Thursday 14 August 2008

Background

God is not on trial.

That's a hard concept for most of us to grasp. Elihu, who only madehis first appearance in Job 32, is trying to help Job, his threefriends and all of us understand this concept. Elihu wants Job tosee, or at least try to fathom the greatness of God. It's almost asif Elihu has read from Isaiah 55 before starting his speech:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,says the LORD. For the heavens are higher than the earth, so are myways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."(Isaiah 55:8-9)

Elihu asks Job simple questions about the phenomena around him. Heasks him to explain how the wind works, how the rain is spread, howto control lightning. He uses everyday occurrences to help Job, andthe reader, to see how little we understand. It's a means ofteaching us that God is so far beyond us.

In fact, Elihu goes so far as to tell us that God is so immense, soawesome and so powerful that we dare not even approach God. And ifwe did, what would we say that wouldn't get us swallowed up?(verses 19-22). But verse 24 tells us that God, this immenselymajestic and all-powerful god, has regard for those who revere orfear him.

To Ponder

What does it mean to revere God in yourday-to-day life?

Meditate on the awesome power and majesty of God.What comes to mind for you as you do this?

In recognising that God is so far beyond us, thatGod's ways are so not our ways, how does that make you feel as youwalk through difficult days?