Once, Twice; Twice, Thrice:Love’s Unrelenting Pursuit (Job 33:14-33)

Corrie Ten Boom lived in Holland during WWII but was imprisoned by the Nazi’s in the concentration camp known as Ravensbruck for her family’s involvement in concealing Jews in their home. Members of her family died as a result of what the Germans had done. But the love of God pursued them into the pit of hell. Corrie’s sister Betsie died in the concentration camp on December 16, 1944. Among her last words to her sister were these, “We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.”

In essence she was saying that God is working in places we do not think He is, in ways we do not think He is and in times we do not think He is.

Peering back into years and decades gone by we do see God’s tapestry and handiwork in the smallest of circumstances. But from the perspective of the present it’s sometimes hard to see how our circumstances could possibly fit into God’s plan.

But they do.

In this section of Job, Elihu essentially says to the one so tormented and afflicted, “You may not realize it Job, but God IS speaking and working! And in more ways than you can comprehend.”

33:13 “Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings?”

“God, WHY is this happening to me?” is a cry often found on the lips of his saints. And most of the time the answer seems to be, “Trust me.” “Our part is not to strive with God,” writes JFB in their commentary, “but to submit. To believe it is right because He does it, not because we see all the reasons for His doing it.”

According to Keil and Delitzsch it is remarkable that, without the use of any synonyms, the writer uses the word “pit” five times in this portion of chapter 33. It is the Hebrew word “shachath.” Note these phrases:

“He keeps back his soul from the pit” (vs. 18)
"Then his soul draws near to the pit” (vs. 22)
“Deliver him from going down to the pit” (vs. 24)
"He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit” (28)
“To bring back his soul from the pit” (vs. 30)

The pit (or death) is seen as a region without any ray of light (see Job 3:5 10:21, 22).

The sinful nature of man drives him ever-onward toward the pit, the underworld, the unseen places of everlasting darkness and torment. Were it not for the unrelenting pursuit of the hand of God in our lives we would hurl ourselves headlong into this awful place.

These are some of the verbs used to describe the actions of Unseen Love:
“He opens…” (vs. 16)
“He seals…” (vs. 17)
“He turns man aside…” (vs. 17)
“He keeps him from…” (vs. 17)
“He keeps back…” (vs. 18)
“He chastens…” (vs. 19)
“He reminds…” (vs. 23)
“He delivers…” (vs. 24)
“He accepts…” (vs. 26)
“He restores…” (vs. 27)
“He redeems…” (vs. 28)
“He does…” (vs. 29)
“He brings back…” (vs. 30)

God is an active God who relentlessly pursues the heart of mankind. Adverse circumstances may simply be the Hand of love reaching out to get our attention.

33:14 “Indeed God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices (perceives) it.”


God is speaking…and no one notices it. What a tragic statement.

“God,” says Elihu “IS working in your life Job! You just don’t notice or perceive it.” The root word for perceive (shuwr) is used 23 times in the Old Testament – 16 times in Job alone. But notice this: 11 times that the word is used in Job, it is found in the speeches of Elihu! The word contains the idea of “going round for inspection” or gazing.

Do you get the idea that God is trying to say something to Job?

And maybe to us?

Elihu’s first speech/sermon could be boiled down to a couple of bullet points:

First (in verses 15-18), God speaks by dreams (and sometimes those dreams are terrifying – remember Pilate’s wife? [Matthew 27:19])

Secondly (in verses 19-22) God speaks through pain (with Job it was a never resting fever that racked his ghostly frame).

Here are the verses for the first point:
33:15 “In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, 16 then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, 17 that He may turn man aside from his conduct, and keep man from pride; 18 He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol.”

Note verse 17 from the version called The Message, “To turn them back from something bad they’re planning, from some reckless choice…”

God is the Divine Keeper Backer! He is constantly working and striving to rescue souls from some reckless course.

Here are the verses for the second point:
33:19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, and with unceasing complaint in his bones; 20 so that his life loathes bread, and his soul favorite food. 21 his flesh wastes away from sight and his bones which were not seen stick out. 22 then his soul draws near to the pit and his life to those who bring death.”

Note verse 21 – it’s literally, “The normally seen flesh and skin can’t be seen and the normally unseen bones are prominently sticking out!”

I want to emphasize strongly that I am a firm believer in divine healing and the fact that God is active in the world today performing miracle after miracle through his servants to touch those afflicted with disease and disabilities. And ultimately, Job is a book about divine healing! (It just takes a while to get to that part [chapter 42, but note also vs. 25 in this chapter]). But I also believe that God sometimes trains and corrects and shapes and molds us through pain and suffering.

Portions of the following are hard verses to interpret and there is a wide variety of opinion on what exactly they mean.

33:23 "If there is an angel as mediator for him, one out of a thousand, to remind a man what is right for him, 24 then let him be gracious to him, and say, ’Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom’; 25 let his flesh become fresher than in youth, let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’; 26 then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, that he may see His face with joy, and He may restore His righteousness to man. 27 he will sing to men and say, ’I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it is not proper for me. 28 He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light.’”

The angel of verse 23 is the opposite of the death angel (those who bring death) mentioned in verse 22.

I wonder how many times our lives have been directed by the ministry of these unseen heavenly beings?

We have dwelt so much on the negative, but notice these positive results of God’s dealings: physical healing (vs. 25), spiritual healing (vs. 26), emotional healing (vs. 27) and destiny healing (vs. 28).

33:29 “Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, 30 to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. 31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; keep silent, and let me speak. 32 Then if you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. 33 If not, listen to me; keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

This portion of chapter 33 begins with “God speaks once, twice.” And it ends with, “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man…” (vs. 29 ESV).

Once, Twice; Twice, Thrice... The language points to the idea of an ongoing persistence. It simply means that God works over and over and over and over again. He is unrelenting in his love.

Perhaps you are weary of God’s dealings with you. We may view ourselves as compliant and obedient to the voice of the Heavenly Father. But the person that we perceive to be the most gentle and yielding may in fact be the most stubborn in the sight of God! He sees things differently.

Perhaps you are even complaining about the way that “life is treating you.” Are you seeing the hand of man as simply that – the hand of man? Or do you believe that Divine Love is relentlessly guiding your circumstances and is weaving all things together for your ultimate good?

An appointment with God lay directly ahead for Job.

And it may be right around the corner for you.

Keep on plodding and don’t give up!