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Call to worship: Deuteronomy 8:1-16

Text: Job 36-37

Sermon Outline:

Elihu's 3 pieces of posture-correcting, cloud-clearing advice for Job:

1. Job, God knows best how to get His best out of His people, 36:1-16
2. So, Job, take heart, and choose this affliction instead of sin, 36:17-23
3. To that end, Job, be still and know the Sovereign of the storm, 36:24-37:24

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 Job 36:1-4, how does Elihu describe his wisdom? What's its origin? What might this imply about Elihu? See the connection between 36:4b and 37:16b. How do these merge together without Elihu being blasphemously arrogant?
3. In Job 36:5-16, Elihu teaches that God delivers the afflicted by their affliction. We might say, in some sense, he saves us by or through the various sufferings He gives. How so? Think on the Call to Worship text, Deuteronomy 8:1-16. Think ahead to texts like Acts 14:22 or Phil 3:10-11, etc.
4. In Job 36:17-23, Elihu tries to encourage Job. He seems to be putting his finger on the cross of Job. But his counsel is not to cave, not to sin, but to hold fast, hope in God, and submit to God's means of sharpening. Is that how we respond to our trials? Do we bow down, or do we bow up?
5. In Job 36:24-37:24, Elihu tries to help Job in this posture by reminding him of what? How might it be helpful for Job to know that God is the ever-present Sovereign of the storm? See that upon these words, it appears the clouds will part, and God will take up the case. Are we friends like Elihu? Are we brothers and sisters who, as siblings in Christ, lead one another, in peace time and 'war time,' to God in awesome majesty? Are we spiritual posture-correctors? How is our posture in an anticipation of the crosses God's stored up for our good in the end?