Elihu adds his wisdom

The Book of Job Chapter 32 AND 33

A new young man named Elihu rebukes Job's three friends for being unable to give him a reasonable answer for why he was suffering.

Job's friends refuse to reply to him because he insists he is innocent. Then Elihu from the clan of Ram became angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and God was right in punishing him and angry at the three friends because they condemned God by their inability to answer Job's arguments. Elihu had waited until the older men had finished, then he spoke up.

Elihu said it was God's spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty, that makes them intelligent. But sometimes the elders are not wise and do not understand justice. In his opinion, Elihu says, in chapter 33, that he and Job are made from the same clay so Job need not be afraid of him. He chides Job for feeling innocent, and tells him he can show Job why. Elihu says that Job feels God is picking a quarrel, but this is not true. God is greater than any person and he speaks again and again, but people do not recognize his words. He speaks in dreams, in visions, he whispers in their ears. He disciplines them with sickness and pain until they waste away and then his angels wait for them at death's door.

But, says Elihu, if a person is found to be upright, God will set him free and his body will become healthy as a child's. His prayers will be accepted by God and God will receive him with joy and restore his good standing. He will declare to his friends that though he has sinned, it was not worth it, and God rescued him from the grave. Yes, said Elihu, listen to me Job. If you have anything to say, go ahead and let me hear it, for I am anxious to see you justified. But if not, then keep silent and I will teach you wisdom.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Job's friends did not believe his innocence and so they stopped talking to him instead of considering another viewpoint. When Elihu came to speak, he introduced a new viewpoint. While the others insisted Job was suffering from past sins, Elihu said Job's suffering would not go away until he realized his present sins. His theory was that Job wasn't suffering because of sin; he was sinning because of suffering. Elihu pointed out that Job's attitude had become arrogant.
There was much truth in Elihu's speech as he said suffering is not meant to punish us as much as it is to correct and restore us. While his speech was on a higher spiritual level than the others, he wrongly assumed that a correct response to suffering brought healing and that suffering is connected to sin.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? It is not enough to recognize a great truth, it must be lived out each day. We must not be content to just know about wisdom. We must make it a part of our life.
Praise be to God!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is out of rehab after many months for a crushed leg and doing well and being cared for by her ex. Pray for Gabe and Wanda. Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.