One of the most damaging things about Elihu’s comments is
that he has just enough truth to be dangerous.
He uses his sliver of truth to launch erroneous accusations against
Job. One of his accurate statements is
worth a moment of pause as we travel together.
I think that one of the reasons that we fail to see the
depth of our need for grace and mercy from God is that we think we deserve
something from God. We cannot understand
because of our fallen nature that we do not merit anything from God. Everything God gives is an act of love and
mercy.
It is our actions and attitudes that separate us from
God. We rejected and continue to reject
him. His response to our constant
rejection is to love us, die for us, and forgive us. We always need his mercy. We only exist because of God’s good
will. Elihu is right; if not for the
constant sustenance of God we would cease to exist.
Elihu does not see that in this truth lies the problem with
his condemnation of Job. His angry judgment
rejects the very mercy that is necessary for him to live. He should be respectfully uplifting the man
he thinks has fallen. He should be modeling
the grace and mercy that he thinks is necessary to restore others.
I must always travel this journey back to God with the
understanding that every step I successfully take is one allowed by grace and
mercy. I must see others as needing that
same grace and mercy. There is no one
who is not capable of being brought back to God through the power of his love
and grace.
The moment I condemn a person I am wrong. I can say someone’s actions are wrong without
judging the person or rejecting them as worthy of God’s love. They are all worthy because he says they
are. It is grace and mercy that allow me
to take a single step toward him. It is
that same grace, mercy, and love that I must constantly extend to others.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home
owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store."
Job 34:1-37
Elihu continued to speak to Job and his friends,
(2)
"Listen to my words, you wise men. Open your ears to me, you
intelligent men. (3) The ear tests words like the tongue tastes
food. (4) Let's decide for ourselves what is right and
agree among ourselves as to what is good, (5) because Job has said, 'I'm
righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
(6) I'm considered a liar in
spite of my rights. I've been wounded by a deadly arrow, though I haven't been
disobedient.' (7) What person is like Job, who drinks scorn
like water, (8) who travels with troublemakers and associates with evil
people? (9) He says, 'It doesn't do any good to try to
please God.'
(10) "You people, who have understanding,
listen to me. It is unthinkable that God would ever do evil or that the
Almighty would ever do wicked things.
(11) God will repay humanity for
what it has done and will give each person what he deserves. (12)
Certainly, God will never do anything evil, and the Almighty will never
pervert justice. (13) Who put him in charge of the earth? Who
appointed him to be over the whole world?
(14) If he thought only of
himself and withdrew his Spirit and his breath, (15) all living beings would
die together, and humanity would return to dust.
(16) "If you understand, listen to this. Open
your ears to my words! (17) Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to
govern? Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty? (18)
Should anyone even say to a king, 'You good-for-nothing scoundrel!' or
to nobles, 'You wicked people!'
(19) The one who is righteous and
mighty does not grant special favors to princes or prefer important people over
poor people because his hands made them all.
(20) They die suddenly in the
middle of the night. People have seizures and pass away. Mighty people are
taken away but not by human hands.
(21) God's eyes are on a person's
ways. He sees all his steps. (22) There's no darkness or deep shadow where
troublemakers can hide. (23) He doesn't have to set a time for a person in
order to bring him to divine judgment.
(24) He breaks mighty people into
pieces without examining them and puts others in their places. (25)
He knows what they do, so he overthrows them at night, and they're
crushed. (26) In return for their evil, he strikes them in
public, (27) because they turned away from following him and didn't consider any
of his ways. (28) They forced the poor to cry out to him, and
he hears the cry of those who suffer.
(29) If he keeps quiet, who can
condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him whether it is a nation or a
single person? (30) He does this so that godless people cannot
rule and so that they cannot trap people.
(31) "But suppose such a person says to God,
'I am guilty, I will stop my immoral behavior.
(32) Teach me what I cannot see.
If I've done wrong, I won't do it again.'
(33) Should God reward you on
your own terms since you have rejected his? You must choose, not I. Tell me
what you know. Speak!
(34) "People of understanding, the wise
people who listen to me, will say, (35) 'Job speaks without knowledge. His
words show no insight.'
(36) "My Father, let Job be thoroughly tested
for giving answers like wicked people do.
(37) He adds disobedience to his
sin. He claps his hands to insult us. He multiplies his words against
God."
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