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Elihu Continues
Be Patient a While Longer
1Elihu said:
2Be patient a while longer;
I have something else to say
in God's defense.
3God always does right—
and this knowledge
comes straight from God.
4You can rest assured
that what I say is true.
5Although God is mighty,
he cares about everyone
and makes fair decisions.
6The wicked are cut down,
and those who are wronged
receive justice.
7God watches over good people
and places them in positions
of power and honor forever.
8But when people are prisoners
of suffering and pain,
* 9God points out their sin
and their pride,
10then he warns them
to turn back to him.
11And if they obey,
they will be successful
and happy from then on.
12But if they foolishly refuse,
they will be rewarded
with a violent death.
Godless People Are Too Angry
13Godless people are too angry
to ask God for help
when he punishes them.
14So they die young
in shameful disgrace.
15Hard times and trouble
are God's way
of getting our attention!
16And at this very moment,
God deeply desires
to lead you from trouble
and to spread your table
with your favorite food.
17Now that the judgment
for your sins
has fallen upon you,
18don't let your anger
and the pain you endured
make you sneer at God.
19Your reputation and riches
cannot protect you
from distress,
20nor can you find safety
in the dark world below.
21Be on guard! Don't turn to evil
as a way of escape.
22God's power is unlimited.
He needs no teachers
23to guide or correct him.
Others Have Praised God
24Others have praised God
for what he has done,
so join with them.
25From down here on earth,
everyone has looked up and seen
26how great God is—
God is more than we imagine;
no one can count the years
he has lived.
* 27God gathers moisture
into the clouds
28and supplies us with rain.
29Who can understand
how God scatters the clouds
and speaks from his home
in the thunderstorm?
30And when God sends lightning,
it can be seen
at the bottom of the sea.
31By producing such rainstorms,
God rules the world
and provides us with food.
32Each flash of lightning
is one of his arrows
striking its target,
33and the thunder tells
of his anger against sin.
Reflect
Elihu provides excellent reminders that God is greater than we can imagine (v 26): he never needs counsellors or teachers (v 23) and he is the supreme ruler over the natural world (vs 27-33). God is greater than our finite minds can comprehend. He – the only being like this in the universe – never needs any instruction from anyone. God’s wisdom is unfathomable.
God’s majestic greatness and his literally unimaginable understanding should make us properly humble about our own finite knowledge. This does not mean that we do not know anything, or that we must live in perpetual doubt and scepticism about basic truths. What it does mean is that our knowledge is miniscule compared to God’s. We do not know all his purposes, nor can we understand all his ways.
Therefore we must be very, very careful when it comes to applying our understanding to specific situations. It is at this point that Elihu gets derailed. In verse 4 he is claiming to be perfect in knowledge and completely accurate in what he says. Elihu is not claiming absolute omniscience, but he is saying that he is absolutely right about this topic. Is he?
I will leave it to the reader to carefully go over the Scripture passage to weigh what Elihu says. But there is one thing that is inescapable: Elihu is simply wrong in the attitude that he adopts. He is arrogant and condescending. He is a self-appointed expert. His audience is a righteous man who is suffering horribly. Even if what Elihu says is true, it is spoken more in pride than love and this, ironically enough, shows that he is not as wise as he thinks. When we talk to others it is our attitudes as well as our words which are important.
Respond
Mighty God, you are high above and beyond all understanding. Yet because you have revealed yourself to us we can know you. Help us see how great you really are so we can gain a proper perspective about ourselves. May our words and attitudes please you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Steve West
Steve West is the Lead Pastor at Crestwicke Baptist Church in Guelph, Ontario, as well as an adjunct professor at Heritage College and Seminary (Cambridge) and Toronto Baptist Seminary.