JOB AND ELIHU

As Job is confronted with his so called friends we meet someone (Elihu) who is never acknowledged of God. A brash young man who knows nothing of Spiritual things.

Text Job 32-37

Focus Job 32:1-4; 33:12-14,17,18,28-30; 37:14, 22-24

Job had been in grief and agony and had been pushed aside by his own family for clinging to the Word of God.

Job 6:15  My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

Job 19:13  He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

Job’s kinfolk had forgotten him because he clung to God’s Word. Job’s familiar friends had forgotten him in his need.

Job 19:14  My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

Those employed by Job had abandoned him.

Job 19:15  They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
Job 19:16  I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

Job’s wife would not listen to her own husband but criticized him.

Job 19:17  My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children’s sake of mine own body.

Job 2:9  Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

All those that Job loved had turned against him.

Job 19:19  All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

This is an example of our own future and not so far away. It goes on now in many countries to those that call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus foretold of this:

Luk 21:15  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Luk 21:16  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Luk 21:17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

So who is this Elihu?

*****Our text:

Job 32:1  So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Job 32:2  Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
Job 32:3  Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
Job 32:4  Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

Was Job righteous in his own eyes? It is believed that this time of Job was before the Laws of Moses. There were 10 moral laws that have been the basis of law in the entire free world for many centuries. These were called the Ten Commandments. There were actually 613 laws given to the children of Israel. These laws were not given to anyone else even though God said they were good laws to live by and to learn what He considered to be sin.

1.) Those that obeyed the Law would be justified before God:

Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

2.) The Gentiles were never given these laws:

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, [which have not the law], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

But some do by nature the things that are contained in the law “such as Job”.

3.) These laws are the schoolmaster to the world until, we know Jesus Christ as our savior.

Gal 3:24  Wherefore [the law was our schoolmaster] to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, [we are no longer under a schoolmaster].
Gal 3:26  [For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus].

If you read the Book of Job you will see that he was well ahead of the Ten Commandments in serving the Lord God Jehovah. In fact God said Job was perfect:

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Did this mean Job was sin free? NO, Job knew he was a sinner but Job knew he had not committed a sin that he had not confessed to God. Job had no hidden sin!

Was Job righteous in his own eyes.? I believe YES would be that answer. Job was truly a righteous man! We simply cannot forget that our own righteousness means nothing to God.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and [all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags]; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

There is not one person in Heaven or that will be in Heaven that got there by his own works and neither could Job!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Our righteousness comes from Jesus Christ our Lord:

Rom 5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 10:4  [For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth].

If all of us could be as righteous as Job and make it into Heaven then THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DIE FOR OUR SIN!

Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Our righteousness can only come through Christ Jesus:

Php 1:11  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

*****Elihu: There are many commentaries of Elihu but besides what he says of himself we know nothing about him.

1.) He was not friend, nor family but possibly some young man that just heard an argument and decided to get involved in it. Elihu is presented as a “Buzite”. His lineage has contributed to his character. The Hebrew noun “buz” means “contemptuous or contemptible” and occurs several other times in The Book of Job:

In Job 12:5 the Hebrew Word Buz means “despised”.
In Job 12:21 the Hebrew word Buz means “contempt”.
In Genesis this word Buz is used for “shamed”

In the Book of Psalms we read of the word Buz:

Psa 31:18  Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and [contemptuously] against the righteous.

2.) Elihu is said to be an angry youth, frustrated with Job and his three friends. We find that most of our young people express this same thing in our day. Frustrated with the things of this world and angry at all of us.

3.) Elihu claims to be filled with the Spirit of the Almighty but he strangely describes himself as being filled with the spirit of wine to such an extent that he has to vent. That spirit with which Elihu is filled is not the spirit of the Almighty. The Hebrew there is literally “the spirit or wind of my belly swells.” Elihu is bloated and puffed up by his arrogance.

4.) Elihu admits twice that what he offers is opinion, not knowledge. (Job 32:6,17) Elihu then turns around and claims he has the perfect knowledge only God could have. “For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is before you.” (Job 36:4) All Elihu has to offer is “opinion” not knowledge.

5.) Elihu promises he will be impartial (Job 32:21) and not repeat the arguments of Job’s friends. (Job 32:14) Yet that is precisely what he does. And those arguments will later be condemned by God himself. (Job 42:7)

6.) Elihu says he will speak in the place of God (Job 33:6). If you are going to speak for God, you better be reading out of His Book, the Holy Bible!

7.) In spite of this description of Elihu, he condemns Job many times.

1.) That Job is a sinner.
2.) That it is blasphemy to force God’s hand.
3.) That it is blasphemy to demand that God give an answer to the question of why there is evil in the world.

*****Our text:

Job 33:12  Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
Job 33:13  Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
Job 33:14  For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

Job is righteous and he knows it. God has declared him righteous three times already. Job has repeated that claim to integrity. He has bolstered it with an Oath of Innocence, whereby he has put his temporal and eternal life on the line. It is all staked on his righteousness. Job is righteous in his own eyes and rightly so. Yet many assume Job is a sinner to demand that God give an answer to the question of why there is evil in the world.

Job 1:1  The very first verse says Job was perfect and upright.
Job 1:8  God tells Satan Job is perfect and upright.
Job 2:3 God tells Satan Job is still perfect and upright after losing all his possessions.
Job 23:11-12 Tells us that Job has always followed the word of God.
Job 31: List the Moral Laws Job has written for himself to go by.
Job 9:20-22 Tells us that Job knew he was a sinner saved by the “Grace” of God and how he humbled himself to God.

Job 9:20  If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
Job 9:21  Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

Job had done everything he knew that God had wanted him to do. Job was truly a righteous man. Not because I say so but because God said so.

Elihu claims to be an innocent man that can speak for God:

Job 33:8  Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
Job 33:9  I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

All we know of Elihu is his opinion and we know that God never acknowledges him at all. Elihu was sent of Satan and tries to preach a twisted truth of God.

Elihu says himself he is giving his own opinion:

Job 32: 6, 10, 17.

The Bible tells us:

1Ti 6:3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Satan will attack us at any time but if we seem weak he will mount his greatest attacks.

The Bible says:

Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Satan did not go near Jesus until He had fasted for 40 days and was very hungry.

Satan went after Job only after he had taken away everything Job had even his children. Satan still loses the battle.

Even when we are going through the things we do not understand we must hold on to the word of God and the truth of the Gospel of Christ. There is a reason and a purpose for everything that happens. In this case of Job, God showed Satan that the Children of God are strong because they love Him not because He blesses them. Satan loses this battle every time.

*****Our text:

Job 37:14  Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:22  Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
Job 37:23  Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
Job 37:24  Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

Elihu is dictating his opinion to God’s man. I do not believe that there is anyone else in the Bible that suffered as much as Job did of course we cannot include Jesus who suffered more than anyone. The troubles of Job were intense. Job lost everything he had including his friends but the death of his children devastated him. Not many then nor now have a clue to what Job was going through. You would have to be one of the Jews saved from Hitler’s death camps to understand this kind of suffering. Let me say that there is tremendous persecution of God’s children in some places now who also suffer a lot like Job did.

Now Elihu continues to explain to us and Job just how wondrous God is. Remember Elihu says he is speaking in behalf of God or FOR GOD.

Job 36:1  Elihu also proceeded, and said,
Job 36:2  Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

“Behalf” means as an agent he (Elihu) will substitute himself in place of God to judge the actions of Job.

The Bible says:

Pro 26:20  Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

Job had already described the predecessors of Elihu:

Job 13:3  Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Job 13:4  But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

Job 13:7  Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Job 13:8  Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
Job 13:9  Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

Elihu was also in this group.

A short time later, Elihu unwittingly adopts a position that Satan himself has presented in the first scene in heaven.

“Let us choose what is right; let us determine among ourselves what is good.

Job had already warned all these men, Elihu included, not to show deceit or partiality on behalf of God when discussing the question of why there is evil in the world.

Job 13:6  Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
Job 13:7  Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Job 13:8  Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
Job 13:9  Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
Job 13:10  He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
Job 13:11  Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
Job 13:12  Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

And Job said:

Job 13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 13:16  He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Jesus said:

Mat 16:1  The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
Mat 16:2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3  And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

God is not a great thunderstorm but He has His way in them:

Nah 1:2  God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Nah 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

When the Lord came up in this storm he had nothing to say to Elihu.

Troubles may always make us question what we thought was true but we should never doubt eternal truth. We should cling to our beliefs and believe in them. The word “doubt” should not be in our vocabulary when it comes to the Lord.

Satan had sent these men to try to cause Job to “doubt” in his relation with God. We will see that Job never wavered in his trust. He certainly didn’t understand. We do not get to see the big picture but we should remember some things:

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  [For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places].
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

This was just as true in the day of Job and God has shown us this example to know that these things do happen.

Job proved to Satan that a man can love God enough on his own to stay true to His commandments.

You know Satan walked away from Job and probably never tempted him again and if we are as strong as Job and trust in God and Love Him With All Our Might, Satan will move on to someone else. We know these things and this is why God says:

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We are in a battle daily and we need each other to be strong as the day is approaching for our ascension into Heaven.

The Bible Says:

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Let’s Pray!