Elihu the Man
“Ts the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these His doings?” Micah ii. 7, m. “* Moreover Elihu answered and said, Hear my words, ye wise men.” — Chap. xxxiv. 1, 2.
repeats waits for some response from Job, but in vain — he remains silent.
Turning then to the friends, Elihu appeals to them as men with knowledge (v. 2)- — wise men — to listen to what he had to say, for “‘ the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth meat” (v. 3).
Leaving Job severely alone, Elihu begs the elder men to search out this matter with him, for if Job will not acknowledge what is right ‘‘ Let us choose... let us know among ourselves what is good”’ (v. 4), he says, as he proceeds to discuss Job’s attitude, and Job’s language, before his face!
Elihu himself is in evidence at this point of the story. In interpreting the ways of God, and proclaiming deliverance through the Ransom to the afflicted Job, he is manifestly under the power of the Eternal Spirit, speaking with modest diffidence and tactful tenderness; but when he has poured out his heart and no response comes, his self-sensitiveness appears to be touched, he thinks Job’s silence to be scorn, and cries ‘‘ What man is like Fob, who drinketh up scorning like water” (v..7)?
The messenger of God needs the patience of God, as well as the message! Elihu was so sure that he had the light of the Spirit upon Job’s path, that he probably expected an immediate result to all that he had said, but why did he not quietly give the word and go his way? Why did he fail to understand the fitness of things, and remember Job’s position with the aged listeners looking on? Why did Elihu expect Job to confess that the word had met his need? God had humbled him, it was not for Elihu to add one jot to the humiliation!
Elihu was deeply taught in the ways of God, but this failure
11g in patience suggests the question whether he himself had personally been through the school of suffering he had depicted so vividly to Job, for after a measure of growth the soul becomes able to discern spiritual things quickly, and then it is easy for the light to outrun the experience; the lack of the corresponding life-power betraying itself in some critical moment, just as it appears to have done in Elihu, when he is tested by the silence of Job.
In dealing with others, how often we fail as Elihu did! If the soul yields at once to our message we are full of joy; but if, through some reserve of temperament, or intensity of feeling, it is speechless, we lose patience, attribute the dumbness to some wrong cause, lose touch with the gentle working of the Holy Spirit, and finally leave the soul unhelped, or cast down into deeper despair.
Elihu delivered his message, and then — when Job is silent — pours forth a multitude of words from his own mind to emphasize the message he had been given, instead of quietly leaving the word with God, Who would “watch over [His] word to perform it’’. Again we do the same in the work of God to-day! We co-operate with the Lord up to a point, carefully and slowly depending upon Him for every word; the Holy Spirit bearing witness by holding the attention of the listeners; until we fail to discern when the message has been delivered, and add a multitude of words from our own minds to explain or press home the message from God.
Elihw’s torrent of words
‘Job hath said, I am righteous... What man is like Job... he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.” — Chap. xxwxiv. 5-9.
The difference between Elihu the interpreter, and Elihu the man is very plainly to be seen. Elihu appears to have been wounded by the persistent silence of Job and his friends. In his self-hurt he ceases to speak on God’s behalf, loses his quiet self-restraint, and begins to make charges against Job as the elder men had done.
Elihu complains that Job persists in thinking his wound to be incurable (v. 6). It was evident that Job scorned all efforts to help him! If he had not transgressed himself he must have associated with workers of iniquity, and walked with wicked men (v. 8)! ‘‘ For he hath said,” quoted Elihu, ‘“‘ Ji profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God”?
(v. 9).
Job had said nothing of the kind as regards himself. The words Elihu quoted were words that Job had used descriptive of the eo of the ungodly toward the Almighty (chap. XXi. 15).
Elihu’s relapse into sensitive self-consciousness has brought a dimness of spiritual vision and power. His tactfulness has gone; his poise of spirit; his gentle courtesy; and even his sense of exact truth and justice in quoting Job’s words.
Elihu proceeds to ‘‘ teach wisdom”’ to the aged friends, and he takes up very much the same line of argument as they had done at the beginning.
God is so great, so holy that He will not do wickedness (v. 10); according to the work of a man would He render unto Him (v.11); His judgment would be absolutely right (v. 12); He was the sovereign Lord of the whole world (v. 13); He could withdraw the breath from all men and cause them to turn again to the dust (v. 14, 15). Should men dare to condemn One so just and mighty (v.17)? Was it seemly to say even to an earthly king ‘‘ Thou art vile”’, how much less to Him Who respected not persons, nor regarded the rich more than the poor (v. 18, 19)? All are the work of His hands and die in a moment, even though they appear to be mighty (v. 20). His eyes see all the ways of men, and none can hide themselves from Him (v. 21, 22). He breaketh the mighty in ways past finding out, puts others in their stead and overturns their works (v. 24,25). He strikes them in the open sight of others, because they have turned aside from following Him, and caused the cry of the poor to come unto Him (v. 26-28). When He gave quietness, there were none who could condemn or make trouble, and when He pleased to hide His face there were none who could behold Him (v. 29, A.V.). He dealt the same with a nation as with a man, for He is the Lord of the whole earth, and will not allow a godless man to rule lest the people be ensnared (v. 30).
Surely — Elihu continues — the only right attitude before such a God, is a humble accepting of His chastening, saying T will not offend any more: That which I see not teach Thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? (v. 31, 32). Did Job expect a recompense to suit himself if he refused to take this attitude? It was Job himself who had to choose, and not Elihu. If Job would but speak (v. 33)! But every wise man listening would agree that Job had spoken before without knowledge, and without wisdom (v. 34, 35)!
Job continues dumb, and Elihu loses patience still more. Since Job treated with silent scorn all efforts to help him, he could only say, ‘‘ My father, let Fob be tried unto the end... for he addeth rebellion unto his sin”? (v. 36, 37, A.V., m.).
Elihu’s severity “Thou sayest... What profit shall I have?” — Chap. xxxv. 3.
Elihu continues addressing the silent Job, and tries to refute the expression he thinks he has used about the profit of serving God. Job had never thought about ‘“advantage”’ or * profit’ in his service to Jehovah, but he will not open his lips to set Elihu right, and allows him to go on with his torrent of words against the man of straw he has set up. Elihu’s language to the afflicted man takes a severe tone, and he ceases to speak with the deference and respect becoming his youth.
“Sayest thou, my righteousness 1s more than God’s”’ (v. 2), said Elhu — ‘‘ J will answer thee, and thy companions (v. 4). See the heavens, and “‘ behold the skies, which are higher than thou, if thou hast sinned, what doest thou against Him”? who dwells therein (v. 5, 6)?
The great God is above being injured or profited by men’s doings (v. 7). Men may be hurt by another’s wickedness, or profited by another’s right actions, but not so the infinite God above (v. 8).
Elihu sadly thinks of the selfishness of men in regard to the things of God. When they are in trouble and oppression they cry out for help (v. 9), but they do not seek after God, or desire to know Him because He is their Maker, and gives songs of deliverance in the night of their sorrows (v. 10). Yet He had made man and desired to teach him, and make him wiser than the fowls of the heaven (v. 11)!
It was true also that men did cry, but God did not answer because of their pride and vanity (v. 12, 13, m.).
Still Job’s cause was before Him (v. 14), let him wait God’s pleasure. God had not yet visited Job in anger, nor regarded his arrogance (v. 15, m.), so Elihu repeated that Job had opened his mouth in vanity, and multiplied words without knowledge (v. 16).
Job, Chapters xxxvi, xxxvii.