Elihu’s First Speech: The God Who Speaks: Job: The Wisdom of the Cross [Job 32-33]

{Pray}

DOES GOD SPEAK TODAY? This question becomes a pressing one in times of suffering. When I cannot understand what God is doing, and when what he is doing seems to me not only incomprehensible but also desperately unjust, the longing for God to speak becomes unbearable. But does he speak, or is Heaven silent?

This is one of the questions with which Job has been grappling. He longs to bring his case before God and for God to speak to him. Job has this longing because he is a believer. Were he an unbeliever, he would simply reject belief in God and go his own way. But he knows that it is with God he must deal, and he longs for some kind of answer from God to say what God is doing in Job’s life.

This new character, Elihu comes like a preparatory prophet to bring God’s word to Job and his friends. He will begin to bring an answer to Job in two senses, both in answering Job’s protests and in answering Job’s longing to know if God speaks. Elihu makes four speeches. His first speech divides into the first part addressed to the three friends (chapter 32) and the second part addressed to Job (chapter 33). Before we get into the speech.

First, who is Elihu and why is he so angry?

Introducing Elihu, the angry your man

Verse two tells us Elihu is the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. Now that may not mean much to us, we can search the scripture and find these names elsewhere. The interesting thing is, Elihu is the only human figure in the book of Job to have a genealogy given. The main reason I point this out is the prophets of the OT are often given their genealogy. And I believe Elihu speaks as a prophet to Job, even though some older commentators have lumped Elihu in with the other friends, which is unfortunate. No I think we’ll see that Elihu does not speak as the other friends do but in fact Elihu begins to bring answers to Job.

Now when I speak of Elihu being a prophet and speaking prophecy I want you to understand what I mean. You’ll see I use prophet and prophecy often in the outline. Typically when we think of a prophet or prophecy we think of foretelling things to come, and that certainly is a part of prophecy. But a prophet and prophecy is also forthtelling, i.e. speaking the word of truth or the telling forth of God’s word, proclaiming God’s truth.

So why is this young proclaimer of truth so angry? Four times in the first five verses it says he burned with anger or his wrath was aroused.

First, he was angry with Job [32:1-2] because Job justified himself rather than God [v.2]

Second, he was angry with the friends [32:3-5] because they had no answers for Job and condemned him. [v.3]

Now as we listen to Elihu is sounds as if he is condemning Job as well. The main difference is subtle but important. The friends claimed Job was suffering because Job had sinned…Elihu says Job has sinned because he was suffering. Because of the suffering Job had endured it has caused him to say some sinful things. This is important for us to grasp.

Job is a man with a clear conscience, walking in obedient faith and love for God, yet when suffering comes there is the residue of sin in him that comes to light. The human heart is deceitful and a clear conscience is not a guarantee of sinlessness. The human heart can be compared to a container of water with a residue of mud at the bottom. When all is calm, it appears the water is clear at the top and we think it’s pure…but when it’s shaken the residue of mud surfaces and we find it wasn’t as pure as we thought.

Therefore, it is possible to have a clear conscience and to walk in daily repentance of known sin, while yet being a sinner at heart. This is the case for Job, and it explains how he can at the same time be affirmed and rebuked, indeed affirmed for speaking rightly of God while being rebuked for speaking wrongly about God! So this brother needs to be restored and Elihu begins this process that the Lord will finish.

He begins to restore Job by addressing the...

Traditional worldview which makes prophecy an urgent matter [Job 32:6-22]

Prophecy is possible [Job 32:6-10]

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

“I am young in years,

and you [plural] are aged;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to declare my opinion to you.

I said, ‘Let days speak,

and many years teach wisdom.’

But it is the spirit in man,

the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.[v.8]

It is not the old who are wise,

nor the aged who understand what is right.

Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;

let me also declare my opinion.’ ” (vv. 6–10)

Elihu begins with the question of authority: on what basis is he speaking and on what basis did the three comforters speak? The paragraph is bracketed by reference to ‘my opinion’. Why then should we listen to Elihu’s opinion? What is it worth? Elihu contrasts two possible sources of authority.

The first, the most obvious, seniority, age, or experience. He speaks in verse 6 of him being young and them being very old. Because of his youth he had been timid to voice his opinion, he naturally looks at these older more experienced men for wisdom…but they haven’t offered any.

The other source of authority he speaks of is the breath of the almighty [v.8]. He’s referring to God breathing life into man enabling man then to speak out words. But Elihu doesn’t just mean that any old human being with breath in his or her lungs will have wisdom; he means that along with physical breath, the Almighty can, for some people at some times, also breathe into them his own “breath,” his Spirit who will give them understanding and enable them to speak words of truth. We shall see that Elihu claims to have been given this kind of breath; in other words, he claims divine inspiration, to be able to speak as a prophet of God. It is because prophecy is possible that tradition cannot claim ultimate authority.

Prophecy is necessary [Job 31:11-16]

But prophecy is not only possible—prophecy is necessary.

Behold, I waited for your words,

I listened for your wise sayings,

while you searched out what to say.

I gave you my attention,

and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job

or who answered his words.

Beware lest you say, “We have found wisdom;

God may vanquish him, not a man.”

He has not directed his words against me,

and I will not answer him with your speeches.

They are dismayed; they answer no more;

they have not a word to say.[v.15]

And shall I wait, because they do not speak,

because they stand there, and answer no more? (vv. 11–16)

Elihu had been waiting and listening for quite a while. During the speeches from chapter 4-31 he has waited to see if anyone could answer Job with true wisdom. No one can say he has not been patient! But the comforters of Job had failed to answer Job or to bring comfort to his pain. i.e. these wise older men have brought no wisdom to the table at all.

In verse 15-16 Elihu looks and gestures to these wise men and says in effect “look at them, they’ve been silenced. They have nothing to say now.” Elihu is pointing out the absolute necessity for a word from God. Human wisdom, earthly tradition, even the understanding of aged experienced people cannot answer the perplexities of Job. Paul said something similar in 1 Cor. 1, “For the word of the cross is folly to those perishing, but to those being saved it’s the power of God.”

Prophecy Is Urgent (vv. 17–22)

Elihu now draws together the two strands of his argument. If (a) it is possible that God will put his truth into the mouth of any human being of his choice, young or old, and (b) human philosophy and understanding have no answer to the sufferings of a righteous man, then (c) there is an urgent necessity for the prophet to speak.

I also will answer with my share;[17]

I also will declare my opinion.

For I am full of words;

the spirit within me constrains me.[18]

Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;

like new wineskins ready to burst.

I must speak, that I may find relief;

I must open my lips and answer.

I will not show partiality to any man

or use flattery toward any person.[21]

For I do not know how to flatter,

else my Maker would soon take me away. (vv. 17–22)

Elihu comes back to his ‘opinion’. He speaks of the divine necessity to speak. In imagery that is echoed by the prophet Jeremiah, he speaks of himself as one into whom God has placed words that simply must be spoken. He cannot keep them to himself alone.

Verses 21, 22 emphasize the need for the prophet to speak words that are not shaped by the expectations or pressures of people; he must speak without partiality. He cannot be in the pay of anyone, like the prophets of Baal and Asherah in 1 Kings 18.

So Elihu begins by contrasting himself with the three friends. Implicitly he is saying that it is essential that someone should speak as the mouthpiece of God if the predicament and perplexities of Job are to be addressed. Elihu is right; the voice of prophecy is urgent. So let us hear what he says to Job.

The prophet appeals to the suffering seeker [Job 33:1-13]

The Prophet’s Voice Must Be Heeded (vv. 1–7)

But now, hear my speech, O Job,

and listen to all my words.

Behold, I open my mouth;

the tongue in my mouth speaks.

My words declare the uprightness of my heart,

and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.[v.4]

Answer me, if you can;

set your words in order before me; take your stand.

Behold, I am toward God as you are;

I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.[v.6]

Behold, no fear of me need terrify you;

my pressure will not be heavy upon you. (vv. 1–7)

Elihu begins his words to Job with an appeal. In verse 1 the appeal to “hear my speech” is heightened by the call to “listen to all my words.” This is a formal summons, as one might be given to appear in court. In verse 2 the declaration that “I open my mouth” is heightened by “the tongue in my mouth speaks.” First the mouth opens, and then the tongue speaks. The effect is to call Job to urgent attention.

Elihu asks Job to listen because of his sincerity (v.3)

He asks Job to listen to him because he speaks with the Spirit of God who made him (v.4)

His words are serious (v.5) these words are not just to wash over Job but to get under Job’s skin and change his heart.

Elihu is also sympathetic towards Job (v.6-7) Elihu is a fellow human being he is a ‘pinched off piece of clay’. This means that Job can hear the words of God without being terrified, as were the people of Israel when they cried to God for a mediator at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18, 19). Job has previously complained that he would be too frightened to hear the voice of God (e.g., 9:34; 13:21); he has no such excuse with Elihu.

This is the voice of prophecy, and it must be heeded.

Job’s Accusation Must Be Answered (vv. 8–13)

Elihu now summarizes what Job has said, to make the point that these accusations are serious and must be answered.

Surely you have spoken in my ears,

and I have heard the sound of your words.

You say, “I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.

Behold, he finds occasions against me,

he counts me as his enemy,

he puts my feet in the stocks

and watches all my paths.”

Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,

for God is greater than man.

Why do you contend against him,

saying, “He will answer none of man’s words”? (vv. 8–13)

In verse 8 Elihu says he has been listening carefully not only to the empty words of the comforters but also to the words of Job in his speeches in chapters 4–31. In verses 9–11 he summarizes what he has heard in two points. First, Job says he is not guilty before God (v. 9). This is indeed what Job has repeatedly claimed, and Elihu reports it accurately. Second (vv. 10, 11), Job accuses God of targeting Job unfairly and treating Job as his enemy.

The implication of these two points together is that God has treated Job unjustly, and this implication makes Elihu indignant. He says to Job, “In this you are not right,” and that is why “I will answer you.”

The short headline reason he gives is that “God is greater than man” (v. 12); this will be a major theme in his speeches. But for the moment he focuses on Job’s complaint that God will not “answer” his or anyone else’s “words” (v. 13). Job has made this complaint, for example, in 9:3, 14–16.

It seems to Job that God is treating him unfairly, and God will not and does not seem to speak to explain himself or to communicate in any way with Job or other sufferers. It is this complaint that Elihu will address in the remainder of the speech.

It is important to note that, unlike the comforters, Elihu will not tell Job he is suffering because he has sinned; instead he will rebuke him for saying sinful and wrong things because he is suffering. Job does not have secret, undisclosed sins that have caused his suffering; but he is wrong in what he says about God in the midst of his suffering. In this Elihu is correct.

God does speak [Job 33:14-33]

For God speaks in one way,

and in two, though man does not perceive it. (v. 14)

Job says God does not speak to human beings. Elihu says God does speak, and in more than one way. It also has the sense of God speaking repeatedly in his determination to be heard. The words “though man does not perceive it” are a way of saying that although God does speak—and speak repeatedly—people don’t always realize it (v. 14).

Elihu expands on two of the ways in which he says that God speaks.

God Speaks through the Voice of Conscience (vv. 15–18)

In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on men,

while they slumber on their beds,

then he opens the ears of men

and terrifies them with warnings,

that he may turn man aside from his deed

and conceal pride from a man;

he keeps back his soul from the pit,

his life from perishing by the sword. (vv. 15–18)

Although I have headed this point “God speaks through the voice of conscience,” this is not exactly what Elihu says. In verse 15 Elihu uses four words for dreams and visions.

First, “dream” (cf. Genesis 20:3); second, “vision of the night” (as in Daniel 7:2); third, “deep sleep” when humans are totally passive (cf. Genesis 15:12); and fourth, “slumber” on the bed. These are all ways of speaking of times of human passivity, and it is in these times that God “opens the ears of men” and frightens them (v. 16). The open ear contrasts with the heavy or dull ear that will not hear (e.g., Isaiah 6:9, 10).

The emphasis is not on the precise experiences of dreams or visions but on the fact that God frightens human beings about sin. It is what we would call the voice of a guilty conscience, that strange terror that afflicts us when we know we are guilty and unforgiven.

God speaks this way, says Elihu, with the purpose of verses 17, 18, to “turn man aside from his deed”—that is, to bring us to repentance and a changed life—“and conceal pride from a man”—which is a way of saying to keep us from becoming proud.

In a similar way God gave the Apostle Paul “a thorn … in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited” (2 Corinthians 12:7). By bringing us to repentance and guarding us from pride, God achieves his goal (v. 18) of keeping the life of a human being from “the pit” of decay and judgment, from that perishing from which there can be no rescue.

So God does speak, in that frightening conviction of our sins that turns us back and protects us from death and judgment. But there is a second way in which God speaks, and this will be Elihu’s main emphasis.

God Speaks through Suffering (vv. 19–28)

What Elihu says here is in two parts. First he describes God speaking (vv. 19–22) and then the result (vv. 23–28).

Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed

and with continual strife in his bones,

so that his life loathes bread,

and his appetite the choicest food.

His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,

and his bones that were not seen stick out.

His soul draws near the pit,

and his life to those who bring death. (vv. 19–22)

On the face of it, verses 19–22 are yet another description of suffering, and indeed of the suffering being endured by Job himself. But the key word here is “rebuked” (v. 19), for this suffering is a word to the sufferer from God; it is the second way in which God speaks.

In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis famously said:

“The human spirit will not even begin to try to surrender self-will as long as all seems to be well with it. Now error and sin both have this property, that the deeper they are the less their victim suspects their existence; they are masked evil. Pain is unmasked, unmistakable evil; every man knows that something is wrong when he is being hurt.… We can rest content in our sins.… But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Lewis nailed it but he was not the first to see this truth. Elihu had seen it long before him. Here, according to Elihu, is a suffering that is also a “rebuke” or word from God. Just as in the first way of speaking the voice of God (vv. 15, 16) is followed by the gracious purpose of God to rescue (vv. 17, 18), so here the voice of God in suffering (vv. 19–22) is followed by an expanded description of the rescue that follows (vv. 23–28).

If there be for him an angel,

a mediator, one of the thousand,

to declare to man what is right for him,

and he is merciful to him, and says,

“Deliver him from going down into the pit;

I have found a ransom;

let his flesh become fresh with youth;

let him return to the days of his youthful vigor”;

then man prays to God, and he accepts him;

he sees his face with a shout of joy,

and he restores to man his righteousness.

He sings before men and says:

[27] “I sinned and perverted what was right,

and it was not repaid to me.

He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit,

and my life shall look upon the light.” (vv. 23–28)

The rescue begins with “an angel” or messenger of God, who is also called “a mediator” or advocate, one who will speak up for this sufferer in the court of Heaven (v. 23). We have met Job’s longing for this mediator in chapters 9, 16, and 19 (9:33; 16:19; 19:25), and here he is, like the angel in Zechariah 3:1–5, who speaks against Satan when Satan accuses the high priest. He is “one of the thousand” (or perhaps “one out of a thousand”), which seems to be a way of indicating how rare and special he is (v. 23). His role is “to declare to man what is right for him” (v. 23), to tell him the right way to live, or possibly “to vouch for the person’s uprightness.”

As a result of this mediation, “he”—that is, the mediator—shows mercy to the sufferer and speaks up for him in the court of Heaven, giving the word for him to be rescued from the pit (vv. 24, 25).

This is because there is a “ransom” for the man, a redemption, a substitute to save him from danger (v. 24). This is something human beings can never do for themselves; God must do it for them (cf. Psalm 49:7). And so this sufferer is restored to health (v. 25). Here is an anticipation of the One who will be God’s mediator and God’s ransom to bring rescue for sinners from the pit of decay, Jesus Christ.

The result (vv. 26–28) is a prayer, a reconciliation with God accompanied by a shout of joy, a “righteousness” (v. 26) or justification in the presence of God, and a glad song before people celebrating God’s great mercy and redeeming love.

In this way the “severe mercy” (in C. S. Lewis’s famous phrase) of God is speaking to this sufferer through suffering which has led to rescue and joy in God’s salvation.

Conclusion: God Does Speak (vv. 29, 30)

Behold, God does all these things,

twice, three times, with a man,

to bring back his soul from the pit,

that he may be lighted with the light of life. (vv. 29, 30)

Elihu concludes that whether God speaks through the misery of a guilty conscience or through the pain of suffering, he does so repeatedly and persistently with the goal of rescuing people “from the pit” and giving them “the light of life.”

Unlike the comforters, Elihu is not accusing Job of concealing his sins, nor does he “read” Job’s sufferings as evidence of Job’s sins. But he says that Job is wrong to accuse God of not speaking.

This accusation has come from Job because of his sufferings; and yet Elihu says it may be precisely these sufferings that are the voice of God to him!

I may think that because I am suffering, God is not speaking to me; but he is, and my sufferings may be his voice! And his purpose in my sufferings is gracious; it is that I may be rescued from death and restored to life.

The Prophet’s Voice Must Be Heeded (vv. 31–33)

Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

If you have any words, answer me;

speak, for I desire to justify you.

If not, listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom. (vv. 31–33)

Elihu concludes by repeating his appeal to Job to heed his voice, the appeal with which he began (33:1–7). As well as speaking urgently and strongly to Job to listen, he says that his motive is “to justify you,” to see Job stand tall and straight before God (v. 32).

Elihu comes alongside Job; he is on Job’s side. Even as he rebukes Job for speaking out of turn, he wants the best for Job.

Elihu’s First Message: God does Speak, and He Speaks to Save.

The core of Elihu’s first speech is that God does speak. It is the silence of God that has troubled Job so deeply. Elihu comes to Job’s comforters and tells them of the voice of prophecy, which will be the God-given and necessary voice to shed light on Job’s sufferings. And he comes to Job and tells him of the voices of conscience and of suffering, by which God speaks to save.

By implication he calls upon Job to listen to the voice of God coming to him in and through his sufferings and to let this voice do its gracious work of preserving Job from pride. Job needs to be humbled under the mighty hand of God. By grace he will be so humbled, but not just yet.

I started off with the question...Does God speak today? Yes! He speaks through His word to us and when His word is properly proclaimed by the preacher or teacher we hear from God not man.

But He also speaks to us the same as Elihu pointed out to Job, through conscience, a guilty conscience convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and God also speaks through suffering.

How is God speaking to you today? Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed and repented of? Then do so today.

Are you suffering? Have you suffered? How is God speaking through that suffering? Is he curbing you from pride like he did with Job and with Paul?

Friends God does speak and He speaks to save…have you listened to His voice?