Job 36:3-4
I will get my knowledge from afar
and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
For truly my words are not false;
one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
Job is in quite a tight place. He knows, "in his mind," that he didn't do anything worthy of such a punishment and, yet, here he sits along side the road scrapping boils off his body with broken pieces of pottery. His own pain is compounded by the emotion of losing everyone one of his children. Sitting before him are his three "friends" who have each taken a shot at him to prove that the reason for his suffering and loss is that he is, indeed, a large sinner. He attempts to justify himself, but to no avail, as his three friends come along with additional speeches to continue to point out the harmony of their arguments: The cause for ALL suffering is sin in our lives. Now, before him is a fourth "friend", a much younger version of the others, Elihu. Elihu is there, according to his own words, to defend God and make sure Job and his other friends note that God is the one who is just in this scene ... and only God. Elihu has, as his central argument, the character and integrity of God in mind in his speech. This is what gives way to the above passage. At first glance, the passage seems to give Elihu the look and feel of an arrogant and pompous know-it-all. That would be the interpretation of several commentators. However, it is interesting that as the argument unfolds, after the above passage, that Elihu introduces us to the God of the universe and everything he states is substantiated in other portions of God's Word. Elihu is about to talk about the majesty of God. My personal belief is that Elihu is NOT speaking about his own capacity for knowledge in these two verses, as he sets the introduction for what he is about to say. I believe he is stating, "What I am about to say is perfect knowledge, because it it about the character and integrity and power of God!" This is much like a preacher might say before a sermon ... "Today I am about to speak to you complete truth ... from God's Word .... about the God of all truth!" Elihu embarks onto a message about the character and power of God and that this character and power ought not to be questioned by Job or any of his friends. Elihu's speech is so right on (full of perfect knowledge) that when he finishes in is chapter 37, God continues in chapter 38 and beyond. Elihu states, "one who is perfect in knowledge is with you." The word for "perfect" here is the same word in the beginning of the book to describe Job as "perfect." This play on words by the author is important for us to grasp. We, as the out side reader, are in the state of mind that this entire battle is between Satan and God. Job is in the middle. We know that Job didn't do anything ... except later has he attempted to justify himself before God. Elihu is perfect in knowledge in the same way. He is not attempting to boast of his arguments as compared to the others. He is simply stating that he is about to talk about God's awesomeness and that is something that is true. When you read the rest of his speech you would be hard pressed to find something "wrong" in his argument. "God is awesome and you are not," seems to be Elihu's point. The truth is, that statement is true. In the midst of pain and suffering the goal ought to be, God is awesome and we are not. Praise God as a result. 33
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