64 ASTRONOMYANDTHEBIBLE
listentohimforatime;buteventuallytheirpent-up
feelingsfindvent,andtheirphilosophythatsuffering
isalwaysvisitedbecauseofsinscommitted, ispoured
outinwordsandfiguresandargumentsinoverwhelm-
ing confusion upon the miserable Job. "Who ever
perished,"saythey, "beinginnocent?orwhere were
therighteouscutoff?... Theythatplowiniquity,
and sowwickedness,reapthe same."
ButJobknowsthatsuchphilosophyisnotcomplete
;heknows,evenasthefactsinthecaseattest,thattheir
wordsdonotapplytohim. Neverthelessheisgroping
inthedark. Hedoesnotunderstandthemeaningof
hiscondition. Heknows,however,thatheisinnocent
ofanyevilintentordeed. Thenbeginsthelongand
heated argument. Thethree counselorsare silenced
atlast,anda fourth,namedElihu, attemptsstill fur-
thertoclearthemystery.
None of Job's comforters would admit that the
innocent could suffer, or the righteous be afflicted.
Thebrightlightfromthecrosshadnotasyetlighted
themystery. InChrist,weseetheinnocentafflicted,
andtheuprightsufferingdeath. Jobwas,thoughhe
knewitnot,butfillingup"oftheafflictionsofChrist."
Col. 1 :24. All unconsciously, he was fellowshiping
inthesufferingsofJesus.
ThenwhenJob'sdarknesshadgrownmostintense,
andtheproblemofhisconditionseemedincapableof
asolution,Godappeared. InHisaddresstoJob,He
taughttheafflictedmanthatthismysteryoftheinno-
centsufferingfortheguiltywasonlyoneofthemany
greatproblemsthatconfrontedthepygmymindofman.