- The book of Job presents one of the Bible’s most profound explorations of human suffering.
- No other book in the Bible explores suffering with such profound depth.
- It uniquely provides both an earthly and heavenly perspective on suffering.
In earlier chapters, we witnessed an intense debate between Job and his three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
Last Sunday, we examined Job’s final response to these friends—his oath of clearance.
Today, in chapters 32-37, a fourth friend named Elihu enters the conversation.
Who is Elihu? – Job 32:1-5
“So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.” (Job 32:1- 5, ESV)
- Appears to be youthful, angry, somewhat arrogant, and somewhat boastful
- Though Elihu is introduced as a new voice in chapter 32, his theological approach shares significant overlap with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar:
Similar theological framework – Like the three friends, Elihu believes that people suffer because they sin. He thinks bad things happen to those who do wrong.
Similar accusations against Job – Though his language is sometimes gentler,
Elihu essentially repeats many of the same charges, accusing Job of arrogance, self-righteousness, and rebellion against God.
Similar defense of God’s justice – Elihu, like the other friends, cares more about defending God’s fairness than actually helping Job feel better.
- In past sermons we’ve discussed these approaches extensively and learned what the Bible teaches on these matters.
- Today, I want to focus on common mistakes Christians make when responding to suffering through Elihu’s example—mistakes that still persist in our churches.
In any case, you’ll notice that when God finally speaks, He addresses and corrects the three friends (Job 42:7-9), but remains silent about Elihu.
- Though Elihu may have been well-intentioned in his remarks, he missed the mark.
Today, we’ll examine four critical mistakes Elihu made – mistakes we often repeat when trying to comfort those in pain.
1. He assumed he fully understood God’s Purposes
Elihu repeatedly claimed to know exactly why Job was suffering:
“I tell you, in this you are not right… Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one’s words? For God does speak—now one way, now another though no one perceives it.” (Job 33:12-14)
Elihu presumed to know God’s exact purposes in allowing suffering.
Consider how Elihu claims to speak for God in Job 36:2-4: “Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf. I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.”
Elihu repeatedly assumes he knows exactly why Job suffers and what God is doing, despite having no direct revelation from God. He presumes to understand divine purposes that even Job himself doesn’t comprehend.
How often do we make the same mistake? We say things like
“God is teaching you patience,”
“This happened because God wants you to minister to others with the same affliction. ˮ
While these may sometimes be true, doesn’t Scripture teach that God’s thoughts far exceed our understanding?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
- It’s like a three-year-old trying to understand quantum physics.
- Even a three-year-old trying to understand quantum physics has a smaller knowledge gap than the one between our understanding and God’s wisdom.
- When our children are young, they cannot understand why parents won’t let them eat candy for dinner.
- From a child’s limited perspective, parents seem cruel, but the reality is that adults understand nutrition in ways children simply can’t grasp.
Gospel Connection:
- Jesus himself demonstrated this truth in Gethsemane when he prayed,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
- Even Jesus, in his human nature, didn’t fully comprehend all the Father’s purposes in his suffering, yet he trusted.
- Our response should be the same – humble trust rather than presumed understanding.
2. He prioritized Defending God Over Comforting Job
Elihu was deeply concerned with defending God’s justice:
“Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong” (Job 34:10). While his theological concern was valid, Elihu’s defense of God came at the expense of compassion for Job.
He was more interested in winning a theological argument than comforting a suffering brother.
“Does he need your help? Is it for his benefit that you try to make things right? Does God need you to defend his ways? Will you plead the Almighty’s case?” (Job 13:7-8)
The Bible clearly addresses the question of whether humans need to defend God.
In Job 13:7-8, Job directly challenges his friends, questioning whether God needs their defense.
This passage reminds us that our attempts to defend God often say more about our own insecurities than about God’s character.
When we rush to explain suffering or defend God’s actions, we may actually misrepresent Him, as Job’s friends did.
God later rebukes them, saying, “You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has” (Job 42:7).
True comfort comes not from defending God’s reputation but from embodying His compassion.
- . When people suffer, they need our presence more than our explanations.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)
Question: When a brother or sister loses a loved one, can a theological explanation about God’s sovereignty really help them?
In times of deep distress, they don’t need a lecture on God’s will.
They need someone to sit with them and acknowledge that their loss is horrible.
The people who demonstrate Christ-like love are those who simply show up, bring meals, and cry with them.
Gospel Connection:
Jesus didn’t come with mere theological explanations for our suffering – he entered into it.
John 11:35 tells us simply, “Jesus wept” at Lazarus’s tomb, even though he knew he would raise Lazarus.
Christ’s incarnation itself demonstrates that God prioritizes presence with the suffering over abstract explanations.
The gospel reminds us that God doesn’t stand aloof from our pain but enters into it fully.
3. He Confuses Youthful Passion With Spiritual Maturity
Elihu began his speech acknowledging his youth but claiming special insight:
“I am young in years, and you are old… But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” (Job 32:6-8)
He then proclaimed: “I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me” (Job 32:18). Elihu confused his passionate feelings with divine inspiration.
Scripture values wisdom gained through experience:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.” (Proverbs 16:31)
When we’re young, it’s easy to look at another person’s situation and believe we know everything about how to help them.
We might be single yet believe we understand everything about marriage, or be in perfect health and claim to understand what it means to be sick and hospitalized. From this position, we confidently give “godly advice” on trusting God for help and healing.
But the truth is that life isn’t as simple as we imagine. Only when we’re married do we realize how challenging it can be, especially when confronting our own sinfulness.
Similarly, only when we or someone in our family falls ill do we truly understand how difficult such situations can be.
Illustration:
It’s easy to approach a grieving brother or sister with memorized Bible verses when they are in trouble, or to lecture them on why God allowed their suffering.
When we reflect on our responses later, we often realize how shallow and harmful our “comfort” had been. Our passion wasn’t matched by maturity.
What that brother or sister would have appreciated most was simply our presence and our kind words of affirmation and encouragement. Did we give that?
Gospel Connection:
Jesus grew in “wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Even the Son of God experienced a maturation process in his human nature.
The gospel reminds us that spiritual growth is a journey.
Christ’s example teaches us that true wisdom comes through patient development, not instant passion.
4. He Oversimplifies the Relationship Between Sin and Suffering
Like Job’s other friends, Elihu maintained that suffering must be connected to sin: “If they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction, then he tells
them what they have done— that they have sinned arrogantly.” (Job 36:8-9) This oversimplification overlooks the complexity of suffering in a fallen world.
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'” (John 9:1-3)
We have emphasized repeatedly that Christian suffering is not necessarily a result of sin.
Is it true that people sometimes suffer due to sin? Yes, of course. But is sin the cause of all suffering, especially in the life of a child of God? The answer is no.
Illustration: A young mother in our church was diagnosed with cancer despite living a faithful Christian life. Some well-meaning believers suggested she must have unconfessed sin or lack of faith. These simplistic explanations only added to her pain. Her testimony through suffering ultimately brought many to Christ – demonstrating that God’s purposes are far more complex than simple cause-and-effect.
Gospel Connection: The cross stands as the ultimate refutation of the idea that suffering always indicates sin in the sufferer. Jesus, the only sinless human,
experienced the most unjust suffering imaginable. The gospel reminds us that in a fallen world, the righteous often suffer while awaiting final redemption. Jesus didn’t promise his followers exemption from suffering but promised to be with
them through it.
Conclusion: A Better Way to Respond
So how should we respond to suffering Christians? Let me suggest four alternatives to Elihu’s approach:
Practice humble presence – Simply be there, acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers but offering your presence as comfort.
Listen more than you speak – James 1:19 reminds us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak.” Let the suffering person express their pain without rushing to respond.
Comfort with Scripture wisely – Share God’s promises without presuming to know exactly how they apply to this specific situation.
Point to the suffering Christ – Remind them that Jesus understands suffering intimately and that the gospel promises ultimate redemption of all pain.
The book of Job reminds us that in the face of suffering, theological explanations often fall short. What remains is the faithful presence of God and his people. As we seek to comfort those in pain, may we avoid Elihu’s mistakes and instead embody the compassionate presence of Christ himself.