Bible Study Day 28

Job 32:1-34:37

Young Elihu rebukes the three friends for being unable to give Job a reasonable answer for why he was suffering. But he only gives a partial answer to Job’s question by saying that man cannot understand all that God allows, but must trust Him. This was the best answer that man could give, yet it was incomplete. Often the best human answers are incomplete because we do not have all the facts.

Job’s three friends were convinced that Job had some hidden fault or sin, so there was no point in talking if Job would not confess it. But Job knew he had lived uprightly before God and others and had avoided wrong thoughts and actions. He wasn’t about to invent a sin to satisfy his friends.

When Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had nothing more to say, Elihu (who is much younger than them), became the 4th person to speak to Job. While Job’s three friends said he was suffering from some past sins, Elihu said Job’s suffering would not go away until he realized his present sin. He maintained that Job wasn’t suffering because of sin, he was sinning because of suffering. Elihu pointed out that Job’s attitude had become arrogant as he tried to defend his innocence. Elihu also said that suffering is not meant to punish us as much as it is meant to correct and restore us, to keep us on the right path.

While his speech is on a higher spiritual plateau than the others, Elihu still wrongly assumed that a correct response to suffering always brings healing and restoration and that suffering is always in some way connected to sin.

Elihu recognized the truth that God was the only source of real wisdom, but he did not use God’s wisdom to help Job. While he recognized where wisdom came from, he did not seek to acquire it. Becoming wise is an ongoing, lifelong pursuit. Don’t be content just to know about wisdom; make it part of your life.

Elihu claimed to have the answer for Job’s biggest question, “Why doesn’t God tell me what is happening?” Elihu told Job that God was trying to answer him, but he wasn’t listening. Elihu misjudged God on this point. If God were to answer all our questions, we would not be adequately tested. What if God had said, “Job, Satan’s going to test you and afflict you, but in the end you’ll be healed and get everything back”? Job’s greatest test was not the pain, but that he did not know why he was suffering. Our greatest test may be that we must trust God’s goodness even though we don’t understand why our lives are going a certain way. We must learn to trust in God who is good and not in the goodness of life.

Elihu’s point was that God had spoken again and again. He spoke in dreams and visions, through suffering, and by mediating angels. Job already knew that. Elihu accused Job of not listening to God, which was not true.

God doesn’t sin and is never unjust. Elihu claimed. Throughout this book, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu all have elements of truth in their speeches. Unfortunately, the nuggets of truth are buried under the layers of false assumptions and conclusions. Although we might have a wealth of Bible knowledge and life experiences, we must make sure our conclusions are consistent with all of God’s word, not just parts of it.

Reference: Project 365 for Year 2012