Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Job 32:1-10
32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 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.
Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
let me also declare my opinion.’ (ESV)
by Dale E. Rood
Is it only experience and age that gives us wisdom? Is it possibly education that puts one in a position to speak with authority? Or is it political prowess that puts one in a position to be heard? Elihu points to the real source of wisdom. He refers to the spirit in a man in verse 8 which he calls,“the breath of the Almighty that give him understanding.” This is the Holy Spirit, and Elihu is talking about wisdom coming from above (James 1:5). We must be careful however not to use this as a bat to beat those with whom we disagree into submission by saying, “God told me…” or similarly. That is the mistake Job’s “friends” made.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
