October 18, 2026

JOB: THE CASE FOR GOD

October 18, 2026

Matt Willmington

How many times over the past several weeks have you compared yourself to Job, wondering if God has, for some reason, paraded you before Satan (Job 2:1-10)? It would not be surprising! We’ve probably all thought of Job when calamity strikes. Today, Job’s three friends have finished thrashing out reasons for his suffering, while he continues to maintain his innocence. A new voice, Elihu, offers an objective view from someone who has listened to the various diatribes. His perspective on God is fairly accurate and refreshing after some of the other comments. Join us as we see some amazing comments on God’s attributes.

Focal Passages: Job 32-37. 

God SPEAKS (Ch. 33):

  • Read Job 32:1, 4-20. In 32:1, why does God say the three friends stopped answering Job? Now, as Elihu joins the conversation, what emotional phrases does he give to justify speaking now? Do you ever feel this way when you want to speak?
  • Read 33:1, 4-5. Why does Elihu say he feels he must speak? Read verses 9-11. Elihu reminds Job what he (Job) has said.
  • Have you ever wondered if God might consider you an enemy? What do you do when a thought like that comes to your mind?
  • God DOES speak repeatedly: Read verses 13-19. How does Elihu oppose Job’s belief that God was silent? In vv. 14-15, what does Elihu say? Could he mean God may have spoken in a way that Job missed?
  • God REBUKES: In verse 19, what is another way God might use to get someone’s attention? Is sickness or adverse health normally a season? Why would God use one’s health to get their attention?
  • God RESCUES (to spare one from the Pit): Read Psalm 119:67, 71 and Job 33:29-30. How does sickness or health sometimes snatch a person from hell (the Pit)? Is it reasonable for God to use this method to get someone’s attention, to save them?

God’s SILENCE:

  • God watches the steps of individuals and nations: Read Job 34:5. Does Job still see himself as innocent? Read vv. 10-15. How does Elihu illustrate God’s sovereignty over life? Are his statements accurate?
  • Read 34:21-24. In verse 21, does this refer to all men everywhere? Read Psalm 139:7-12. Why do people think they can run from God? Does He know everything (thoughts, words, intentions, actions, etc.)? Read 2 Chron. 16:10a. Does He know us intimately?
  • God can be silent or hidden if He wants (Isaiah 45:15): Read verse 29. Does God have to do things our way? Read Romans 11:34. Does He have to tell us when He’s working?

Can we say He isn’t doing things the right way if He chooses not to tell us?

God’s SONG:

  • Read Job 35:9-12. What is Elihu encouraging Job to consider in verses 9 and 12?
  • Evil people cry in their night, but not to God: Why do some people refuse to believe in God, while others cry out to God for help? Why doesn’t God answer them? What about you? When you need God’s help and don’t get an immediate answer or a quick response, what is your usual reaction? Do you trust Him regardless?
  • Cry out in your night to God! Does He ever give you a song in your darkness? Read Psa. 77:6 and Isa. 30:29. Do you believe God is good even when you don’t have an answer?

God’s SALVATION:

  • Godless hearts reject God: Read Job 36:8-15. What if people decide to listen when God reveals sin (verse 11)? But in verses 12-15, what happens to the one who will not listen?
  • God rescues with affliction and teaches with torment: Read Job 33:19. Will God generally reveal sin that causes pain if the person asks?

God’s SOVEREIGNTY:

  • God shouts through storms: Read Job 37:1-13. What incredible attributes does Elihu say about God as He controls storms for whatever reason He has? Does the vehemence of his words make you see God in His majesty?
  • God is sovereign through storms: Is this how you see God? His glory is probably His most majestic attribute. It encompasses His magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur, reflecting His perfect nature. This glory is revealed through creation (Rom. 1:20), His providence, and redemptive acts, inspiring awe and reverence in humanity. Amen!

CLOSING ARGUMENTS: God is SPEAKING, but are you listening? God’s SILENCE is purposeful, but don’t mistake His silence for His absence. Remember, the teacher is usually silent during a test! God’s SONG will come in your night, so listen for it when you’re in a wakeful period. God SAVES through suffering and teaches through torment. Suffering may be His notice to come home. God is SOVEREIGN in His storms!

Close:

We’ve mentioned this before, but we must remind ourselves—especially those of us who were raised with multiple Bibles in our home—that Job didn’t have Scripture in a bound book he could read at will! Often, one of his statements reveals something that is common to us, yet unknown to him. For instance, he wishes he could reason with God. Yet in Isaiah 1:18, God says, “Come now, and let us reason together…” Job also, in 9:33, laments that no mediator stands between him and God, although we know from 1 Tim. 2:5, “For there is one mediator between God and men, the Man, Christ Jesus.” We are blessed to have God’s Word, able to read and study it whenever we wish, absorbing God’s Truths constantly in order to know Him better and obey Him more willingly. What a magnificent gift we have been given—yet how much more obligated we are to know it and spread its message throughout our lives. Appreciate your Bible, knowing what a special gift you hold in your hands.

By Sandy Day

October 18, 2026

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