Re:Verse passage – Job 32:1-10; 33:2-4, 22-30; 35:9-10; 37:14-24
(day two). The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. 37:23
Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf. 36:1
Of all the advice given by Job’s friends, I have always considered Elihu to be closest to the mark. Close, but not quite on target. I appreciate that he gives deference to age and wisdom. He waits his turn and listens. I also appreciate that he doesn’t let his youth ultimately keep him from speaking. When he asks Job about the characteristics of God in creation it comes very near to how God ultimately responds.
There are, however, some flaws in Elihu’s logic. He continues to contend that Job is deserving of his suffering. It stands to reason that, following Elihu’s logic, God will not do violence to justice, so Job must be unjust. It must be nice to live in such a binary sort of world, but it doesn’t take too many days on the earth to realize that isn’t how suffering works. Secondly, he says that God is not accessible. Again, according to Elihu, God is exalted and once he set the world in motion he stepped away. Third, God needs an interpreter.
Friends, this isn’t how we approach the Almighty. Our suffering is not unknown to the Lord. He hears our pleas for mercy, and God, his Word, and the Holy Spirit are sufficient. Stop looking for the “fix” and continue to search for Jesus in the storm.
Well said, Pastor.
Russell Hern