September 14, 2018: Day 34 – Job 34

The desire of this Elihu, who is not counted as one of Job’s friends by the way, is that Job would be: “tried to the limit, because his answers are those of the wicked.”  There are quite a few accusations here against Job which I’m not really sure would hold up under a court of law.  Elihu also states that Job’s perspective is one of: “It profits one nothing to take delight in God.”  One more thing he adds to the list of accusations is that Job “goes in the company with evildoers and walks with the wicked.”  

Job is being portrayed here in a very, very negative light.  There isn’t much we can do to defend him except let Elihu speak himself out, which he hasn’t done yet and he won’t do at least for one more chapter and maybe more.  The accusations against Job are simply from the perspective of one who thinks that Job has to be guilty because of his life situation.  He may not  even know Job, but just knows that state that he is in and so he has to be someone that God has  turned His back on him.  

Be careful to judge anyone based upon their life situation.  Are all homeless people dangerous, or criminals, or psychotic, or could it just be that most of them are just one paycheck away from not having made it.  When we generalize any groups of people who tend to be needy and say that it is because of these stereotypical reasons, we don’t do the individuals justice.  We need to do them justice by giving them the benefit of the doubt, because the them is really us.