Elihu’s Wisdom
Job’s friends have been arguing that God uses suffering to punish the unrighteous. Job has argued his innocence and believes suffering is evidence that God is uncaring, silent, and possibly even unjust. But now Elihu speaks, and in his teaching makes clear that God is neither silent nor unjust in our suffering. That the fire of God’s trials is not punishment to destruction, but fire for refining the righteous. Elihu brings wisdom to the debate, and prepares the way for God to speak.