Elihu's Wisdom

Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’? “Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung. (Job 36:22-24 ESV). Elihu's final word to Job is an incredible recitation of the glory of God in language that staggers the reader. First, he reminds us that God is beyond human instruction. Notice how he begins: God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? Second, he reminds us that God is beyond human understanding. Third, he reminds us that God acts beyond the rigid categories and reasons of humans. This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. God uses His natural powers for both blessing and judgment alike. And then (cf. Job 37), we have such a marvelous description of a great electric storm that many of the commentators feel that this was an actual occurrence, that a storm began to break out at this moment, and Elihu used it as a vivid example of what he had been saying about God. In parts of Texas you can see for a long way. There aren’t many hills or trees to get in the way! When a thunderstorm begins to form on the horizon, you can see the building of the clouds in a perspective I have not seen in any other place. It is both a terrifying and awe-inspiring experience, with the lightning crackling and splitting the sky and the roaring of the thunder. This is what Elihu begins to describe in these verses. Then he speaks of how God sends the snow and the rain; he sends tornadoes, the whirlwinds, and the frost; he controls the cycles of the weather. Next time you are watching a weather report on television, and the broadcast shows a satellite picture, notice how it appears in spirals. This is what Elihu refers to. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. Then he tells us why: He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love (cf. Job 37:13). God has many reasons for doing things; we are not always certain what they are. God's wisdom is inscrutable. Job can do none of these things. All the way through the Bible, from beginning to end, the only man or woman who ever receives anything from God is the one who comes with a humble and contrite heart. If you think you have something to offer Him or that you have achievements that nobody else can equal, you cut yourself off from the wisdom and knowledge of God. But those who come humbly, contrite, waiting upon God, asking Him to teach them, will find that God will pick them up in grace and power and glory and restore them. How are you coming to Him? Elihu was wise, regardless of his age!

Eihu Speaks

And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger. And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. (Job 32:5-9 ESV). Elihu is seen as a cocky, young man by many who read this part of the Book of Job. Some see him as merely repeating what gossip he has heard from others. However, I think Elihu plays a very important role in the story. First, when you come to the end of the book and you read the rebuke that God gives to the three friends of Job, you will note that Elihu is not included. He is not rebuked for what he says, and he does not have to ask Job to pray for him, as they do. The second thing is that he is given an obvious, prominent part in this drama. His message occupies the next five chapters, and he is allowed to give one of the major discourses of this book. And third, he always speaks with courtesy and sensitivity to Job, despite the strong feelings that he admits he has. The other friends were caustic and sarcastic in their approach to Job, but this young man is very courteous when he addresses him. He recognizes the depth of Job's suffering, and he always speaks with understanding. The fourth, and probably most important, thing is that Elihu claims to speak not as the other men did from their experience, but he claims to speak from revelation. We can learn much from him. It is not the accumulation of years of experience that makes people wise; it is what God has taught them through the years. And this is a very important point. God can teach a young man or woman as much as an older man or woman. And when we speak from the wisdom of God, then we can truly be wise, regardless of what our calendar age may be. I know we who have lived a while tend to think it is the years that have made us wise! If we are wise at all, it is not only because we are older. I am reminded of a schoolteacher who applied for a job and was turned down for another younger teacher who only had three years of experience. The first teacher protested to the principal, I've had twenty-five years' experience, so why was I passed over in favor of this younger one? And the principal said, Well, I have to disagree with you. You haven't had twenty-five years' experience. You've had one year's experience twenty-five times. It is quite possible to go through life repeating the same way of thinking and never learn wisdom. So Elihu is right here. It is not simply the elderly who are wise, because God gives wisdom. Seek Him and His path, you will be wise.

Happy Birthday, Mary!

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12 ESV). Today is the 27th anniversary of Mary’s 39th birthday. You do the math. I’m not dumb enough to put that in print! I can tell you that she is still as beautiful and wonderful as the first day we met. Of course, we all have our foibles; however, I have found that it is a matter of focus that brings everything in an appropriate perspective. Dealing with so many couples who are in such difficult relationships, I find it true that focus is often skewed. Haven’t you noticed how easy it is to see the bad so much more clearly than the good? In fact, studies have indicated that when our focus is over half of bad versus good, there is an 80% chance the relationship will fail. Let me make three suggestions that I believe will help you find that “excellent wife.” If you’re married, she’s probably right beside you. 1. First, let go of grudges. Everyone makes mistakes, and forgiveness is the key to a healthy relationship. Get a blank sheet of paper. Write down the grudge your holding onto about your partner and circle it. Around this circle make another ten circles. In each surrounding circle write positive traits, qualities, and attributes about your partner. Make effort to focus on all of these positive qualities instead of the one negative thing they did or said. 2. Second, learn to be actively constructive in responding to one another. It’s a great feeling to share our good news with others, and there are many different ways we can respond to this good news. We can passively respond and not show any real interest, or we can really express our enthusiasm for the good fortune of our partner. In order to cultivate positive emotions, practice responding actively and constructively when your partner reports positive events. Use your body language and tone of voice to reflect you really care and are happy with them. 3. Third, use the “Three Good Things” exercise. Gratitude is a great way to focus on the positive. Take time each night to write down three positive things your partner did that day. They may have said something nice, did something kind for you, or showed generosity to someone else. Whatever it was, write it down to remind yourself of what you appreciate about them. Using these techniques can help to stabilize conflict and prevent a downward spiral of negativity. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes; so don’t overlook all the positive qualities that make your partner truly amazing.

The End of Our Words

If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together, if I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last, let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. (Job 31:38-40 ESV). Those of you who know me, also know that I am rarely at a loss for something to say. Often, I catch myself not coming quickly enough to the end of my words. Well, finally we get to this part of the Book of Job and see that he has reached the end of his words; he has nothing more to say. Baffled, questioning, tormented, yet unwilling to forsake God, he falls silent. There are some summary principles we might review. First, our theology is too small for our God. We think we know the Bible, we think we have God boxed in, and we understand how He is going to act. And just as surely as we do, God is going to do something that will not fit our theology. He is greater than any human study of Him. He is not going to be inconsistent with Himself; He never is. He is not capricious, acting out of anger and malice. He is a loving God, but His love will take forms of expression that we do not understand. Up to this point Job has had his faith in the rule of God, but now at last he has begun to reach out tremblingly to exercise faith in the God who rules. Second, our view of ourselves is impossibly inadequate. Job has been defending himself, and he has been remembering all his good deeds. When trouble strikes we all tend to wonder why these things should befall us. We tend to justify ourselves with self-defense. All this makes us realize that we have little understanding of the depths of sin's attack upon us and the depravity of our hearts. The one thing God teaches us by these pressures and problems of life is to understand that there are depths of sin within us of which we are not yet aware. There is no sin beyond the reach of our internal depravity. The seed of every sin lies within us all. Third, we need to see that self-vindication often explains the silence of God. God is always patient to allow us to speak. He will not talk over us. He is not in a political debate. You’ve all seen those shows where each participant is trying to make their point so passionately that neither can be heard. As long as people are defending themselves, God will not speak over them. There is a theme that runs all through the Bible.This is true in our lives as well. That is why Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit (cf. Matthew 5:3), those who are bankrupt in themselves, who have come to the end. When we shut up and stop defending and justifying ourselves, God will rise to show us his plan and purpose bringing victory to our lives. That is what we will see in the book of Job at the end; God will begin to speak on Job's behalf. Maybe it’s time to come to the end of your words too.

Just Hang Up

Then Job answered and said: “How you have helped him who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength! How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge! With whose help have you uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you?” (Job 26:1-4 ESV). Sometimes you just have to hang up the phone! In chapter 26 Job hangs up the phone, in a sense. He says there is no use talking to his friends anymore. His answer to Bildad is one of rather deep and rich irony in which he suggests that his friends have been of no help at all to him. I think, however, that Job needs to learn something from this, and we will see in the next chapters that he does. Oswald Chambers reminds us that God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers that he uses to crush us with; or if we do, it will be at great pain to ourselves. Job does not see here that God also is using these friends in his life. Satan has sent them; God is using them; and we will soon see the result in Job's life. Once again he goes on to state the majesty of God in a brilliant and moving passage. He says that there is a mystery in God that no human can plumb. Even when we have understood something of the greatness of His wisdom and majesty in nature, when we have learned of His omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience, and we know that as part of our theology, it still does not explain all of His ways. I am reminded of a verse from Robert Browning's poem, "Bishop Blougram's Apology," where the poet describes an arrogant young man who has worked out all his theology so that God is carefully boxed in. He believes he knows the answers to all the theological riddles of life; there is no place for God in it. He can handle it all himself. He comes to an old bishop and tells him he does not need God any longer; he is committed to his unbelief. The old bishop warns him: Just when we are safest, there's a sunset-touch, A fancy from a flower-bell, some one's death, A chorus-ending from Euripides,— And that's enough for fifty hopes and fears... The Grand Perhaps. What he means is that just when you think you have God all worked out, something happens that you can't handle. It doesn't fit your box. You see a sunset that is so moving that it awakens depths in you that you can't explain. Someone dies, and you don't know how to handle it. You see a flower, and you are touched by it. You listen to a chorus, and it moves you in such a strange way, it doesn't fit the facts. And in all these ways God is breaking through into our lives. It is the great mystery of God.

A Living Redeemer

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-27 ESV). This is one of the great words of faith in the Old Testament, one of the earliest references of the resurrection of the body found in the Scripture. Slowly, through the anguish and gloom of this man's heart, born out of the passion and the pathos that he feels, comes the dawning realization that God is working out a great and mighty purpose, and that one of these days God Himself shall be visibly present before people. God will come Himself and vindicate all that He does. This is a marvelous glance ahead by faith to the incarnation of the Lord. Job calls him my Redeemer and my Vindicator, the one who will defend me and vindicate all that has happened to me. I think there is nothing that the study of this book of Job does for us more than to understand that life is basically a mystery. We are surrounded by mystery. We cannot comprehend it all; it is painted on too large a canvas. It is too great and involved for us to grasp it all. The ways of God are beyond us many times, and yet Job is gradually learning in the midst of his pain to trust the God who is there, to trust that He will come up with answers and that He is working out a purpose in line with His love. That is what life gradually teaches us. Elisabeth Elliot described briefly her first widowhood. Her husband was slain along with four companions in the jungles of Ecuador by members of the Auca tribe. She spent thirteen years as a widow, and then she married a gracious and wonderful man with whom she was very happy for just a few more years. Then he died, taken by cancer. She said, I have spent six-sevenths of my life single, though I have been married twice. I did not choose the gift of widowhood, but I accepted it as the sphere in which I am to live to the glory of God. This is what Job is gradually learning. God is working out a purpose. So often we tend to believe that life’s experiences are random. There are those that delight us and those that bring us to our knees in despair. How tragic we cannot see that even in the worst of storms Jesus sets the example of calm. We will get to the other side safely. Count on the Master of all Creation to bring you through! One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, “If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would never come back, you wouldn’t be saying what you’re saying.” Tragically, a few days later, Tucker’s wife was killed in a train wreck. Her body was brought to Chicago and carried to the same Citadel for the funeral. After the service the bereaved preacher looked down into the silent face of his wife and then turned to those attending. “The other day a man told me I wouldn’t speak of the sympathy of Jesus if my wife had just died. If that man is here, I want to tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus. I want that man to know that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today.”

The View from the Upper Deck

Texas A&M is finishing their rebuilding of Kyle Field, their football stadium. It will be expanded to seat over 100,000 spectators! That means some folks are going to have seats in what is known as the “upper decks.” I’ve been in those seats before and it was a long way from the field of play. They do have the largest video screen installed of any other stadium, but still, that’s a long way from the real action. In chapters 13-14 of Job we see a similar dilemma exposed in life. It is a vivid expression of what is wrong with our view of life. Job is looking at life as a natural man, and he sees it as the world sees it, that everything is for now. This life is the wholly important thing, and the reason you were brought into existence is to make something out of this present experience, you never get another chance. We are reminded of that on television: You only go around once! If you are going to live, live with gusto. We are constantly exhorted by the world, with its distorted understanding of life, to seize the present moment, you will never get another one. If you don't make it now, it will be too late. This is one of the major reasons Christian couples are divorcing, sometimes after twenty-five or thirty years of marriage. People begin to feel the force of this argument, and they believe it. They think the only thing left, if there is to be any pleasure and enjoyment in life, is to seize the present moment. I have not been able to put it all together in all this time, so I'm going to leave and start over. It is a view too far away from the real action; it’s the view from the upper decks of life. What God is teaching Job in this book is that living for today is not what it is all about. This is not why we exist; this is but a time of preparation to get ready for the real life that lies ahead. Compare Job's view of life with the revelation of the New Testament and the view of New Testament writers as to what lies beyond death, and you see a stark and vivid contrast. They look forward to something so beautiful and grand and glorious breaking upon them that they could hardly wait to seize it! But here you get only the idea that everything must be done now. I think this is why we get upset with ourselves and with life at times. We feel life has been put together backwards. You have to make all the major decisions at the time when you know practically nothing, when you are so uninformed that you can hardly even see things right. This is what Job is feeling here; there is no way back. The truth is that God will always provide for us the answers we need when we need them. Just wait a bit and watch how he unfolds those paths to you. Yes, I’m talking about patience; but, it is not painful. Wait and you will be refreshed by His presence in ways you could not imagine!