What can we learn from Elihu's approach to addressing Job's friends? Focus Verse “I too will answer; I also will declare what I know.” – Job 32:17 The backdrop: silence broken • Job’s three friends are out of arguments (Job 32:1). • Elihu, younger and previously silent, rises to speak (32:4–5). • His words bridge the human debate and God’s forthcoming revelation. Lesson 1: Wait, listen, then speak • Elihu “had waited to speak to Job because the others were older” (32:4). • Proverbs 18:13 – “He who answers before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.” • James 1:19 – “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” • The pattern: hear the whole matter → weigh it against truth → respond. Lesson 2: Youthful courage grounded in reverence • 32:6–7 – Respect for elders; recognition that “age should speak.” • 32:8 – Yet “the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.” • 1 Timothy 4:12 – Age does not disqualify when conduct, love, faith, and purity are evident. • Biblical courage honors seniors while refusing to let error stand unchallenged. Lesson 3: Speak because God’s Spirit moves you • 32:18–20 – “I am full of words… the Spirit within me compels me.” • Jeremiah 20:9 – God’s word is “a burning fire shut up in my bones.” • Ephesians 5:18–19 – Spirit-filled believers overflow with truth. • Motive check: we speak not to vent pride but to discharge a stewardship. Lesson 4: Truth delivered without flattery • 32:21–22 – “I will show no partiality, nor will I flatter any man.” • Proverbs 29:5 – Flattery spreads a net for the feet. • Galatians 1:10 – Seeking God’s approval prevents man-pleasing speech. • Honest words + gracious tone (Ephesians 4:15) protect both message and messenger. Lesson 5: Center every word on God’s justice and character • 34:10–12 – Elihu exalts God’s righteousness: “Far be it from God to do evil.” • Psalm 19:9 – “The judgments of the LORD are true and altogether righteous.” • A God-focused approach shifts debate from human speculation to divine revelation. Putting it all together: Elihu’s model for our conversations • Patience: listen fully before responding. • Humility: respect others’ experience while trusting God’s Spirit in you. • Compulsion: let the Spirit, not ego, prompt your words. • Integrity: refuse flattery; speak straight. • God-centeredness: anchor every point in the Lord’s unchanging character. |
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