Those Who Leap At His Word

Are you the kind of person who longs to hear from God's Word? Or are you the kind of person who kind of appreciates it? I would suggest that to the extent you long for His Word you experience His presence. Conversely, the less you long for it, the less you experience Him. God is looking for people who want to hear what He has said. This is the great testament of Scripture itself. And when we get to the climax of Elihu's speech to Job, we find a man in Elihu who LOVES and LONGS for the WORD of GOD. 

Job 37:1–4 (ESV) “At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. 2 Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. 3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. 4 After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.

What does your heart leap for? Elihu's heart lept for God's voice. And he called Job to listen. I've said before that Elihu is a John the Baptist kind of figure for Job's predicament. For right after this chapter, the Lord Himself shows up and shuts the mouths of all. It must have thrilled Elihu to see it happen. 

Notice again that Elihu continues to challenge Job to hear from God. And the problem is not that God is not speaking. Elihu references general revelation here - the heavens declare His glory! The problem is not whether God is speaking, the problem is we are often too busy complaining to hear it. 

Job 37:5 (ESV) God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

Elihu understands that God's Word is not hidden. And this is true. The Bible (God's Special Revelation) is the most widely available book in history, the most translated and disseminated literature ever and it is not even close. You must realize God not only speaks but makes sure to give you ample opportunity to hear. 

We modern Christians love to critique God's justice by our perspective on those who haven't heard the Word. But God makes it clear that all men are without excuse (Romans 1), that all creation glorifies Him (Psalm 19), and that we must take what we have heard to those who have yet to hear! Instead of complaining about those who don't know fully, we should fully invest ourselves in getting the message out. 

Elihu then begins to prepare the humbling experience of God's Word for Job, asking him questions similar to the Lord's in the next chapter. 

Job 37:14–17 (ESV) “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. 15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? 16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, 17 you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind?

Here's another reason why people think they don't hear God's voice. They think they are too smart for it. There are those who question it, despise it, and critique it while forgetting the benefits God's Word afforded them in life, opportunity and blessing. Pastors who make a living preaching it sometimes are led to later question it on the heels of their success from it! What a travesty.

As Elihu beautifully concludes:

Job 37:23–24 (ESV) The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. 24 Therefore men fear him; He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”

Humility and the Fear of the Lord are the pathways to unassailable wisdom from God. Job is prepared to experience these, are we?

I want my heart to leap for His Word for my entire life. 

Father, make it so.