Tag Archive | elihu

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 13

Jan13

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?  (You can also listen to an audio recording.) It only takes a few minutes and you will be blessed.

Day 13 – Job 35 – 37 (Elihu continues.)

In chapter 35, Elihu continues to speak to Job (and his other three friends), and he is as far off the truth as they were.  He tells Job the reasons why God hasn’t answered him are three. First was his pride (10 & 12). Second was that Job had wrong motives (13). And the third thing was that Job lacked trust (14).  

Well, actually, those are reasons why OUR prayers are not sometimes answered too. It’s just a shame that God’s silence towards job had nothing to do with them.  (And soon – very soon – God IS going to respond. And then, Job and his friends had better listen!)

Chapter 36 starts out with Elihu claiming to speak on behalf of God. He says his own words are not false and that he is one who is perfect in knowledge.  (Cough! Choke!  Really Elihu???)  He then goes on self-righteously (in my opinion) to describe how Almighty God, his maker, deals with mankind.

He does say some truth about God’s majesty in creation, and (I like this) “God is great, and we know Him not; the number of His years is unsearchable.” (36:26)  He got that right because God IS from eternity past and will go on forever into eternity future. 

He goes on in chapter 37, proclaiming God’s majesty in nature, specifically in the elements; storms of wind, rain, ice and snow.  I love this in verse 13, “Whether for CORRECTION or for His LAND, or for LOVE, He causes it to happen.”  Think of that the next time you read about (or experience) blizzards, flooding, tornados, or heat waves. Wow.

And at the end of the chapter, he almost (unknowingly) preaches at HIMSELF!  “Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”  (Hah, Elihu!  Remember 36:4?)

(But alas, am I not like that too?  Lord, forgive me. Thank You.)

 

On Sunday and Monday (posts together, and concludes Job), we will read God’s words to Job and his friends, in a series of hundreds of questions, the answers always pointing to God Himself.  Wow. Talk about an interrogation! 

#2024 GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 12

Jan12

Won’t you read the Bible with me this year?  (You can also listen to an audio recording.) It only takes a few minutes and you will be blessed.

Day 12 – Job 32 – 34 (Elihu, the original “burning man”)

Job’s three friends have exhaused their words of “comfort” (more like condemnation). Job himself seems to have come to the end of his rebuttals. Now, Elihu, who is younger than all of them and seems to have been there all along waiting, takes the stage.

And he’s mad.  Four times in the first 5 verses the word says, he “burned with anger.  I can imagine him sitting in the group all this time and getting more and more steamed up, face red, eyes wide, breathing fast. But he waited his turn out of respect for age. And now, youth wills out and he stands with (in his own mind) authority.

In his first paragraph he disparages their age, saying “It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right” (32:9) and, “Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.” (32:10, 17)

But, you know what?  He basically says the same things.  It’s all Job’s fault. How dare Job claim to be righteous! God doesn’t afflict a good man! God repays man according to his works!

Elihu digresses a bit in mid chapter 34, praising the almighty, sovereign God, perfectly just and powerful. (Amen, Elihu!)

But he closes the chapter with stinging words agains Job. “Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against. God.” (34:36-37)

Sigh.

Elihu will speak for three more chapters in tomorrow’s reading. He will continue to condemn Job, but will finally turn his thoughts to God and magnify Him. That will be a welcome relief.