The Book of Job-Chapter Thirty-Four:
"Friend
or Foe?"
Does Elihu wish Job harm? Does he
hate him or is he trying to help? To condemn or to instruct?
Verses 1-3:"Furthermore
Elihu answered and said,
Somethings must never change. In the Church at large today (and in yours and mine too) aren't there usually a multitude of words and opinions available for us to "chew" on? Words of comfort, of challenge, of peace. But also, if we are to be honest, accusations and scorn at times. The barbs of a friend somehow sting the most. That kind of pain seems to last the longest for me. I've been painting Elihu as sort of an upstart, maybe even a fool. But here he seems to be in possession of at least some truths about Job's situation. He pleads for a fair hearing and opportunity to draw his long arguments to their proper conclusion:
Verse 4:"Let
us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what
is good."
Verses
5-6: "For Job
hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my
judgment.
Wasn't
Works for Rewards -which is sometimes today called
"legalism"- the basis of their religion? So if Job was
suffering and if God allowed it, then it had to be
punishment for poor performance. So why had Job balked at
this? All his friends (now including Elihu) agreed that he
must have earned every ounce of his torment.
Fighting the enemy is hard, but disturbing your spiritual
allies can be even more painful and damaging. And Job is
doing both at once. Poor Job was "without transgression." At
least without the kind of which he is being accused. We've
known all along that the Lord was not punishing him for
anything he had done wrong. Actually it was his sterling
record that originally drew Satan's attention and made Job a
target.
Elihu is being rash. They all have been too quick to judge
this man. Listen to the bitterness of these accusations:
Verses 7-9: "What
man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
O, the barbs
of a friend. This is what we may face today at times in the
Church if we are going to actively follow God and live for
Him. Sometimes even in the holiest of settings we may stir
up the "wiles" of the Devil (see
I Corinthians 2:11 and also Ephesians 6:11-12).
But I can see both sides of this for I have misjudged my
brother or sister many times over the years. That disturbs
me more than anything Elihu is doing here.
When I
get that "high horse" attitude I've seen my defense of, my
adoration for the Lord, like Elihu's here, start to sound
more like dread. And dread is a very tough way to approach the Heavenly
Father:
Verses 14-15: "If he
set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his
spirit and his breath;
Beloved, don't be enticed by everyone on a soapbox (even in the Scriptures or in the Church!). Elihu is spreading fear and dread of God and even of life. There is a healthy "fear" of God, but this ain't it!
Verse
16: "If
now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken
to the voice of my words.
Verses 17-30: "Shall
even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn
him that is most just?
From Elihu's point of view, Job is
condemning God. Undermining His power, and the proper order
of things. Job is guilty of creating spiritual havoc.
Elihu's solution is similar to all inquisitors: Job must
fully recant!
Verse 31: "Surely
it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement,
I will not offend any more:"
He wants Job to come clean now and
confess to God and before them all:
Verses 32-35: "That which I see not teach
thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no
more.
Maybe he doesn't hate Job or maybe
he does. I can't judge his deepest motives nor can I
pretend to ignore my own judgmental tendencies. But
still and all, Elihu is really tearing into a man he
should have counted as a friend and spiritual brother in
need of support. Could it be that of all Satan's
tortures this may be the worst type?
Verses 36-37: "My
desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of
his answers for wicked men.