In Job 33, Elihu continues speaking, asserting that suffering can be a means of divine communication. He emphasises that God speaks through dreams and affliction to guide people, offering redemption and restoration through repentance.
God has delivered me from the pit.
In Job 33:28, Job declares, “God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.” This statement echoes the theme of divine rescue and restoration. Just as Job experienced God’s intervention, so did David in his own struggles. In Psalm 40:1-3, David shares how God lifted him from a slimy pit and set his feet on a firm rock. He went from despair to praise, saying, “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
David’s testimony reveals that when we are in deep trouble, God is our deliverer. We cannot free ourselves, but when we cry out to Him, He responds. God lifted David from the mud and mire, setting him on solid ground. This same deliverance is promised to us through Jesus Christ, the cornerstone mentioned in 1 Peter 2:6: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, we are rescued from the “pit” of sin and despair and given new life, just as Jesus was raised and will never die again.
In Psalm 30:3, David proclaims, “You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.” And in Psalm 18:19, he praises God, saying, “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” These verses remind us that God delights in rescuing His people, lifting us out of the pits of life and setting us on a firm foundation.
As believers in Christ
For believers, this deliverance is fully realised in Christ. He is our ultimate Savior, who has already rescued us from death and despair. Through Him, we are given eternal life, and our hearts are filled with a new song of praise to God.
As we face challenges in life, we can trust in God’s ability to deliver us. Just as He rescued Job, David, and countless others, He will deliver us too. Through Jesus Christ, we have a firm foundation, a rock on which to stand, and the assurance that we will never be put to shame. Let us continue to cry out to God in our troubles, knowing that His love and power will always prevail, and that He will bring us into a broad place of safety and joy.