After Job’s three contemporaries unsuccessfully try to convince Job of why his suffering is just, there enters a fourth friend, a young man named Elihu. Since Elihu is the only one of the four friends with a Hebrew name, many scholars think that Elihu’s encounter with Job was added later to the book. Regardless, since all Scripture is considered the Word of God, it is helpful to take his message to Job at his word.
As a younger man, until this time Elihu waited, because he let the wisdom of the ages have its day. But now, with all due respect, he makes the case that what makes a difference is not age, but having the Spirit of God upon you. So, having not heard a sufficiently good confrontation with Job to this point, Elihu speaks.
What Elihu says is very consistent with the “so-called answer” to the book of Job given in the next four chapters. How can anyone declare his/her innocent before a righteous and majestic God. “God is greater than any mortal.” (Job 33:12) When you compare any mortal’s character with the greatness and goodness of God, the human being falls short. Job has said, “I am clean, without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.” But how can Job stand before the righteous Judge and be clean? “Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable.”
Sometimes, when I look at the stars and planets at night—Jupiter and Saturn near the moon on the Fourth of July—I am struck by Elihu’s argument: how can I possibly match up to God? I get it. It is like when you hear one of your favorite authors or other heroes speak and afterwards all you can do is to quote them. But does this mean you cannot intuitively comprehend God? Elihu’s very argument for inspiration as a youth seems to detract from his argument. God can give us the insight into understanding.
So, the answer to the question of how we stand before God comes down to us being a part of humanity, and therefore a part of human sin. Elihu declares, “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? Your wickedness affects others like you, and your righteousness, other human beings.” (Job 35:6-8) Although we cannot always see and acknowledge our sin, yet we know all human beings do sin, and therefore so do we, and we need God’s forgiveness.
“Holy God, we cannot always know our sins. Help us to humbly admit that we do fall short of following your will, and to ask for your forgiveness. Amen.”
Pastor Roger Black
