Re: [asa] Re: asa-digest V1 #6228

Did you note that God butted into Elihu's speech with a very strong
condemnation: "Who is this darkening counsel speaking without knowledge?"
(Job 38:2) If God called him a fool, why are we trying to make sense of
his lengthy declamation (32:6-37:34)?
Dave

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:59:00 EDT Dawsonzhu@aol.com writes:

(B.T.W. this may have been addressed in another thread I've forgotten,
but does
anyone know why Elihu alone among Job's friends was not singled out for
repentance? If we put Elihu's exhortations next to those of Bildad,
Eliphaz &
Co., could anyone tell the difference?)

Elihu's argument seems to center on the righteousness of God
33:12-13
[12] But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than
man.
[13] Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words?

34:10-13
[10] So listen to me, you men of understanding, Far be it from God to do
evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.
[11] He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his
conduct deserves
[12] It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the almighty would
pervert justice.
[13] Who appointed him over the earth? Why put him in charge of the whole
world?

I tended to read verse 34:11 as though Elihu is repeating the same
refrain as his friends, but in context, Elihu does imply that he will not

raise the same assertions (32:12- "...but not one of you has proved
Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments."). So
maybe the way to read this is something like the following.

(1) A general statement about God's judgment, not aimed directly
at Job himself.
(2) God's ultimate judgment at the end of the age when everything
is laid out, whereupon Job will receive his reward.

The main issue is that Job was tending toward trying to
condemn God to justify himself.

by Grace we proceed,
Wayne

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Received on Wed Oct 18 22:21:00 2006