An Angry Young Man

Chapter 32 introduces us to Elihu, a young man who burns with anger at Job and his three friends. He thinks he has the perfect wisdom to settle the argument between them and he is busting to have his say. And he certainly lets it rip! So does he have the irrefutable answer for Job's situation? Sadly, no. His passion and self-confidence do not guarantee wisdom. While Elihu says a few things differently to the others, he still shares the shortcomings of their strict justice/retributive view of God. Lacking a covenantal understanding of God, Elihu paints God as one who may save us from destruction by terrorising us in our dreams as we sleep or by inflicting us with immense pain. He also sees God as inaccessible and so rigid in his exercise of justice that he considers Job to be blasphemous in seeking an explanation from God for his suffering. This is a far cry from the true God revealed to us in the Son, who loved us, entered our world of suffering and gave his life for us. God does speak to us in our suffering, not to terrify us but to draw us into a deeper appreciation of his own suffering for us as the cost of his atonement for sin. So it is through suffering we come to know more of the love of the Triune God for us and are led to worship him.