Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
“At this my heart also pounds and leaps from its place. Listen closely to the thunder of His voice and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole sky and sends it to the ends of the earth. Then there comes a roaring sound; He thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His voice resounds.
God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the gentle rain, ‘Pour out a mighty downpour.’ He seals up the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work. The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens. The tempest comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds. By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. They swirl about, whirling at His direction, accomplishing all that He commands over the face of all the earth. Whether for punishment or for His land, He accomplishes this in His loving devotion.
Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God. Do you know how God dispatches the clouds or makes the lightning flash? Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge? You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind, can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze?
Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot draw up our case when our faces are in darkness. Should He be told that I want to speak? Would a man ask to be swallowed up? Now no one can gaze at the sun when it is bright in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds Him. The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress. Therefore, men fear Him, for He is not partial to the wise in heart.”
Once more, Elihu has gotten carried away by his own brilliance and is having a wonderful time brow beating Job. Few things are more frustrating than having to listen as someone lectures on things you have known longer than they have been alive. Job’s final trial is a spiritual one; he must listen to Elihu. While some cultures would allow Job to interrupt, Job’s culture evidently allows people to speak for as long as they wish without interruption.
Once more, Elihu’s descriptions of God sound wonderful until you realize that he is telling Job that Job has no right to speak to God at all. “Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot draw up our case when our faces are in darkness. Should He be told that I want to speak? Would a man ask to be swallowed up? Now no one can gaze at the sun when it is bright in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds Him. The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress. Therefore, men fear Him, for He is not partial to the wise in heart.” Hmph! If God is not partial to the wise in heart, then why is Elihu spouting off?
APPLICATION: Elihu’s are everywhere. Just have a few problems, and they will instantly appear with “sound” advice that is mostly sound with little actual advice. If Job were truly as sinful as Elihu has contended, he would never have sat still to listen while Elihu nattered on and on. These days, people can quote TV personalities such as Dr. Phil, or advice columnists, or self-help books, or famous evangelists. Good thing Elihu did not have access to all that material, for otherwise, he might have gone on for weeks instead of days!
While some cultures limit the amount of time a person can speak, others allow the person to orate as long as he/she chooses. Here in Ghana, a common phrase is “Let me land.” This phrase is generally employed by someone who has already spoken at length but has far more to say and who is determined to get everything out, no matter what. When Mary Slessor was a missionary in the Calabar region of Nigeria, she used to knit during tribal disputes in which speakers could go on for several hours at a time. Slessor would continue to knit until all the speakers were exhausted, at which time she would swiftly render a verdict. Many times I have endured long meetings during which I have wished for some knitting so that I would at least accomplish something.
Is there ever a time when it is necessary to listen to bores? Yes. Sometimes there are those who simply are unable to condense their thoughts but who need someone to hear them out. In such cases, we must exercise patience, realizing that we too may have bored someone without being aware of doing so. Perhaps it is just such a consideration that is allowing Job to remain silent throughout all of Elihu’s speeches.
There are many things we can learn from Elihu.
- Get your facts straight before you speak. Elihu obviously does not know Job well and is relying on popular opinion for his assessment of Job.
- Do not smother someone with verbiage. Overwhelming someone with words accomplishes nothing.
- Be compassionate and humble when attempting to counsel.
- Before offering advice of any kind, ask yourself whether or not you are qualified to do so. And if the answer is “no,” keep quiet!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen before we speak, to be compassionate, and to be humble. Do not allow us to afflict those who are suffering as Elihu has afflicted Job. Help us to remain silent when necessary. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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