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- What is the qualitative difference between Elihu's advice and Job's other friends? i.e. Why does God praise him while the others are rebuked?
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One simple definition of wisdom is "knowledge applied." As has already been stated previously in this thread, Job's three friends had a great deal of knowledge. They had "truths." For instance, they believed that God punishes the wicked. However, they misapplied their true knowledge. They improperly reasoned backwards. They thought as follows: God punishes the wicked and causes them to suffer. Job is suffering greatly by God's hand. Therefore Job must be wicked.
The three friends employed an early version of the "health and wealth" gospel that has become quite popular (just watch TBN for 5 minutes). They believed that if you are righteous then you will receive material blessings. This is main theme that reoccurs throughout the speeches of the 3 friends. This especially comes out in chapter 11, which is why my sermon title for that chapter is
"TBN 2000 BC".
Elihu, on the other hand does not mishandle the truth. He rebukes Job for seeking to justify himself rather than God (33:2) the three friends for bringing unsubstantiated accusations against Job (33:3). Both of these are correct. Job was interested only in vindication, in his good name, in his own restoration. He was not seeking God's glory in his suffering. In fact he took to making false accusations against God. The friends are concerned with condemning Job, and Job is concerned with defending himself. Elihu is jealous for God's glory, and points out Job's error directly in 33:8-13. He follows this with a description of great suffering and in v.29-30 shows the positive redemptive purposes of suffering. He reiterates this in 36:15-16, which is followed by a warning to flee from sin, from bringing accusations against God and charging him with wrongdoing 36:21-23, followed by a number of awesome statements of God's power and glory, that are foreshadowing God's own words in chapter 38. A striking statement that directly contradicts the assumptions of the 3 friends is found in 37:13, "Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen." Elihu sees manifold purposes for suffering. As Elihu is speaking he is heralding the coming of the king. He speaks of the loud thunderings approaching and flashes of lightning as the Lord approaches from the distance, riding on the wings of the storm. The sky grows black with the storm, and the Lord arrives in 38:1 in the force of a tornado.
Interestingly the Lord makes no mention of Elihu, which is why some liberal commentators have wrongly thought that his speech is a later edition to the book. However, God's speeches in 38-41 repeat much of what Elihu says about God's power and glory revealed in his creation in 36-37. This shows ultimately that Elihu is God's messenger, sent much like John the Baptist to prepare for the coming of the Lord. He speaks the word of the Lord given to him, which is exactly what he says in 36:2-4, "I have yet something to say on God's behalf. I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you." Elihu isn't claiming perfection, however the Lord is present, God is the one who is perfect knowledge that Elihu refers to. So Elihu arrives suddenly in chapter 32, and disappears after chapter 37 and is never mentioned again. He has fulfilled his roll, he has spoken God's Word, and so he receives neither rebuke nor salutation.
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- Where (if at all) in Job do you see textual evidence of Job's proto-knowledge of the resurrection, evidence which exceeds the vagueness of Sheol? i.e. How do you see him grappling with the concept of the resurrection, as you put it? Is he grappling because the concept is absent from his religious tradition, but he nevertheless knows it must be true because of the many contradictions in his life? Like Camus' Absurd Man?
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Although Job speaks of death in a number of places, I will address specifically 14:7-17. Job is desperately seeking vindication, and yet he believes he will soon die. In fact, satan has beaten him to within an inch of his life, having received permission to cause him ultimate physical suffering, however given the command to keep him alive. So Job wonders how he can be vindicated if he dies soon and the Lord does not come, and in this pondering he hits directly upon the truth of the resurrection. He speaks of a tree that is cut down (killed), and yet sprouts up again at a later date. He envies the resurrection of the tree because it has the future hope (14:7-9). However Job has never seen a man come back to life. He says in v.12 "so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep." He then makes a remarkable request of God. To hide him in sheol (death) for a time, and then appoint a time at a later date to remember Job and bring about his renewal (v.14). Job is asking to be raised from death to new life! Job is praying for what God has already ordained to give! Job is begging for what is clearly the gift of God in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15.
However, this glimmer of hope quickly fades, and Job returns to his pessimistic ranting in 14:18-22. Job goes back and forth between hope and despair, he is wrestling with who God is in light of his own great suffering. However, God will settle those questions without a doubt in 38-42.
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I found it highly interesting that you notice a shift in chapter 3, where Job begins sinning. What textual evidence do you find that causes you to place the turning point in chapter 3, and where exactly in the chapter do you think that shift occurs?
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Job 3:1, "After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth."
This is a decisive turning point from the first two chapters. (
My sermon on it is here if you're interested).The narrator has painting Job as an image of faithfulness, and God himself says to Satan, "there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil." (2:3)
Job responds with grace and faithfulness to losing all of his wealth, the death of his children, his body being pummeled by disease, and even his wife being used as a tool of the devil to tempt him (what satan predicts Job will do, his wife commands him to do, that is to curse God). However, after Job's initial response of faith, time is allowed to pass. There has been time for the word of this great disaster to spread throughout the surrounding lands, time for the message to reach the three friends in their lands, time for them to correspond with each other, to plan the journey, and then to come to see Job. Then they arrive and sit with him in silence for 7 days. Job is now living in torment. His own testimony of his suffering is given in 30:27-31 "27 My inward parts are in turmoil and never still; days of affliction come to meet me. 28 I go about darkened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 29 I am a brother of jackals and a companion of ostriches. 30 My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat. 31 My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep. "
So, when he finally opens his mouth after a good deal of time has passed (we don't know how long exactly, but maybe several months), the first thing he utters is not a blessing as was the case in 1:21-22, "And he said, Naked I cam from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed by the name of the LORD. In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." We're told at this point that he did not sin. However, in 3:1, instead of blessing he utters a horrific curse.
Satan's claim in this trial are that Job will curse God to his face. Up until now Satan has failed miserably in his efforts to make this happen. However, Job now comes dangerously close to failure. He does sin as he curses God's providence in his life. He knows that God has brought him forth from the womb, and now he curses the day on which he was born and the night on which he was conceived in his mother's womb. Take the time to read the curse line by line and see the absolute loathing he has for his life. He wants to die, he wishes that had never been born. He says that he longs for death and digs for it more than for hidden treasures (3:21).
These aren't small nuances being pulled out from the text, but I believe these are all self-evident in the text if you take the time to study it with care.
I highly suggest you begin your further studies of Job by reading
Conflict and Triumph by William Henry Green.
Unfortunately, I do not have a great deal of time to spend writing posts, and I've already spent over an hour on this one. So my answers in any future dialog will need to be much more brief, as my primary duties are to the body I've been called to here.
Grace and Peace,
Andrew