Why Ask Why?

Read Job 32:1–37:24

1. Elihu said: . . .
5. “Look up into the sky, and see the clouds high above you.
6. If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him?
7. If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him?
8. No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans.
9. People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty.
10. Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night?
11. Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals and wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12. And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride.
13. But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen, to say the Almighty isn’t concerned.
14. You say you can’t see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait.” Job 35:1, 5-14

A child will question the actions of the wisest, most loving parent. “Why must I brush my teeth?” “Why do I have to eat my vegetables?” Wise parents, whether they try to explain or not, insist that a child do what is best for them. They understand far more about the bigger picture than kids do.

Job has been asking why for a while now, and no one has been able to give him a satisfactory answer. But one person hasn’t spoken up yet. That person is Elihu, the youngest “comforter” of the group. He has held his tongue until now because of his age, but he, too, is not satisfied with the answers given by Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar. Elihu rightly says that Job’s friends have been wrong to accuse Job of sin, and that Job has been wrong to defend his goodness.

Look for other lessons in the way these men talk: the importance of speaking at the right time; applying truth; and giving advice to others.

It’s natural to want to know what’s happening in our lives because being informed brings a sense of security.

Elihu claimed to have the answer for Job’s biggest question, “Why doesn’t God tell me what is happening?” Elihu told Job that God was trying to answer him, but he was not listening. Elihu misjudged both Job and God on this point. If God were to answer all our questions, we would not be adequately tested. What if God had said, “Job, Satan’s going to test you and afflict you, but in the end you’ll be healed and get everything back”? Job’s greatest test was not the pain, but that he did not know why he was suffering.

Learn to trust in God who is good; not in the goodness of life.