Today in God's Word—June 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
June 28, Job 33
”But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words, Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks. My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.” - Elihu, Job 33:1-3
Job's accusers had not been kind to their suffering friend. But young Elihu outdid them all with his arrogant, rude address to Job. He called Job by name, as if he were Job's superior, and barked commands to the older man about what he had to do. Elihu presumed that he was right, and demanded that Job answer him if he could. He even claimed inspiration for himself, and later identified himself as the mediator Job longed to find. He misrepresented what Job said. Job never claimed perfect innocence of all transgression. But he did deny the malicious charges that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had made.
Elihu used what Job said about his experience, and molded it into his narrative. Job had reported nightmares; Elihu said the bad dreams were warnings from God, calling Job to repent. Job described his pain and suffering; Elihu said that God was using Job's pain to rebuke him. Job longed for an umpire or mediator to stand between himself and God. Elihu submitted that he was in fact the angel, the messenger God sent to Job to convict him and bring him to repentance.
Out of all that Elihu said in Chapter 33, one idea stands out the we can see and appreciate with New Testament light on the subject. As the book of Hebrews and other New Testament passages teach, God does discipline and chasten his sons and daughters through adversity. Elihu said something about this idea. But according to God's personal estimate of Job back in the first two chapters, Elihu was wrong about why all this had happened to Job.
Elihu held up a list of blessings that could be Job's if he would only listen to him, confess those awful sins and then praise God for his
restoration. Again, the idea behind what Elihu said was true. But the admonition did not apply to Job's predicament at all. As if scolding a child, Elihu demanded that Job pay attention to his words. If the older man had any words, Elihu told him to speak them to him. If Job had nothing to say, he could just keep quiet and Elihu would teach him some wisdom. Elihu had been critical of the others for failing to convict Job. He said he would not use their words, but he had already started to sound like the others. Before he is finished, Elihu will have exceeded the others in length and severity.
There's very little about Elihu's brash youthful bluster to commend. He's not a very good example of anything that we should imitate. Regardless of our age, if we can see how unbecoming and unhelpful Elihu's words were, we would do well to never do these things to anyone God puts in our path. There is a prideful arrogance about Elihu and his words that does not fit well with the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Let's remember that this young man was sure that he was right, and that he was God's mediator to reconcile Job. It is easy to say even the right thing the wrong way. It is quite easy to think more highly of ourselves than we should, and to speak in wrong and unhelpful ways. Elihu's folly was visible to everyone, except himself. Let's be careful not to make the same mistakes, and do more harm than good with our words.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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