God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. So wrote C. S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain. And it is true. Suffering may be God's mercy to us, to bring us to our senses.

The idea comes from a little-known character in the book of Job. At the start of chapter 32, a young man called Elihu is introduced (vv. 1-5). Elihu is angry because Job is accusing God of being unjust and because Job's three friends have failed to persuade him otherwise. So, Elihu begins to answer Job.

Although many commentators think Elihu is ambiguous, like Job's three friends, there are good reasons for thinking he is actually a reliable and prophetic voice, a kind of ″warm up″ before God himself speaks from chapter 38 onwards. Elihu makes four unanswered speeches. Job 32-33 is the first.

In chapter 32:6-22, Elihu explains why he has decided to speak, despite being younger than the others. He is dismayed that God has been accused of injustice and no one has answered this accusation. So, he begins. In chapter 33, he gives the first part of his answer. First, he reassures Job that he need not be terrified of him (vv. 1-7). Then, he summarises what Job has been saying (vv. 8-11). Next, he contradicts Job's claim that God has refused to speak to him (vv. 12-13). ″For,″ says Elihu, ″God does speak″ (v. 14). The question is: How? Elihu gives two answers.

First, God speaks through what seems to be conscience, as a man with a guilty conscience has a frightening dream (vv. 15-18).

Second, God speaks through pain (vv. 19-28). As someone draws ″near to the pit″ (that is, death, v. 22), God sends some kind of messenger to be gracious to him, to provide a ransom for him, to restore him to health, and to bring him back to God (vv. 23-25). It is not an easy passage to understand in detail, but the idea seems to be this: God uses pain to bring us back to Him. In the same way, God is speaking to Job to call him to himself. Elihu concludes by urging Job to listen to his message (vv. 29-33).

Elihu is right and what he says is profound. God does indeed speak to us through our guilty consciences, and He does use suffering to bring us to Him in faith. Even though Job is not an impenitent sinner, this message should be a comfort to him.