Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety six

                                     Job 34:1-37

In verses 16-22, Elihu used princes and kings as symbolic of God Himself. If no one would dare to accuse a prince or a king of being ungodly, then no one should certainly accuse God of that. In verse 20, Elihu used the phrase "pass away" to indicate physical death. Even today, many people use the phrase, "He or she passed away." Believers should actually never use this phrase because it suggests no life after death. A better phrase would be, "He or she passed over." In verse 22, Elihu again affirmed his unbelief in life after death when he stated that the wicked cannot hide themselves in a "shadow of death." In scripture, God often uses the phrase "shadow of death" to indicate a specific region of the dead also called "outer darkness" or "the bottomless pit." Job 10:21-22; Matthew 25:30; Revelation 20:3; Revelation 20:13.

In Job 34:23-34, Elihu confirms his belief that God rewards or punishes humans in their earthly lives only. God punishes men to correct them and to warn others. God rewards the poor when they cry out to Him. In verse 33, Elihu affirmed his belief that God gave free will to man so that every person can choose for himself whether to do right or wrong. Elihu consistently arrived at both right and wrong ideas about the nature of God.

In Job 34:35-37, Elihu lost patience with Job and condemned him even though he had said he would not. Elihu actually accused Job of being wicked and rebellious against God because Job claimed that through his faith in his Redeemer he had found grace with God. Elihu believed that God dealt with man only in this life, and that God would never simply cleanse a man of his sins, forgive him, and allow him to live in His presence forever. In Elihu's mind, God's grace would be tantamount to believing that God excuses and justifies man's sins.