At the end of Job 31 we read, the words of Job are ended. These three friends of his had come unto him to comfort him supposedly and endlessly they pointed the finger and found fault in him and endlessly they caused him to defend himself. against their accusations. Until at last, he gives this parable that we've read and concludes his defense. The words of Job are ended. But in chapter 32, someone new comes upon the scene, Elihu, a young man, who had sat and listened to these men, to Job and to his friend speaking. And finally he speaks. Job 32.

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barakel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. And Elihu the son of Barakel the Bezite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old.

Wherefore I was afraid, and does not show you mine opinion. I said, days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, hearken to me. I also will show mine opinion.

Behold, I waited for your words, I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words, lest ye should say we have found out wisdom. God thrusteth him down, not man. Now he hath not directed his words against me, neither will I answer him with your speeches. They were amazed. They answered no more. They left off speaking. When I had waited, for they spake not, but stood still and answered no more, I said, I will answer also my part.

I also will show mine opinion, for I am full of matter. The spirit within me constraineth me. Behold, my belly is as wine which have no vent. It is ready to burst like new bottles. I will speak that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer. Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man, for I know not to give flattering titles.

In so doing my Maker would soon take me away. Yes, this young man Elihu waits and then speaks. Speaks to Job and speaks to his friends. against whom his wrath was kindled, because they had found no answer. For all their words and all their aged wisdom, they had found no answer to the plight that Job was in. Alaihu comes, this young man as a messenger, as a messenger of God, sent to these men.

He's full of matter. His belly is as wine which have no vent. It is ready to burst like new bottles. He can't contain himself. He must speak. As a preacher sent of God, as a messenger of God, he comes. Sent of God, led of the Spirit. full of the wisdom that God gives, not that man learns and understands. He comes as God's messenger in God's message to declare unto these old men the wisdom of God, the workings of God, the grace of God, the long-suffering of God, the salvation of God. Elihu's name means he is my God. He comes as God's messenger. In himself he is very much a picture of Christ. This young man sent with wisdom to speak unto the fools of man who stumble about in the darkness. He's God's messenger. And he comes with that message that declares truly who God is and why Job is in this circumstance.

Was Job guilty and under the wrath of God? Or was he innocent? He and his friends stumbled about in the darkness trying to make sense of the dreadful circumstance he found himself in. All three friends could see nothing but the judgment of God against Job and against his sin.

This trial must have come upon you, Job, because you must have done something You must be guilty of something. Some secret sin. Or your family's sin. And God is angry with you. God is just Job. If he sends trial like this, there must be a cause. It must be due to your sin. So to them they can see nothing but guilt. Nothing but A legal judgment, a legal penalty of God brought down upon Job because of his sin. And Job in response to them as we have seen, is brought to defend himself.

He feels his innocence in the matter. He believes he has served God. He believes he walks before God. He trusts God. He cannot comprehend that this circumstance, this trial is because of some sin he's done. So constantly he's brought to defend his innocence. But the consequence of such a defense, however right, is essentially that he then blames God for dealing with him unjustly. If I'm innocent, why has this trial come upon me? Why does God deal with me like this? He complains. He cannot understand why he's in this plight. The three friends had no answer. And often times it seems as though Job has no answer.

We've seen throughout the trial, however, that Job had faith. No matter where his friends pushed him, no matter that they brought out self-righteousness from his lips, he remained faithful. He knew he had a Redeemer. Though he could not understand the circumstance, he knew that in the end, God would bring him forth as gold tried in a fire. And yet, brought to defend himself against their accusations, he came across as righteous in his own eyes.

And Elihu's wrath is kindled against his friends and against Job. Was he innocent or was he guilty? Therein lies the puzzle seen in the whole book, the impossible question. Why has this come upon him? And it brings forth the impossibility of salvation, which Job asked about in Job chapter 9.

How should man be just with God? If he's guilty as a sinner, how can God punish the guilty and yet deliver his people from their sins? Bildad later on in his final speech asked the same question. Behind all this circumstance, they're both left asking the impossible question, how should man be just with God? How can we stand before a holy God?

And Elihu, God's messenger comes forth essentially to demonstrate why Job was in this state and how God can be just and justify the ungodly. He deals with the reality of the question and he deals with the reality of God's trial. that he sent to Job. How could God justify the ungodly? We've seen how Job is pictured as a picture of Christ. We see how in his uprightness, his innocence, his faith in God, how he's set forth as a picture of Christ.

But how can God deal with the sins of his people in one who is innocent? How could Christ come in the place of Job? and save Job? How could God punish sin? How could God take his own son who was innocent and righteous and punish Job's sin in one who was innocent? How could God be just and the justifier of the guilty, the ungodly. Job's friends had no answer. No answer to all these questions, no answer to this circumstance that Job was in. To them, Job must have done some great sin, and God was judging him.

And yet Elihu, this young man, This messenger sent of God comes unto these three men and unto Job and says I said they should speak and a multitude of yours should teach wisdom but there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty give of them understanding great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgment Therefore I said hearken to me, I also will show mine opinion.

Where is your wisdom? Where is my wisdom? How easily we trust in self. How we think that with the passing of years that we grow in wisdom. How proud we can become when still utterly blind to the truth and the reality of God. How religion can blind us.

As we've seen before, these three men, Job and his friends, these three friends were all religious. These free men reasoned about God and his dealings with men and yet despite being great in age, despite having lived decades in this world, they had no answer and no understanding of the true dealings of God. You can read the scriptures from cover to cover. You can read the writings of men and listen to the preaching of men. And still know nothing. And still be blind. Like Saul was, Saul of Tarsus. Brought up in religion. Zealous for the things of God as he saw them and yet he did not know God.

And he did not recognise Christ at his coming. And yet Christ met him as a lie who meets these. Christ, as it were, came into the pathway of Saul with a message from God for him and he stood in his way and he said unto Saul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he began to preach the truth unto that man who was blind. The light of God entered in.

And if ever we're to come to know Christ and the gospel and the truth of God, Christ must come as he comes with Elihu here. and preach the truth and confront us and stop us in our tracks. He must deliver us from ourselves for that is what Job needed to be delivered from. He needed to be delivered from himself. Left to ourselves we go to the pit in our darkness and blindness. We need to meet an Elihu. one sent of God, one with God's message. Elihu states, Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man, for I know not to give flattering titles. In so doing, my Maker would soon take me away.

Just like Paul, when he'd met Christ on the Damascus road and Christ had transformed him and delivered him from the darkness and brought him into the light and sent him forth to preach the gospel God gave Saul, Paul such wisdom such understanding and such spirit within to preach the truth in power that he could not accept any man's person. When he wrote that letter to the Galatians and recounted how he had to withstand Peter and the others from Jerusalem who came preaching error that men should return to the law to be justified, He withstood them to the face and accepted no man's person. He came with boldness sent of God. And Elihu, this young man, came and stood before these aged men whom he respected because of their age, whom he feared because of their natural wisdom. whom he felt should have known much better than he did and yet hearing them speak he saw the foolishness of their ways and the blindness of their understanding and he speaks up as one sent of God and says you have not found the answer you do not know the truth And he preaches unto them Christ and his gospel.

He condemns Job's friends for condemning Job. And he criticizes Job for constantly justifying himself and his own innocence before his friends. rather than justifying God and his dealings with him. Rather than saying that God can do what he likes with me and he is right to. Job was ensnared by his friends to defend himself.

In these subsequent chapters 33, 34, 5, 6 Elihu preaches the gospel to Job. He shows that God rules over man and that though he may deal with his children in a way that he dealt with Job Though He may bring them down low and bring them through trial, He does this for their good. He sends trials their way to strip them of all self-confidence, to strip them of pride, to strip them of the flesh, to bring them in before God as nothings. in order that he might point them to the one whom he has sent as a ransom. In order that he might deliver them from themselves and their own sin, deliver them from their own folly, deliver them from going down to the pit, and lead them to Christ as needy sinners. He says then he is gracious unto him and say if deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. I found a ransom.

It's a lie who deals with Job's claims of innocence. And we've seen in these Job is set forth from the early chapters as an upright man, as a righteous man. He's a picture of one who outwardly is innocent, upon whom great trial comes. He's depicted as the Saviour who came into the world, the Son of God, without sin, innocent. who was rejected by all and cast out by all, despised and rejected, and ultimately sent to a place of execution. He's a picture of Christ in his innocence who bore the judgment and the wrath of God. But in himself as a man, Despite his uprightness, despite the fact that God set him forth before Satan, his accuser, as his servant, one who was perfect and upright, one who feared God and eschewed evil, in himself he was still a man and still subject to sin as we all are.

Job's innocence, Job's uprightness was because he had faith in Christ. Job was upright because God made him so. God set him forth as this example. And God chose to bring him through this trial. to demonstrate how he would bring forth his child as gold through the fire. But despite Job's reaction at the first to God's trial that came upon him, despite him saying that the Lord gave and the Lord have taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, His friends and their accusations cause him to defend himself.

And this stirs up Elihu's anger. Elihu shows that we're all guilty. We're all guilty and we're all nothing before a holy God. But God comes to those that are his. And he delivers them. through one who is a ransom. He's gracious unto them, even in sending trials.

Even in the circumstance that Job found himself in, God was gracious to Job. The trial itself was God's blessing to Job. He found it hard to see any blessing in this circumstance. But God stripped away all of self, that Job had nothing, nothing but faith in Christ alone. Nothing but faith that looked to a Redeemer.

God may bring us into similar circumstances. times we may be faced with great trial and our natural response to these trials is that they're against us they're something to be endured there's something that's not for our good there's something that we would wish away and our natural reaction to them is always to be delivered from them to escape from them If we pray in the midst of trial we're always praying that God would deliver us and deliver us speedily. When in reality God has sent them for our good and will cause them to take the time that they take in order to accomplish that for which he sent them.

It's for our good that we are brought down low. It's for our good that we are stripped of all confidence in self. It's for our good that we come to an end of all of our own wisdom, all of our own works, all of our own righteousness, all of our own striving to escape from our circumstances. It's for our good that we are broken and bruised and weak and wounded.

It for our good that we fall down upon our faces before God and cry out unto Him, Lord have mercy upon me the sinner. And until we're brought there, God will continue to bring us in circumstances to bring us to that point to cry out unto Him. But how strong is the heart of man. How resistant we are, that we complain, that we fight, that we try to find an escape in our own strength. And we're so slow to come to God and say, this is from Thee, Lord. Lead me unto Christ. Deal graciously with me, Lord.

If God justizes his children, he is just in all he does. Rather than defend our innocence, rather than say this is not fair, rather than cry out to be delivered and essentially blame God for unjustly putting us in this circumstance, we should be brought to the point, as he will bring us, To cry out and to say, God is just in all he does. Not my will, but thy will be done. Oh, how he'll bring us to where his son was brought in Gethsemane. Oh, may this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine will be done.

Job, as we saw, had begun when he was first stripped of his family and his riches by saying, the Lord gave and the Lord have taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. But he goes on to protest his innocence in defense of his friend's accusations and to cry out to be delivered of his lot. He goes on to ask the Lord to end his life and take away the misery. And he's brought to constantly justify himself. Rather than repeat it, the Lord gave and the Lord have taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. God is sovereign. of the life he shows. He deals with man according to his own will. He makes man, he created man, he sustains man, and he deals with us as he will. In Romans 9, Paul deals with the sovereignty of God, that of the same lump he makes some as vessels of mercy and some as vessels of dishonor.

Some are raised up like Pharaoh to be hardened in their sin and condemned. And some, like Moses, are raised up as vessels of God's mercy. And man's natural reaction to this is that, well, if God as a creator can create one who is left in their sin and create another unto whom he shows mercy.

How is that fair? If I can't do anything about it, if it's not my choice that leads to salvation, how is God fair? Paul writes, Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Has not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour? It is of God that showeth mercy. Who are we to answer our Creator? God's dealings with Job were not to destroy him, but to strip him of all confidence in the flesh, to bring him down to nothing.

Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, hearken to all my words. Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me. Stand up. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's dead. I also am formed out of the clay.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard thy voice. I have heard the voice of thy word saying, I am clean without transgression. I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.

Behold, He findeth occasions against me. He counteth me for his enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks. He marketh all my paths. Behold in this, Job, thou art not just. You complain at where God's put you. I will answer thee that God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters. For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He's chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, so that his life hath pooreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

We may be brought into the deepest of straits, but if there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show unto man his uprightness. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness.

God brought Job. into this trial, to deliver him, to save him, to be gracious unto him. And if he brings you and I, if he brings me into such a trial, if he brings you into such a trial, child of God, though it may seem harder than anything you've ever encountered, though you may not understand the beginning from the end, though you may not have an answer for these things, though you may feel that there are others who've done wrong and you haven't, that you've been faithful to God, that you've stood for his truth, that you've stood for the gospel, and yet here you are, alone, cast out, in the fires of circumstance and you may wonder what is God doing with me? where has he brought me? where is this heading? if we remember Job and Elihu's words we will know that this even this is sent for our good God will bring us to the point where we are nothing, in order to show that He is everything.

In the beginning of Job, in chapters 1 and 2, when Satan came before the Lord, and the Lord said, Hast thou considered My servant Job? God showed Satan that Job did not serve him for what he could get. But Job ultimately served him for who God is. Job trusted God.

Though he may have been brought to defend himself, ultimately behind it God had given him faith in Christ.

God had given him an understanding. that the truth is beyond what we can see with the natural eyes, that God had found a ransom, that Job had a Redeemer who loved him, who loved him in the darkness of this trial, who loved him in the midst of the fire, who loved him when his friends derided him, when all men mocked him and scorned him, when the base children of men used his name as a byword and laughed about Job and what had become of him, when all men had cast Job out and left him as nothing, as dust in the earth, had trampled him underfoot, In the absolute worst of circumstances God still gave Job faith to look beyond what could be seen to that which was unseen and to know that all that God did ultimately was for his good. Job knew that in the end he would be brought forth as gold from the fire. And God sent this trial to show, to show his dealings with his children. That where he works faith in the heart of a man, where he is gracious, where he touches a blind man and makes him see, when he touches the ears of the deaf and makes them hear, when he touches the legs of the lame man and makes them to walk when he comes unto the dead in the gospel and says unto them live that though they may pass through valleys that though may they may pass through storms that though they may be brought to pass through fires that in the end they will be brought into everlasting salvation because he will deliver them from the pit.

For he has found a ransom. God stripped Job of all his refuge in the flesh. He brought him thoroughly to an end of himself. He brought him to stand still and to behold the salvation of the Lord. Throughout his answer Elihu shows the sovereignty of God. He shows the grace of God. He points to God's salvation through Jesus Christ.

And he says unto Job in chapter 37, hearken unto this O Job, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. God's brought you where you are Job to cause you to stand still in order that you will see and behold your Redeemer. Behold the ransom that God has given for your sin.

In order to see the answer to that great question, how could God be just and the justifier of the ungodly? In order to see the innocent Saviour, who went in a trial of which your trial is a picture, Job. In order to see your Saviour, your Redeemer in the fire, bearing your sin under the wrath of God that he might deliver you from that sin. How can God be just and the justifier of the ungodly by taking one who's innocent, one who's righteous, by taking a perfect lamb of God and taking your sin Job and laying your sins upon him and making him to be seen in your place by transferring your sin unto the innocent son of God and judging your sin in another bringing the judgment of God down upon one who was innocent but in judgment in substitution bore your guilt bore your sins in his own body on the tree, was made sin in your place that you might be made the righteousness of God. God has found a ransom, he's found a means of delivering you, he's found a redeemer, he's found salvation.

Oh how we need to be brought where Job was, by whatever means. How we need to be silenced. How we need to be silenced. His friends found no answer. Job had no answer in the end. The words of Job were brought to an end. The words of Job are ended. He's brought to silence before God.

And Elihu is sent as a messenger with the gospel. and says unto him, O Job, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Has God brought Elihu to you to stand in your pathway? Has he brought you to an end of yourself? Has he sent you a trial sufficient to bring you to an end of trusting in yourself, in your own wisdom, in your own knowledge, in your own righteousness? To own before God that you're a sinner, guilty from head to toe, a leper, needing healing. To own before God that you have no wisdom, you're a fool. To own before God that you're blind and need sight, that you're deaf and need to hear, that you're dead and need to live. Has he brought you to stand still and to consider the wondrous works of God in Jesus Christ has Elihu come your way and shown you the ransom and how God can justify by taking your sin and laying it upon Christ and washing you in his blood upon the cross. We have no righteousness Job, when you protest your innocence and you're righteous in your own eyes, your righteousness is not in you, Job. Job knew that. Job knew that.

He had no righteousness in himself. He looked to a Redeemer. how often we need to be stripped of all confidence in self. No matter how many years we may have believed on Christ, how ready the flesh is to rise up in pride, how often the Lord needs to bring us down to stand still and consider the wondrous works of God and to say, I'm guilty by nature. I have no righteousness. But Christ is my righteousness. Christ is my ransom. Christ is my Redeemer. He bore my sins as my substitute. He's my justification. How should man be just before God in Christ and Christ alone? through faith in Christ alone, by grace alone, through the gracious works of God in stripping us of all things and bringing us to stand still and see no man save Jesus and Jesus only.

Hearken unto this, O Job. Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. O today, may God be gracious to us in coming to us with his gospel, that we may hear the speech of Elihu, that we may hear the voice of Jesus Christ calling out in the darkness of our soul, shining the light into our soul, and pointing us under him alone. Stand still and consider. the wondrous works of God. Amen.