Year 2, Day 126: Job 32

Elihu

Now Elihu steps up to speak.  Elihu was apparently a younger man than Job’s three earlier friends.  He let the older people talk – listening to their speeches and gleaning what he can glean before he figures out what he wants to say.  Perhaps it was motivated by respect for one’s elders, but in the end it is an absolutely brilliant strategy.  Elihu gets to listen to all the people and he can respond after hearing them “show their cards.”  It may be good to respect ones elders and listen to what wisdom they can give, but it is equally good to take time to listen and gain information before speaking.  It has been a painful process for me to learn, but I think I too am starting to learn when to talk and when it is better to sit and listen.

Before we get to any of Elihu’s speech, I do want to talk about the description of the motivation behind Elihu’s speech.  Elihu was angered at Job’s friends because of the fact that their “wisdom” led nowhere.  I know how that feels.  How many times have we read through their speeches and heard what had great potential to be wisdom instead turn out to be worldly centered speech for the purpose of self-justification?  I have found myself angry at Job’s three friends’ inability to speak truth.

Then we hear that Elhiu is angry at Job because he has justified himself.  Again, I find agreement with Elihu.  Job has said many good things in this book, but the one error that he has made is drawing God’s defense of him into question because of his conviction about his own righteousness.  Yes, we know that God has declared Job righteous – but our own “being declared righteous by God” is no reason to call God’s character into question when it appears to us that God is distant.

So as we begin, I find myself in a similar position to Elihu.  I can’t wait to see how this pans out for the next few chapters!

Elihu Has No Filter

I have to laugh at verse 9, though.  “It is neither the old who are wise nor the aged who understand righteousness.”  On one hand, this seems to go against the whole “respect your elders” or even the “honor your father and mother.”  If we look at Elihu’s words from a sense of respect, they can seem a little blasphemous. 

On the other hand, Elihu is really spot-on.  One does not become wise just by growing old.  One becomes wise by humbling oneself before God.  The same is true with righteousness.  It is not our years that teach us about righteousness, it is God.

Now, I will concede that age does tend to bring about a greater perspective.  A greater perspective of experience typically brings about on openness to humbleness.  This humbleness opens us up to God’s wisdom.  That is how we become wise and understand righteousness.  Thus I can absolutely agree that on the average wisdom and an understanding of righteousness is found in greater quantities among the aged.  But one need not be aged to be wise or to have an understanding of righteousness.  Neither is one wise or understand righteousness just because someone has a great age.

Great At Flattery

That pretty much takes us to the end of the chapter, where we have an absolutely great verse.  “For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away.”  I’ll confess that although I have read through the Bible in its entirety many times, I do not ever remember pausing to meditate on this particular verse.  It is a great verse.

Have you ever met a person who is great at flattery?  They flatter one person, then the next, then the next.  Soon it becomes apparent that flattery is a tool and not genuine.  Flattery is a tool that people use to get one person on their side or to maneuver themselves into the position that they desire.

I don’t think flattery is something that has a place in the church.  I really think Elihu is wise here.  As they say, flattery will get you nowhere.  I really think that is how it should be in God’s kingdom.  If someone has something positive to say, let them genuinely exhort one another.  But don’t give out platitudes just to sway people to a particular opinion.  State the opinion in openness and honesty and let the truth be what decides the day.

So far, I think I have to say that I have some pretty good respect building for Elihu.  He might be young and he might be a bit of a maverick.  But he is absolutely speaking truth thus far – especially for a human being.

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