“God is mighty, but he does not despise anyone! He is mighty in both power and understanding. He does not let the wicked live but gives justice to the afflicted. He never takes his eyes off the innocent, but he sets them on thrones with kings and exalts them forever. If they are bound in chains and caught up in a web of trouble, he shows them the reason. He shows them their sins of pride. He gets their attention and commands that they turn from evil. [Job 36.5-10]
We do well to remember that Elihu was the only character in Job's story who was not eventually rebuked by God for being out of line. So, these words here can reasonably be trusted for accuracy (as opposed to being a record of wrong things being said).
The problem with mainstream Christianity taking Elihu's words here seriously is indictment it presents.
If indeed Christians may learn from what Elihu said, then we are faced with the conclusion that when we are afflicted (not to be mistaken with persecution), we are in error of pride. Our afflictions are for a reason according to what Elihu said - and that reason is pride (the identified source of many sins).
Most religious folks' immediate response is to refute what I am saying here. However, is that not in itself an act of pride? Is not self-justification the very essence of pride?
I realize this is deep. Likewise, I realize that mainstream Christianity 'chokes' on the thought of this. But regardless what we conclude based on human reason, it does not change the fact of what is revealed here.
We must all remain mindful that Jesus made clear that holiness is the standard. In Jesus powerful prayer to the Father recorded in John 17, we see it in all clarity:
Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. [John 17.17-19]
Humanly speaking, we cannot be holy. And here is where mainstream Christianity goes in the ditch - we erroneously accuse God of afflicting us with curses for which we claim we are not responsible for. We confuse good and evil, blessings and curses, in a muddled mess of happenstance. But we do so in pure disregard of Jesus!
No one can be holy, right? Right - at least not of their own doing! However, we have been given two very important tools to overcome the curses for our disobedience and pride: repentance and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals truth (convicts) and we repent: the process is called salvation. According to the Apostle Paul, this salvation is to be worked out with fear and trembling (Philippians 2.12). To me, this doesn't sound like a one-and-done event. And, it makes perfect Biblical sense that our afflictions confirm the need for this daily working out of our salvation (ie. repentance).
So, what could Job have done differently? First, remain silent. But then, the next thing Job could have engaged in would have been repentance. Instead, Job assumed innocence and ran his mouth from there securing an eventual severe rebuke by God.
Most of us are no different than Job when we are afflicted. Our first response is typically to question God as if we didn't deserve the affliction and then the snowball of erroneous proud religion grows from there. I wish it weren't true, but sadly, it is.
Again (repeating myself from yesterday's post), the fact is forever recorded that immediately after Elihu's preliminary words of rebuke, God undeniably confirms with a tongue-lashing none of us should ever wish to hear!
When God says that curses (afflictions) are the result of sin, we have no reason whatsoever to assume otherwise. Our first response to afflictions should always be repentance and humility. Period. Self-justification is nothing but pride. Self-justification in, and of itself is a sin because who can truly ever know their own heart?
Father, thank You for this reminder today that I live in Your world, not my own. The rules are Yours and I will never alter them. May I be found humble and repentant always!
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