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Youth and Elihu
Youth and Elihu
Job's three friends have argued that Job is being punished for doing wickedly. Job has argued that he is innocent of such wickedness and thus God has punished him wrongly. The three friends have been unable to establish the truthfulness of their accusation. Job has spoken wrongfully about God. And thus the debate ends? (cf 32:1). This only angered the young man Elihu - his anger is mentioned three times (vs. 2, 3, 5). We then are give four chapters worth of his thinking.
While reading his dialogue, several thoughts came to me:
· The aged do not have all the answers.
· The aged are sometimes just wrong, neither the age of the man nor the age of his answer necessarily make him right.
· The aged do deserve a measure of respect.
· Youth are often full of emotion (anger being the one exhibited here).
· Youth are often 'full of words'.
· Youth often demand to be heard.
· Youth sometimes have answers.
· Youth do not have all the answers.
All of this brings me back to a constant thought I have from reading Job: I am inadequate to understand all of God's ways. As God spoke thru Isaiah: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8–9).
That being true, we need to be careful with our words and thoughts. We do and must refrain from what we know to be evil (cf. 28:28). We must help each other in this endeavor by pointing out error and recommending repentance and a returning to God (a constant theme with all of Job's friends). Yet, we must be aware that we can be wrong in our assessment of the situation.
James' advice is yet needed: "everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" (James 1:19).
Hugh DeLong
