Job 33:29 - Meaning and Application

Here Elihu brings this first part of his speech to a close. He says, in brief, that God’s great and gracious purpose in all his ways with people is to save them from lasting misery and bring them into lasting joy (Job 33:29, Job 33:30).

“All these things God works with people.” He deals with them through conscience, through events in life, through ministers, through mercies, and through troubles. He makes people sick, and he makes them well again. All of these are God’s work. He has set one over the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14), but his hand is in all of it. He does everything for us.

We should view all of God’s providences, his wise rule over life, as his work with people, his efforts to deal with them. He uses many different ways to do people good. If one trouble does not accomplish his purpose, he will try another. If neither trouble works, he will try a mercy. Then he will send a messenger to explain both. He often does these things two or three times, as the original wording suggests, referring back to Job 33:14. He speaks once, yes, twice. If that does not help, he acts twice, yes, three times. He changes his method, as when the people said, “We played music, and you did not dance; we sang a sad song, and you did not mourn.” He returns to the same method and repeats the same appeals.

Why does he take all this trouble with human beings? It is to bring their soul back from the pit, Job 33:30. If God cared for us only as much as we care for ourselves, we would be ruined. We would destroy ourselves, but he wants us saved. By his grace, he makes a way to undo what was undoing us.

The earlier method, by dream and vision, was meant to keep the soul from the pit (Job 33:18). That is, it was meant to keep people from sinning. This later method, through sickness and through the word, is meant to bring the soul back, to restore those who have fallen into sin so they do not stay there and perish in it. For all who are brought back from the pit by repentance, the goal is that they may be enlightened with the light of the living. They are to have present comfort and everlasting happiness. Those whom God saves from sin and hell, both dark realities, he will bring to heaven, the inheritance of the saints in light. That is what he aims at in all his commands and all his dealings.

Lord, what is man, that you should visit him in this way! This should move us to go along with God’s purposes, to work with him for our own good, and not work against him. It also leaves those who perish without excuse, because so much was done to save them, and they would not be healed.

Elihu then asks Job to receive what he has said and to consider it carefully, Job 33:31. Anything meant for our good deserves our attention. If Job wants to object, he is welcome to do so (Job 33:32). “If you have anything to say for yourself, answer me. Though I am fresh and you are worn out, I will not wear you down with words. Speak, because I want to justify you, not condemn you, unlike your other friends.” Elihu is arguing for truth, not for victory. Those whom we correct, we should want to justify. We should be glad to see them clear themselves of the charges against them, and we should give them every fair chance and encouragement to do that.

If Job has nothing to say against it, Elihu tells him that he still has more to say, and he wants Job to listen patiently (Job 33:33). “Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.” Those who want to show wisdom and learn wisdom must listen and stay quiet. They should be quick to hear and slow to speak. Job was wise and good, yet even wise and good people can become wiser and better. So they must keep improving by the help of wisdom and grace.