Then Elihu said: “Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I will be cleared by God.’ Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?’ I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you. (Job 35:1-4)
I’ve never quite figured out how to take Elihu. Who is he? And what is the purpose of his long speeches? I’ve read a few commentaries on Job and most of them don’t know how to take Elihu either. There are basically three opinions on Elihu’s role in the book of Job:
1. He is a bad character, even worse than the other three counselors, thus prompting God’s eventual response in chapter 38.
2. He is a neutral character, just another counselor with another opinion not much different than the other three.
3. He is a good character, confronting Job in some needed areas though still missing the boat on many issues.
As I read Elihu’s speeches I am not real impressed. He does seem to be better than Job’s friends with a little more compassion toward Job and a little better grasp of Job’s situation. He does bring some progress to the discussion. But he still comes across as lecturing and long-winded to me. I see two real problems with Elihu–he speaks out of his anger and he speaks with a touch of pride.
Before Elihu speaks in chapter 32, it is clear that he is angry with the whole situation. He is angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God and he is angry with Job’s friends for accusing Job of sin without any proof. Four times in 32:1-5 it says that Elihu’s “wrath was aroused.” Now, in some sense, his anger was justified. Job had said some provocative things and Job’s friends were grossly out of line. However when you speak out of anger it usually does not bring good results. I am reminded of James 1:19-20, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” We cannot get to God’s righteousness on the pathway of anger. Anger may get us to take notice of a situation but if the situation is to be resolved in God’s way then we have to resolve our anger first.
The second problem with Elihu is pride. If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. If not, listen to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom (33:32-33). Elihu is just a little too sure of himself. He is not quite as prideful as Job’s friends but he is sure that his take on the situation is better than Job’s friends or Job himself. Elihu’s pride clouds his judgment on many issues.
So what is the purpose of Elihu’s speeches? I still do not know. My best guess at this point is that Elihu represents the typical “outsider’s” view of the whole dialogue between Job and his friends. In other words, as we hear the dialogue between Job and his friends, it is easy for us to pass judgment on both sides of the argument. Somehow we tend to think that we are objective and can figure out where Job and his friends went wrong. “Well, if I would have been one of Job’s friends, I would had said such and such.” Elihu may be a reminder to us that despite how objective we may think we are, we don’t have a grasp on the situation either.
I am reminded of how often I watch interviews on TV with Christian spokespeople and think, “Boy, if that was me, I would have said…” I can do the same thing when I hear sermons or listen to others speak or counsel. I have to be careful. It is easy to sit on the outside and pass judgment. It is easy to critique. It is easy to see what is wrong with another person’s take on a situation. It is easy to play ”armchair quarterback.” It is easy to fall into the trap of anger and pride.
On the other hand, it is hard to minister to another person in need. It is hard to know how to speak God’s truth in a godly way at the right time. It is hard to know how to balance truth and love, firmness and compassion, confidence in God’s truth and humility in my own understanding of that truth. That kind of Christlike heart and wise balance does not come because we are old or young, Baptist or Presbyterian, modern or postmodern, pastor or plumber. It only comes when we are walking in step with the Spirit of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. …If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23, 25)
Lord, help me to walk in Your Spirit today.