The Breath of the Almighty Gives Me Life

By staff - Dec 15, 2009 -

Sermon Outline

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job 33:4

Context

Job, a prosperous Hebrew who lost everything because of Satan’s attack on him, became engaged in a lengthy debate with three friends who tried to persuade him that he was not the righteous man he claimed to be. Their reasoning was that there must have been some sin in his life that caused all of the pain and suffering he was enduring. Job steadfastly maintained his belief in God. But at the same time, he continued to justify himself.

After the debate between Job and his three friends concluded, Elihu, who had remained quiet through the entire debate, spoke up. He was upset that Job was “justifying himself rather than God” and that the others had failed to refute Job’s self-justification (see 32:2-3). Elihu wanted the record set straight—that God was just and no man could claim complete innocence before Him.

Introduction

When modern man thinks of life, he normally thinks of the state of being alive. It is thought of as a state of existence that begins at birth and ends at death. To some, life is said to be an accident, a fluke of nature, suspended between two accidents—the beginning of the world (however that happened) and the end (however that will happen).

But that is not what God reveals in His Word about life. Life is so much more than a mere existence. It is a gift from God. And because of that, life is sacred. It is something to be highly regarded and protected, not demeaned or dismissed at will.

I. Life comes from God, v. 4a

Mankind did not just evolve from some lower life form. Elihu’s testimony is that God has the power to give life. The name he used for God in the first part of the verse is El (the root of Elohim), which refers to the creative and governing power of God. The same name is used 44 times in the creation account in Genesis 1-2. That creation was a process that included the creation of man on the sixth day.

Just as God gave life, He also gave it purpose. David declared that “all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever” (Ps. 145:21). Blessing and praising God is a universal purpose of man. Every person is designed and intended by God to worship Him and praise Him for who He is and for His goodness toward them. In addition to this universal purpose of life, each life also has a specific purpose, from the moment of conception into eternity. God revealed to Jeremiah that He knew him even before he was formed in the womb (Jer. 1:5). Every person, from the unborn to the infirm is part of God’s plan and purpose as well. And even the person who is at death’s door through some illness or some tragic event in life has a purpose in God’s plan. We may not be able to see it, but countless families, friends, and even medical professionals have testified to the impact of someone whose life others had reckoned useless.

Since God is the giver of life and every life has purpose, life should be honored and respected. No life—whether that of a baby yet unborn in its mother’s womb, that of an elderly person who is incapacitated or even in the last stages of dying, or anyone between those two extremes—is an accident or fluke of nature. Every life is an expression of the creativity of God and is made in the very image of God Himself (Gen. 1:27). These features imbue human life with a sanctity that should not be violated.

II. Life is a gift, v. 4b

The creation story makes it clear that all human life is a gift from God. When God created Adam, He breathed into him the breath of life. This act made man a “living being” (Gen. 2:7). Adam had not done anything to earn or deserve this blessing. God simply bestowed it. God then created Eve as a gift for Adam so that he would not be alone and would have someone of his kind for companionship. This gifting theme continues in the Bible. Eve declared that their first child was a gift from God (Gen. 4:1). Psalm 127:3-5 states that children are a gift from God.

Elihu echoed this gifting theme when he declared, “the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Elihu used the same word for “breath” that Moses used in Genesis 2:7, when he said that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils “the breath of life.” Elihu understood that every human life is a gift from God. F. Delitzsch, Job, Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 218, notes that Elihu saw the significance of this inbreathing by God. He recognized that this act “endowed” him with life.

Interestingly, Elihu uses a different name for God than the name Moses used in the creation story. In Genesis 2:7 Moses said “the Lord God” breathed the breath of life into the man. Elihu used the name Shaddai. This name is used more often in Job than in any other book of the Bible (48 times). Commentators are uncertain about the meaning of the word. The name is usually translated “Almighty.” The ancient rabbis believed the name was a compound of two words, which when combined meant “the one who is self-sufficient.” Some scholars believe the word is derived from a word that means “to nourish,” “satisfy,” “or supply.” This seems to fit the context of several passages, including this one. Elihu saw God as the all-sufficient One who supplied everything necessary for life (see also Phil. 4:19).

III. Life is special, v. 4b

The verb translated “gave me life” is a Piel perfect in the Hebrew language. This form often communicates two things: (1) a state of completion and (2) intensity. Elihu understood that the life that God had given him was his to live. He was not an extension of God, so that he was living out God’s life within him. He had been gifted with a life of his own, and he was responsible to live it out. Perhaps, he used the Piel stem of the verb when he referred to this gifting in order to emphasize the uniqueness of the gift. Life is precious and exhilarating. There is nothing else like it. It is to be appreciated for its special nature.

The aspect of intensity might be expressed by saying that “God did not just give life, He gave exciting life.” G. Livingston, The Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Vol. 1, p. 279, comments that, “The OT speaks of life as the experience of life rather than as an abstract principle of vitality which may be distinguished from the body. This is because the OT view of the nature of man is holistic, that is, his function as body, mind, spirit is a unified whole spoken of in very concrete terms. Life is the ability to exercise all one’s vital power to the fullest; death is the opposite.” It is not to be some humdrum existence. God intended life to be full, even to overflowing (see John 10:10b).

Conclusion

Life is given to us to be lived in enjoyment and with purpose. While Elihu was wrong about Job’s problem, he was not wrong about the source of life. He had read his Bible carefully, and he understood that life, every life, is a gift from God. As such, it is to be treasured and enjoyed. Indeed life is the fullest when one fulfills its purpose.
The testimony of the Bible is that God did not design any disposable people. All of life has purpose. Every person is capable of enjoying life to the fullest because God grants each life purpose. Along with that purpose comes the ability to fulfill it. It is this direct involvement by God in each life that helps to create our sense of life’s sacredness. Whether it is a baby in the womb or a person who can no longer function without some measure of assistance, every life has purpose. Consequently, those who recognize this truth must commit themselves to protecting and helping every human being fulfill his purpose.

What Can One Person Do?

  1. Volunteer at a Crisis Pregnancy Center in your area.
  2. Contact local, state, and federal legislators, asking them to support pro-life legislation in the areas of abortion and euthanasia.
  3. Register to vote. Then vote for pro-life candidates who are willing to take a stand for life.
  4. Become a foster parent to provide a home for a child in need of love and care.
  5. Contact your state’s Baptist office to find out if there is a Baptist Children’s Home in your state or one nearby. Work through them to adopt a child that needs a home.
  6. Write an article or letter to the editor of your local paper stating the pro-life message clearly.
  7. Ask your pastor to preach a pro-life message on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in January.

Helpful Scripture

Bible verses about the Sanctity of Human Life:
Genesis 2: 7; Job 10: 8-12; Job 31: 15; Psalm 22: 9-10; Psalm 100: 3; Psalm 127: 3; Psalm 139: 13-16a; Jeremiah 1: 4-5.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Life,