Page 132 - Reading Job to Know God

Here is what he is saying. Job says, “What good is to be gained?” Elihu
says, on the level of earth there is a lot of good to be gained, but not with
God because God is above all of this. Look at Chapter 35, verse 8

“Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, and your righteousness
is for a son of man.”
In other words, if I was mean to my neighbor, do you think he would be
mean to me? Sure he would. If I was good to my neighbor, do you think
he would be good to me? Is there anything gained by being good? On the
level of earth there is. There is a lot to be gained. You do unto your
neighbor as you would have them to do unto you. Otherwise, they are
going to be vindictive, and they are going to hold a grudge, and there is
going to be animosity. He says there is blessing to be gained down here –
men with men in society. But God is above all that. God does not bless
you because you are good. He does not curse you because you are bad.
Not in this life. And so, again, he turns his eyes to God.

God does speak. It is incompatible with God’s nature to be unjust. God
transcends all of this. On the level of earth it does pay to be righteous
because it is going to save you a lot of headaches and a lot of heartaches
with your neighbors. And this is his conclusion. He gives a tremendous
picture of God. In chapter 36, he presents Him as the God of providence,
the God of nature, the God who controls everything and is doing
everything. And then he ends chapter 36 with this picture of a storm. I
love this!
“For He draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist,
(That is evaporation) Which the clouds pour down, they drip upon
man abundantly. (That is rain) Can anyone understand the
spreading of the clouds, the thundering of His pavilion? Behold, He
spreads His lightning about Him, And He covers the depths of the
sea.”
(Now you’re in a thunderstorm)

“He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike
the mark. Its noise declares His presence.”

Here is what he does. He takes the storm of nature and he says, “God is in
charge”. The evaporation goes up and it forms a cloud and a cloud begins
to rain, and thunder begins to come, and lightning strikes. But where
does it strike? Arbitrarily? Hit this tree? Hit this barn? Hit that man?
No! He commands it, and it strikes its mark. He says lightning never
strikes anything unless it is directed by God. God always hits His target.
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