(A) Introduction. Read Job32and33

Elihu is a self-declared angry young man. See32v1to3. He is angry on three counts:

(1) With Job for justifying himself rather than God. He obviously thought Job should have been finding reasons for God's treatment of him. In this respect he is not so different from Job's three older friends.

(2) With Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar because they condemned Job without being able to rebut his defence. It remains to be seen whether Elihu will fare any better.

(3) With Job's friends for giving up and having nothing more to say. They gave up because unlike Elihu they could see that Job was never going to admit that his suffering was deserved. The friends showed good judgment in desisting from trotting out the same old arguments. Elihu, however, was disgusted. Job's opponents appear to have thrown in the towel.

Elihu is convinced he can do better than Eliphaz and company. He will discredit Job's defence. But I think we shall see that he hasn't anything really new to say.

Many young people are like Elihu. They know best; they can do better. The old fogies have had their day and made a mess of things. Age and experience count for naught. It is time for a fresh outlook and new ideas. Sadly there is often little to choose between the old ideas and the new! Sometimes the new ideas are worse than the old!

When Rehoboam became king of the Twelve Tribes a deputation led by Jeroboam came to ask if the forced labour of Solomon's reign might be lightened. Rehoboam asked advice of the elders who had served Solomon. They told him to agree to the deputation's request. Rehoboam then consulted his own young advisors who had grown up with him. They told him to tell the delegation: "My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. 2Chron10v11. This resulted in 10 tribes rejecting Rehoboam as king and replacing him by Jeroboam.

(B) The wisdom of youth. See32v4to10.

(1) Elihu acknowledged that age and experience should teach wisdom. This was the reason he deferred so long to Job's friends.

(2) However, he also believed that the spirit of reasonableness imparted by God to men allows the young to be wise. See32v9.

It is very true that there are very silly old people and very sensible young ones. Solomon was actually wiser in his youth than he was in old age. In his foolish old age Solomon had hundreds of foreign wives who led him astray and turned his heart after other gods. 1Kings11v4.

Daniel and Joseph were both very wise young men whereas Nabal - mature in years - was a fool. Abigail his wife said: "May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name - his name is Fool and folly goes with him." 1Sam25v25.

(3) There is something Elihu overlooked. Neither experience nor intelligence will produce wisdom. There has to be a commitment to it. You have to work hard for it. The wise man built his house upon the rock. He had to dig deep! We have to make a sustained effort to obey Jesus to acquire wisdom.

(C) The confidence of youth. See 32v11to22.

(1) Elihu is very dismissive of the efforts of Job's three friends. See v12. He is going to use very different arguments. But Job has not marshalled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments. 32v14. Elihu claims he will bring a fresh mind to bear on Job's problem.

However, the truth is Elihu does not have much fresh to say.

(2) Elihu is not prepared to leave judgment to God alone. He believes in getting to the truth himself. I consider this a laudable aim. It is too easy to leave a knotty problem with God. This is an approach taken by those who accept God is sovereign in saving men and women but that faith is man's responsibility. It is considered this conundrum will only be solved in the hereafter. This is not a view I share. However, I must admit that suffering throws up problems that I can see no solution to. If Jesus had no explanation for the man born blind it is very unlikely that I am able to provide one!

(3) The Buzite is very long winded. He is both self-important and loquacious. Words may have failed Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar but they are not going to fail him. He says, "For I am full of words."

I see no merit in being full of words. At the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19th 1863 a famous orator, Edward Everett, spoke for about 2 hours. What he said has been long forgotten. But Abraham Lincoln spoke for little longer than a few minutes but his address has been an inspiration through the years.

The greatest of all teachers was able to convey many profound and lasting truths in remarkably few words. Just consider the enduring impact of the Sermon on the Mount, the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan and indeed almost everything Christ said.

(4) Elihu's burning desire to speak notwithstanding his attribution of the desire to the spirit does not necessarily produce anything very inspiring.

The actual utterances of many "Charismatic Christians" who claim the gift of prophecy do not amount to much and often turn out to be banal, uninspiring and unhelpful.

Then there are people like me and my brothers who have a burning desire to get things off our chest. There have been times when I could say: "I am like bottled up wine - like new wineskins ready to burst." v19. In such circumstances I find it beneficial to pour out my complaint in very intemperate language which proves very disagreeable to others. In the long run it does me no good at all.

(D) The self-importance of youth. See 33v1to7.

I like how G.H. Wilson introduces this passage in his commentary: I almost laugh every time I read the opening words of this chapter: "But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say." It sounds as if Elihu is finally ready to provide substantive comment and critique ... but his self-inflating introductory words go on for another seven verses! (If Hollywood were casting the role of Elihu, I think the only choice would be the marvellous comic actor John Cleese in his Basil Fawlty incarnation, spouting his righteous indignation with an exaggerated posh accent and rolling eyes.)

Certainly Elihu is not short of self-confidence. He tells Job:

• To pay attention. See 33v1.

• That he speaks as a man of integrity. See 33v3.

• They need to talk man to man. See 33v4and6.

• To be ready with his answers. See 33v5.

• That he will be gentle with him. See 33v7. Which he wasn't!!

In my opinion Elihu was a pompous, self-satisfied, young man with too high a regard for himself. People like this still exist: brash young pastors who know it all. I know of one who told me, "If I became pastor of your church John - it wouldn't stop as it is now. No - I would grow it." He became pastor somewhere else. The church did not stop the same - it went into sharp decline and almost closed!

There are young Turks who think they have all the answers to a church's ills. They seem to go out of their way to upset mature Christians. When their ideas for change are rejected - they go off with a few supporters and found 'their OWN church'.

(E) The certainty of youth. Seech33v8to30.

Elihu tells Job that he is wrong to complain that God does not reply to his prayers and entreaties. v13. The young man claims God communicates:

(1) Through dreams. v15to18. Elihu knew that Job suffered from nightmares. He asserts that God uses terrifying dreams to turn man from wrong doing and keep him from pride. They are necessary to preserve a man's life from death.

The Scriptures contain a few instances of God communicating with a person through a dream. Joseph springs to mind. There are few examples of God using a nightmare to turn a man from wrong doing.

Job obviously learned nothing to his spiritual profit from his dreams and nor have I. Most of the dreams I remember are unpleasant. I quite often dream I have gone back to university to take another Geography degree. This time round I do no work and get more and more worried as the exams approach without being able to remedy the situation. I cannot see the relevance of this dream to my present situation.

I am singularly unimpressed by Elihu's suggestion.

(2) Through suffering. v19to22. Elihu considers that intense suffering carries its own message. It may be God's way of chastising a person. The obvious implication is that Job needs to be chastised - he needs to be humbled by his manifold misfortunes. In this respect Elihu is saying little different from Job's three friends.

The author of the epistle to the Hebrews writes about God disciplining his children as an earthly father disciplines his children. No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Heb12v11 See exposition on God's discipline.

It must be said that NO father would subject a son or daughter to excessive painful punishment without an explanation. Chastisement should be proportionate to the fault it is seeking to correct. Job's suffering seems out of all proportion to any sins he may have committed.

(3) By sending a messenger. See 33v23to30. This is a very hard passage to understand. The Hebrew for angel and messenger is the same. It seems probable that messenger should be preferred over angel here. Indeed it seems likely that Elihu is referring to himself.

Elihu is the counsellor that someone who is suffering and confused like Job desperately needs. He is the wise and gracious friend who will tell him what is right for him. 33v23. (The trouble is Elihu never gives Job any helpful, concrete advice!) Yes, Job needs Elihu - someone who will pray for his life to be preserved and show him the way to atone for his failings. Then ALL will be well:

• Job will be restored to health. 33v25.

• His relationship with God will be restored. 33v25.

• Job will be thankful. 33v27and23. He sinned but did not receive what he deserved. His life is preserved. He comes out of the darkness into the light.

The fact is Elihu has so far said nothing fresh. He is no different from Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Job's plight is a consequence of his sin and he will continue in his predicament until he recognises his sin and atones for it.

Elihu provides no explanation how his intervention is going to turn things round for Job. He gives no guidance on how Job's sins can be atoned for. What he says is so much hot air.

There are a lot of advisers like Elihu. I met several of them during my time as a teacher. Teachers were told to be firm, to stamp out bad behaviour and to maintain standards. But they were rarely told what sanctions to use; what a teacher actually does in the face of defiance or disruption. Teachers will know what procedures to use in schools where discipline is good.

(F) The priggishness of youth. See33v31to37.

The young Elihu does not address Job with much respect. He speaks much as a teacher might to a class of young and fractious children: "Pay attention and listen to me; be quiet and I will tell you what to do. If anyone has anything to say speak up now. Otherwise listen and learn."

This is no way to address a great man who has fallen on hard times through no fault of his own. There are many people (perhaps, even a few school teachers!) who speak with authority, demand attention, expect acquiescence and talk absolute nonsense. Paul had to deal with men like that who came from Jerusalem with glowing testimonials and preached a false gospel. They occur in all walks of life but are never so dangerous as when found in the church. See Paul and the false apostles.