Elihu Rethinks Justice

Synopsis     Job 34:21-35:15     7/16/2021 

In his rebuke, Elihu reminded Job that no one knows their day of judgement. God simply acts as He does. This is because, God is not dependent. 

In this way, Elihu sets up the argument that God is altogether self-sufficient. He neither lacks anything nor can anything be added to His perfection. 

So, it follows that any conversation concerning justice with God has to be understood differently. Since Job’s righteousness doesn’t benefit the self-sufficient Creator, and since his sin doesn’t diminish the self-sufficient Creator, there is no transaction. And, if there is no transaction, then there can be no injustice. 

Elihu Rethinks Justice 

God doesn’t owe Job a pleasant life simply because he’s been sinless. And, in fact, this kind of thinking is a kind of sin. It is a privation of the right way Job might have understood his circumstances.  

Of course, the pain and suffering brought him to this point of revelation. Without it, the question may never have come up. Job’s (and my) need provoked God’s revelation. 

Justice and Jesus 

Jesus is God. And God is self-sufficient. So, Jesus is self-sufficient. Thus, I add nothing to His sufficiency and I can do nothing to diminish His perfection.  

And yet He loves me. 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^* says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” Rev 1:8 

Elihu – God’s Interpreter

Synopsis     Job 32:13-33:22     7/13/2021 

Elihu came to Job along with his three friends. He was younger than Job’s friends. And so, as the discussion had unfolded, he chose to remain silent. However, Job’s claim bothered him. In fact, he felt strongly that Job was unjust in his accusation against God. And, it angered him that none of his friends could refute his arguments.  

So, after everyone else was finished talking, he spoke up. As he did, he noted that his motive was to do justice toward God. And so, he challenged Job’s complaints. 

First, he countered Job’s claim that God had hidden himself from Job. Instead of being unavailable, Elihu argued that God is constantly speaking. However, it is up to human beings to understand how he speaks and how to interpret. 

Specifically, Elihu believed that God speaks in dreams, in visions and through suffering. In these ways, God communicates instructions that both preserve and protect human beings.   

Elihu – God’s Interpreter 

Elihu claimed that God is always speaking. Through every circumstances He communicates wisdom. 

Hearing God 

Jesus once said, “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”   

I cannot hear God if I don’t think He is speaking. And I won’t see God working if I come to life thinking nothing matters.  

“The words of one’s mouth are deep waters, the spring of wisdom, a running brook.“ Prov 18:4 

Elihu Deferred

Synopsis     Job 31:24-32:12     7/12/2021 

As Job finished his reflections, he summed up his position. Namely, Job never trusted in material wealth for security. And he never worshipped the sun, or moon, or false gods. Furthermore, Job never rejoiced in the destruction of enemies.  

In the end, Job claimed that he never hid his guilt. And so, it seemed to him that his suffering was unjust. Accordingly, he exclaimed his desire to have someone mediate justice between him and God.  

Elihu was a young man. He had come with the three friends to comfort Job. However, he refrained from speaking because he was so young. But, once he realized that none of the friends could refute Job, he decided to intervene.  

Elihu’s Defererence 

Elihu was young. Even so, he spoke truthfully to Job and the three friends. Specifically, he pointed out that wisdom wasn’t merely the result of having lived a long life. Instead, it was the result of the spirit of God in man that gives true wisdom.  

Spirit in Me 

Like a fountain of water, God is the source of wisdom. And so, anyone connected to God has access to this font. Accordingly, in conversation, there is evidence that a person is speaking true wisdom and not merely an opinion.  

It follows that my tendency for rash talk and hurtful words have nothing to do with God’s spirit.  

These too, need to be left behind.  

“Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” James 1:19 

Job’s Self-Confidence

Synopsis     Job 30:27-31:23     7/9/2021 

Job described how his soul and body were failing. As he examined his physical body, it became clear that his body was dying.  

And so, he cried out to God for justice. He went so far as to challenge God to judge him. And he invited God’s judgement should it be discovered that he had committed any of the most common forms of injustice. He went so far as to list the categories of his righteousness. For him, the categories included lust, injustice toward a servant, abuse of widows and poor, and persecuting the innocent.  

Job’s Self-Confidence 

Job expressed his willingness to accept God’s punishment for his sins. But his willingness to face justice was based on his belief that he had done nothing wrong. In this way, he accepted the possibility of punishment. But really, he wanted restoration to the joy’s of his past life.  

My Human Confidence 

Prior to “being born-again”, I simply feigned confidence before God. I pretended that I didn’t have anything to worry about. I thought, “It will all work out”. Rarely did I spend more than a few seconds thinking about my relationship with God. And I consoled myself by reckoning that I wasn’t much worse than the people around me.  

But in reality, my assessment of my own righteousness is worthless. As a part of the human family, I come to this world delusionally, repressed. I come wanting my will to be done. And my soul’s demand to be in control is indifferent to God’s will. In this way, I’m born blind to my own unrighteous dispositions. Accordingly, I’m born actually thinking that building up my kingdom is righteousness – the very definition of righteousness. 

And so, it is far past time for me to wake up. 

“For everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”  Eph 5:14 

Job’s Narrow Perspective

Synopsis     Job 29:11-30:26     7/8/2021 

After Job finished speaking with his friends, he appealed directly to God. In his appeal, he recounted his past life. In this way, he pointed out how he had esteemed the downcast. And he reminded God how he had once been a source of justice for others in his community. 

However, now that he seemed cursed, no one paid attention to him. As a result, he was no longer a source of justice for others. Instead, inconsequential men now mocked him. 

Finally, in this part of his appeal, he observed how the more he sought God through this trial, the fewer answers he received.  

Job’s Narrowed Perspective 

There is a persistent irony in Job’s story. To Job, his suffering seemed meaningless. And yet, Job’s story is the first among the books on wisdom. It is the first book of Wisdom literature. 

This happened because his physical and emotional suffering caused him to overfocus on himself. He lost focus on the fact that God was using his circumstances to communicate wisdom to the people of the world. 

If he had known there was an important reason for his suffering, he would have more willingly and courageously accepted it.  

Wider Reality 

Sometimes people say, “Give God room to be God”. It’s one of those expressions that is easy to say. But often it is very hard to hear.  

But don’t be fooled. Inevitably Christ’s disciples suffer. And Jesus taught us to expect as much.  

So, as disciples, our consolation will never be that life is pleasant. In fact, it is dangerous to think in these terms. Jesus said, “Take up your cross…” But as you do, keep focused on your loving willingness for His cause – whatever that may be. And then, your consolation will emerge from the value of participating in His will alone. 

“I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” Phil 4:12-13 

Job’s Search for Wisdom

Synopsis     Job 28:14-29:10     6/30/2021 

Having finished debating with his friends, Job summed his belief. For him, wisdom was “the fear of the Lord”.  

After this, Job expressed his longing for the life he had known before his affliction.  

Job’s Search for Wisdom 

Job wanted wisdom. More specifically, he wanted to know where he could find wisdom. For him, it wasn’t an academic pursuit. Because of his physical suffering, he needed answers.  

And so, in the psychological process of coming to terms with his situation, he sought God.  

Seeking Wisdom in God 

Seeking wisdom is a process. It follows that seeking wisdom by fearing God is a process. How easy is it to allow myself to be awed by His majesty? 

Oddly, this awe is fleeting. At one moment the Holy Spirit fills me with the fear of the Lord. And yet the next, I can be overcome by the fear that someone will find the package of cookies I’ve secretly hidden in the cabinet.  

This process is not linear. Instead, I come to terms with God by routinely visiting His divine presence. It is habitude – the habit of reflecting on God in the midst of every calm and every storm.  

I know, LORD, that no one chooses their way, Nor determines their course nor directs their own step. Correct me, LORD, but with equity, not in anger, lest you diminish me. “ Jer 10:23-24 

Job’s Search for Wisdom

Synopsis      Job 26:10-28:13     6/29/2021 

Job continued his final response to Bildad. Specifically, he countered his friend’s claims about God. And basically, he implied that Bildad really didn’t understand much about God.  

With this, he once again insisted on his own innocence. And, he refused to accept his friends’ claims that his own sin was the only possible explanation for his pain and suffering.  

Then, Job asked a larger question. Using a poetic form of rhetoric, he explored the nature of wisdom and how it could be obtained.  

Job’s Search for Wisdom 

After a long time of talking, Job was done with his friends. Despite their best efforts, Job had consistently refuted his friends’ wrong ideas about God. But his success only made his deeper need more obvious. Even though he knew they were wrong, he still lacked answers. 

And so, he turned his attention to wisdom. He wanted to know how to understand his circumstances.  

The Search for Wisdom 

Only wisdom truly satisfies.  

The scriptures teach that God creates through wisdom. But, there are two dimensions to this wisdom. The first is an understanding of how something fits in creation. With effort and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is possible for me to see a thing in its essence. And with this, I can love it for its own, transcendent sake.  

But the other dimension is opaque. The “how” and the “why” that motivated God to create all that He has created out of nothing – that’s essentially mysterious. As Job said about this kind of wisdom, “nor is it to be had in the land of the living.” 

“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” Isa 55:6 

Bildad’s Bad Creation

Synopsis     Job 24:5-26:9     6/28/2021 

During the continued conversation, Job gave a long response to Eliphat. In it, he persisted in explaining that evil people do not always suffer consequences. However, Job acknowledged that evil people do live different sorts of lives. Especially, he observed that people who routinely sin seek the cover of darkness. 

After this, Bildad spoke one last time. In this short response, Bildad insisted that no man can be just before God. In this way, he claimed that God was so holy that even the moon and stars are impure. How much more, he asked, is man fundamentally corrupt.  

Once again, Job responded to Bildad. In it, he rebuked all three of his friends for powerlessness to encourage. Even more, he pointed to the creative power of God. Countering the idea that God created things that are essentially inferior, Job claimed that everything he created is as it should be.  

Bildad’s Bad 

Bildad claimed that nothing is pure like God. So, it follows that nothing is holy like God. Everything in creation is somehow tainted.  

Job rejected this. Instead, he reminded Bildad that God was all powerful. And so, everything in creation is just as it should be.  

Bad Creation 

The material world was made by God for His purposes. And, upon creating everything, He declared that it was good.  

And so, it is an error to suggest that the material world is essentially defective.  

“God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.” Gen 1:31 

Job Couldn’t Find God

Synopsis    Job 22:20-24:4     6/26/2021 

As Job and his friends persisted in dialogue, Eliphaz made yet another attempt to encourage Job to repent. He encouraged Job to “entreat” the Lord. And he promised that if Job repented in this way, God would hear him. And, he could expect God to restore his fortune.  

But Job countered Eliphaz’ encouragements. Instead, he steadfastly held to his own innocence. Specifically, he told Eliphaz that if he could find God, he would plead his case for justice. Yet, his biggest lament was that he could not even find God.

Even so, he persisted in his claim that he had remained faithful to the Lord.  Following this, Job once again marveled at how evil people rarely seem to experience justice for the wrong things they do.  

Job Couldn’t Find God 

Job suffered grievous physical pain. Even so, the worst part of his suffering was isolation from God. He could not sense that God heard his cries.  

Consolation in God 

An athlete in training is willing to accept pain as part of the training process. She doens’t necessarily want the pain, but she knows that the only way to improve is through training. And very often training is both hard work and physically unpleasant. For this reason, the consolation that motivates her to overcome the pain is the knowledge that she is moving forward toward something important. This is how she interprets the pain. 

Accepting uninvited pain is perhaps an even greater challenge. In response to affliction, I can make a droning lament the persists as long as the pain. Or, I can nihilistically refuse to believe that it means anything. In this way, I might stoically embrace the isolation and suffering as merely unavoidable.  

Or, I could believe that there is meaning even in moments of suffering. I could accept with joy the idea that somehow, even my secret pain contributes to God’s plan in the universe. Somehow, even in pain there is transcendence. It seems like a paradox. But, truth and beauty and goodness are made manifest in suffering.  

In fact, this seems to be the way of saints – a gift of encouragement to us still in the way.  

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.” Psa 34:19 

“Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matt 5:4 

Job and the Formula God

Synopsis     Job 21:21-22:19     6/23/2021 

Job continued his response to Zophar’s accusation. In this portion, he refuted Zophar’s claim that the children of evil people suffer. In fact, he pointed out that even if that were true, an evil person wouldn’t care about their progeny after death.  

In this way, Job pointed out that nothing matters to someone after death. As he observed, people with pleasant lives and people with unpleasant lives both end up covered with worms. So, for evil people, death is a way to escape the justice they deserve. 

Then, Eliphaz responded to Job. With sarcasm, he asked if God was reproving Job because of his righteousness.  

Afterward, he lectured Job. Once again, he adjured Job to repent from whatever secret sin had caused his situation. And he assured him that God would forgive him and restore his fortunes once he repented.  

Job and the Formula God 

Zophar and Eliphaz argued that Job would be restored to prosperity as soon as he repented. But, because Job had not sinned, he could not repent. And so, the formula of repentance and restoration wasn’t valid for him.  

God Wants My Heart 

Walking with Jesus means accepting a certain detachment from the values of this world. In this way, the primacy of relationship with God becomes my central response to value. And then, every other potential value finds its place.  

“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes keep to my ways” Prov 23:26