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Suffering Is Discipline
Suffering Is Discipline
In Job 32, we are introduced to a new person: Elihu. Elihu's main contribution is often said to be that he sees life's trouble, such as Job's, as an act of discipline by God. Inherent in this argument is still the problem of Job's wickedness! Job wasn't wicked and wasn't being punished by God. Inherent in this argument is the fact that God was NOT disciplining Job with all this trouble.
I confess that my initial reaction to this speech by Elihu was to quote Ecclesiastes: Time and chance happen to them all" (Eccl. 9:11). Yet, that too ignores the truth of Job's situation: Satan, with the permission of God, was testing Job.
While holding on to the providential nature of God's care for us, we still have no absolute answer of 'why' when we deal with any particular event or situation of life. Much suffering in life comes from receiving the consequences of our own bad choices (think of your own many examples that show this to be true!). Yet in the book of Job we see Job's friends arguing that suffering is punishment. Now we see Elihu argue that suffering CAN also be disciplinary. While both CAN be correct, neither was true in Job's situation. We might also conclude:
· Suffering can be vicarious:
· Suffering can be redemptive:
· Suffering can be?
We, like Job and his friends, often speak 'authoritatively' concerning events in life when in fact we do not know. I know that we will, even as Job does, ask "WHY?". We will spend endless hours contemplating and pontificating. We may even get it right. What I see as the bigger question is "what is my response?" Will I be faithful unto God? Will I yet serve God?
What is your response to difficult situations of life?
Hugh DeLong
