His thunder announces the coming storm. (Job 36:33)Three friends sat silently while Job grieved, and then opened their mouths causing him to suffer even more. Elihu, a younger man, accompanies them sitting quietly out of respect for their age and standing in the community, but he has reached his limit; he can hold his tongue no more. Chapter 32 tells us he was angry with Job for not admitting his guilt, and angry with his three elders for their inability to convince Job of his need for confession.
Elihu expresses his conviction that God cannot possibly do wrong (34:10), and asserts that a man's suffering must be interpreted as punishment for wrongdoing. Since God rewards the upright and punishes the sinful, suggesting a just man might also suffer is the same as accusing God of evil.
As far as Elihu is concerned, God is not hard to figure out. Do right and prosper, do wrong and suffer. There is just no other explanation for suffering than punishment for wrongdoing. God is easy to read. Just as thunder is a sure sign of an approaching storm, suffering is a sure sign of God's displeasure.
As we get older, we find out things aren't always so black and white.
Are there opinions you held strongly in youth about which you've learned to be more flexible with a few years under your belt?
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