Job 33

Elihu begins in this chapter to explain to Job just WHAT his problem with Job really is. He begins to paraphrase Job, quoting him from all of his previous speeches where he made himself to be sinless, pure, innocent, and free of guilt. Elihu points out that Job described the events that had overtaken him as God picking on him as if he were an enemy. To this Elihu says, “You are wrong, and I will tell you why”.

The essence of Elihu’s problem with Job lies in these two things.

1. Job had made himself out to be guiltless, something no man is, or ever has been
2. Job made it seem as though the LORD was the one that was unrighteous.

Elihu tells Job that God is bigger than all of us, and all that we see. He deals in realms beyond us, things we cannot see or understand. He maintains that in spite of this, and in spite of Job’s arguments to the contrary, God DOES speak to us, through dreams and visions, and through his chastening hand. Elihu says that God was trying to bring Job to a point of humility and repentance, a point of recognizing that God is ALWAYS RIGHTEOUS whether we understand it or not.

Elihu’s message is not bad. The problem with Elihu is that his delivery is one of ARROGANCE. In addition to that, his arguments only somewhat apply to Job. Ultimately this whole thing was not really about Job and his sin; though he was a sinner… it was about God, and the challenge from Satan on the issue of WHY He was worshipped.

We need to be careful that we don’t begin to think we have things all figured out. Elihu thinks he has it all figured out. Don’t be an Elihu… Let God be God, he doesn’t need us to defend Him, just to point people to Him.