Suffering: The "In Good Company" Series Job V

Now:  When we left our poor Job, he was still in sitting ashes, but had been able to shut up his three fellow elders.  He wanted to actually state his case, to appear before God.  However, what is not normally discussed when people talk about Job, is what happens next.

The Young Pup Roars Like a Lion:  Enter Elihu.  We don't know when he showed up, but this younger man was there long enough to hear the three elders state their cases against Job, and he heard Job answer them.  Elihu was at the boiling point, if he didn't speak out, his head would have popped off!  This is a quick view of what he had to say:

• Admitted he was young, and waited until he had heard them out due to respect.
  
• "But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding."
• He admits that, "the spirit within me compels me", so he must speak out.
• "For God is greater than man", a concept that seems lost today.
  
• "For God does speak-now in one way, now another-though man may not perceive it."
• He tells of God speaking to us through dreams, by pain & suffering, by that small voice within us, and via angels; all to get our attention and help us turn from evil and back to Him.
• God does this many times.
• "It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice"
• Were God to withdraw His grace, the world would not exist.
• Elihu, in Chapters 35 & 36, gives a most powerful discourse on how good God is, no matter our circumstance.  He believes that no one is completely righteous next to God, and that God uses afflictions of all kind to woo us back.
• "How great is God-beyond our understanding"

So, Is He Right?  Although Elihu still believes that sin brings on pain & suffering, which Christ later tells us there is no direct correlation, he is quite right in God's Majesty.  God is our Creator, we are merely His creation, and yet He loves us.  Elihu is basically saying, "Lord, what shall I learn from this affliction?  What will bring me closer to you?"  Now we know that in Job's case, God was using Him to make a point to Satan.  However, there is always a lesson for we humans to learn and in Job's case, Elihu put his finger on it: Stop whining about the now and yourself, remember God is God of all and continues to grant you grace.  Even though Job was righteous, he still needed a lesson and this is a tough lesson.  You know what?  I'll give you a little tidbit about the end of the story.  God reproaches the three elders, makes them offer sacrifice, and has Job pray for them.  The Lord says nothing about or to Elihu.  Smart young man, and worth the reading time.

Next time: Careful what you wish for, God answers Job.