Elihu Rebukes Job
“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue. My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me. I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay. Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you. Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. Yet He finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude. He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death. Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’ then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth. He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man. Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’ Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times, to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you. But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
“Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.” Listening to Elihu, you realize there’s no pride or arrogance in his family; he got it all! First, Elihu modestly mentions that he is a man just like Job. Next, Elihu criticizes Job for claiming to be pure without transgression. But meanwhile Elihu is doing precisely the same thing for which he is criticizing Job! Mike Warnke, a Christian comedian, used to say that he hated it when anyone said they were going to tell him something “in love.” Warnke continued, “If the next thing you say is loving, I will recognize that and if not, I will know it’s not loving.”
“Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.” Great! Now Elihu is accusing Job of ignoring God when He speaks. There is no evidence to prove that Elihu has ever worshiped God even once, so why does he think he’s an expert?
“Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you. But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.” Remember that this conversation is taking place in a culture in which the elderly are revered and respected. Here Elihu is amply demonstrating that he is a young man with no manners. Elihu is a liar; he has no interest in vindicating Job. Elihu’s only interest is in dumping his load of verbiage. Of all the torments Job has endured, sitting by while Elihu lectures him must be the crowning indignity.
“Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’ then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth. He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man. Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’” Even a blind hog can find an acorn once in awhile, and this statement is the best thing Elihu has said so far.
Elihu doesn’t know it, but one day, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, will come to the earth. Jesus will live as a man and then die a shameful death for the sins of the whole world. Jesus will be that Messenger, that Mediator who will be able to tell God the Father, “Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom.” Jesus will become the Ransom for the entire world, for all who will believe in Him.
When we hear people speak of “the patience of Job,” we often think of Job’s physical sufferings. But few things are more irritating than a know-it-all like Elihu. Perhaps Elihu’s windy orations constitute God’s final test for Job; if Job can tolerate Elihu without strangling him, he has done very well.
APPLICATION: What can we learn from Elihu? Earlier, Elihu has indicated that he has been sitting waiting for his opportunity while he has become full of words and speeches. Elihu firmly believes that he has the right to dump all those things he has been thinking on Job. But is Elihu correct? Do we have the right to say whatever we choose merely because we feel impelled to do so?
Perhaps Job does not answer Elihu because Job has become emotionally depleted and numb. Nights of itching and pain have left Job exhausted. Now that Elihu has begun what promises to be a long oration, Job is so tired that he simply views Elihu much as he does the flies that are buzzing around his sores. All the time Elihu is nattering on, blinded by his own eloquence, Job is simply sitting, waiting for Elihu to run out of words.
Elihu’s fundamental problem is simple: Elihu does not care for Job in the slightest. All Elihu can think of is making a big impression on Job and his friends. Elihu has come along to listen as a form of entertainment and now he is hoping his speeches will wow the elders. Elihu thinks the elders are amazed at his briliance; meanwhile, the elders are being very tolerant, allowing Elihu to speak his mind out of respect for customs, not Elihu.
This meme says it all: Just because you feel you have to say something, does not mean you should. Thought must precede speech, and we need to be particularly sensitive when dealing with those who are grieving. Elihu would have gotten much farther with Job had he simply taken Job’s hand and held it sympathetically.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be sensitive to the needs of others and to put them first. Help us to remember that it is far more important to demonstrate love than to make long speeches. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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