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

The section with Elihu's speeches may have been included in a later redaction of the book. The fact that Job doesn't respond to his arguments, as well as the fact that God doesn't refer to him, points in that direction.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Dawsonzhu@aol.com
  To: mrb22667@kansas.net ; dopderbeck@gmail.com
  Cc: asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 9:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [asa] Re: asa-digest V1 #6228

    (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 Thu Oct 19 19:20:42 2006