Job 35:1-16

Elihu turns his attention back to Job once again and he criticizes Job’s attitude before God and his complaints about his current situation.  He does not understand Job’s discouragement with God’s silence and he condemns Job for considering that being righteous does not seem to be worthwhile.  This lack of understanding and sympathy is hard to understand, I often wonder how these friends would be talking if they had been faced with the same circumstances as Job.  If we are honest, I believe we all struggle with the fact that the wicked often seem to prosper while the righteous often seem to suffer.  This tendency does not seem right to us, but it is often the reality.  Job’s questions and struggles are very similar to those that we experience and we have far less difficulty than Job did.  Elihu criticizes these two basic questions of Job.

JOB QUESTIONS HIS SUFFERING: Job continually has claimed to be righteous in his actions before both God and man.  Yet he has had to face far greater suffering than he has seen any of the most wicked of sinners have to experience.  Job’s question has been: what benefit has there been in righteousness?  Basically, Job is asking: why do the wicked prosper and why are the just persecuted?  Elihu’s advice to Job is for Him to consider the clouds and the majesty of the heavens in order to put himself in perspective before the Lord.  Elihu is right stating that God is not brought lower by our sin, nor is He made higher because of our righteousness.  God is above us and He is not affected by our actions.  However we are greatly affected by the choices we make.  The problem with Elihu’s argument is not in his theology.  The problem is in his application.  What he says about God is absolutely true but are these really the truths about God that Job needs to hear at this time?

JOB QUESTIONS GOD SILENCE: Job’s second complain has been concerning God’s silence in the face of all of his sufferings.  Job has been crying out to God for an explanation as to why he must face all of this hardship.  However, the heavens have been silent.  Job has not been able to understand and God has not made any effort to clear this up for him.  Elihu once again points to nature and tells Job to look at the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven and how they simply accept whatever plight that comes their way without complaint or argument.  Elihu cannot accept Job’s complaint in this area and claims that God will not hear Job’s prayers because of his attitude of pride and self-justification.  Expectations can be very dangerous and God will often act in a way that is far different from what we expect or want.  However, in those times I believe that He welcomes our questions and is pleased by our longings to hear from Him.  Certainly God knows the questions of our hearts and must be pleased when we are honest before Him instead of when we pretend that all is well.