What is the meaning of Job 34:11? For according to a man’s deeds • Elihu reminds Job that God’s assessment begins with what we actually do, not with rumors or impressions. Proverbs 24:12 echoes the point: “Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?”. • Scripture treats deeds as the visible fruit of the heart. Jesus said, “Every good tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7:17). In other words, our outward actions testify to our inward condition. • Deeds reveal whether faith is genuine (James 2:17). They do not earn salvation, yet they demonstrate the reality of it (Ephesians 2:8-10). He repays him • God is perfectly just; He “shows no partiality and accepts no bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17). Repayment is neither arbitrary nor delayed forever. • Psalm 62:12 affirms, “You reward each man according to his work”. The same principle appears in Romans 2:6-8, where God “will repay each person according to his deeds”. • Repayment includes both reward for righteousness and retribution for evil. Revelation 22:12 records Christ’s promise, “My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work”. According to a man’s ways • “Ways” points to the paths we choose day after day—the pattern and motives behind the deeds. First Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”. • Galatians 6:7-8 warns, “God is not mocked…whatever a man sows, he will reap”. Our habits, decisions, and hidden intentions are laid open before Him (Hebrews 4:13). • Faithfulness in ordinary choices matters. Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much” (Luke 16:10). He brings consequences • Consequences unfold in two arenas: – Temporal: Discipline that trains His children (Hebrews 12:6-11). – Eternal: Final judgment “so that each may receive his due for the things done in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:10). • Grace does not erase accountability; it transforms it. Believers are spared condemnation (John 5:24) yet still answer for stewardship (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). • For the unrepentant, consequences culminate in separation from God (Revelation 20:12-15). For the redeemed, they culminate in reward, “an inheritance that is imperishable” (1 Peter 1:4). summary Job 34:11 declares God’s unwavering justice. Our deeds and ways matter because they flow from the heart and face divine evaluation. God repays with perfect fairness, disciplines His people for their good, and will ultimately reward righteousness while punishing unrepentant evil. Living in the fear of the Lord—trusting Christ for salvation and walking in obedience—aligns us with the God who always “repays a man according to his deeds.” |
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