

Proverbs 8:7-8 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness isan abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth arein righteousness; there isnothing froward or perverse in them.

God’s Word, personified as wisdom is truth and righteousness.  Wisdom’s Role is to call the simple ones to… wisdom and fools to… heart, to be wise(v.5). Want of wisdom (Pr. 10:21) is to lack heart. Even fools can receive wisdom and can have a heart for God (Is. 35:8). The word used for wisdom here, prudence or subtilty, is unusual. It seems to have a negative force such as deceit or guile (Gn. 3:1). In Proverbs it always has a good sense of applied wisdom (Pr. 1:4; 8:12; 12:23). There is converting power in these words for they are the words of Eternal Wisdom (Ps. 19:7). [Denis Gibson, Proverbs]

Elihu sought such words to speak.

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 For our exhortation wasnot of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

The words of the Apostle Paul were truthful words from an upright heart. 

He sought to bring forth a truthful word according to the mind of God. He will not speak untruth but weigh his words carefully. As such, it is mightily used of the God for the conversion of souls and the establishment of churches.

There was reason to suspect that Job’s three friends did not think, in their consciences, that Job was so bad a man as they had in their discourses, merely for the support of their hypothesis, represented him to be; and that was not fair. It is a base thing to condemn those with our tongues, to serve a turn, whom at the same time we cannot but in our consciences think well of. Elihu is an honest man, and scorns to do so.[2]

A person’s character is called into scrutiny here. 

(2) Humbleness of Mind (v4-6)

4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. 5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up. 6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

Elihu acknowledges God to be his Maker and life-Giver and Sustainer. In humbleness of mind he speaks. 

Philippians 2:5-8Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Our Lord Jesus sets for us the example of the trus spirit of service and consecration and devotion. His one purpose was to fulfil the Father’s will. 

He owns himself unfit to enter into the lists with his seniors, yet he desires they will not despise his youth, for that he is God’s workmanship as well as they, made by the same hand, endued with the same noble powers and faculties, and designed for the same great end; and therefore why may not the God that made him make use of his as an instrument of good to Job? With this consideration also we should quicken ourselves (and perhaps Elihu made that use of it) to do good in our places according to our capacity. God has made us, and given us life, and therefore we should study to use our life to some good purpose, to spend it in glorifying God and serving our generation according to his will, that we may answer the end of our creation and it may not be said that we were made in vain.[3]

Paul commended Timothy to the churches for he was like him.

Philippians 2:19-23 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

(3) Gentleness of Spirit (v7)

7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

Remember that thou hast made me as the clay. “I,” says Elihu, “am formed out of the clayas well as thou,”formed of the same clay, so some read it. It is good for us all to consider that we are formed out of the clay; and well for us it is that those who are to us in God’s stead are so, that he speaks to us by men like ourselves[4]

“As thy friends have done with their arguings. I will not reproach thee as they have done, nor draw up such a heavy charge against thee, nor as God would do if He should appear to reason with thee. I stand upon the same level with thee, and am made of the same mould, and therefore cannot impose that terror upon thee which thou mayest justly dread from the appearance of the divine Majesty.” If we would rightly convince men, it must be by reason, not by terror, by fair arguing, not by a heavy hand.[5]

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume(p. 720). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume(p. 720). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.