Sermon Tone Analysis
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Prayer
Westboro Baptist Church
Several years ago, a group called the Westboro Baptist church, began protesting.
They protested things like...
the tornado that went through Joplin, Missouri,
or the Boston marathon bombing
or the sandy hook elementary school shooting.
Often times when I’m talking to people, and they find out I’m a Baptist, they will ask, “Are you like the Westboro Baptist?”
When people hear of this group, typically they get extremely upset for good reason.
But I wonder when you think about this group why did you get upset?
Maybe you get upset because they protest things that they should be grieving?
Maybe you get upset because of the political group you think they are a part of?
Or maybe you get upset because of the name of Christ being drug through the mud in their actions?
I think it would be safe to say what makes us most angry about the Westboro Baptist church, is they misrepresent God.
They miss represent him in their actions.
They miss represent him in their words.
This should righteously make us angry.
Today we will be looking at Job 32 and it represents a pivot point for the book of Job.
Thus far Job has been on the offensive with his friends, who’ve attacked him.
Chapters 32 begins the speeches of a fourth friend who comes to Jobs aid and yet seeks to correct him.
Job has been declared righteous by God in chapter 1 on three different occasions.
This is helpful to keep in mind as we are introduced to Job’s younger friend.
Elihu (He Is My God)
“Friend or Foe?”
Job 32:2 (ESV)
Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram...
We are introduced to this man named Elihu.
Elihu’s name means “he is my God” (Lawson)
There is much ink spilled over Elihu.
The reason there is so much ink spilled can be seen if you look down in verse two.
Job 32:2 (ESV)
He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God.
You read this and you immediately think,
“Oh my goodness, here we go again.”
Or you think,
“Didn’t we just hear three guys rake Job over the coals for 30 something chapters?”
Many people who speak of Elihu think the way he speaks is harsh and demanding.
They think he is critical just like the other friends and he needs denounced.
I want to show you why I think Elihu is not simply like the friends who criticize Job.
Problematic or Prophetic?
Is Elihu giving us wisdom from God or more folly?
Is Elihu speaking as one with authoritative wisdom from God?
Should we listen with an ear expected to learn?
Or should we expect folly?
But it’s important to remember that even though Job was declared righteous, he did not respond purely every time.
[Example of a Water Bottle with Dirt]
I’ve used this example before, but picture with me this bottle of water with the dirt at the bottom.
Now, as I said before, the water in the bottle represents what is within our hearts.
What comes out of us is what has always been within us.
In Job situation his bottle has been shaken.
The water was pure because he was declared right by God.
Even though his heart was pure, there was the sinful residue of Adam.
1560 Geneva Bible puts it like this:
“In this story we have to mark that Job maintains a good cause, but handles it evil; again, his adversaries have an evil matter, but they defend it craftily.”
Job has not sinned to receive his suffering.
But during his suffering he has NOT always spoken correctly.
In his suffering, he is still a sinner.
I will argue that Elihu is NOT problematic for Job.
Rather, he is prophetic.
Even Elihu himself says…
I want you to see that Elihu is prophetic in the sense that he speaks on God’s behalf.
Wise or Foolish?
Job’s three friends stopped arguing with him because they realized he was not gonna change.
He was not going to admit he was unrighteous in anyway and deserved suffering.
These friends after much berating of Job have decided to let him alone.
This was a much wiser move than the other conversations they have been having.
We find out quickly that Elihu is much younger than Job’s other friends.
It should be interesting to us that Elihu is younger than the friends because we’ve seen in other places in scripture, wisdom is typically associated with the elderly...
Being older is typically associated with being wiser.
The inverse is also typically true, foolishness is found with those who are young.
Job is Against the Grain
Like I have mentioned before, if Proverbs is the grain of life, then Job is the splinter that goes against the grain.
Splinters mean that this isn’t typically how life goes.
This situation goes against the norm.
If we just relied on other parts of scripture, we may conclude that whatever Elihu is about to say will be foolish.
But notice the way the author presents it....
Could you imagine being young Elihu sitting and listening to these speeches for hours?
He has waited until all of his elders have stopped speaking.
Elihu showed deep respect for his elders.
This shows that Elihu is NOT simply some foolish youngling.
He is someone who is wise beyond his years.
He is a wise and discerning man who has heard enough.
“You’re young only once, but you can be immature indefinitely.”
(Oscar Wilde)
Elihu is prophetic, but he is also wise.
Right or Wrong?
The best evidence that Elihu is correct comes from God at the end of the book.
At the end of the book, God rebukes the three friends.
He rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar...
But HE does NOT rebuke Elihu.
If Elihu is wrong, like the rest of the friends, that it would only make sense that God would rebuke him as well.
God’s silence shows that Elihu is correct, and we should listen to what he has to say.
Since sufferers need to hear God’s perspective, we must graciously, prophetically, and impartially speak.
What do you get passionate about?
What has to happen in order for you to get upset?
For some of us it can be as simple as our football team loosing.
For others, they may need to hear people speak ill of them.
For some still, they are motivated by injustices of some kind.
Job 32:2 (ESV)
Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger.
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