His thunder
announces the coming storm (Job
36:33).
Three friends sat
silently while Job grieved. Then they opened their mouths causing him to suffer
even more. Elihu, a younger man, sits 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. Those who do right don’t have to fear
God’s reprisals, and those who do wrong only get what they have coming to them.
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?
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Examine the dogmas of your
youth. Is it time to admit some questions just don’t have easy answers?
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