Year 2, Day 129: Job 35

What Does God Benefit From Me?

I love the theology that Elihu begins to bring out in this chapter.  Elihu really gets to the heart of why it is that we act.  Elihu says that he has heard Job saying: “How am I any better off than if I had sinned?”  He then follows it up by later asking: “If you are righteous, what do you give to Him?”

If we look at the first of these quotations, we get to the real heart of the human relationship with God.  The human is the self-monger.  Me.  Me.  Me.  What do I get out of life?  What’s in it for me?  How can I benefit?  How can I come out ahead?

The fundamental question that all of us need to ask is: Is life really about me?  Is life really supposed to be decided on how I benefit?  Is this the example that I see with Jesus on the cross?  Did Jesus die for His benefit?

To focus on our own benefit really misses the point with God.  Paul got it right in Galatians 2:20 when he says “I have been crucified with Christ.”  It doesn’t matter whether I am any better off than if I had lived a life of sin.  What matters is whether or not I was a tool in the hand of God and if His kingdom was advanced.  At the end of the day, to even ask the question about my being better off shows an innate lack of understanding.  It is God and God’s kingdom that is important.  My status is nothing next to the fact that God has chosen to offer to include me in His kingdom.

This leads us quite naturally into the next question: what does my righteousness bring to God?  Unlike the prior question, this question can at least be found in the same ballpark as God.  At the very least, the question focuses on God as the center.  The question acknowledges that God is the focal point to life.

However, there is a bit of arrogance in the question.  There is a sense that if I am righteous I make God better.  Clearly that is not the case.  My righteousness does not enhance God’s character at all.  God’s righteousness is quite capable of standing on its own!

However, there is also a truth to the question.  As I spoke earlier, I should be concerned with availing myself to be God’s tool.  I should be concerned with what God can do through me.  Thus, I may not be able to add anything to God, but I can be concerned about allowing God to demonstrate His greatness through me.  Thus, not only is the focus on God, but the understanding that God is the initiator of the action as well.  And in this comment we can see the fallacy of the question.  It is not my righteousness that brings anything to God.  Rather, my humbleness and willingness to bow before Him that allows His righteousness to shine through me.

When I Cry Out To God

The second half of the chapter seems to be primarily about when and why people cry out to God.  It’s no hidden truth that people cry out to God when they are in the depth of despair.  Unfortunately, this is a tragic reality.  In many cases, it exposes us for who we are.  Perhaps what’s worse is that it demonstrates to God just how shallow and vain we are.  When we only cry out to God in the midst of our despair we demonstrate our emptiness.

We should be in relationship with God all the time.  If we are going to be a people who claim to have our focus in the right area we need to demonstrate it when things are going well in addition to showing it when things are going poorly.  We should be a people that take all of our joys, concerns, praises, strife, celebration, and even our normalcy to God.

All in all, I think Elihu makes some great points about faith.  So far, his words have been well worth listening to.  Focus on God, allow God to work through us, and come to God in the midst of all of our life.  Those are great points to keep throughout life.

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