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Call to worship: Psalm 51

Text: Job 34-35

Sermon Outline

1. Restating Job's case for himself, 34:5-9, 35:2-3
   • I am righteous, 34:5a
   • I have a right to blessing, 34:5b-6a
   • God's taken away that right, 34:6a
   • I am incurably cursed, 34:6b
   • Might as well live for sin if I'm to suffer like this, 34:9, 35:2-3
2. Elihu's case for God, 34:10-30
   • God is God, 34:13-15
   • God is righteous, 34:10-12
   • It's seen in, 34:16-30
     • His fearlessness, impartiality, sovereignty, accountability, constancy
3. Elihu's conclusions for Job, 34:31-37, 35:5-16
   • Your righteousness doesn't put God in your debt, 35:5-8
   • You've ceased to truly pray: prayer becomes prayer-less when it's prideful, 35:9-16
   • You need to decide to repent of this pride: you're wrong, not God, 34:31-37

Prepare

Questions to Consider:

1. Most of all, what I'd like for you to do is read the sermon text together as a family prior to corporate worship. Do that, pray it, soak in it, discuss it as friends, as spouses, as parents. Some questions to help:
2. In 34:1-4, what does Elihu say we need to have in order to judge the case between Job and God rightly?
3. In 34:5-9, 35:2-3, how would you describe Elihu's restatement of the case Job's made for himself? Is Job right? Or do you discern some error in it? Is this what Job has argued? Why would Elihu recount the words of Job (think court room setting)? Does Job ever correct Elihu's understanding?
4. In 34:10-30, Elihu counters with his case for God. What does he say? How is his principle of remuneration (you reap what you sow) different that the friends application of it? Or is it different?
5. In 35:5-16 and 34:31-37, Elihu hands down his conclusions for Job. What are they? If should needs to repent, of what should he repent? Does Job repent? What might that tell us about Elihu's defense for God? Are we equipped to keep our grief in line with God's glory?