“One of the greatest rewards for serving God is the permission to do still more for Him.” —C.H. Spurgeon
Elihu has been exposing Job’s wrong thinking about God. Now, in Job 35:1-8, he deals with Job’s wrong thinking about himself. Beautiful attributes are twisted into grotesque shapes when “self ” is added. Love? Self-love! Justification? Self-justification! Ah, and self-righteousness! “Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?” (v 2). Job hasn’t said that exactly! But isn’t it his inference? When God and I disagree, we both can’t be right. And when Job “multiplies his words against God” (34:37), he thinks he’s right. Thus Elihu’s conclusion. Now of course they’re all flying in the dark. God has yet to enlighten them. But in the meantime, Elihu has a point. If both righteous and wicked men share the same tragedies, is there no advantage to righteousness? More specifically, “What advantage will it be to You,” Lord (35:3)? Do believers think they’re so pivotal that the Lord fails or succeeds when they do? “Look to the heavens and see; and behold the clouds—they are higher than you. If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?…If you are righteous, what do you give Him?” (vv 5-7). I think I just felt self-righteousness twang like my sciatic nerve! Wait a minute! Isn’t the God way up there blessed to have me serve Him way down here? Jesus says, “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Lk 17:10). Loved? More than we’ll ever know. A huge asset? Hmmm. Should we serve Him forever—and we will—we could never begin to compensate Him for the astronomical cost He paid. Of course, our service isn’t for payback. It’s for pleasure, delighting to do it for the One who has done so much for us.