Jaffa, biblical Joppa, sits atop a hill jutting out into the sapphire Mediterranean, Israel’s ancient seaport and historic gateway to the world. Restored today, Old Jaffa’s cobblestone alleys wind past buildings older than America. Filled with art galleries and restaurants, the sights and smells are worth experiencing, but you probably couldn’t afford to live there. […]
“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? […]
Read More… from November 13, 2025 — The Assumption Of Self-Righteousness
Is being half-right better than all wrong? Not if it makes you presume you know more than you do. Erasmus in c. 1500 first recorded the proverb, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” H.G. Wells wrote a short story, C.S. Lewis a poem, and Michael Flynn a novel, all sharing […]
It is an unsettling mistake God’s people often make, that if I can’t see the Lord, then He doesn’t see me. If there is one outstanding characteristic of Elihu’s presentation, it’s his methodical approach. He knows, as A.W. Tozer famously stated, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important […]
“To love all men is the greatest virtue; to be impartial in love is the greatest wisdom.” —Mencius God’s stand against partiality is clear and uncompromising. “God shows no partiality” (Rom 2:11, RSV). Partiality is prejudice or favoritism. In Israel, where judgment was in the hands of the town elders—often related to the parties involved in a […]
When a movement is led by a Carpenter, His key men being fishermen, the measure of greatness how far down you go, and the rallying standard a cross, you know this isn’t your usual revolution. […]
“Let me ne’er forget…though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.” —M.D. Babcock It’s time for Elihu to quote Job: “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, but God has taken away my justice; should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression’” (Job 34:5-6). The young […]
Read More… from November 7, 2025 — Who’s In Charge Around Here?
A non-confidence vote in God will dissolve His government, and “all flesh would perish together” (Job 34:15). Let’s see if we can follow Elihu’s arguments so far. First, he says that wisdom is not only acquired by long life—at least, with some folks—but it can also be received as a gift from God’s Spirit (Job 32:1-9). Therefore, […]
Read More… from November 6, 2025 — Elihu Lays The Foundation
Between “the law of sin and death” and “the law of the spirit of life” is the Spirit’s call to abide in Christ. You may have noticed that Elihu is the only one who respectfully addresses Job, calling him by his name. He’s also the only one who actually quotes Job’s words (see Job 33:8-11), showing he was paying […]