We said that Elihu had First, a new approach,. Second, a new answer. Third a new appeal.

We have looked at the first two now lets consider the third thought:

The appeal of Elipaz (aka Larry), Bildad (aka Curly) and Zophar (aka Mo) if appeal could be called an appeal finally amounted to, "Own up, and cease being a hypocrite."

"The reason, pastor why I don’t attend any church is because there are too many hypocrites" I have been told so many times to which my standard reply is "There is always room for one more!"

The appeal of Elihu has nothing to do with that sort of attitude. It is an appeal foe a new attitude in Job toward his afflictions. Larry, Curly and Mo had kept harping on some supposed wicked behaviour in the past. Elihu is concerned with a wrong attitude in the present. He does not discuss whether Job has committed grievous sin in the past. He accepts job’s protestation of innocence and while it may very well be that the protestation is genuine enough, Job’s present attitude and his spirit are all wrong. Job’s suffering may not be for past sin at all! His suffering is more than likely a chastening with some ultimately good purpose. But (there’s that but) Job is thwarting his own good by his impossible attitude.

Now then, in line with his philosophy of affliction as being corrective and educational rather than judicial and punitive, Elihu’s appeal is for a teachable humility on Job’s part. This is where Elihu feels that Job has mainly failed. As with others who have not been heard by God because their motive was wrong (Chapter 35 verse 12) " There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men." . So even Job’s requestions and protests earnest though they may have been, have sprung from a wrong motive, namely pride-a pride which has been self-righteously occupied with the vindication of Job himself even to the point of impugning God’s righteousness. God will not hear such "vanity" (Chapter 35 verse 13) "Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it." Job needs to realize his own impotence and ignorance (Chapter 37 verse 14-24)

This Gentle Reader, is what most of us who study seriously the word and the Words of the Bible which is called the word of God as is Christ Jesus.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (Gospel of John Chapter 1 verses 1-5 )

This is what we consider discerning or perhaps discernment. Discernment is seeing life through God’s perspective. Which we note "for the record" that Science which takes only evidence which it can see, feel, touch, taste, cannot ever touch God. For Gentle reader if God could be proved then God wouldn’t be would He?

Next time we’ll get just one step closer to explaining for once and for all why bad things happen to good people.

Love,

Denis