The Angry Little Elf

The Book of Job Part 14

Photo by Misty Ladd on Unsplash

On Thursdays, I post the notes from previous sermon series adapted for reading. Right now, it’s “The Book of Job,” which I preached for nineteen messages beginning in August of 2017. I often talk about how going through a book of the Bible impacts me probably more than anyone else. Following Job through his journey of suffering changed my life, and the lessons he taught me stick around to this day. I’d love to know your thoughts if you get time. Comments can be made at the post’s end.

---

We were left with a cliffhanger last time. Job risked everything to have an audience with God and plead his case. And he did this by invoking the ancient and super-serious practice of oath swearing, in a bid to force God’s hand. Would God show up in response, and if he does, how will it go for poor Job? Instead of taking us right into the action, like any good book, there is a suspenseful pause where a fourth friend of sorts emerges. His name is Elihu (pronounced ih LIGH hyoo).

Bible scholars don’t know what to do with this fellow who seems to have been silently hiding in the shadows. He jumps out of nowhere and says, “Boo!” But here’s what we do know.

First, his lineage. He’s the son of Barachel the Buzite of the family of Ram. Names in our day don’t carry the weight they did back then. My name means “broad meadow,” but I’m neither a broad nor a meadow. Abraham, for example, means “the father of many nations.” Job, unsurprisingly, may mean “one who is persecuted.” Elihu, our mysterious young guy, is a variant of the familiar Hebrew name, Elijah, which means “God is the Lord.” His father’s name, Barachel, means “God blesses.” However, they both are Buzites, which means “contemptible” and of the family of Ram, which means “elevated.”¹ Try to keep and keep all that in mind as we learn what Elihu has to say.

Now, his age. He was much younger than Job and his three friends. Age comes with some respect in our culture, but not nearly enough (I’m figuring that out more and more, though I dread the day the little gal at McDonald’s automatically gives me the senior discount). In ancient Near Eastern times, elders were held in the highest regard, while less senior folks were expected to keep their place. Elihu did that by patiently waiting until Job and his friends were finished before speaking.

And now, his nature. To discover that on your own, read the following text aloud, raising your arms high and shouting, “Woo hoo!” every time you see the word anger.

2 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. 3 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. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

I hope so badly you did what I told you to; you are in Starbucks, and there is a video. Four times we are told he burned with anger. He was enraged because he believed Job slandered God in claiming innocence. And he was sore at the three friends because they hadn’t been able to convince Job any different. By the way, when I think about Elihu, I cannot help but think of that scene in the movie ELF where Buddy tells the little businessman dwarf, “You’re an angry little elf.” I want to say, “You’re an angry little Buzite, aren’t you?” Sometimes, my creativity — if you can call it that — has no filter. Accept my apologies.

So, anyhow, we know Elihu’s lineage, age, and disposition, but what does he have to add to the conversation? Let’s see if we can figure that out.

Job 32:6–12 (ESV) — 6 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. 7 I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ 8 But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. 9 It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. 10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.’ 11 “Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your wise sayings, while you searched out what to say. 12 I gave you my attention, and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job or who answered his words.

He’s right. Age does not guarantee wisdom. One fellow said, “Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.” Based on the Facebook posts of my more mature friends these days, I’m sure he’s right.

So, Elihu begins his lecture to Job by defending his youth. No problem. But look at verse 18.

Job 32:18 (ESV) — 18 For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me.

This could be translated as, “I’ve got a lot to say, but the Spirit holds me back.” Evidently, the spirit was unsuccessful because Elihu’s discourses alone are long, longer than twelve other OT books and seventeen of the twenty-seven NT books.² I’m not inclined to cover all that. Some scholars see merit in Elihu’s words compared to the others, but to me, like Job’s three friends, he shows little empathy and much redundancy, but, to his credit, he acts in two ways his elder counselors did not. First,

1. He listens.

Job 33:8–12 (ESV) — 8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words. 9 You say, ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me. 10 Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy, 11 he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.’ 12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

Elihu carefully and accurately assesses Job’s complaints, even though he disagrees with Job’s claims of no wrongdoing. This requires active listening. Second,

2. He allows for more than just one reason a person suffers.

Remember, the theology of the the three amigos was bound to a narrow, inflexible formula about the ways of God and suffering: Only guilty people suffer before God, ergo: it’s all Job’s fault. Or, as one pastor puts it, “Job wouldn’t be suffering like this unless he had failed to pray, trust, and obey God in some way. God would never be so unjust as to let all this happen unless Job had done something to deserve it. So if Job wants to be restored, he simply needs to confess all his known sins and get his life straight.”³

In the three friend’s theology, suffering is exclusively punitive, punishment for sins committed. We know this view of God and suffering can’t be true because the book’s beginning reveals Job’s agony had to do with being righteous, not sinful. Elihu, however, comes much closer to hitting the mark. In chapter 33, he declares that sometimes God brings suffering into the lives of his people to keep them from sinning, not because they have sinned.

Job 33:29–30 (ESV) — 29 “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, 30 to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Job 33:29–30 (The Message) — 29 “This is the way God works. Over and over again 30 He pulls our souls back from certain destruction so we’ll see the light—and live in the light!

Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on Job, says, “…we must not say that all suffering is a punishment for sin. Elihu argues that sometimes God permits suffering in order to keep people from sinning and going to the pit. God gave Paul a ‘thorn in the flesh’ to keep him from getting proud, and Paul learned to thank God for it (2 Cor. 12:7–10). Elihu hoped that Job would submit to God, accept his painful situation, and get from it the blessings God had for him.”⁴

In Elihu’s theology, suffering can be preventive as well as punitive. Good job, Elihu! Unlike those old geezers who should have known better, you listened, and you had a better understanding of God and suffering. You are wise beyond your years and your peers. So what, then, are we to do with our young sage? Is he a good guy? Well, no. Ultimately, he’s not any better a fellow than Job’s three friends (maybe worse). Here’s why.

His anger is inappropriate.

Anger is not necessarily bad. Righteous anger is very fitting. That’s where we get upset when God is made to look bad. Jesus displayed righteous indignation when he routed the moneychangers in the temple. The key, though, is not letting anger lead us into sin.

King David wrote,

Psalm 4:4 (ESV) — 4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

James said of anger,

James 1:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Someone wisely observed, “Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, and in the right way—that is not easy.” I don’t think Elihu meets those criteria. Jesus, of course, as God’s perfect Son, did. Another reason Elihu isn’t a good guy is,

His humility is absent.

Job 36:1–4 (ESV) — 1 And Elihu continued, and said: 2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf. 3 I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4 For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

Job 36:1–4 (The Message) — 1 Here Elihu took a deep breath, but kept going: 2 “Stay with me a little longer. I’ll convince you. There’s still more to be said on God’s side. 3 I learned all this firsthand from the Source; everything I know about justice I owe to my Maker himself. 4 Trust me, I’m giving you undiluted truth; believe me, I know these things inside and out.

If there is one thing God cannot stand, it’s pride. It’s been said all sins find their source in it (Lucifer’s “I will”). On the other hand, if there’s one thing God values in his people, it’s humility. Jesus said,

Matthew 23:12 (ESV) — 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Paul said of Jesus,

Philippians 2:3–11 (ESV) — 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

By his own words, it’s obvious Elihu is guilty of pride. He thinks he deserves to represent God before Job. “I have something to say on God’s behalf…” The hubris in that makes me weak in the knees. Who does he think he is? This is much bolder than making an oath in my book. Isn’t it ironic that Elihu and Job’s three friends believed Job to be righteous in his own eyes when, in truth, they were?

Now to the last reason Elihu is not a good guy.

His intentions are self-centered.

Job 32:20 (ESV) — 20 I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer.

Who is he considering here? Not God or Job. He wanted relief for himself. And this is evidence he was acting in the opposite vein of humility, which is thinking about others before yourself, like Jesus. Often, we cloak selfishness in the guise of spirituality. We convey what appear to be good motives, but in our hearts, we desire to promote “me, myself, and I.” Such as when we post on Social Media how humbled we were by the opportunity to share Jesus with that waitress, give money to that homeless man, or spend quiet time with the Lord this morning. This is what’s called humble bragging. If Elihu were correcting Job today, he would take a selfie with our poor fellow and post it on Instagram with the caption, “So blessed to able to help this old guy learn the ways of God today. #GodisGood #tooblessedtobedepressed #ItsNotAboutMe.”

Elihu was angry, prideful, and self-centered, and not in a position to chastise Job.

Conclusion: As we close, you may be thinking: Are you implying we should never attempt to correct people if they are in error? Are there not times we are obligated to speak up when we observe sin or error in others? Are you chanting the old judge not lest you be judged mantra?

No. There are times like that. There are occasions when, if we truly love someone and are convinced they are erring, we must speak. And that "judge not thing” has to do with setting yourself up as a judge and condemning someone, not applying the truths of the One True Judge to their lives. But I am saying that when we are compelled to confront, we better make sure we do it in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons.

Elihu, bless his heart, gives us an example of how not to speak truth into someone’s life. And if we turn that around into a positive, he gives us a good checklist of questions to ask ourselves before we do:

1. Am I angry about it? If so, is that anger justified? If so, am I reacting out of that anger? Do I need to wait and let the anger settle before acting?

2. Am I humble? If you think you are, you’re probably not. If you think you aren’t, you’re probably on the right track.

3. Are my intentions focused on the person I’m trying to help or myself?

This applies to me more than anyone, and I speak God’s truth in love for a living. For sure, more than one preacher has succumbed to the Elihu syndrome, caring more about hearing one’s self speak than helping those being spoken to. Yet, Elihu shows us something else. Note the contrast between him and the three friends. The three friends’ theology is off, though their intentions are good. Elihu’s theology is pretty good, but his intentions are off. This hints at something about God we need to know. God is just as concerned with how we live out his truth as what we hold his truth to be. Or, put another way, God is just as concerned with our faith’s expression as our faith’s content (theology).

Elihu gave us an interesting pause following Job’s cliffhanger. Next time, the suspense ends. Boy, does it ever end.

1. Berlin, A., Brettler, M. Z., & Fishbane, M. (Eds.). (2004). The Jewish Study Bible (pp. 1546–1547). New York: Oxford University Press.

2. Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

3. Keller, T. (2013). Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (pp. 276–277). New York: Dutton.

4. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 128). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.