Job - Elihu's Speech (3)

II. The Argument of Elihu - There is Purpose in the Suffering of the Righteous

Although Job was correct to challenge the accusations of the three friends concerning their belief that he was beingjudged byy God for some great hidden sin, Elihu thinks Job is wrong in some of what he said. (33:17; 35:12; 36:9)

A. Residue of Pride In the Righteous

The core of Elihu's argument is found in 33:8-12.

"Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words. You say, 'I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me. Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy, he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.' Behold, in this you are notrightt. I will answer you, for God is greater than man." (Job 33:8-12)

Job is wrong to declare his innocence at the expense of God's grace, and in fact repents in 42:6. His suffering drove him to say things that were overly optimistic about himself and disrespectful about God. Even though Job was righteous, he was not sinlessly perfect. There was a sediment of pride that began to cloud Job's purity as it was stirred up by his suffering.

B. God's Purpose in Pain for the Righteous is not to Punish, but to Save

Elihu argues that God's purpose in pain for the righteous is salvation for their souls - to conform them to the image of Christ, by New Testament language.

For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, (Job 33:14-19)

What does this tell us about God?

Elihu puts sickness and visions of the night side by side as two ways God speaks to man for his good. The purpose is described in v. 17 : The purpose of suffering for the righteous is not to punish, but to save. There is a difference between a stranger who plunges a knife into a child and a surgeon who performs an appendectomy on a child. To call someone righteous does not mean sinless. (36:6-15)

C. Distinguish Between the Righteous and Wicked

Elihu identifies two groups of people: the righteous and wicked. If he had stopped at v. 6, he'd be like Eliphaz touting the karma principle. To some extent, ultimately that's true. Those who are in Christ, the righteous, will be rewarded with an eternity in Heaven. The unrighteous, those who are not in Christ, will be condemned to an eternity in Hell. But, the question we wrestle with in the book of Job is why do the righteous suffer in the short run? (v. 8)

Elihu admits that righteous suffer in fetters and cords of affliction. The righteous are far from perfect because there is much of old nature left. We by nature follow the dictates of our fallen hearts and corrupt minds. Elihu recognizes that suffering in Job's case is to open the ear of the righteous to the sediment of evil that remains in his heart (v. 10)

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. (Ps 119:71)

D. Elihu Advances the Understanding Beyond Karma

Elihu was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God. Job argued that the wicked suffer, the righteous do not; therefore, God must have made some mistake! Elihu was also angry at the three friends because they found no answer, even though they had declared Job to be wrong. Their argument was that the wicked suffer, the righteous do not; Job must have really sinned and just isn't telling us.

Elihu's anger was justified in both cases. The righteous do suffer, but the purpose is different - it is a refinement of the righteous. Suffering is for the purpose of deepening righteousness. Sometimes, it takes affliction to point out that we are not as holy as we think we are. Job had no better explanation than his friends. His concept of God's justice was same as theirs. Only Job insisted he was righteous and could not make his suffering fit with God's justice. He became so frustrated that he began to see God as his enemy. (13:23-24)

But, Elihu argued that God was not Job's enemy. (36:8-12) Job was not as pure as he thought he was. God was in fact, Job's loving Father. God gets the glory over Satan in chapters 1 and 2. That victory was quick. Through Job's prolonged suffering, God deepens Job's understanding, trust, and his godliness. This was God's sovereign grace, not punishment.