God's Ways Are Incomprehensible

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God’s Ways Are Incomprehensible
The lessons that can be learned through the teachings of Elihu and Eliphaz are extremely valuable as one searches for a meaning to the way God works. Eliphaz and Elihu both stress the fact that only God can truly understand why he does or does not do certain things. They also strongly believe God brings judgment on every individual throughout his or her lifetime, and that every circumstance that one encounters, whether it be good or bad, has a direct correlation to the way that individual lives his or her life. Eliphaz and Elihu state that God’s justification for imposing hardships on an individual come from the fact that, no matter what one may think, every person has a sinful nature and will commit multiple sins throughout his or her lifetime. According to Elihu and Eliphaz, this fact does not mean there is no point in living because one can repent to God and gain forgiveness for his or her sins. Both the speeches made by Eliphaz and those made by Elihu emphasize, in nearly the same manner, that although God works in ways that are incomprehensible to human-beings, he does so in manner that is just and purposeful.
The most important point Eliphaz makes is that God works in ways that are far beyond a normal person’s understanding. Eliphaz illustrates this point beautifully when he asks Job, “Were you brought forth before the hills? Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?” (15:7). Eliphaz is trying to help Job realize that he should not question the ways of God because God’s wisdom surpasses even the wisest person on the face of the Earth, and he will never be able to understand the way God works. Elihu is in complete agreement with Eliphaz stating, “Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable” (36:26). Elihu points out to Job that God has been around for longer then any individual can even begin t...