Elihu's Words (XIII)

The above words "trust God and be free from problems" sums up the belief of Elihu as expressed in this chapter (which will end Elihu's long speaking). It is a furtherance of what he has already affirmed. It is the belief that calamities, sufferings, and dying young were evidence of being rejected and punished by God. Rather than believing that only the good die young, Elihu rather affirms that only the bad die young. In previous chapters analyzing Elihu's speeches we have pointed out the wealth and prosperity message that he has promoted. If you live right, you will have little sufferings. We have shown how this view is opposed to what the bible teaches about the effects, in this life, of being saved or converted. 

Chapter 36 ended with these words of Elihu:

"He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm." (32-33)

At this part in the speech of Elihu you get the sense that the storm is rolling in. Perhaps even while Elihu is speaking there begins to be both lightning and thunder, perhaps even high winds. Perhaps Elihu is thinking that God is already beginning to manifest his presence and refers to it for this reason. He begins to speak of the effect of a storm on humans and animals as an illustration of God's sovereign rule over all things and at that moment they all hear the thunder. 

As Elihu is speaking here, it is not reading too much into the text to imagine the sky darkening and lightning starting to flash and the thunder beginning to roar. Elihu becomes terrified. He senses that the God whose work he’s been extolling is now coming on the scene. It’s entirely possible that this is what’s happening at this point in Elihu’s speech. God is coming. Something ironically strange is going on. Whether that is what is happening or not, Elihu continues by speaking once more of God’s work of lightning, which he is perhaps witnessing as God approaches.

Elihu continues (in chapter 37):

1“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. 2Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. 3He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. 9From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy." (Job 37: 1-13)

Elihu speaks of God's role as Creator and Governor over his creation, of God's providence. None of these facts about God's governance of nature or the physical world was ever denied by Job. In fact, Job's speeches even advocated the same. So, why is Elihu saying all these things? Are they not beside the point? 

When Elihu says that adversities (storms in life) come from God, he says that there are several reasons behind God's choice to send such. He says it may be "for correction," for the purpose of bringing about repentance and a restoration to the favor of God. But again, Job never denied that this is sometimes the reason behind God's correction. He says another reason may be that God is sending storms of trials "for his land," or for the good of all. Just as a society may punish a criminal in order to "correct," or "rehabilitate" the criminal, so too in order to keep the whole of the land safe from such criminals. Storms, because they bring rain, may indeed help the land become more fertile, but that can hardly be the meaning of Elihu, because storms with high winds and lightning often destroy the land. 

By "his land" is not a reference to the dirt or soil, but to the inhabitants of a land, to a country. The third reason given by Elihu is that God punishes, corrects, or chastises, in order to show mercy. So, how does thunder, lightning, and stormy wind become a show of mercy? Commentators are all over the place in interpreting what was meant by Elihu. How does a tornado become a means for God to show mercy? It does not help the land (soil) nor does it help the inhabitants of the land. So, what does Elihu mean? I think he is saying that tornadoes often take away the most wicked of men from a community and so this helps to ensure the safety of the community. Ironically, it could be viewed as an act of mercy for God to show up in such a tempest and to cut off Elihu from speaking further! Had God allowed him to keep speaking he would, comically speaking, yet still be talking! It was an act of mercy for God to remove Elihu by the whirlwind for it stopped his foolish talking.

That Job well understood God's sovereign control over the cosmos may be seen in these words from Job's dialogues:

"He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Indeed these are the mere edges (parts kjv) of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26: 12-14 nkjv)

Thomas Aquinas in his commentary wrote (emphasis mine):

"We should consider from the arguments put forth by Eliud that he agreed partly with Job and partly with the friends. He agreed with Job (c. 7 and 14:11) because he believed the reward of good men and the punishment of evil men will be in the future afterlife. (32:22) But he agreed with the friends of Job (33:27) because he believed that all the adversities of the present life happen in return for sins, and if one repents of his sins he will return to prosperity. He also agreed with the friends of Job as to the person of Job himself, (36:18) because he thought that he had been punished for his sin, and that the justice which appeared in him at first was a pretense. He interpreted the words of Job wrongly (33:10) as did the others."

He also said, in answering the question as to why Job did not respond to the long speech of Elihu:

"Job did not answer his arguments, first, because he agreed with him in his principal dogmas in which the friends, whom he had called, “cultivators of false dogmas” were in error (13:10) What Eliud said about his person was not of such great concern to Job that he wanted to argue with Eliud because of it especially because he could not prove the purity of his conscience with any better arguments than he had already used, namely, by divine witness. Second, [Job did not answer] because from youthful presumption, in the manner of quarrelsome people, words which he had not said or which he had meant in a different way than Eliud had interpreted them. Therefore, to avoid quarrelling, he determined that he should rather be silent and commit the question to divine judgment."

I also believe that Job did not answer because God showed up and instantly cut off Elihu. I also agree that Job would have felt no desire to wrangle with Elihu. He was better off being ignored. Further, Elihu added nothing new to the conversation and Job had already answered the repetitious accusations of Elihu.