Elihu: An Example for the Youth

Due to our wonderful snow day today, I had plently of time to catch up on reading Job this morning. I am now at chapter 38, and and should finish the book by Thursday. Well, my opinion of Job is starting to turn around. I just finished the 6 chapter monologue of Elihu. Let me tell you, I really like this guy. All 31 chapters before he begins his monologue, he doesn't say a word. It says in the beginning of chapter 32 that he was angry with Job and the 3 friends who had been talking with Job the entire book. It also says that he had waited to speak, since they were older than him. It wasn't untill they had finished talking that Elihu's anger was enough to cause him to speak. I can image a couple things about Elihu in this situation:

• He's young (maybe a teenager?) and his words are probably not worth much to the others
• The things Job's friends are saying frustrate Elihu since "they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him(or had condemned God)
• Job had been justifying himself rather than God

I understand what it means to be underestimated for your age. Older folks tend to pass judgements on the youth as immature, unwise, and foolish. I'll admit it, I do the same to people younger than me. Elihu says upfront the impression he recieves from Job and his friends about his age. "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.'" (ch 32 vs 6-7) His approach to these adults was interesting, one that makes me think. He wasn't proud in saying that 'I have something to say too, and you should listen to me'. He states the facts and was honest with these men, he was afraid to talk. Into the next verses he talks about wisdom does not come from age, but from God. "It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right." Elihu was saying, "I'm wise too; don't disregard my words because of my age." This reminds me of the verse 1 Timothy 4:12. In the next chapters (32:10-:33) Elihu is defending his right to speak and be heard. This begs the question: How is my approach with adults compared to Elihu? I could contiue talking about his for many paragraphs, but I'll get onto my next point.

Secondly, Elihu has been listening to Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz talk to Job for quite a while now, and he's calling them out. "I gave you my full attention. But no one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments." (32:12) My impression, is that Elihu is saying that their words and arguments and advice are wrong, utterly wrong. I don't quite know what to think about this. The imagery Elihu uses in 32: 16-22 is a pretty clear indicator of the emotions/frustrations he is experiencing. He does show extreme patience though, by waiting for everyone else to speak their peace, regardless of whether he agrees with it or not.

Lastly, Elihu directly calls out Job('blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil' 1:1; He was the greatest man among all the people of the East' 1:3) Job was kind of a big deal, and some munchkin was calling him wrong. In chapter 33 verses 8-12, Elihu reminds Job that he is not greater than God. And later on in the chapters, Elihu mentions that who is he[Job] to say 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice' (34:5). That is really gutsy of Elihu; remember who he is and who Job is. I don't know if I could even say that to my mom or my pastor, let alone the richest most prosperous man in the world. Elihu was brave to say these things and more, but I believe that God spoke through him to Job. Here's some food for thought: How is God trying to use you to be an example to those older(or younger) than you?

These chapters are just filled with lessons to be learned! Oh, how I wish I could spend some more time in this wonderful book. I wish I could sit down with Elihu and have a conversation over coffee. I am adding him to my list of people to talk to in Heaven. What an example he is to me, and hopefully other youth. Sorry this post is so long, but when I read about his guy, I just had to write about it.