Adult Class
Job
Lesson 8
Job 32-37
To this point, Job and his three friends have furnished the dialogue in the majority of the book. Indeed, before these chapters, we had no idea that anyone named Elihu was present. As Job has silenced his "comforters" and ended his own presentation, they all seem to sit in awe-waiting for God to act on the basis of Job's strong oath. Into this void steps Elihu, a younger man, but one who claims wisdom actually superior to the others.
Two basic facts about Elihu's words are worthy of notice here. First, while the others were confined to three speeches or rebuttals each, Elihu stacks up four speeches without allowing space for rebuttal. Second, while the other friends sought to describe to Job why these terrible things had come upon him, Elihu looked forward in some kind of attempt to describe what Job should do now, given the current circumstances. This seems a much healthier mechanism to cope with difficulty than a continual look backward with endless "why me" questions.
Elihu's first speech: Job 32-33
Silence descended into the discussion between Job and his friends, but Elihu can not sit by any longer. His zeal leads him to rush into a lengthy defense of his involvement and an explanation for why God works the way He does. He begins by declaring that he remained silent because he thought youth should defer to age, but these "wise men" have no answer to Job!
Elihu launches into his remarks with the claim that he will show no partiality and will not favor anybody. He then proves that claim by addressing Job by name, with no qualification as "noble," or "learned," or any other description of Job's dignity. But Elihu makes a very significant substitution in his first speech. He claims Job asserted "innocence," meaning complete moral innocence. Job had used a different word that meant he was faithful to God and had done nothing to deserve such harsh treatment. Job never claimed he was perfectly sinless! From that misunderstanding, Elihu's argument cannot succeed.
Elihu is shocked that Job would claim God does not speak. In fact, he argues, God does speak-sometimes in a dream, sometimes in a vision, and even sometimes in the suffering He inflicts on men. Suffering may not be punishment for past sin, but rather discipline so that the man avoids impending temptation! Once the man is restored, he glorifies God for His discipline. Elihu ends his first speech with a bold declaration that if Job will listen, he will learn wisdom from Elihu.
Elihu's second speech: Job 34
In his second speech, hard on the heels of his first, Elihu upholds God's justice. In effect, he says that God always judges rightly and never fails. He points out that although Job has declared his innocence, God does not do what is wrong. He is God over all and the ruler of all rulers. Then he asks a very pointed question that we would do well to ponder for our own lives.
In Job 34:31-33, Elihu notes that if a person were to understand his sin and offer to repent, God is not obligated for that reason. There is nothing we can do to put God in our debt; He owes us nothing for anything we may offer Him. It is important to realize that in our acceptance of God's grace and mercy, we can do nothing to gain power over Him. We do not rule Him in any way. Elihu flatly accuses Job of the sin of rebellion.
Elihu's third speech: Job 35
In the third speech, Elihu continues his former theme. People cannot affect God by their actions. In this, Elihu actually echoes what Job has said previously. Job questioned any effect on God that his sin might have (7:20) and later Eliphaz pointed out the corollary idea that Job's righteousness would gain God nothing (22:3). Here Elihu rejects any suggestion that Job's sin or righteousness could wound or aid God.
Elihu refuses to accept Job's assertion that God does not pursue the wicked. In fact, God rejects the plea of the sinner and will certainly take notice of evil. Ironically, Elihu states that Job multiplies empty words. Of course, it is Elihu who launches four speeches and begins the first with repeated declarations that he is "about to speak"!
Elihu's fourth speech: Job 36-37
Here, Elihu ends his tirade with the truth that God disciplines even the most powerful. He claims that he knows exactly what he's talking about and that he is "perfect," meaning, "mature, complete," in knowledge. Then he declares an idea that is close, but not exactly parallel, to the ideas the three friends have earlier advanced. He notes that God does reward the righteous and does, in fact, punish the wicked. God tells the wicked their faults-if they will accept the word.
He hints that Job's trials have come upon him in order to teach him something. This idea is often brought out today by well-meaning, but wounding, people. It is completely unfair and beyond any understanding to assert that Job's children died in order to teach Job a lesson-especially one that is still obscure to him! Elihu is correct in his assertion that God is great and His ways are beyond our understanding, but he ruins his own argument by essentially claiming that he knows what God really intends in this terrible ordeal!
He finishes the speech by declaring that God makes all things happen. Then he points out that men cannot stand to gaze at the sun in its glory, so nobody should think he could ever look upon the glory of God. Nobody can stand before Him. Then Elihu states that God has regard for the wise-meaning those who know how to live in harmony with God.
For five chapters, Elihu has spouted his wisdom, claiming that he is wiser than Job or any of the three friends. He actually did advance some ideas that they had not mentioned, but whether they considered them and rejected them, or merely had not thought of those ideas is unknown. One thing is telling: nobody even bothered to respond to Elihu. Job did not rebut his statements, and none of the three friends spoke up in answer to him. It is possible that they ignored him in exasperation with his sophomoric attempts at wisdom. Perhaps he should have kept his thoughts to himself. But then, we would be deprived of his reasoning, even though it is incomplete. With his statements about the tremendous power of God, we are prepared for God to enter and speak.