God sent Elihu in place of himself, at Job's bequest. God had no reason to speak of Elihu, it was self evident to Job because Elihu had stated that he was there at Job's request, in the place of God. Job requested him, God sent him. God didn't have to tell Job who Elihu was, because Job knew. Elihu spoke for six chapters without a peep from Job. Neither did Job give an answer to God, other than to repent.
The book of Job is about the most self-righteous person there was, but even he could not be his own saviour. Job was not saved in the beginning because that requires God's righteousness, Job had clothed himself in his own righteousness(Job 29:14). Job, much like Israel in Romans 10:1-3, was unsaved because though he had a zeal for God it was not according to knowledge(Job 35:16, 38:2), for going about to establish his own righteousness had not submitted himself unto the righteousness of God.
Hi,
You are perhaps the only person on this planet, to interpret Job, as being a sinner who God puts in his place, personally and by sending an agent, named Elihu.
Rather, my work without, the knowledge of what happened to Job by, God letting Job,, see Him personally with Job's own eyes, and the work of others supports this understanding derived from just the texts, and using no personal wishes is this:
The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character—he is described as a blessed man who lived righteously in the
Land of Uz. The Lord's praise of Job prompted
Satan/Accuser to challenge Job's integrity, suggesting that Job served God simply because God protected him. God removed Job's protection, allowing Satan/Accuser to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health (but not his life) in order to test Job's character. Despite his difficult circumstances, he did not curse God, but rather cursed the day of his birth. And although he anguished over his plight, he stopped short of accusing God of injustice.
Most of the book consists of a debate between Job and his three friends concerning Job's condition; they argue whether it was justified, and they debate solutions to his problems. Job ultimately condemns all their counsel, beliefs, and critiques of him as false. The Lord then appears to Job and his friends out of a whirlwind, saying, among many other things, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me"
Job 38:2-3. After the Lord's command, Job was overwhelmed and said: "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further"
Job 40:4.
Many interpretations read this as Job's realizing how little he knew when he says to the Lord: "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you."
Job 42:5 Other scholars and readers, however, find this explanation unsatisfactory and rather limited, as Job seems to have a competent understanding of why he has been afflicted by God (God's Will) and has spent much of the book attempting to explain to his friends that their counsel is wrong and fruitless because it contains no real knowledge or wisdom. The core concept of "knowledge and or wisdom" being as quoted from
Job 28:28 "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding". Thus, Job's response to God's demand—Job falling silent before God—falls in line with his prior positional arguments he made against his friends in earlier passages. Job's argument was simply thus: that you don't argue with God or assume you know His Will by placing mankind's concepts of righteousness and wickedness on the balancing scale with earthly gains or loses. God will handle all righteousness and wickedness in His time, whether that be on Earth or in Judgment. Job's present earthly condition was God's Will under Satan's test and non-negotiable. By staying silent before God, Job stresses the point that he understood that his affliction was (God's Will) even though he despaired at not knowing why (Satan's test). Despite his confusion and grief to the mental breaking point, Job remained wise enough to understand that silence was the limit to any man's knowledge with respect to God, be he poor, rich, righteous, old, wise, powerful or wicked. All should "fear the Lord and depart from evil" no matter their current station or changes throughout life. When Job said "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you", he was not talking about his ignorance of God; rather, he was talking about his relationship to God. Job was faithful without direct knowledge of God and without demands for special attention from God, even for a cause that all others would declare to be just. Upon Job's relief, he sees God and plays witness to his own faith in action.
God, acknowledging these virtues in Job, then rebuked the three friends and gave them instruction for remission of sin, followed by Job being restored to an even better condition than his former wealthy state.
Job 42:10-17 Job was also blessed to have seven sons, and three daughters named
Jemimah (which means "dove"),
Keziah ("cinnamon"), and
Keren-happuch ("horn of eye-makeup"). His daughters were said to be the most beautiful women in the land.
[3] "After this, Job lived another hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons,
even four generations."
Job 42:16
The characters in the Book of Job consist of Job, his wife, his three friends, a man named
Elihu, God,
Satan and the sons of God. Neither the patriarchs nor any other
biblical characters make an appearance.
Though not much is known about Job based on the Masoretic text, the Septuagint has a longer final verse that gives his genealogy, claiming him to be a grandson of Esau and a ruler of Edom. The longer verse reads: "And Job died, an old man and full of days: and it is written that he will rise again with those whom the Lord raises up."
The above can be changed by you if, you wish. You and everyone can correct the above for errors. To do that simply log in, to Wikipedia, then make your changes, but you will have to contend with the peer review process, if your work is found to be faulty.
Their site is this:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_(biblical_figure)
I will to honor your work, and further look in, to how you can say without speculation or error, that God Definitely sent in Elihu, and that God was showing Job, only that he is not rightious, and may have used even Satan, to prove that to Job.
In the mean time, you might want to show your proof of God sending in Elihu, and you might want to correct Wikipedia, where they are wrong on this.
LOVE,
...Mary., .... .
