Sermon Tone Analysis
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Fear
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God’s Megaphone
Text this morning is a long one - covers 6 chapters in the book.
Chapters 32-37
God’s Megaphone
Text this morning is a long one - covers 6 chapters in the book.
Chapters 32-37
READ -
1 ANOTHER VOICE SPEAKS UP
Elihu - The three friends Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz … have exited stage left.
, tells us that the ‘three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.’
They’re gone - - all that talking .... for nothing.
And as the three amigos walk off the stage, the verdict that we all give is: What a waste of time!
COMFORTERS?! Is that the legacy I’m going to leave?!
Now a brand new, younger man, takes the stage.
He’s obviously been listening to everything that’s gone on.
Verse 2, “Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger.”
The texts goes on to tell us that ‘(he) … burned with anger.
He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God.
(3) He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong.”
A lot of anger here.
He launches into his .............. and goes.
And goes.
And goes.
Chapters 32-37 are all Elihu.
So, what do we make of Elihu’s words?
Throughout history - commentators have been divided on Elihu.
Some - windbag .... same old, same old.
He carries on along the same tracks that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zohar … brings nothing new to the story … a whole lot of bluster but nothing new to say: “Suffering is punishment.
Period.
You always reap what you sow - no more, no less ... Blah, blah, blah”.
Others - Elihu is saying something brand new.
Calvin sees in Elihu the answer to Job’s suffering.
Does Elihu ride in on his white horse and save the day ....?
Still others - Elihu begins well but he ends badly.
Suggest - Elihu is not the friend I would ask to come and sit at my side, if I was at the end of my world.
First of all, he speaks for 6 STRAIGHT CHAPTERS – The entire chapter 32 is just a warm-up for the rest, taking shots at the 3 friends and Job himself.
He is long winded.
Not only that, but he’s arrogant.
Look at …
, “Do you know the balancing of the clouds,, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?”
Elihu is pointing Job to God, the One being with perfect knowledge - the One who knows how to balance the clouds - to run a universe.
Now, look at:
, “For truly my words are not false; ONE WHO IS PERFECT IN KNOWLEDGE IS WITH YOU.” Elihu is talking about himself here.
“PERFECT IN KNOWLEDGE?!” Really, Elihu?! Really?!!
One commentator says that the “Language of Elihu convicts HIM of being a bloated fool.”
Can’t argue with that.
But do we then just write off what this young man says?
These are 6 chapters devoted to his words … four speeches in a row from the lips of Elihu.
Would God dedicate 6 chapters of Holy Scripture, right before the CLIMAX of the book - 6 whole chapters – to a person with NOTHING important to say? That’s has to be a consideration.
Also, if you keep reading, you’ll see that Job doesn’t respond to Elihu - Argues with all three of his other friends, but to Elihu - he says nothing in response.
That’s interesting.
And what’s also interesting is that:
Another thing to notice is that God says nothing about Elihu .. When God finally speaks, He criticizes, Eliphaz and Bildad and Zopahr, but says zero about Elihu.
I don’t want to make too much from the argument from silence … but that catches my attention.
Well, Elihu says that he disagrees with Job and he disagrees with Job’s friends - he says he has something new to say.
So, let’s give him a hearing.
Elihu is pointing to the sovereignty of God.
He’s saying, “Job, you are defending yourself - justifying yourself (and isn’t that exactly what we tend to do when hit by suffering?
Part of our human nature.
All of us tend to do that).
And maybe that’s what this trial is all about - to teach you afresh that God is sovereign and you are not.”
Isn’t that what suffering of trials does?
Breaks us down.
Bring face to face with our utter helplessness - no rights, no privileges … nothing more than dust in the hands of a sovereign, omnipotent God.
- Elihu goes on in chapter 37 to talk about thunderstorms and snow .
He wraps up his message in 37:23-24: “The Almighty - we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
(24) Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
And Elihu’s speech is finally done.
This is a young guy who talks too much, is too sure of himself and frankly - the guy is obnoxious.
But remember the story of Balaam - God can speak through the mouth of a donkey … He can speak through obnoxious, know-it-alls too.
And I think that the truth coming through the mouth of Elihu here is -
Whatever the answer to the question of Job’s suffering .... it cannot come at the expense of the sovereignty of God, the justice of God,OR the righteousness of God.
God CAN NOT BE UNRIGHTEOUS.
What does that mean?
There is the POWER of God … but there’s also the LOVE of God here.
Essential to the character of God is His love.
God WOULD NOT BE GOD - without His love.
Not the true God of the Bible.
Sure, the gods of the Eastern religions and ancient world … the ‘Allah’ of Islam - they can all function without love.
Islamic theology says that God is SOVEREIGN - He is all powerful … but he’s not necessarily loving.
Inshalla - “If God wills” .... Allah is in control of everything … but He’s not necessarily good.”
But the God of Christianity is different.
He will not do wickedly.
God cannot sin.
Everything that he does comes out of the character of Who He is.
That means that everything God does - is just … and GOOD.
So, what does that mean for Job and every other suffering saint?
How does this help us understand the problem of suffering, the problem of pain?
So, what’s Elihu’s point?
Well, he sure takes long enough to make his point … so very long-winded.
He loves the sound of his own voice and is full of himself.
Young, brash, aggressive.
But put his own character aside - what’s Elihu’s point?
What does he bring to the table?
Here’s the point he makes that’s worth listening to:
2 SUFFERING AND GOD’S VOICE
Suffering does NOT mean that God has gone silent.
It can open your ears to God.
He can use it to teach you things about yourself and who you really are - what you’re capable of.
Notice that Elihu doesn’t criticize Job for the things he did before his world fell apart.
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