I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 29-33.

    Job discusses how good his life had been and relates how bad it now is. Then he lists off sins which he believes are deserving of his suffering, but declares that he is not guilty of any of them. I am not going to write about those sins, but it is worth our time to read what Job says here because we should strive to live up to the life he claims for himself. Job demands that God answer and tell him what he has done to deserve the suffering he is experiencing.

    When Job is finished a new person speaks, Elihu. Elihu was not mentioned at the beginning when we are told the names of Job’s other friends and he is not mentioned at the end when God condemns what the other three had to say to Job. Those two facts mean that we should look at Elihu’s comments differently from the other three friends. Elihu starts with humility. First he acknowledges that he is younger than the others and remained silent in order to give his elders time to speak. Now that they are silent he begins to speak and he starts by declaring that he is no better than Job. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. Elihu makes it clear that he is not speaking to Job as his moral superior.

    From there Elihu goes on to challenge Job’s complaint that God does not speak to him. God speaks to people again and again, even though we often fail to recognize His voice. If we do not hear God’s voice it is not because He does not speak. Rather it is because we fail to listen. Let us listen to God’s words as He speaks them to us, whether in dreams at night, or random encounters with strangers. If we listen to God and confess our sins to Him, He will listen to us and accept our repentance.