Who was Elihu, and what distinguished his counsel?
Chapter 32 starts with a sobering conclusion of the first 31 chapters: The one whom God declared righteous “like no other on earth” (1:8) was condemned as self-righteous by those who profess to serve God.
- In a sense, this charge may be inevitable (Jn 16:2; cf Gen 4:4-5; Lk 23:9-15; Mt 10:24; 23:34).
- What is more unexpected here is that after Job had won the debate, a voice named Elihu now contradicts him, calling him nonetheless ignorant and even rebellious, and insisting that therefore Job’s trials are necessary (34:35-37).
- Whatever we make of Elihu, his rebuke and that no one refuted him complicates matters. All the more so if until here we liked Job and how he debunked his accusers.
Is Elihu only another poor example in how he confronted Job? Or does he truly answer the question of how a god can be just and good if he allows undeserved suffering?
- Undoubtedly, Elihu was certain that he did. And were it not for Elihu’s speeches, how else could we figure out what went wrong and needs correction when we are like Job? When we believe God that He resurrects the dead (Job 14:12; Ro 10:9), but then after being declared righteous in the same manner may nevertheless come to resent Him when we face undeserved affliction – can Elihu help, and if so, how?
Critiques who depict Elihu as a late commentator with little more to say than Job or his opponents miss the point:
- Elihu was not shy to claim superior insight and perfect knowledge (33:3; 36:1-4) inspired by God himself (32:8; 32:18; 33:4) on arguably the most disturbing theological problem. So who among God’s people would have tolerated such a later ‘addition’ if it only renewed baseless accusations, and only to turn the hero of the story into its villain?
- Who would not have trashed Elihu’s claims as delusional, if he only redacted a pre-existing legend, and only to change its perfectly sound morale into its contrary so that now it is bound to instead annoy every sensible reader?
Did Elihu irritate Job as well, perhaps more so than any of his former accusers, but now for the right reasons?
- Elihu was a Buzite, a descendant of Abraham’s nephew Buz (Gen 21:22). A fitting name for someone buzzing in our ear with a message that is scorned (Buz means ‘contempt’):
- Elihu shows up uninvited, and after no one even tried to refute his speeches when he challenged everyone to do so (33:5; 33:31-33), he is not mentioned anymore: Does this mean that everyone simply ignored him as irrelevant? Or is he the faithful counselor who directs all attention away from himself to God, in line with his name which means ‘My God is He’?
- And considering how commentators regard Elihu often as little less condemning than Job’s other ‘friends’, why was he not more afraid of crossing everyone, including Job?
- Most importantly, why is Elihu exempt from God’s rebuke of all those who claimed to defend His name when they gave Job such a hard time (42:7)?
The outcome that even the readers will scorn Elihu’s message was foreseeable: He himself warns that no one will feel flattered (32:21-22):
- Is this why we never hear anyone sing Elihu’s praises?
- And if Elihu was willing to take that risk, who else could he be than the voice of the book’s author?
- And on what errand, if not to breach a wall for Job’s encounter with God himself, and thus for anyone who feels disappointed by God and, like Job, would want to have a word with Him about it?
Elihu’s holy anger and inspiration
Job 32:
- 32:2-5 Elihu waited for the right moment to speak, but then made no bones about his anger and disapproval of both parties: Of Job for justifying himself (v2), and of his opponents for their vain pretense to justify God and to speak on His behalf (v3).
- Elihu was angry: The fact that he himself admitted his indignation and disgust diminished in no way his sense of entitlement to be taken seriously, even by his seniors. His honesty is one more reason for paying attention to Elihu because it proves he is not like hypocrites who talk sweet only to disguise the viciousness of their slander (cf 20:3).
- Job justified himself: How so? And how does this charge differ from the accusations that Job already refuted? At first, Elihu does not yet explain it.
- 32:4-5 Though Elihu felt anger, he waited to vent it, starting now with the question of how to determine who is right:
- 32:6-11 Truth is not decided by age, but by true understanding which can only be received as a gift from the Holy Spirit (v8).
- 32:12-13 Job’s adversaries were disqualified by their failure to answer even one word of Job, despite their seniority and majority (v12). Thus, their boasting of wisdom is vain (v13).
- 32:14-20 Elihu expects that his inspiration can be recognized by the fact that his message is like new wine that must not be poured into the old wine skins offered by these moralists.
- 32:21-22 Elihu’s inspiration can also be recognized by the fact that his gospel revelation flatters no one:
God is not against you but for you
Job 33:
- 33:1-7 “I am not better and not worse than you. I am sincere, and I know what I am talking about:…”
Job had desired a judge to decide his appeal. Elihu was one according to his wish, a man like himself. If we would rightly convince men, it must be by reason, not by terror; by fair argument, not by a heavy hand.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
- 33:8-12 You, Job, interpret your calamity as undeserved wrath. Your Pharisaical friends claim it is deserved. Neither of you understand (32:12-16):
- God is not like men (v12) who judge each other based on merits (e.g. 22:19; cf Ro 2:1). On this point, Job professed to agree with Elihu (9:32), and rightly so.
- However, this did not stop Job from complaining that God chooses unjustly on whom He has mercy (see 7:21, 10:5-7, 27:2 and 34:5-6 ): This complaint is an oxymoron, a self-contradiction in terms: For if God would be gracious to those who justly deserve grace, it would by definition no longer be grace (cf Ro 11:6).
- 33:13-24 No, you are not pursued by wrath, but by the love of God. The reason why you can’t see it is because you do not hear Him answer your protest.
- 33:13-14 …not because you do not get through to God, but because He did not yet get through to you.
God speaks to you in more than one way:
- 33:14-16 Through night visions; i.e. supernaturally, unexpectedly, without our help, he first awakens the conscience:
- 33:17-18 Not to itch ears or to satisfy our curiosity how His dealings can be just (this we have to leave to Him), but to save our souls from both sin and its root, i.e. from our boasting of our own righteousness (good deeds).
- 33:19-22 Through physical pain in our body; so that by hearing the messengers of death we may be led to seek the things above which last.
Pain is the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of God, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
- 33:23-25 is about how we are meant to be led there (i.e. that we become people who truly ‘seek what is above’): Through a messenger, advocate, and redeemer full of mercy, who shows (His) righteousness (v23) by saying: “I have paid his ransom, he is mine, let this man go free (v24) that he may be made new (v25)!”
Jesus Christ is the Messenger and the Ransom, so Elihu calls him, as Job had called him his Redeemer, for he is both the Purchaser and the Price, the Priest and the sacrifice. So high was the value of souls, that nothing less would redeem them; and so great the hurt done by sin, that nothing less would atone for it, than the blood of the Son of God, who gave his life a ransom for many.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
- 33:26-28 This is how people become converted and find God (and joy). This is how they are made righteous so that they praise God of how He has not repaid us as we deserved. “He has redeemed my soul…” and “my life will look upon the light”: This personal experience and hope of unmerited mercy and bliss differs from the redemption that Job knew (Job 19:25).
- 33:29-30 This experience is what the Bible throughout calls to be ‘lighted with the light of life’, Job 24:13, 38:13-15 (e.g. Ps 56:13; Lk 1:79; 2Cor 4:6; Eph 5:8). And, according to Elihu, God personally invites everyone (at least) two to three times to draw near, even if they choose not to listen!
- 33:31-33 pleads with Job, therefore, to not turn down the messenger this time.
Bibletogetherblog 