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Job 36:16 "He also allured you out of distress, into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness."

 

There is hidden resentment and judgment in these words from Elihu, who is trying to convince Job that Job's adversity is meant to awaken him to his own misconduct. Elihu insists that God "delivers the afflicted by their affliction" (Job 36:15), and that Job is "full of judgment on the wicked" (Job 36:17), something he apparently assumes because Job has lived as such an "uncramped" life, full of fatness.

 

Elihu is actually being judgmental himself. He is not wrong that God often delivers the afflicted through affliction, but he is wrong to assume that that is what's going on with Job, based on nothing but his own perception of the circumstances and resentment of Job's blessings. Elihu is not one of Job's friends, rather he is a young man who felt angry and inspired to jump in when the friends weren't saying everything he wanted said to Job (Job 32:2-5). Even though he does not know Job the way Job's friends do, Elihu should know Job at least by reputation. He should be aware that Job has led a good life as a god-fearing man. Instead, Elihu allows his resentment toward Job to convince him Job is deserving of punishment, and proclaims this angrily when Job is in a situation deserving of sympathy and compassion.

 

Elihu is an example of how the young often think they understand things, but really lack wisdom. He had a basic understanding of God's ways, but he had not lived long enough to understand that sometimes God allows difficult things to happen to good people. He is full of youthful resentment for Job's success, and he assumes that Job must be as judgmental as he is. He projects his own sin onto Job, declaring that Job, in his comfort and blessings, had become complacent and judgmental.

 

When Job's friends (who also should know better) give Job unhelpful advice, Job answers them and tells them that he really is innocent of wrongdoing, but to Elihu Job offers no answer. As soon as Elihu stops speaking, God begins interacting with Job. It is as if the purpose of Elihu's speech was to show that there are some people you just cannot talk to, they have already established in their minds who you are, and they won't accept any defense. This is not uncommon behavior in the young, who are often tolerated in it because it is assumed they will outgrow it. That may be why Job didn't bother answering Elihu.

 

In the end, God will vindicate Job, and all those who had known him before will come and offer him sympathy for all he has been through (Job 42:11). The three friends will be reprimanded by God, who will require a sacrifice from them, and will tell them that Job's prayers for them will save them from the punishment they are due (Job 42:7-8). Elihu, however is not mentioned again. It seems it was better to ignore him and let him grow up. As he does, he will see that God will bless Job with twice as much as he had before, and he will have to grapple with any latent resentment about that. 

 

This may all be true for youthful resentment, but if we, as adults, find ourselves filled with feelings like Elihu's, we had better rethink our own thought patterns. We are running out of time to "grow up", and we may end up like Job's friends: having to sacrifice to God and rely on the prayers of those we have judged wrongfully for our salvation (which sounds a bit like Purgatory to me).