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Job and his friends were not
alone when they talked together. A young man was sitting by, and
listening to all they said; but he did not speak until they were silent;
for they were older than he, and he thought, "Days should speak, and
multitude of years should teach wisdom." This young man's name
was Elihu. Humility and respect made him keep silent so long; but
Elihu had much to say, for God had given him great wisdom; and so, when
the others left off speaking, he offered to answer Job himself.
Elihu was angry with what had been said. He was displeased with Job,
because he had justified himself more than God; and he was displeased with
his three friends, "because they had found no answer, and yet had
condemned Job." So
Elihu said, "Hearken unto me, I also will show my
opinion." Then they all listened, in silence, to what Elihu had
to say. And how did Elihu
answer them? First, he reproved Job for justifying himself more than
God. Job had said, "I am righteous, and God hath taken away my
judgment;" and "it profiteth a man nothing that he should
delight himself with God." This was accusing God of injustice;
it was saying, that God had acted wrongly in afflicting a righteous
man. But Elihu said, "Far be it from God that He should do
wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity; for the
work of a man shall He render unto him, and cause every man to find
according to his ways." Yes;—God is perfectly holy, and
perfectly wise; and therefore He will not, He cannot, do anything wrong or
unjust; God can never err, never be mistaken. God often, indeed,
acts in a way which we cannot understand; He often does things which
perplex us, and which seem to us to be for evil, and not for good.
But this is because we are ignorant; because we see only a little part of
God's doings; because we do not know, as He does, all the past, and all
the future; nor see the end from the beginning, as He can. Then,
whenever we feel doubtful, and perplexed, and inclined to murmur, like
Job, at what God does, let us remember what Elihu said—"God is
greater than man; why dost thou strive against Him? for He giveth not
account of any of His matters;" and if we feel this, then we shall be
willing to trust to His power and goodness, and say, as Abraham did,
"Shall not the judge of all the earth do right." Genesis
18:25. Elihu reminded Job
of many things, which might teach him how much greater God was than
he. He spoke of the eternity of God. He said, "God is
great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be
searched out." How can we understand all the greatness of God,
when we are ourselves poor, weak creatures, made of dust, and
"crushed before the moth?" And then, Elihu spoke of the
works of God. He reminded Job of the light, and the thunder, and the
clouds, and the rain; and of the wonderful way in which God orders all
these things, too wonderful for Job to understand, for "He doeth
great things which we cannot comprehend;" and therefore Job was to
"stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God." And
now the Lord himself answered Job, and spoke to him out of the whirlwind;
and bid him reply to Him, if he could. He said, "I will demand
of thee, and answer thou me." And then the Lord asked Job if he
could tell how the earth was made, and if he understood the motion of the
stars, or was able to rule the sea, and the light, and the darkness.
And God spoke to him of some of the animals which He had created, and of
the wonderful instinct which He had given them; He reminded Job of the
goats, and the wild ass, and the peacock, and the ostrich, and the
horse. Job had seen all these animals; perhaps he knew much of their
habits, and their histories; and he might have known, too, much of the
other works of God. But Job could not make one of these things, nor
even understand how they were made. He could only notice them, and
admire them, and wonder at them; and that was all. And if Job could
not understand the works of God, how could he understand God himself? and
then how could he dare to contend with Him, or to murmur at anything He
did? Job felt all this. He felt humbled and ashamed; and
therefore, instead of again trying to justify himself, he said,
"Behold I am vile, what shall I answer Thee? I will lay my hand
upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea,
twice, but I will proceed no further." And
when we behold the wonderful works of God, we should, like Job,
feel our own weakness and sinfulness: and how thankful we should be,
that this great Creator is our merciful Father too; "that God is
love;" and that He has shown His love by giving "His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3:16.
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