That's What Friends Are For

This debate between Job and his friends was very impressive. At first, I couldn't understand why Job was guilty of any crime or wrongdoing. His friends kept saying he had somehow sinned and had to repent before God. Job kept saying he was completely innocent, and was suffering under no justification. Also, he was furious with his friends for doubting his righteousness. "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." (Job 11-37).

But then Elihu started with a point I hadn’t considered until he mentioned it. First of all, he was younger than the rest, but that didn't mean he wasn't as smart as or smarter than them. In addition, he respectfully waited for everyone to finish their arguments, and say everything they had in their minds to later give his own opinion. His opinion was that Job was thinking he was more righteous than God. It may have been true, but although he had not sinned, his attitude was sinful. One of his arguments was:

"For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God..." (Job 34:5-9).

I completely agree with Elihu's remark. Who is Job to reclaim to God? What true knowledge lets him judge whether God has a right to punish (or in this case test) him? It is true Job is a righteous man, and he hasn't committed any sin that deserves a curse from God, but he is still a human being. Couldn’t he even consider that God knows something he doesn’t know? He was created by God, and only he can know how to judge each piece he has created. Job cannot go into the state of arrogance he has entered, and try to reclaim to God, because that would infer that Job is wiser, or simply morally superior to God. That is not a very smart thing to say when God has just taken all your wealth, health and family.

In conclusion, Elihu's advice was the best any friend could have given to Job. He not only supported Job in his earnest claim of rightfulness (in contrast to his other friends who only accused him of somehow sinning), but he also showed him a new angle of his case he probably hadn't considered before. Maybe that could be the solution to end Job's terrible curse