Job 36:10

Job 36:10, spoken by Elihu, presents a profound insight into God's active involvement in human lives, particularly His methods of bringing people to repentance and correction. This verse highlights divine mercy and instruction, revealing God's patience and His ultimate desire for humanity to turn from sin.

Context

This verse is part of Elihu's discourse in the Book of Job. Unlike Job's three friends, who largely attributed Job's suffering directly to his sin, Elihu offers a more nuanced perspective. He argues that God uses suffering and discipline not solely as punishment for sin, but often as a means of instruction, purification, and drawing individuals closer to Him. Elihu contends that God, being just and powerful, communicates with humanity, sometimes through adversity, to reveal their hidden faults and guide them toward righteousness. His speeches aim to vindicate God's character and actions, showing that God's ways are beyond human comprehension but always righteous.

Key Themes

• God's Corrective Discipline: The phrase "He openeth also their ear to discipline" signifies God's active role in teaching and correcting humanity. Elihu emphasizes God's role in using challenging circumstances as a form of discipline that ultimately yields the fruit of righteousness. This discipline is not merely punitive but remedial, designed to bring about spiritual growth and understanding.
• Divine Call to Repentance: "And commandeth that they return from iniquity" underscores God's direct and authoritative call for people to turn away from their sinful ways. This verse clearly articulates God's profound desire for all people to come to repentance, not wishing that any should perish. It's a command rooted in His love and desire for humanity's well-being.
• God's Initiative in Revelation: The idea that God "openeth their ear" suggests a divine initiation in making individuals receptive to His truth and instruction. Humans, left to themselves, might remain deaf to God's warnings or teachings. God takes the initiative to break through their spiritual deafness, much like the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to heed Paul's message.

Linguistic Insights

• The Hebrew word for "discipline" is musar (מוּסָר), which encompasses instruction, correction, chastisement, and moral training. It speaks to a process of education and guidance designed to shape character.
• "Iniquity" is translated from the Hebrew 'awon (עָוֹן), meaning perversity, guilt, or moral evil. It denotes a deviation from what is right, often implying a deliberate turning away from God's standards.

Practical Application

Job 36:10 serves as a powerful reminder of God's continuous work in our lives. It encourages believers to:

• Be Receptive to Correction: Recognize that difficult circumstances or direct biblical teachings can be God's way of opening our "ear to discipline." Instead of resisting, we should prayerfully consider what God might be teaching us.
• Respond to the Call to Repentance: Acknowledge that God's command to "return from iniquity" is an ongoing invitation. True repentance involves not just regret for sin, but a conscious turning away from it towards God's ways.
• Trust God's Goodness in Discipline: Understand that God's discipline is ultimately for our good, leading us to a deeper relationship with Him and a more righteous life.