LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE (2)

“Hear my WORDS, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have KNOWLEDGE” – Job 34:2

The different manifestations of the LIGHT of KNOWLEDGE come through the channels of WORDS: “Hear my WORDS, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have KNOWLEDGE” (Job 34:2). In this text, Elihu’s words portray the power but imperfection of human knowledge. He invited certain wise men to listen to his speech, while directing Job to humble himself before God for his sins and to accept his punishment (vv.1-4). Elihu was sincere in his conviction that Job was receiving the due recompense for sin, but he was sincerely wrong. Some Bible commentators have even suggested that in the guise of speaking for God, Elihu was actually being used by Satan to cause Job to give up his faith. Here, Elihu mocked Job and tried to publicly shame him into repentance, to the extent of twisting his own words to condemn him.

For example, Job had earlier complained to Zophar that his condemnations without evidence came across as rotten food to his ears: “Does not the ear test words and the mouth taste its food?” (Job 12:11). Elihu parroted Job’s words: “For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food” (v.3). He was in effect mocking Job by throwing his words back at him. In verse 5, he misquoted Job as claiming to be sinless! Job had never claimed to be without sin. Rather, he had stated that he was blameless (Job 9:21). God had affirmed this to be true (Job 1:8; 2:3). Elihu accused Job of blasphemy, enjoying evil, keeping wicked company, and discouraging others from walking with God (vv.7-9). While stating few partial truths about God being just, Elihu falsely accused Job of reaping what he had sown (vv.10-12). Words convey Knowledge!

Elihu’s sincere, but imperfect and destructive display of knowledge underlines the importance of knowledge and whose words generate it. Broadly, there is worldly knowledge and Biblical or Divine Knowledge. Originally, based on its first appearance in the Bible, “knowledge” was to be freely and fully available for humankind: “the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil” (Gen.2:9). Satan however deceived the first couple to pursue false, counterfeit knowledge in order to become wise (Gen.3:5-6). Tragically, they fell into the pit of sin, fear, nakedness, shame, pain, and separation from God’s Presence (Gen.3:7-11, 16-19, 23-24). Divine Knowledge is now direly needed to help fix humanity’s negative situation and broken people and secure us from life’s adversities.

Knowledge is not neutral. Not all knowledge is good. Yet, the world encourages knowledge of all things. Intellectual, scientific or sense-knowledge is useful, but limited, enabling human problems to be solved in certain contexts. Satanic, demonic, or occult knowledge is evil, dark, vain, and destructive, and should never be desired, however appealing. Biblical, Divine, or Revelation Knowledge comes from God and His Words, and is what we need above all else!