Job 33:13

Job 33:13 (KJV)
Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

Context

This verse is part of Elihu's discourse to Job and his friends. Elihu, a younger man, speaks after the three friends have failed to convince Job and have run out of arguments. Elihu aims to show Job that God is just and communicates with people, even through suffering, but that Job's error lies in questioning God's righteousness and demanding an explanation for his affliction. Here, Elihu directly challenges Job's complaints and arguments against God, highlighting the vast difference in status and understanding between humanity and the Almighty.

Key Themes

• God's Sovereignty and Authority: The verse underscores God's absolute power and right to act without being accountable to humans.
• Human Limitation: It points to the inability of humans to fully comprehend God's actions or demand explanations from Him.
• Humility Before God: Implicitly, the verse calls for humility and submission to God's will, rather than striving or contending with Him.
• The Inscrutability of God's Ways: It highlights that God's purposes and methods are often beyond human understanding.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "strive against him" comes from the Hebrew word riv (רִיב), which means to contend, dispute, argue, or litigate. It captures the essence of Job's intense complaints and challenges against God's justice. The phrase "giveth not account" translates the Hebrew 'anah (עָנָה), meaning to answer or respond. In this context, it signifies that God is not obligated to respond to or justify His actions before humanity; He is sovereign and not subject to human questioning in the way one person might be to another.

Related Scriptures

The concept that God is not required to explain Himself to humanity resonates throughout scripture. The prophet Isaiah speaks similarly about the difference between divine and human understanding, stating, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). Paul also touches on God's unquestionable authority in Romans 9:20, asking, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" This highlights the theological point that the Creator is not answerable to the creation.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a powerful reminder for believers today. When faced with difficult circumstances, unanswered questions, or suffering that seems inexplicable, it is natural to feel confused or even frustrated. However, Elihu's words caution against adopting a posture of demanding answers or striving against God. Instead, the verse encourages humility, trust in God's perfect wisdom and justice even when we don't understand His plan, and resting in the knowledge that His ways are ultimately for our good and His glory, even if they are hidden from us for a time. It calls us to worship God for who He is, rather than only for what we can comprehend about His actions.