THE WRATH OF ELIHU Lesson 10 for December 3, 2016

A fourth friend joined the group as Job’s friends heatedly argued with him. Elihu remained silent for a while. Then, he started a long speech. That was the last attempt to make Job reflect on his sin. The silence of the “comforters”. Elihu shows up. Elihu’s speech. Elihu’s mistake. Questions without answers.

THE SILENCE OF THE “COMFORTERS” “So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” (Job 32:1) Job’s friends gave long speeches about important things, but they basically defended God’s character in how He was treating Job. His “comforting” speech for Job was: God is punishing you in His mercy because of a hidden sin, so you repent. Job maintained his innocence. He didn’t understand why he was suffering, but he remained faithful and he still trusted God (see Job 13:28; 19:25-27; 28:28). We may know the truth, but we need humbleness and wisdom to understand how much truth can be applied in each moment.

ELIHU SHOWS UP “But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.” (Job 32:2-3 NIV) Elihu began talking once Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar were quiet. He was part of Nacor’s family (Abraham’s brother). Both his name (Elihu = “My God is Him”) and his father’s (Barakel = “God blesses”) prove he was a son of many generations of believers. Elihu “became very angry”: On Job, because he was justifying himself instead of justifying God. On his friends, because they condemned Job but couldn’t refute his defense. Did Elihu understand Job’s arguments? Was his wrath fair?

ELIHU’S SPEECH “Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.” (Job 34:12) 1st OPTION: If God is fair, then… Job deserves what’s happening to him. 2nd OPTION: If Job doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him, then… God isn’t fair. Is God fair or is job an innocent victim? Elihu chose to defend God’s character and to accuse Job of impiety. He actually defended God very well. He introduced Him as Creator, Sustainer, Wise, Just, Almighty… (Job 34:21-22; 36:5-7; 37:23-24).

ELIHU’S MISTAKE “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:6 NIV) Elihu was not wise and humble enough to accept a third option: God is fair and job didn’t deserve what was happening to him. There’s a third party in this conflict: the devil was attacking Job so he wouldn’t trust God anymore. The devil was a beautiful perfect cherub until evil was found in him (Ezekiel 28:12-17). No one can explain how evil began in Lucifer. We cannot explain the consequences of sin that happen in our lives either. “It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it.” (E.G.W. “The Great Controversy”, pp. 492, 493).

QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:3 NIV) Were Job’s kindness and faithfulness the source of evil in his life? Why did his family and servants have to die? Was his suffering beneficial? It didn’t even make Satan accept his defeat. Was it worthy to accept Satan’s challenge? There are many unanswered questions in the book of Job. We now know all the history of God’s revelation, so can we thoroughly answer those questions? There’s a clear lesson in Job’s story; there are many things we don’t understand, but “the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4). In which things do you need to trust God even if you don’t understand them?

“No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the Mighty One dwells and works. We can comprehend no more of His dealings with us and the motives that actuate Him than He sees fit to reveal. He orders everything in righteousness, and we are not to be dissatisfied and distrustful, but to bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us as much of His purposes as it is for our good to know; and beyond that we must trust the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of love.” E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, cp. 31, p. 301)