My God Is He

Job 32

There are seven main characters in the story of Job. Job is the main character. Next we have God who appears in the beginning and end of the book. Third, we have Satan, who is only in the beginning but is key to all that takes place in the story. Then we have Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Now, we meet our final main character. His name is Elihu and he will be the last man to make a substantial speech in the book of Job.

Elihu has apparently been present the entire time. He has listened to the whole conversation but says that he remained silent because of his youth (v. 6, 7). Before we get into what he said, lets understand a little more about this man. First, the name Elihu means "My God is He". With Jewish names, any time you see "El" in the name, it means God. Elihu's parents wanted his name to be a testimony of his position in God; God was his God. He was raised to be obedient and faithful to Jehovah.

Apparently his parents did a good job of teaching him to be faithful to God because we see also that he was zealous for God. Look at verses 2 and 3:

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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. 3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Job 32:2-3

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This young man got angry because Job "justified himself rather than God" and because Job's friends they "condemned Job" without an answer, or evidence. He felt that all of his elders had let him down and so, he had to step up and speak.

So, we know that he is young, he loves God, and he is passionate for God. That sets the stage for 6 chapters of the book of Job. This man has listened and listened until he got a belly full, and now it is going to erupt forth in a long monologue.

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For I am full of matter,

The spirit within me constraineth me.

19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent;

It is ready to burst like new bottles.

20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed:

I will open my lips and answer.

21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person,

Neither let me give flattering titles unto man.

22 For I know not to give flattering titles;

In so doing my maker would soon take me away.

Job 32:18-22

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Now that we know a little bit about this man, we are going to look at the above text in two parts. The first part will be verses 18-20, and will focus on this man's need to speak. The second part will focus on verse 21-22 with his refusal to flatter those that he is addressing.

I like Elihu. As I read his words, he reminds me of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called as a young man. At one point Jeremiah decided to remain silent with the message he was to speak, but just like Elihu, he found that he could not. He wrote, "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, Nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, And I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jeremiah 20:9). When God gives us a message to speak, we must proclaim it. If not, it is like a burning or a pressure that builds up inside us (wine that has no vent). It really does make us miserable. That is not hyperbole.

Next, we see that Elihu said he was not going to flatter his listeners. In other words, Elihu was not going to soften his message simply because he was speaking to his elders. He felt that they were wrong and he was not going to hold back. I do not believe this was arrogance, but rather because he was zealous for God. In this regard he also reminds me of David. David had to stand against his brother, Saul, and Goliath who all ridiculed him because of his youth. David spoke the truth to all involved. He told them what they needed to hear while he defended God's honor.

Just as Peter learned that God was "no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34), neither is his word. We should not set out to be harsh, but God's message is God's message. We should not try to make it more palatable. God said what he said. He said what mankind needs to hear. That is true from the begger on the street to the king on the throne. It is only God's word that changes the hearts of men. He does not need us to fix it. He needs us to boldly proclaim it.

As we will see, Elihu is the only one of Job's friends that God does not condemn. God does not commend him either. He says what he says and then is not mentioned again. I believe that the absence of God speaking about this young man shows that God did not disapprove of his message. You may not agree with everything he said, but I believe God approved of his passion, just as he approved of David's.

Father, help me to boldly proclaim your word. Help me to not think that I need to make it more palatable to those who might hear it. May I have the same passion as Elihu, Jeremiah, and David to speak your word.