Job 34:1-9
Verse 4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
Having finished his preamble, Elihu begins his speech. The young man begins with an invitation to listen to not just Job, but the older friends too. It was important for all four of the men to know God and His way of thinking and so Elihu wanted to make sure they all understood this message was for more than just Job.
Notice he doesn’t attack the older men for being foolish as that would have put up their defenses and they wouldn’t have been open to all he had to say. He reminds them how the ears are like the taste buds on our tongues, they are there to filtrate and test what is entering into the body. They help us determine if it is good or bad, salty or sweet, true or false. Elihu’s invitation to these older men was for them to weigh what he was about to say to see if it was true but also to learn together what was right.
The younger man’s humility was shining brightly in how he didn’t say, “let me teach you a thing or two” but instead expressed how knowing God and His ways is a journey of learning and it is better when we take the journey together. Elihu had no guarantee the men would take him up on the offer but he was not going to back out of the conversation now.
Next Elihu points out he knows it was Job who was doubting God’s goodness, the other three were figuring God was punishing Job for sins in his life but Job had maintained his innocence. Job’s obsession with his innocence had brought him to the point of making God out to be a liar. His constant talk about his not deserving this kind of life only shows how stuck he was in the present.
Elihu understood how Job’s hold on the immediate life led him to miss how God had a bigger picture of the world. Job seemed to think the ailments had brought his life to an end because of all he had lost. Elihu knew Job was being short-sighted. Just like us, he was looking at what he was experiencing and wondering how he would ever overcome it all. His heart was broken by what he had lost and had no hope of the future.
Making It Personal
How can being humble help you communicate better? Why do you think it is hard to have hope? Has God been faithful in the past?
Making It Personal Kids
How do you like it when someone acts like a know-it-all? Why is it important not to act like you know more than others? Does Jesus always do things the way you would?
Closing Prayer
Father, in our pride we don’t always see past our present circumstances and therefore miss the hope we should have in You. Help us keep our focus firmly on You so we can remember You are forever faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.