by jimwalton » Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:06 am
In Job 29-31, Job defends his integrity. He couldn't possibly be suffering because he sinned. He contends that it's poor policy for God to inflict suffering on righteous people (a misunderstanding that flows through the whole book).
In chapters 32-37, a new “friend”—a new speaker—enters the conversation. Elihu asks the question, “If you are good and don’t get blessed in this life, why would you bother to be good (34.9)? And if you are bad and don’t get punished in this life, then why would you not be bad and get whatever you can? We should do whatever gives us the good life.”
Those ideas are not correct, but Elihu does say some things that are helpful.
1. It is God who gives understanding (32.8).
2. It is not only the older people who are wise, and not every older person is wise just because they’re old (32.9).
3. God doesn’t send all suffering, but He does discipline those who are His children (33.16-18).
4. We should still repent of sin when we sin (34.29, 32-33; 36.21)
5. God can be both punishing or gracious as He sees fit (33.24-26, 29).
6. God is not cruel and He doesn’t do anything evil (34.10, 12, 17)
7. God is just (34.11-12; 36.3; 7.23). Good people suffer for many different reasons. And sometimes bad people aren’t judged right away because God is trying to draw them to repentance. There are many things going on in life, and it’s impossible for us to know all of them (34.13, 21).
8. When something doesn’t make sense to us, we should not be quick to condemn God for it (34.17).
9. God is not obligated to make our life easy because we’ve been good (35.3, 7-8; 36.18-19), nor is He obligated to punish wickedness in this life. God is free to do what is wise in the long run.
10. It’s good to try to understand God and to search for wisdom, but don’t expect that you’ll find an answer to every question or circumstance (35.10-11; 37.15-16, 23).
11. People should be more interested in coming to know God better than on trying to get God to solve their problems (35.10-11).
12. God is free to answer our prayers or not. There are many reasons God answers some prayers and not others. We must trust God’s wisdom.
13. Even though we can’t understand everything God does, we can at least understand that God isn’t just cruel to humans. That’s not a full understanding of human suffering (36.5, 15; 37.19).
14. When you suffer, it’s still your obligation to obey God in all things (36.11-13).
In chapters 38-41,God finally enters the conversation and responds to Job and his friends. His point that you don’t have enough information to accurately understand all the decisions God makes and why, and so ultimately though you may understand some things, you will not understand others. You must trust God’s wisdom. You cannot understand God or how He runs the world by interpreting human suffering.
The point is that humans can understand a lot, but there’s a lot they can’t possibly know. We can at least understand that life is complex, all suffering is not because of sin, and that God is not evil or cruel (38.15).
In 38.25-27, God makes the point that even though He is just, not everything that happens in the world is just. Just like the rain and things like gravity treat everyone the same even though they’re not, the way God works doesn’t always pertain to whether they are good or not. Even in animals we see peace, violence, courage, stubbornness, tameness and wildness. It’s true in people and in circumstances. It doesn’t mean God is apathetic or evil.
Humans don’t have enough sight, knowledge, and perspective to do everything right, as God does. We don’t always know the best course and the right decision. We don’t always understand all of what needs to be known. Instead of assuming we know better than everyone else and better than God, we need to trust God’s wisdom.
Sometimes what looks like God’s cruelty or injustice is really His patience or His grace. There’s more at play than we can see.
What we can learn from suffering is more important than what caused it.
In Job 29-31, Job defends his integrity. He couldn't possibly be suffering because he sinned. He contends that it's poor policy for God to inflict suffering on righteous people (a misunderstanding that flows through the whole book).
In chapters 32-37, a new “friend”—a new speaker—enters the conversation. Elihu asks the question, “If you are good and don’t get blessed in this life, why would you bother to be good (34.9)? And if you are bad and don’t get punished in this life, then why would you not be bad and get whatever you can? We should do whatever gives us the good life.”
Those ideas are not correct, but Elihu does say some things that are helpful.
[list]1. It is God who gives understanding (32.8).
2. It is not only the older people who are wise, and not every older person is wise just because they’re old (32.9).
3. God doesn’t send all suffering, but He does discipline those who are His children (33.16-18).
4. We should still repent of sin when we sin (34.29, 32-33; 36.21)
5. God can be both punishing or gracious as He sees fit (33.24-26, 29).
6. God is not cruel and He doesn’t do anything evil (34.10, 12, 17)
7. God is just (34.11-12; 36.3; 7.23). Good people suffer for many different reasons. And sometimes bad people aren’t judged right away because God is trying to draw them to repentance. There are many things going on in life, and it’s impossible for us to know all of them (34.13, 21).
8. When something doesn’t make sense to us, we should not be quick to condemn God for it (34.17).
9. God is not obligated to make our life easy because we’ve been good (35.3, 7-8; 36.18-19), nor is He obligated to punish wickedness in this life. God is free to do what is wise in the long run.
10. It’s good to try to understand God and to search for wisdom, but don’t expect that you’ll find an answer to every question or circumstance (35.10-11; 37.15-16, 23).
11. People should be more interested in coming to know God better than on trying to get God to solve their problems (35.10-11).
12. God is free to answer our prayers or not. There are many reasons God answers some prayers and not others. We must trust God’s wisdom.
13. Even though we can’t understand everything God does, we can at least understand that God isn’t just cruel to humans. That’s not a full understanding of human suffering (36.5, 15; 37.19).
14. When you suffer, it’s still your obligation to obey God in all things (36.11-13).[/list]
In chapters 38-41,God finally enters the conversation and responds to Job and his friends. His point that you don’t have enough information to accurately understand all the decisions God makes and why, and so ultimately though you may understand some things, you will not understand others. You must trust God’s wisdom. You cannot understand God or how He runs the world by interpreting human suffering.
The point is that humans can understand a lot, but there’s a lot they can’t possibly know. We can at least understand that life is complex, all suffering is not because of sin, and that God is not evil or cruel (38.15).
In 38.25-27, God makes the point that even though He is just, not everything that happens in the world is just. Just like the rain and things like gravity treat everyone the same even though they’re not, the way God works doesn’t always pertain to whether they are good or not. Even in animals we see peace, violence, courage, stubbornness, tameness and wildness. It’s true in people and in circumstances. It doesn’t mean God is apathetic or evil.
Humans don’t have enough sight, knowledge, and perspective to do everything right, as God does. We don’t always know the best course and the right decision. We don’t always understand all of what needs to be known. Instead of assuming we know better than everyone else and better than God, we need to trust God’s wisdom.
Sometimes what looks like God’s cruelty or injustice is really His patience or His grace. There’s more at play than we can see.
What we can learn from suffering is more important than what caused it.