C.S. Lewis famously said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Elihu saw this truth long before Lewis did, and he describes it in Job 33. Having addressed the three friends in the previous chapter, Elihu now speaks directly to Job. He calls him to listen carefully, for he speaks as one who is sincere, Spirit-led, and sympathetic. Job has previously complained that he would be frightened to hear the voice of God. But Elihu is mortal, like Job, so through him, Job can hear God’s Word without being terrified (v 1-7). Elihu believes Job has lodged some serious accusations against God which must now be answered, so he is careful to first summarize what Job has said. Not only has he been saying he is not guilty before God, he’s also claimed to be victimized by God. According to Job, God treats him like an enemy by targeting him unfairly and refusing to speak to him (v 8-13). It is this complaint that Elihu will address in the rest of his speech. Unlike the three friends, Elihu will not tell Job he has some secret, undisclosed sin that caused his suffering. Rather, Job is wrong in what he says about God in the midst of his suffering. Job has accused God of silence, but Elihu insists that God does indeed speak, and in more ways than one (v 14). First, He speaks through what we may call a guilty conscience—that strange terror that afflicts us when we know we are guilty and unforgiven. God speaks this way to bring us to repentance and a changed life, so that we will not perish in our pride (v 15-18). But second, God also speaks through our suffering. Pain is an often overlooked way in which God rebukes us—again with a gracious purpose. A man may be on his deathbed when he finally prays, finding a merciful “mediator” who will speak up for him in the court of Heaven and rescue him from the pit of hell. In response, the reconciled man is filled with exuberant praise (v 19-28). Like Job, we may have concluded from our sufferings that God is not speaking. But Elihu brings an important new perspective: those very sufferings may be the voice of God to us! And His purpose is positive. God wants to rescue me from death, remove pride from my heart, and restore me to true life (v 29-30). Elihu says that Job needs to listen to his prophetic voice as he tells him what God wants him to hear in his pain. Even the sinless Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered. May the same be true for you and me (v 31-33). For further meditation: