WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN COMMUNICATION

KEY VERSE: “Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters” (Job 33:13, KJV).

TEXT: Job 33:8-13 (KJV)

[8] Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, [9] I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. [10] Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy, [11] He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. [12] Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. [13] Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters.

I. THE UNIVERSAL TEMPTATION: DISMISSING THE SOURCE

In contemporary history, whether in African nations or globally, the phenomenon described in the initial illustration is common: an influential figure, often with a questionable or controversial past, addresses pressing national issues through public letters or pronouncements. These messages, which may contain profound truth and urgent relevance, inevitably trigger a torrent of reactions. Yet, a consistent, dampening critique emerges from the opposition: they attack the messenger to disqualify the message.

Critics quickly call into question the person’s integrity, pointing to a shady past, claiming the source is not morally or ethically qualified to speak about others’ failures or national corruption. The subtle, yet powerful, strategy is to suggest: “If the source is tainted, the content must be discarded.” This tendency—to judge the prophecy by the prophet rather than by the Divine source—is a deeply ingrained human flaw.

A. The Case of Elihu and Job

Our scriptural text is a perfect illustration of this dilemma. We are introduced to Elihu, a young man who enters the theological debate between Job and his three friends. Elihu is introduced with a degree of human pride, even arrogance, as he arrogates the role of God’s spokesman (Job 33:6). He places himself as a representative of God, stating he is “formed out of the clay,” like Job, yet presuming to speak for the Almighty.

Given this display of youth and potential hubris, we, as readers, may be tempted to dismiss his message for Job. We might conclude, “The messenger’s credentials disqualify his message.” But to do so would be a profound error.

While Elihu’s approach might be flawed, the core of what he delivers is universally incontrovertible and upheld by the Scriptures. His message centers on the absolute sovereignty and unquestionable righteousness of God.

B. Job’s Error: Striving Against God

Elihu confronts Job’s fundamental error, as outlined in verses 9-11: Job had asserted his own righteousness, claiming to be “clean without transgression” and accusing God of finding opportunities to count him as an enemy. Job had essentially placed himself in a position to be God’s judge, giving himself a pass mark and calling God’s justice into question.

Elihu’s response is the key verse: “Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters” (Job 33:13).

The core message is:

God is Greater than Man: “Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man” (Job 33:12). Man cannot resist or fault the Creator. God is infinite, and His perspective is absolute.

God’s Unaccountability: God does not owe man an explanation for His actions or decisions. His sovereignty is total; His actions are righteous simply because they are His actions.

It was wrong for Job to count the Lord as his enemy because of his deprivations and losses. Elihu’s message, despite the messenger’s potential flaws, was flawless because it was rooted in the eternal truth of God’s sovereignty.

II. THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE LORD IN COMMUNICATION

The point that must be embraced by the faithful is that since “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1), the Lord reserves the absolute right to use anyone, their perceived flaws notwithstanding, to deliver His flawless message.

God’s methods are not limited by human logic, social status, or moral perfection. His focus is on the fidelity of the message, not the flawless nature of the medium.

A. The Unconventional Messengers

The Scriptures are replete with examples of God choosing unlikely or even flawed vessels to carry His truth:

The Prophets: Many of the prophets God used—like Jonah, who ran away from his assignment, or Jeremiah, who constantly complained—were imperfect men. Yet, their message, dictated by God, was perfectly true.

The Heathen King: God employed a heathen king, Nebuchadnezzar, when the Lord wanted to judge Judah through Babylonian captivity. God not only used him but explicitly calls him “my servant” (Jeremiah 25:9). Nebuchadnezzar was a brutal, pagan ruler, yet he was the tool chosen by God to execute divine judgment upon His own people.

The Talking Animal: In the extreme example, God used a mere animal—an ass—to discipline the erring prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:28-30). The message the ass delivered (a rebuke and a warning) was consequential, saving Balaam’s life, despite the messenger being an utterly non-rational creature.

The Big Fish: He sent a big fish (or whale) to correct an erring prophet (Jonah 1:17). The purpose of the fish was not theological insight but physical correction, necessary to get Jonah back on the path of obedience.

These examples underscore a vital principle: God’s message does not derive its authority from the moral purity or intelligence of the messenger, but from the source of the message—God Himself.

B. Despise Not the Message (1 Thessalonians 5:20)

The warning for the believer is clear: We must watch against discarding consequential messages simply because of our biased views about their source. The human tendency is to filter divine truth through the lens of human personality. “I don’t like his style,” “Her background is shaky,” or “His voice is annoying.”

This selective listening is dangerous. It blinds us to the truth God sends to us, often through the very people or circumstances we find least palatable. The Apostle Paul advises, “Despise not prophesyings” (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Prophecy, or teaching, must be evaluated on its content, not its container.

III. THE PROCESS OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

If we cannot simply dismiss a message based on the messenger’s perceived flaws, how then should we approach and evaluate the information presented to us? We must engage in a disciplined process of spiritual discernment.

A. Examining the Content by Scripture

The primary standard of evaluation is the Word of God. We must examine and weigh their presentations in light of the Lord’s word.

Filter the Flaw, Not the Flawless: Our task is to separate the human flaw of the messenger from the divine truth of the message. If a heathen king like Nebuchadnezzar declares, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” (Daniel 3:28), that declaration of God’s power is true, regardless of Nebuchadnezzar’s idolatrous past.

The Berean Model: The believers in Berea were praised because, when they heard the Apostle Paul’s message, they “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). They did not immediately accept Paul, the former persecutor; they checked the message against the authoritative, infallible Scripture.

Any message, regardless of its source, that contradicts the settled Word of God must be rejected. Any message that aligns with Scripture, even if delivered by an unexpected vessel, must be honored and obeyed.

B. The Principle of Consequence

The thought for the day is a succinct warning: Despise not the message that has consequences.

A consequential message is one that:

1. Demands Change: It requires repentance, obedience, or a significant shift in behavior (like Jonah’s warning to Nineveh).

2. Reveals Judgment: It exposes hidden sin or warns of impending divine discipline (like Elihu’s warning to Job about his pride).

3. Offers Salvation: It points the listener to the cross and the finished work of Christ.

If a message has the power to shift your eternal standing, correct your path, or bring you closer to God, to reject it because you dislike the human vessel is to commit a costly spiritual oversight. You risk losing the necessary correction or blessing.

IV. THE HUMILITY REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CORRECTION

Job’s error, which Elihu corrected, was rooted in self-righteousness. Job was so certain of his innocence that he could not conceive that God might use his suffering to communicate a needed correction about his attitude.

A. Self-Examination Over Scrutiny of Others

When we receive a consequential message, our immediate reaction should not be to scrutinize the messenger’s personal history, but to examine our own heart in the light of the message.

When Elihu delivered his message, it was forceful, direct, and painful, yet it was the catalyst for Job’s repentance. God used a potentially prideful young man to shatter the pride of a self-righteous older man.

The Spirit Speaks: The Holy Spirit often speaks through imperfect channels, knowing that if the message came through an angel or a perfectly righteous person, we might glorify the messenger rather than the Message Giver.

B. The Message of the Cross

The ultimate demonstration of this principle is the Gospel itself. The central message of Christianity—salvation through a crucified Messiah—was delivered by fishermen, tax collectors, and tentmakers. It was initially rejected by the religious elite because of its Source (a peasant from Nazareth) and its Messenger (the uneducated apostles).

Had people focused on the earthly credentials, the world would have missed the flawless, consequential message of God’s redemption.

Let us commit today to hearing with spiritual ears, ensuring that our response is driven by the authority of the Word and not by the human frailty of the messenger.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Despise not the message that has consequences; evaluate the content by the Scripture, not the container by your bias.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jonah 1 – 4