Job 37:19
Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot draw up our case when our faces are in darkness.
Teach us what we should say to Him;
This phrase reflects a humble acknowledgment of human limitations in understanding and communicating with God. In the context of the Book of Job, Elihu is speaking, emphasizing the need for divine wisdom to approach God appropriately. This echoes the biblical theme of seeking God's guidance, as seen in James 1:5, where believers are encouraged to ask God for wisdom. The phrase also highlights the importance of reverence and humility before God, reminiscent of Moses' encounter with God in Exodus 3, where he is instructed on how to speak and act in God's presence.

we cannot draw up our case
Here, the inability to present a case before God underscores human inadequacy in the face of divine justice and wisdom. This reflects the broader theme in Job of the struggle to understand suffering and righteousness. The phrase suggests that human reasoning and arguments are insufficient when compared to God's omniscience. This is paralleled in Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are described as higher than human thoughts and ways. The legal imagery used here is consistent with the ancient Near Eastern context, where legal disputes were common, and it emphasizes the futility of contending with God using human logic.

because of our darkness.
The term "darkness" symbolizes ignorance and the limitations of human understanding. In the context of Job, it refers to the lack of insight into God's purposes and the mysteries of divine providence. This aligns with the biblical theme of light versus darkness, where light represents truth and revelation, as seen in John 1:5, where the light shines in the darkness. The acknowledgment of darkness also points to the need for divine revelation, which is fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ, who is described as the light of the world in John 8:12. This phrase calls believers to recognize their dependence on God for true understanding and guidance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning God's justice.

2. Elihu
A younger friend of Job who speaks in chapters 32-37. He offers a different perspective on Job's suffering, emphasizing God's greatness and the limitations of human understanding.

3. God
The Almighty Creator, whose wisdom and power are beyond human comprehension. Elihu is preparing Job and his friends for God's response.

4. Darkness
Symbolic of human ignorance and limited understanding, especially in the context of divine matters.

5. The Heavens
Often referenced in Job as a testament to God's majesty and power, serving as a backdrop to Elihu's speeches.
Teaching Points
Human Limitation and Divine Wisdom
Recognize our limitations in understanding God's ways. Like Job, we often face situations where our knowledge is insufficient, and we must rely on God's wisdom.

The Role of Humility in Seeking God
Approach God with humility, acknowledging our "darkness" or lack of understanding. This humility is crucial in our relationship with God and in seeking His guidance.

The Importance of Seeking God's Guidance
In times of confusion or suffering, turn to God for wisdom and understanding. Elihu's call to "teach us what we should say" emphasizes the need for divine instruction.

Trusting in God's Sovereignty
Trust in God's sovereign plan, even when we cannot comprehend it. Elihu's speech prepares Job to hear from God, reminding us to trust in God's ultimate wisdom and justice.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Elihu's perspective on human understanding challenge or affirm your view of God's wisdom?

2. In what ways can acknowledging our "darkness" or limitations lead to a deeper relationship with God?

3. How can we practically seek God's wisdom in our daily lives, especially when facing difficult situations?

4. What other biblical characters or accounts illustrate the theme of human limitation and divine wisdom?

5. How does the concept of God's sovereignty provide comfort in times of personal suffering or confusion?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 55:8-9
This passage highlights the vast difference between God's thoughts and ways compared to human understanding, similar to Elihu's point about human darkness.

1 Corinthians 13:12
Paul speaks about seeing "through a glass, darkly," which parallels the theme of human limitation in understanding divine matters.

James 1:5
Encourages believers to seek wisdom from God, acknowledging our need for divine guidance, much like Elihu's call to seek understanding from God.
The Prayer for PrayerW.F. Adeney Job 37:19
Man and GodHomilistJob 37:19-24
People
Job
Places
Uz
Topics
Arrange, Array, Can't, Case, Cause, Clear, Dark, Darkness, Draw, Order, Reason, Speech, Teach, Unable
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 37:19

     5562   suffering, innocent

Library
Whether the Heavens Should have Been Opened unto Christ at his Baptism?
Objection 1: It would seem that the heavens should not have been opened unto Christ at His baptism. For the heavens should be opened unto one who needs to enter heaven, by reason of his being out of heaven. But Christ was always in heaven, according to Jn. 3:13: "The Son of Man who is in heaven." Therefore it seems that the heavens should not have been opened unto Him. Objection 2: Further, the opening of the heavens is understood either in a corporal or in a spiritual sense. But it cannot be understood
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether by Reason of this Subtlety a Glorified Body is Able to be in the Same Place with Another Body not Glorified?
Objection 1: It would seem that by reason of this subtlety a body is able to be in the same place with another body not glorified. For according to Phil. 3:21, "He will reform the body of our lowness made like to the body of His glory." Now the body of Christ was able to be in the same place with another body, as appears from the fact that after His Resurrection He went in to His disciples, the doors being shut (Jn. 20:19, 26). Therefore also the glorified bodies by reason of their subtlety will
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether those to whom Christ's Birth was Made Known were Suitably Chosen?
Objection 1: It would seem that those to whom Christ's birth was made known were not suitably chosen. For our Lord (Mat. 10:5) commanded His disciples, "Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles," so that He might be made known to the Jews before the Gentiles. Therefore it seems that much less should Christ's birth have been at once revealed to the Gentiles who "came from the east," as stated Mat. 2:1. Objection 2: Further, the revelation of Divine truth should be made especially to the friends of God,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &c. [1273] Seeing the chief end of all religion is to redeem men from the spirit and vain conversation of this world and to lead into inward communion with God, before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof, both in word and deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear; such as taking off the hat to a man, the bowings and cringings of the body, and such other salutations of that
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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