A Spiritual Genius?

Oh, that was it!

Elihu had had enough. He was done with all this. The ridiculous things coming out of their mouths were driving him insane. Did they even know what they were talking about anymore? Elihu felt like they were just talking for the sake of talking.

He and the four other men sat around Job’s front yard. Job looked terrible, maybe even worse then when he had arrived. Elihu had arrived four days later then the Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz. He hunkered down with the other men. Job’s grief and agony were apparent. Truly too deep for words. So they waited and waited for Job to say something.

And then he did. He understandably ranted, claiming he had done nothing wrong and cursed his birth.

This spurned an argument from the others. They had no answers, but adamantly declared Job to be in the wrong.

Elihu was angry. Angry with all of them. He had kept quite because the others had a considerable amount of years on him. As the youngest of the group, it wouldn’t be respectful for him to jump. He clenched his fists, trying to pull the fury building inside of him back into a manageable, little ball.

It wasn’t working.

The other four men glared at each other.

One of them let out a grunt of annoyance.

That did it.

Elihu stood up in a fit of Holy fury. He pointed his index finger, and lit into them.

Based on Job 32:1-5

Elihu was angry at Job and his self-righteous friends. He had waited to speak out of respect because he was much younger then them, but he was bursting with anger due to their foolishness. He had felt that surely aged wisdom would win this battle…

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.” Job 32:6-8

Did you catch that?

It is the Spirit, the breath of God, that makes someone understand.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

In all of this, did any of them really, for real and actually mean it, ask God for understanding about this situation?

Yeah.... It’s no wonder God busted them from a raging whirlwind. They all believed that they each had the whole situation figured out. Job justified himself, rather then God. Job’s friends blamed him for this mess, claiming God was punishing him for whatever secret sin he was hiding.

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” Proverbs 18:2

Again, we have the benefit of being able to look at this account with the back-story fully intact for our benefit. None of them were right, and it just astounded Elihu that these aged and seasoned men of God were going with the must childish excuses and reasons known to man.

What about us? In Job-like life situations, do we tend to blame God or justify the situation because that person must be living in horrid sin? When we do that, we throw everything we know about God out the window. What if we asked God for some wisdom regarding the situation?

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” Psalm 119:130

If we ask God for wisdom about a situation, then He gives it. His wisdom is like a light. Even the simplest person can be a spiritual genius, if he asks God for wisdom and understanding. Remember not to jump to conclusions. The Spirit of God in us gives us wisdom. So you have to ask yourself this: are you speaking wisdom given from God or just spewing your own opinion?

V. Joy Palmer