Chapters 32-37 of the book of Job record the speech of Elihu. The argument Job had with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar wound down without either side convincing the other (Job 32:1). Elihu was a younger man who waited his turn to speak (Job 32:6-7). He disagreed with both sides. “Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job” (Job 32:2, 3).
It is difficult to know what to make of Elihu’s arguments. He begins to address Job in 33:1, but many of his words do not seem to advance beyond the case that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar made. Job does not reply to Elihu; God answers Job in chapters 38-41. Job is put in his place and repents in dust and ashes (Job 42:6). God also corrects Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, saying, “ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job” (Job 42:7). But God does not address Elihu at all with either commendation or rebuke. Elihu’s words in chapter 37 seem to forge the way for the Lord’s words in chapters 39-41. Elihu reflects on nature and the wondrous works of God in the created order. Since he asks Job in 37:14-18 if he can explain the workings of the sky and the weather to get him to recognize his ignorance and back down from his challenge to God, it is reasonable to see Elihu as a forerunner to God (see Job 38).
Whatever your take is on Elihu, there is one question he posed to Job that hits the nail on the head. Job had lamented about God, “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment” (Job 9:32). But Elihu asked Job, “Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters” (Job 33:13). When it comes to the question of why suffering occurs, God is not required to give man an answer. When the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, He did not tell Job about the challenge with Satan. Neither did He explain that a book would be written about this, whereby multitudes throughout the millennia would draw faith to continue to serve God amid suffering. God simply asked Job a series of questions that show man is incapable of a response and has no right to question the Almighty. Man’s knowledge is so limited; God’s understanding is infinite (Psa. 147:5). It would be absurd for God to have to give an account to man to verify if He were doing the right thing.
Even if we did get an answer from God as to why He allowed something to happen in our lives, would we understand it? Would we not have a follow-up question or two because we don’t see how everything connects? The prophet Habakkuk asked God why the wicked in Judah go unpunished (Hab. 1:1-3). In essence he wonders why God doesn’t do something. God answered that He would send the Chaldeans/Babylonians to punish Judah for her iniquity (Hab. 1:5-11). But that didn’t put an end to the matter. The prophet had more questions as to why God would use an even more wicked nation—Babylon—to punish Judah (Hab. 1:12-17). He asked God, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” (Hab. 1:13). There were a few righteous in Judah, including Habakkuk, who would suffer along with the wicked. How could God allow this?
After asking his follow-up questions, Habakkuk respectively waited for God’s answer, saying, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved” (Hab. 2:1). God knew the Babylonians’ wickedness and described it in detail in His answer (Hab. 2:5-20). God had an “appointed time” (Hab. 2:3) when He would bring an end to Judah and to Babylon for that matter, but He was not indebted to any man to reveal the answer before He chose to reveal it. God had His timetable. Habakkuk prophesied a little prior to 600 BC. Judah fell to Babylon in 586 BC. Babylon then fell to Persia in 538 BC. Both nations were under the illusion that they would never fall, but God brought an end to them within a century of Habakkuk’s life. The bottom line is the proud would be punished and the righteous would need to continue to trust that God knows what He is doing, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4). Like Job, Habakkuk committed to rejoicing in the Lord even if scarcity and suffering were his lot (Hab. 3:17, 18; cf. Job. 13:15). These godly men learned the difficult lesson that God does not owe them an answer.
Like Elihu, we cannot agree with either side of the argument Job had with his three friends. We know that just because a man is suffering, we cannot conclude that he is a greater sinner than others. Jesus plainly taught this (Luke 13:1-5; John 9:1-3). But we also know man has no right to question God. As Elihu restated the point of Eliphaz (Job. 4:17), man cannot be more righteous than God (Job. 35:2). How we would run the universe would not be more righteous than what the Lord is doing. Instead of complaining about God, we must take our questions to God, knowing there is hope in Him.
Like Elihu, we may want to contribute to this great discussion on why bad things happen. Young men tend to think they can articulate an answer. But if, “Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7), then let us allow the “I AM” (John 8:58) who has “neither beginning of days, nor end of life” (Heb. 7:3) “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3) have the last word. None of us is without fault, “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). But the Son of God was without sin (Heb. 4:15); yet He suffered for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18). If anyone has the right to ask, “Why?” it was the sinless Son of God who died on the cross (Mark 15:34). The cross is the most powerful answer to any question I may have about whether God has done right by me.
–Mark Day