Job 35:7

Context of Job 35:7

Job 35:7 is part of Elihu's third speech to Job, found in chapters 34-37. Elihu, a younger man, has patiently listened to Job and his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, before offering his own perspective. Unlike the other friends who primarily accuse Job of sin, Elihu aims to justify God's actions and wisdom, arguing that God is greater than human understanding and that His ways are always just, even if inscrutable. In this particular section (Job 35:1-8), Elihu confronts Job's assertion that his righteousness has gone unrewarded and that God does not acknowledge human piety or sin. Elihu’s point is that human actions, whether righteous or wicked, do not affect God's inherent nature, power, or glory. God is not dependent on humanity for anything.

Key Themes and Messages

• God's Absolute Self-Sufficiency: The primary message of this verse is God's complete independence from His creation. Elihu forcefully states that human righteousness does not add to God's glory or power, nor does human sin diminish Him. God is entirely self-existent and lacks nothing. This concept is often referred to as God's aseity.
• Human Insignificance (in relation to God's essence): While our actions are profoundly significant for ourselves and others, they do not impact God's intrinsic being. Our righteousness is for our own benefit and for glorifying God, not as a means to "give" Him something He needs or lacks.
• The Nature of Divine Justice: Elihu is trying to explain that God's justice operates on a plane far above human transactional thinking. God does not reward or punish based on a need to receive from humanity, but according to His righteous character and sovereign will. Elihu emphasizes that God's responses to human actions are not because He gains or loses something personally.

Linguistic Insights

The phrases "what givest thou him?" and "what receiveth he of thine hand?" emphasize a transactional relationship. The Hebrew verbs convey the idea of offering, presenting, or giving. Elihu uses this direct questioning to highlight the absurdity of thinking that a human being could provide something essential to the Almighty. It underlines the vast chasm between the finite creature and the infinite Creator.

Related Scriptures

This verse resonates with other biblical passages that speak to God's sovereignty and self-sufficiency. For instance, in the New Testament, Paul declares before the Areopagus that God "is not worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17:25). Similarly, the prophet Isaiah poses rhetorical questions that emphasize God's incomparable greatness, asking "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span...?" (Isaiah 40:12). This reinforces the idea that God is not dependent on human contributions.

Practical Application

Job 35:7 offers a profound lesson in humility and perspective.

1. Humility in Righteousness: It reminds us that our good deeds, while commanded and pleasing to God, do not add to His intrinsic glory or power. We are not doing God a favor by being righteous. Our righteousness is for our benefit, for the good of others, and ultimately to reflect God's glory to the world.
2. Motivation for Obedience: Our obedience should stem from love, gratitude, and a desire to honor God, not from a misguided belief that we are "giving" Him something He needs or that our actions somehow complete Him.
3. Trust in Divine Justice: Even when we cannot fully comprehend God's ways or His responses to human actions, this verse encourages trust in His absolute sovereignty and justice. God is not beholden to human expectations or limitations.
4. Understanding Grace: This verse subtly points towards the nature of grace. If God needs nothing from us, then any good thing He gives or any salvation He offers is purely out of His benevolent will, not because we earned it or provided Him with something valuable.