Job 35: Group Study Handout

Overview

In Job chapter 35, Elihu continues his discourse, addressing Job's earlier questions about the value of righteousness and the tendency for wrongdoing to seemingly go unnoticed by God. Elihu challenges Job's perspective by asking why Job believes that his righteousness entitles him to special treatment from God or that his sin affects God in any way. Elihu emphasizes that human actions primarily affect other humans and not God Himself.

Key verse

“If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?”

Job 35:6 (WEB)

Outline

1. Job 35:1–2 Elihu's Initial Challenge
2. Job 35:3–8 Questioning Righteousness' Value
3. Job 35:9–11 Crying for Help
4. Job 35:12–14 God's Response to Pride
5. Job 35:15–16 Job's Empty Words

Discussion questions

1. In v2, what does Elihu imply Job believes about his own righteousness?
2. What does Elihu ask in v10 about where God is during times of oppression?
3. Elihu's statement in v13 about empty cries: what does this imply about the nature of God's attention?
4. In v15, why might Elihu suggest that Job's view of God's silence is flawed?
5. When have you felt that your cries for help went unheard, as in v12?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Job 35: Job 34, Job 9, Job 32.

Before next time: read Job 36.