Job 35:5

Notice the "if". Elihu does not accuse Job of having lived an evil life, but his point is that God is neither affected by man's rebellion nor his righteousness. Human conduct only affects other men. He is not arguing that God does not care how people live, rather he is arguing that God's response of justice toward man is self-determined and not man-centered. "God is not under man's control or subject to man's bribes. God's standards of justice are not flexible or partial. If He shows mercy, it is not because He has been induced by man's goodness; and if He inflicts judgment, it is not because He has been injured or fears man" (Zuck p. 154). Elihu seems to be saying that human sin cannot ultimately hurt or destroy God, but human goodness does not mean that God should immediately reward or bless man either. Job's friends argued that God immediately punishes the sinner, but it seemed that Job was equally arguing that all his goodness should have an immediate reward.