Job - Elihu's speech (0)

Over the past several weeks we have been studying the book of Job. Before we go through last Sunday's lesson on the speech of Elihu, let's first have a quick recap of what we've seen so far.

You recall that the book begins with how good, prosperous and religious Job was. The writer tells us that Job had seven sons, three daughters, millions of dollars worth of livestock, lots of servants. He was righteous and he was rich. Then we are shown a meeting between Satan and God during which God brings the righteousness of Job to Satan's attention. At this meeting in chapter 1, we are told of Satan’s first challenge to God: Job only worships you because you prosper him. So, God gave all that Job had into Satan's hand.

God lengthened Satan's leash to destroy Job's prosperity. In one day, his live stock are stolen or destroyed and a house collapses on all ten kids. All but 3-4 of his servants were killed and they were the ones to bring him the news of the destruction of all of his security.

Nevertheless, Job retains his trust in the Lord in his response to this first day of calamity. "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job glorified God and Satan’s first challenge was defeated. "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." It is not wrong to see God's power and will behind our calamities. In fact, the best place to start is a humble recognition of His sovereign hand operating in all things. What is wrong is to accuse Him of wrong and challenge His right to do what He sees fit.

In chapter 2, Satan again challenges God: Job only praises you because he has his health. Once again, God lengthens Satan’s leash and Satan strikes Job with wickedly painful sores from his head to his feet. And again, Job’s response is righteous: “Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not receive evil?” The writer again adds, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

But the suffering did not end. It hung on. Job had already held fast in the first two challenges. God had defeated Satan's challenge. So why don't we skip to the end of the book where Job gets all his stuff back and is blessed even more than he was at the beginning?

As the weeks wear on , Job's clear testimony to God's sovereign rights wavered. He questions the wisdom of God for even allowing Job to be born. For the next 29 chapters, Job wrangles with three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar about the problem of his suffering in view of God's justice and Job's own integrity.

The three friends were arguing the Justice Principle, some call it the Retribution Principle. The righteous are rewarded for their good deeds. The wicked are punished for their bad deeds. It's karma, right? Isn’t that the foundation of every major world religion? Do good and prosper? Do bad and you'll get it in the end?

BUT, God Himself in 1:8 and 2:3 had said that Job was a God-fearing man of integrity, who turned away from evil. How then could a just God unleash such suffering on Job? There must be some mistake! Job is persuaded that he is innocent before God and that God is not treating him justly. He can only conclude that God is acting like his enemy, at least for now.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27)

Job's argument toward God moves from God was unjust to give him life to God will be just to Job in the afterlife, but is Job's enemy while he is on earth. Ultimately, we will see that Job's three friends have no answer for Job's reply. They are convinced that there is some horrible secret sin that Job has committed to justify such incredible suffering inflicted upon him by God...