Job 36 continues Elihu's argument defending God's justice and wisdom, which subtly underscores the futility of human understanding and efforts when compared to divine omniscience and omnipotence. Elihu attempts to explain that human suffering and divine judgme are part of a larger, incomprehensible plan.

1. Divine Justice and Wisdom: Elihu argues that God is mighty, yet He does not despise anyone; He is mighty in strength of understanding (Job 36:5). This suggests that human attempts to fathom God's ways are inherently futile because human wisdom pales in comparison to God's.
2. God's Justice is Unassailable: Elihu claims that God does not "withdraw His eyes from the righteous" (Job 36:7). Here, the futility lies in human efforts to escape divine scrutiny or to judge God's actions by human standards. No matter how righteous one might seem, complete understanding or justification of one's state before God is beyond human reach.
3. Discipline as a Form of Mercy: Elihu describes how God uses affliction as a means to bring people back from wrongdoing (Job 36:8-10). This highlights the futility of human attempts to avoid or understand suffering without considering it might be a corrective or educational tool from God.
4. The Inaccessibility of God's Ways: Elihu explains that God's work is great, and we do not comprehend it (Job 36:26 ). This theme of divine inscrutability underscores the futility of human efforts to fully understand or predict divine actions or the reasons behind personal or global events.
5. The Smallness of Man: Throughout the chapter, there's an undercurrent of how small and powerless humans are in the face of divine might and wisdom. Elihu's discourse on the greatness of God, which cannot be fathomed (Job 36:26 ), serves to diminish any human claim to full understanding or control over their fate.

Job 36, through Elihu's words, thus serves to magnify the gap between human understanding and divine reality, emphasizing not just the limitations but the futility of human attempts to grasp or challenge divine justice and purpose. This theme of human futility is not meant to discourage but to foster a deeper reverence and trust in God's superior wisdom and justice, even when they are beyond human comprehension.