In considering these four verses in Job 36, I wish to bid farewell to Elihu by considering what he has to say about the office of a preacher. It is good for every Christian to have a right view of all those offices that God has instituted. Great harm has been done through wrong views and notions. There are those who  slavishly follow the holders of certain offices regardless of what they are told to do. Then there are those who despise all such offices and those who occupy them and hold in contempt all that such office-bearers say and do. Do not both these errors stem from a wrong view of the structures of the Kingdom of God that the Wise Master Builder has framed?

There are two basic offices within the true Church of Christ. They are those of Elder or Bishop and that of a Deacon. The title Elder and Bishop refer to the same office. A consideration of Acts 20:17, 28 will show Paul using the term elder and overseer or bishop (episkopos) interchangeably. Ministers is but elders who labour in the word and doctrine, I Timothy 5:17. There is not a true New Testament church where there is a not a functioning structure of this nature.

Elihu provides us with a clear picture of the preacher of God’s word as he pleads with Job to listen yet a little more to what he has to say. Perhaps you will give more earnest heed to what we have to say as a result of a consideration of out text.

I. THE POSITION THE PREACHER MUST FILL

He speaks on God’s behalf. Jer 1:9, 5:14, 36:4.

1. How conscious the preacher must be of this. He must guard his lips and life since it will reflect upon the Lord if error is uttered.
2. Let those who hear take note of this. The true preacher voices not his own opinions in the sense that he is the originator of the views he sets forth. They should be his because they are the Lord’s. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them, I Samuel 8:7.
3. In the controversy God has with sinners he is on God’s side. He defends God’s ways and vindicates God’s character. He must not be ashamed of the Lord or His words. In this day, many are. Often the man who is not ashamed of the Lord is a shame to others, II Tim 1:8. Oh! for holy boldness. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name, Acts 5:41. Mark 8:38.

II. THE KNOWLEDGE THE PREACHER SEEKS TO IMPART

I will fetch my knowledge from afar. The preacher deals with knowledge that has come from far away.

1. It comes from far above the notions of men. I Cor 2:1-16. Jesus was not known of men, John 1:5, 10. This knowledge is higher than even the angels, I Pet 1:10-12.
2. Coming from afar it has cost much to fetch it. Any commodity that has been brought from a distance costs that much more. How precious is the word of God. It has come from the very throne of God. An army of couriers, headed by the Lord Jesus Himself have brought it to us. Every step they have taken is marked by blood, none more precious than the Saviour’s.
3. Coming from afar sets it apart from this world. It is an alien word. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing, Hosea 8:12. The Lord Jesus was not of this world. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world, John 8:23. Those who receive His word become alien to this world. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. . . . . They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world, John 17:14, 16, I John 2:15-16, James 4:4.

III. THE OBJECTIVE THE PREACHER MUST MAINTAIN

I . . will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. The preacher must defend the integrity and righteousness of God. Nothing is more readily confessed but more commonly denied.

1. The throne of God is founded upon righteousness and justice. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne, Psalms 97:2. God’s essential nature is one of righteousness, therefore He can only act in justice.
2. The throne of God is surrounded by clouds. It is obscured from the eye of man. Often the the ways of God are obscured to us. Job 23:8-10. Be assured that the Judge of all the earth shall only do right. We may not know His ways but He knows the way we take. Paul says, How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33. Those who believe that God is as He reveals Himself have no difficulty with His dealings with men no matter how obscure they may be.
3. The day of judgment is essentially a day when God vindicates His name. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him, Jude 15.

IV. THE FAITHFULNESS THE PREACHER MUST SHOW

For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

1. Speaking the truth is an imperative for the preacher. He must not use falsehood. He must not flatter. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God, I Corinthians 2:1. The word of God is the perfection of knowledge.
2. He must speak it in love. With a tenderness and compassion. But speaking the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15.
3. He must speak the truth irrespective of the consequences. How often Paul said, I lie not. Rom 9:1, II Cor 11:31, Gal 1:20, I Tim 2:7. The truth is offensive to sinful man. But it must be preached. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious, Ezekiel 2:7.

This then is the ministry that I must seek to pursue and in which every faithful believer will assist me.