Job: Elihu's role

As I was working through the book of Job, I was grappling with what the role of Elihu was meant to be (see chapters 32-37). Commentators seem reluctant to applaud his words to Job, as the book itself doesn't give much comment on whether they are right (though God's vindication of Job suggests Elihu is not 100% on the mark). However, he does bring a new dimension into the discussion, which so far has been about why God could bring such suffering on Job when in his own eyes he was blameless. Elihu feels that Job has become too self-preoccupied in his perspective on his own suffering, and he may well be correct in this. What profit has come from the long debate Job has been having with his friends? Certainly no peace.

Elihu's intervention reminds Job he is just a man, and 'God is greater than man' (33.12). Although Elihu perhaps misinterprets Job's words as him claiming to be sinless (which his making offerings would contradict), I think he does have a certain level of discernment and wisdom in his counsel. He says firstly that to Job's complaint he has no answer for his suffering, that God is speaking all the time and uses suffering to discipline man and remind him of his mortality (ch 33). He describes a man brought to the point of death and redeemed; his joy is therefore great (33.27-28). The suffering has worked good in his life by bringing him to a place of praise and gratitude. Given that Job doesn't die, but is later restored, this pattern plays out in his life and may show us some meaning behind it.

Elihu also gives some statements of truth which serve to remind Job -and the reader- of the core truths about God's character that suffering has made Job question: 'Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.' (34.12) He also reminds Job that God doesn't owe us anything -in fact, He could make everything perish if He wanted to, and it would be comparable to our own sense of right to knock down and rebuild our own house if we wanted to.

With his statement that 'His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps' (34.21), it reminds Job that God wasn't looking the other way when all this tragedy came upon him. This ties in with the beginning of the book where God brings Job to Satan's attention; He sees Job in his loyal faithfulness.

Elihu also points out (perhaps similarly to Eliphaz in 22.2-3) that God does not profit from Job's righteousness. 'If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?' (35.7)

In chapter 36 a host of lyrics from the Psalms are used to reinforce the central message: it is worth trusting God and serving Him because ultimately those who do not 'perish' and 'die without knowledge' (v12). For a man of God, his story is that of the Psalmist's: 'He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.' (v16 - see Ps 4.1, 18.19, 31.8, 118.5, 23.5 and 36.8) As a side note, quite a few of the Psalms really sum up Job's journey and story such as Psalm 4 'You have given me relief when I was in distress. the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin... Offer right sacrifices,and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.'

Elihu urges Job to remember that though he may be righteous, he is still just flesh. God is God! And so above us, beyond our comprehension in every way. I find these lessons helpful and instructive, even if Elihu isn't completely 100% accurate in his assessment of Job's situation.

'Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
the number of his years is unsearchable.' (36.26 - see Ps 90.2, 102.27)

'The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.' (37.23 - see Ps 99.4)