TEXT : Job 32:1  So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Job 32:2  Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Job 32:3  Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 34:5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.  34:9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.  34:10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

 

THEME : SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

In chapter 32, we find the central error of both Job and his "comforters" in the Book of Job. Namely, Job is righteous in his own eyes, and his friends assumed he has sinned. Oddly, both Job and his friends are wrong. The reason is their collective view of God is short of the truth. The fact is, Job believe God "owes" him a good life with all of its attending comforts and pleasures [which, he did have until the LORD took it away in order to test him], and his friends assume all bad events in life have a bad root as its origin. However, as we shall see, God does allow troubles, difficulties, hardships, disappointments, etc. to come into the Christian's life to test his or her faith. As with the daily manna in the wilderness and the variety of tests God put Israel through after their exodus from Egypt, God does this to perfect the believer. In other words, it is not prosperity and comfort that proves us, rather it is displeasures, distresses, setbacks, letdowns, dissatisfactions, and disappointments.

 

Exo 16:2  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: Exo 16:3  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

 

Thus Job, failed the test as he justified himself rather than God. Like Israel, Job complains about God's ways and forgets that God cannot do anything unjust or unrighteous.

 

"But these spiritual affections of Job did not prevent his turning this consciousness of integrity into a robe of self-righteousness which hid God from him, and even hid him from himself. He declares himself to be more righteous than God (Job_10:7-8; Job_16:14-17; Job_23:11-13; Job_27:2-6). Elihu reproves him for this, and on the other hand explains the ways of God. He shews that God visits man and chastises him, in order that when subdued and broken down-if there is one who can shew him the point of moral contact between his soul and God, in which his soul would stand in truth before Him [1] -God may act in grace and blessing, and deliver him from the evil that oppresses him. Elihu goes on to shew him that, if God chastises, it is becoming in man to set himself before God to learn wherein he has done wrong: in short, that the ways of God are right, that He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous, but if they are in affliction He shews them their transgressions, and if they return to Him in obedience when He openeth their ear to discipline, He will give them prosperity; but that the hypocrite shall perish. The first case which Elihu brings forward (chap. 33) is God's dealings with men. He awakens their consciences to their state, and puts His bridle on the pride and self-will of man. God chastises and humbles him. The second is specially with the righteous (chap. 36), the case of positive transgression but in one righteous in God's sight, from whom He withdraws not His eyes, in whom He allowed not iniquity; but in the first case he was in the path of destruction. It was this case2] which needed the interpreter to place him in uprightness before God. Finally, he insists upon the incomprehensible power of God Almighty." [JOHN DARBY]

 

Hence, Job's three friends stop interrogating Job and advising him since he justifies himself rather than God. We should again note, Job's friends find no fault in him. There is simply an assumption of guilt. Thus, again, all four of them are wrong. Job had not sinned willfully, and Job's friends assume only the wicked suffer in this life. The righteous, they assume, always have a pleasant outcome in life. However, as we review the Holy Scriptures, we see a long line of God's prophets and patriarchs who knew many trials. Many were persecuted and even executed. Unfortunately, the misguided philosophy of Job's friends still prevails to this day. It is a cut-and-dried duality that says good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people. This theology, if it could be called such, is popular and always attracts a crowd willing to consume it like cold water. It makes life less complex than it is in reality, and gives people an expectation [however false] that will keep them trying and trying ad infinitum for results of their own choosing, not God's. One must admit, it is appealing to the human mind. Nevertheless, the truth is, because of sin, God tests His people, the Devil attacks God's people, and sinful men antagonize God's people. Still, we are more than conquerors through faith in Christ.

 

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 

"The reason why his three friends were now silent. They ceased to answer him, and let him have his saying, because he was righteous in his own eyes. This was the reason they gave why they said no more, because it was to no purpose to argue with a man that was so opinionative, Job_32:1. Those that are self-conceited are indeed hard to be wrought upon; there is more hope of a fool (a fool of God's making) than of those who are fools of their own making, Pro_26:12. But they did not judge fairly concerning Job: he was really righteous before God, and not righteous in his own eyes only; so that it was only to save their own credit that they made this the reason of their silence, as peevish disputants commonly do when they find themselves run a-ground and are not willing to own themselves unable to make their part good." [MATTHEW HENRY]

 

Job is not open to any state of repentance or penitence since he admits of no wrong. It must be brought back to our attention that even God brags about Job to Satan. Job is the most righteous man of his day, and feared God above everyone else in the world. However, the Scripture declares ALL have sinned which Job seems unwilling to admit. This shows us that no matter how good a person may be, he or she cannot be righteous enough to merit his or her own salvation or entrance into Heaven. This is purely an act of God that is to His credit not Man's. God's mercy forgives us and His grace empowers us. Without that, we have nothing to bring to Him for our own salvation. It may be said that we are righteous primarily in comparison to one another. However, when we compare ourselves to Christ - the only sinless person to ever live, we all fall short. If a man or woman could be equal to Christ, they would deserve Heaven and merit salvation. Yet, since no one does or can, we need Christ's atoning blood and His abiding Spirit. One - the blood, is to forgive us before a Holy God. The other - the Holy Spirit, is to prevent our sinning against Him as we did in the past. In either case, all the glory belongs to God and none to Man.

 

"The three friends are silenced, because all their attempts to move Job to a penitent confession that his affliction is the punishment of his sins, have rebounded against this fact, that he was righteous in his own eyes, i.e., that he imagined himself righteous; and because they now (שָׁבַת of persons, in distinction from חדל, has the secondary notion of involuntariness) know of nothing more to say. Then Elihu's indignation breaks forth in two directions. First, concerning Job, that he justified himself מֵֽאֱלֹהִים, i.e., not a Deo (so that He would be obliged to account him righteous, as Job_4:17), but prae Deo. Elihu rightly does not find it censurable in Job, that as a more commonly self-righteous man he in general does not consider himself a sinner, which the three insinuate of him (Job_15:14; Job_25:4), but that, declaring himself to be righteous, he brings upon God the appearance of injustice, or, as Jehovah also says further on, Job_40:8, that he condemns God in order that he may be able to maintain his own righteousness. Secondly, concerning the three, that they have found no answer by which they might have been able to disarm Job in his maintenance of his own righteousness at the expense of the divine justice, and that in consequence of this they have condemned Job. Hahn translates: so that they should have represented Job as guilty; but that they have not succeeded in stamping the servant of God as a רשׁע, would wrongly excite Elihu's displeasure." [KEIL & DELITZSCH]

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY : "HE WILL BE JUDGED WITHOUT MERCY WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY!"

 

Perhaps of all the sinful proclivities to which Man is inclined, none is more insidious that self-righteousness. Amongst religious people, this is by far the most common error. That is - "you are sinful, I am not." Yet, every man or woman is righteous in his or her own eyes. [Pro_16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Pro_21:2  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.]

 

In the case with Job's friends, there is an unannounced presupposition. Namely, you [Job] are sinful. We are clean. This is the essence of self-righteousness. Others are wrong, I am not.

 

Job's friends were silenced, but not convinced. Others had been present. Elihu was justly displeased with Job, as more anxious to clear his own character than the justice and goodness of God. Elihu was displeased with Job's friends because they had not been candid to Job. Seldom is a quarrel begun, more seldom is a quarrel carried on, in which there are not faults on both sides. Those that seek for truth, must not reject what is true and good on either side, nor approve or defend what is wrong. [MATTHEW HENRY]

 

Whenever we compare ourselves amongst ourselves, we are not wise. Again, this is evident in Job's case with his friends. They should have shown mercy. Instead they compared Job [presumably] to themselves.

 

2Co 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

 

However, whenever we do this - as with Job's friends, we heap condemnation on our own heads, even as the Scripture says.

 

Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

 

It should also be observed that self-righteousness has various forms. One is - "I am sinful, I know; but so are YOU!" This is blame shifting. It is an attempt to balance personal guilt with either corporate culpability or personal liability and faults. In other words, it is an attempt to keep oneself "pure in his or her own eyes" through comparison. The Scriptures already note - that is not wise. We may further say, neither does it prevent the judgment of God on the one who practices such self-righteousness. Yet, what has one person's sin to do with another's? The fact that you have sinned has no bearing on my guilt. Each of us will be judged for our own thoughts, deeds, words, and actions.  Therefore, Job's friends though they had found no fault in Job compared him to themselves. This was not wise. In addition, many times a Christian will search high and low for the sin of another, and not be discouraged from further inquiry and investigation though their prosecution and investigation yields no results.

 

"Because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job - They held Job to be guilty, and yet they were unable to adduce the proof of it, and to reply to what he had said. They still maintained their opinion, though silenced in the argument. They were in that state of mind, not uncommon, in which they obstinately held on to an opinion which they could not vindicate, and believed another to be guilty, though they could not prove it." [ALBERT BARNES]

 

"They had found no answer - They had condemned Job; and yet could not answer his arguments on the general subject, and in vindication of himself. [ADAM CLARKE]

 

There is yet another sign of self-righteousness, and that is viewing adversity and affliction as proof of guilt. Of course, this is what Job's friends did. Their abridged perception of God caused them to render a verdict of "guilty" simply based on the evidence that Job was in physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. The notion - "I am fine, and my marriage, employment,  and children are all prospering and excelling proves I am righteous. Whereas you are not doing well, and your marriage, employment, and children are not improving but getting worse. Therefore, you are sinful." The truth is many holy and righteous men recorded in God's Word had trials in their marriage, employment, children etc. and were right in the center of God's will. Jesus is, no doubt, the best example.

 

Jesus is dying on a Roman cross - as a criminal, and almost all [Jews] assume he is a sinner. After all, God doesn't treat righteous men this way. Yet, Christ was doing the Father's will then, as He did always. Even the New Testament exhorts the Christian to endure persecutions [of men] and trials [from God] to "prove" we are worthy of eternal life.

 

Col_1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

 

1Th_2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

 

2Th_1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

 

Rev_3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

 

"and yet had condemned Job; as a very wicked man, and an hypocrite, for no other reason but because he was afflicted; and they still persisted in their sentiment, though Job had so fully cleared himself, and put them to entire silence; this exasperated Elihu, to observe these men to retain so unreasonable a sentiment, to pronounce such a rash sentence, and yet could make no reply to Job's defence of himself. Jarchi says, this place is one of the corrections of the Scribes, it having been formerly written "God" instead of "Job"; as if the sense was, that Elihu was provoked with them, because by their silence they had condemned the Lord, not vindicating his honour and glory as became them; but Aben Ezra declares his ignorance of that correction, and observes, that they that say so knew what was hid from him." [JOHN GILL]

 

Let us learn a lesson from Job's friends - be merciful. For he shall be judged without mercy who has shown no mercy!

 

Jas_2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.