Some More Job Reflections

We discussed Elihu this morning.  Elihu is not totally wrong, but he misses it.  He is a young person; he sees the world as black and white; he takes the promises literally and applies them broadly.  The message of Job is --"not so fast" on that approach.  Job is, in his eyes, putting himself as equal to God, so he suffers from pride.  Job's friend accuse him of all kinds of social crimes about which Job can honestly say, "Not me."  But Job does border on the arrogant at times.  He doesn't, and wouldn't curse God, but if time went on, would he eventually go too far?

I think that Job is getting prideful, almost to the point of too much, because of how God responds to him.  There is no reproach for sin, just strongly worded, "You don't know what you're talking about Job; you don't get that position in the universe." 

Elihu, however, is not totally right.  He doesn't understand Job, existentially, and this is an existential, human book.  He shows no compassion.  He is a know-it-all, the sin of the young.