Month: September 2025

Difficult one

Following Job’s lamentations and questionings about his circumstances, one might expect that God would finally provide a detailed justification or explanation for Job’s suffering and losses.

Instead, to our surprise, God responds by launching into an extensive series of rhetorical questions.

It’s like receiving punishment from your father for what seems like no reason, and when you ask him why, instead of explaining, he responds by discussing his authority, position, and everything he has provided for the family.

This approach may seem puzzling at first, but there’s a deeper purpose behind it

…

1. To highlight the vast gap between divine and human knowledge

In the earlier chapters, Job questions God’s justice and makes repeated demands for an explanation of his suffering. Throughout the book, Job has expressed his belief that his afflictions are unjust, saying things like:

• “Show me where I have erred” (6:24)

• “Why have you made me your target?” (7:20)

• “I am innocent, yet God denies me justice” (throughout chapters 9-10)

• “I desire to argue my case with God” (13:3)

In chapter 31, Job presents a comprehensive defense of his righteousness, challenging God to answer him and explain why such suffering has befallen someone who has lived virtuously.

God’s response in chapters 38-39 doesn’t directly address Job’s specific complaints, but instead reframes the entire conversation by highlighting the vast difference between human and divine knowledge, wisdom, and power.

God opens His response to Job with a powerful declaration: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me” (38:2-3).

Kon hai tu?

—the contrast between limited human knowledge and God’s infinite wisdom. God’s questions to Job reveal this knowledge gap in several ways:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (38:4). Job wasn’t present at creation and lacks the perspective to understand God’s purposes from beginning to end.

God asks about controlling lightning, storing snow, and directing rain – all natural processes beyond human control or complete understanding.

God isn’t trying to make Job feel small or stupid. Instead, He’s helping Job see things differently.

While our human understanding is valuable, it has clear limits because we’re confined to time and space, unlike God, who exists beyond these limitations.

It’s like we’re placed in a square room with just one window. What we see is limited. We might observe a dog chasing a boy and draw many conclusions about what’s happening, but we can never know the complete truth until we step outside that room and see beyond that single window’s perspective.

Gospel

The same vast gap between divine and human wisdom that we see in God’s response to Job is also powerfully displayed throughout the Gospel narratives. Consider these examples:

• The disciples repeatedly misunderstood Jesus’ mission, expecting a political Messiah who would overthrow Roman rule, while Jesus knew He came to establish a spiritual kingdom (Mark 10:35-45)

• Peter rebuked Jesus for predicting His own death, prompting Jesus to respond, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mark 8:31-33)

• The religious leaders, despite their theological expertise, failed to recognize God incarnate in their midst (John 1:10-11)

• The disciples were confused by Jesus’ teaching that the first shall be last and the last first (Matthew 20:16)

Jesus Himself emphasized this wisdom gap when He prayed, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25)

Paul later articulated this profound truth in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, explaining that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” The cross itself—God’s ultimate solution to human suffering and sin— appeared as foolishness to human wisdom.

This Gospel perspective reinforces what Job learned: that divine wisdom operates on a plane far beyond human understanding, and that salvation comes not through comprehending God’s ways fully, but through trusting the God whose ways transcend our understanding.

Application: When faced with suffering or injustice, we naturally demand explanations.

These chapters remind us that our perspective is limited. This doesn’t mean we should stop seeking understanding, but it calls us to humility – recognizing that some divine purposes may remain beyond our comprehension in this life.

2. To reveal that creation operates on principles beyond mere human justice and retribution

“Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let my accuser write out the charges against me.” (Job 31:35)

This was Job’s boldest statement, essentially demanding that God appear in court to justify the suffering inflicted on him. Job was so confident in his innocence that he signed his name to his defense and challenged God to respond with specific charges against him.

In chapters 38-39, God does respond – but not with the legal proceeding Job expected.

Instead of addressing Job’s specific complaints or explaining why he suffered, God shifts the entire framework of the conversation.

God demonstrates that Job’s expectation for divine justification based on human standards of justice was fundamentally misguided.

One of the most profound insights from God’s speech to Job is that don’t you see creation doesn’t always follow the simple cause-and-effect relationship that humans expect, that righteousness leads to prosperity while wickedness leads to suffering.

Consider God’s descriptions of:

• The rain that falls “on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man” (38:26) – God’s provision extends beyond human need or desert

• The ostrich that “deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers” (39:16). Animal behavior that seems illogical or even cruel by human standards

• The hawk that “soars by your wisdom” (39:26) – Natural instincts that operate according to divine design rather than human instruction

These examples demonstrate that creation follows God’s wisdom rather than human expectations of justice.

Javed Akhtarʼs observation:

Have you noticed there is no concept of justice among animals in the natural world? They hunt, kill, and consume one another according to their instincts and survival needs, without any moral judgment being applied to their actions. The predator isn’t considered “evil” for catching its prey, nor is the prey viewed as “innocent” or “deserving of protection.” Animals simply follow the natural order established at creation, operating within ecological systems designed by God, and no creature faces punishment or moral condemnation for fulfilling its natural role in this divinely orchestrated balance of nature.

The universe isn’t organized primarily around human concerns or moral categories. The lion hunts prey not because the prey deserves punishment, but because God has designed an ecological system with predators and prey.

God describes animals whose behaviors puzzle human observers, demonstrating that even within the observable world, much remains mysterious.

Application: When we face suffering, we often instinctively ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” God’s speech suggests this may be the wrong question. Instead of always seeking moral causes for our circumstances, we might better ask, “How can I encounter God within this situation?”

Job’s suffering was not a punishment for sin, but instead became the context for a deeper revelation of God’s character and wisdom. Similarly, our sufferings may serve purposes within God’s creation that transcend simple moral causality.

3. To invite Job into a relationship based on trust rather than understanding

Throughout God’s response to Job, we see an invitation to trust rather than merely understand. This is evident in several ways:

• God’s questions don’t provide explanations for Job’s suffering but redirect his focus to the trustworthiness of the Creator

• God reveals His intimate knowledge and care for creation, suggesting that this same care extends to Job despite appearances
• Rather than defending His justice in abstract terms, God demonstrates His wisdom through concrete examples of provision
• God doesn’t rebuke Job for his questions but invites him into a deeper contemplation of divine wisdom

The essence of God’s response is captured in His repeated refrain: “Do you know?” and “Can you?” These questions aren’t meant to shame Job but to lead him toward a profound realization: even without understanding the “why” behind his suffering, Job can trust the “who” – the God whose wisdom orchestrates the universe.

This invitation to a relationship transforms Job’s experience.

Before God speaks, Job demands answers and justification. After encountering God’s wisdom, Job declares, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you” (42:5).

The transformation isn’t from ignorance to knowledge but from knowledge about God to knowing God personally.

Gospel Connection: The Gospel narrative itself invites us into a relationship based on trust rather than complete understanding in several profound ways:

• Jesus frequently taught in parables that puzzled even His closest disciples, who often asked, “Explain this parable to us” (Matthew 13:36). Rather than making His teaching immediately clear, Jesus used stories that required reflection and trust.
• When Thomas demanded physical proof of the resurrection, Jesus gently responded, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” John 20:29), highlighting the value of faith that transcends empirical verification.
• In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus modeled trust amidst suffering when He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42), choosing submission to the Father’s wisdom rather than demanding to understand the necessity of His suffering.

“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Ultimately, the Cross itself stands as the supreme example of God’s invitation to trust beyond understanding. To human wisdom, “the word of the cross is folly” (1 Corinthians 1:18), yet through this seemingly foolish means, God accomplishes our salvation. We are invited not to fully comprehend how Christ’s death atones for our sins, but to trust that it does.

Application: In our suffering, we often prioritize explanation over relationship. We demand to know why God allows pain, assuming that understanding would bring comfort.

God’s response to Job suggests that even complete theological understanding wouldn’t satisfy our deepest need, which is for God Himself.

Rather than exhaustive explanations, God offers His presence and the invitation to trust His wisdom even when it remains partially veiled to us.

True comfort comes not from having all our questions answered but from knowing the One who holds all answers.

Conclusion

When faced with life’s inevitable sufferings and questions, we can apply several key principles from God’s response to Job:

1. Embrace Mystery as Part of Faith

God never condemns Job for asking questions, but He does invite him to recognize the limitations of human understanding. In our information-saturated age, we often demand complete explanations. True wisdom includes the humility to acknowledge that some aspects of God’s ways remain mysterious to us. This isn’t a call to blind faith but to a mature faith that can hold both questioning and trusting together.

2. Find Comfort in God’s Detailed Care

Notice how intimately God knows each creature He describes—from the lion’s hunting patterns to the eagle’s nesting habits. This same God who attends to the needs of wild animals surely attends to our needs with even greater care. When we feel forgotten in our suffering, we can remember that the God who counts the stars also counts our tears.

Jesus beautifully illustrates this principle in the Sermon on the Mount when He says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

(Matthew 6:26). Similarly, He points to “the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:28-29). Through these natural examples, Jesus reinforces the same truth God revealed to Job—that the Creator who attends to the smallest details of nature surely cares for His human creation with even greater attentiveness and love.

3. Shift from “Why?” to “Who?”

Job began by asking why he suffered. God redirects him to consider who governs the universe. This shift doesn’t trivialize our questions but places them in a larger context. Rather than fixating on explanations that may elude us, we can anchor ourselves in the character of God revealed throughout Scripture and creation.

4. Seek God’s Presence, Not Just Answers

The ultimate resolution to Job’s suffering wasn’t an explanation but an encounter. God’s presence, not His explanations, brought Job peace.

In our struggles, the deepest comfort comes not from having all our questions answered but from experiencing God’s presence amid our questions.

In the end, what Job received was greater than the answers he sought—he received God Himself. And this is the great promise extended to us as well. Our unanswered questions may remain, but they need not prevent us from experiencing the presence of the God who holds all wisdom and who invites us into a relationship with Him.

Let us respond as Job eventually did—not with continued demands for explanation, but with humble worship of the God whose wisdom permeates every aspect of creation, including our own lives with their joys and sorrows.

Good morning, church! Hope you’re well. As you all know, it’s Baby Jason’s dedication today, and as a church, we couldn’t be more thrilled for Vijay, Sharon, and Jason. The dedication will happen a little later, but the occasion of a dedication gives us a good opportunity to get some instruction on family life.

So today we’ll take a pause from our Job series and try to answer this question: Why does God place us in families? What is God’s purpose in family life? Specifically, what’s God’s purpose in parenting?

Because when you look at the world around you, it’ll give a wide range of answers. When you talk about family life and children, a lot of people will tell you that it’s because of social expectations. You’ll hear things like “You’ve been married for a few years, so when’s the baby coming?” It’s social pressure or social expectation which makes us think about having children. If we don’t have children, then that’s going to invite a lot of questions from people around us.

Another reason that was true of our parent’s generation was that they saw their children as an investment. They would invest heavily in their education, giving them the best that they could with the hope that their children would one day become really successful and repay the favor. This investment that they’ve made in their children would reap multiplying dividends.

And then there’s a reason that is more common to our generation which is viewing children as a means to prove our self worth. I’m going to raise my children as a personal project of mine so that at the end of the day people will recognize and appreciate me for being a standout dad or mom to my kid. I’m proving my self worth through my children. The worst thing that could happen to me is for my children to make me look bad in front of others.

There could be many more reasons that you’ll find on why people choose to have families, choose to have children. But there could also be reasons to not have children which is increasingly becoming the case among people living in urban cities.

One of the reasons is financial strain – “How can we take care of another human being in such an expensive world? We only have enough for ourselves, and if we have children, that’s going to add a financial strain in our lives.” Another reason is the fear of losing our freedom – “Right now there’s a lot of freedom & space that we experience as a couple. That will be taken away from us the moment we have children. It’s too much of a responsibility”. So children are viewed as a burden rather than a gift to the family. 

Where am I going with this? I want all of us to take a minute to analyze what we think is the purpose of a family? Some of us are already parents here. Some others would be parents sometime in the future. If you’re neither of these two, you definitely know someone who is a parent right now. It’s something that all of us can relate to: What’s God’s purpose in parenting?

That’s what we’ll try to address this morning as we look at Psalm 78. Before we proceed, I’d love to pray for us.

Pray

This Psalm was written by Asaph who was a worship leader in David’s time. He wrote 12 Psalms and some were songs that were sung by the whole congregation. In fact if we see the caption under the title of this Psalm, it says a “maskil” by Asaph. It was probably a note or a scale on which the song was being sung. Almost like it was saying “to be sung on E minor”.

This was most likely a song that was regularly sung by the congregation. For us modern day believers, this would seem like a strange, unusual worship song. It probably wouldn’t make it to our worship setlist. Why? Because a lot of it, especially the latter part of Psalm 78 talks about sin, rebellion, God’s judgment.

We’re not used to hearing these themes being preached, let alone singing about it during worship. And yet in David’s time, they had no such problem. Singing songs during worship wasn’t about feeling good or experiencing an emotional high. Singing songs of worship was a time of instruction where their hearts were being instructed on how to be faithful to God.

The context is that this was an instructive, warning worship song. Within this instructive, warning worship song, it addresses the question: Why does God place us in families? What is God’s purpose in parenting?

1. Parents are God’s instruments to reveal the glorious deeds of the Lord (V1-4)

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

The Psalm starts out by Asaph calling for people’s attention in V1. He’s urging people to pay careful attention to what he’s about to say. There’s an urgency to what he’s saying. This is absolutely critical for God’s people to know. He’s basically telling them “You need to drop what you’re doing and pay close attention!”

In V2, it says that he “will utter dark sayings from of old”. What are these dark sayings? When we use the word “dark” we refer to subjects that are sinister or evil or disturbing. But that’s not what is referred to out here. It’s referring to “difficult to understand” subjects, perplexing topics that when God’s people spend time talking about it, it will prove to be beneficial to them.

And in V3, he clarifies that this isn’t “brand new information”. This is not “breaking news”. These are stories about God which their forefathers have considered to be so important, so significant that they have delicately passed it down through generations.

In V4, Psalmist is saying that it’s not just relevant for our generation, it’s relevant for the next generation as well. That’s why we are not going to keep this hidden from them. The next generation ought to know this. What is that?

the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,

    and the wonders that he has done.

Notice it doesn’t just say “deeds of the Lord”. It says “glorious deeds of the Lord”. The deeds of the Lord that He’s performed for His people are nothing short of glorious. These are praiseworthy actions. These are astounding feats. As you look through OT history, these are unbelievable deeds that God has actually done. Parting the Red Sea so that His people could walk on dry ground. Feeding His people with manna from heaven for 40 years every single day.

It goes on to say “and his might, and the wonders that he has done”. The glorious deeds of the Lord reveal His might and power. If we all read the miraculous accounts in the Bible, we would be left with only two choices – either it’s all a lie – too good to be true OR it’s actually true and that the God of the Bible is all-powerful, almighty God! One of the amazing stories in the Bible is that God made the sun stand still for an entire day so that God’s people could defeat their enemies. For 24 hours, the sun didn’t go down. Either it’s a lie or it’s true and the God of the Bible is the all powerful, almighty God. Josh 10:14 – that passage ends by stating “Surely God was fighting for Israel”.

But what does this have to do with parenting you may ask? Parents have a unique calling to be used as an instrument of God to reveal these glorious deeds of the Lord to their children! Take a moment to allow this to sink in. It’s not the Sunday School teachers role, it’s the parent’s role to reveal these glorious deeds of the Lord to their children so that they can step back and be amazed and at wonder thinking about the God of the Bible.

When was the last time we saw our children amazed thinking about the God of the Bible? When was the last time we saw wonder in the eyes of our children as they thought about the God of the Bible? Oftentimes our children aren’t amazed, because they don’t see the amazement and wonder in our eyes as parents. They probably see more excitement, more amazement, more wonder in our eyes for a great sportsperson or celebrity or businessmen but they simply don’t see that when we talk about God.

And so this is deeply convicting because we need to acknowledge that we are sometimes the barrier in keeping God’s glorious deeds from our children. Our confession and prayer should be this “God, would you please help me stand at wonder and amazement at glorious deeds first? Help me to be so amazed by it that comes through as I tell my children about You”.

Not only are Parents are God’s instruments to reveal the glorious deeds of the Lord but

 2. Parents are God’s instruments to set children’s hope in God (V5-8)

5 He established a testimony in Jacob
    and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
6 that the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be like their fathers,
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God.

V5 & 6 tell us that it’s not only the glorious deeds of the Lord which need to be taught to our children, it’s also the commands of the Lord which needs to be taught to them. By teaching them the commands, we’re giving them a picture of what it means to be in relationship with Holy God. We’re communicating to our children who is the real boss of our home – are we the boss or is God the boss? We’re revealing to our kids whose approval matters the most in our home – does our approval matter the most or is it God’s approval?

As believers, we’re not obeying God’s commands and teaching our kids to do the same to get God to love and accept us. No, we’re already fully loved and accepted because of the best, perfect work that Jesus did for us. But we obey God’s commands out of loving service. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. “He is my Master and I love Him” – that’s why we obey Him & that’s why we teach our kids to do so as well.

And what is the Psalmist saying will be achieved by teaching commands to our children? V7. They would set their hope in God. Parents cannot save their children, only the Lord can save their children. But what parents can do is prepare the soil for children to have ample opportunities to place their hope and trust in God. When parents out of obedience make radical choices for their families which seem crazy to the rest of the world, it’ll prepare the soil for their children to have ample opportunities to place their hope in God.

This time of the year is a little tough on our kids because they see their friends participating in many activities revolving around idols. It’s hard on them because they feel like they are missing out but at the same time it’s opening up many opportunities to have conversations with our children on why we can’t participate – it’s because we love and worship our God. We believe that somewhere deep in their hearts, God will use this to prepare the soil to have ample opportunities to put their hope in God.

And the Psalmist goes on to say “and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be like their fathers,
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

Psalmist’s main concern is forgetfulness and how that translates to gradual unfaithfulness. His concern is that if the parents don’t consistently remind their children of God’s glorious deeds and commands, that they would forget the Lord and gradually become unfaithful to Him. The history of Israel actually revealed that so clearly. Psalmist gives many examples of this in the following verses:

9 The Ephraimites, armed with the bow,
    turned back on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant,
    but refused to walk according to his law.

11 They forgot his works
    and the wonders that he had shown them.

Have you ever considered how dangerous forgetfulness is to your & your children’s spiritual life? Maybe initially, there was this zeal and priority that was placed on God and the things of God. But then, as life gets more complicated, busier, more stuff is added into our schedule, which now competes with our time with God and the things of God. And next thing you know is forgetfulness – where we forget the promises of God, the work of God that He did for us, we forget the call of God to live a holy life, we forget the people of God and eventually that leads us to forgetting God Himself.

So what’s the antidote? God knows that we are forgetful so He’s given us so many means of grace by which we can remember Him. He’s given us His Word. He’s given us our church family. He’s given us the Lord’s Supper by saying “Do this in remembrance of me”. These are all means of grace to keep us from forgetting and being unfaithful to the Lord.

Parents, make sure those guard rails are put in place for yourself and your children so that you are fighting the tendency to forget God and the things of God. We are God’s instruments to set our children’s hope in God.

Brothers and sisters, as we studied today, it’s such a huge calling and privilege to be chosen as tools and instruments of God in the lives of our children. God’s purpose in using us is is two fold:

• To reveal the glorious deeds of the Lord
• To set children’s hope in God

Is that easy for us to do? No. If we’re honest, both of these are impossible to do on our own strength. We know how our own pride and selfishness keeps us from being used as God’s instruments to our children. So we need grace – Grace to first be able to acknowledge our helplessness (parents tend to think they are self sufficient). Grace that makes us run to Jesus for forgiveness (because we will mess up often). Grace to surrender ourselves to God’s purpose in parenting (our tendency is to follow our own purposes. )

• 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.