Scripture:
Job 32:1-5 ESV
[1] So, these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. [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.
Observation:
In the previous chapter, we hear Job run down a list of things he has and has not done. To be honest, it almost seems like Job is saying that what has happened to him is not justified. The Bible says that his friends stopped answering because Job was righteous in his own eyes. This is what it took for the youngest man in the circle to speak up. He had heard enough, and it had finally upset him. This young man had GOD on his mind the whole time. He was probably hanging around the older men trying to glean wisdom. However, when the proper time came, he spoke up. The 4 older men had been talking for what must have seemed like days, and honestly came to no conclusion. They had no answers. However, no matter what in their eyes. Job had to have done something wrong. Elihu had been waiting and waiting for someone to speak the answer. I could almost see him thinking about all the things these older gentlemen had taught him in the past as they talked to Job. He was just waiting for the right thing to be said, and he never heard it. Now, it was time to speak.
Application:
We have to guard ourselves against self-righteousness. I remember some of the times before I had been released on drugs. I would look at people who were struggling with addiction and think man, I don’t see why they can’t just get it … almost looking at myself as better than others. How quickly we can forget that it is GOD who sets us free? With self-righteousness comes pride. The only way I am found in right standing with GOD (righteousness) is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. So then, let’s look at the other side of it. Job’s friends were convinced that he had done something wrong. That GOD was punishing him. Because clearly, all this calamity could not happen to a righteous man. We can not forget that good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. There are some churches that will tell you that once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will never experience hardships. But honestly, that’s just not true, and it’s not what the Bible teaches. Strong men are forged through their hard times. So I have to come to this conclusion about the reading this morning. Elihu was in the right. GOD is always just. HE can’t not be. The truth is HE has the right to do whatever HE wants to with what HE created. We must always remain humble and know that in hard times and good times…. all the glory is GOD’S. We are only righteous because of what HE did and not what we do.
Prayer:
Father, I know that you have had a plan from the start. You bring rain on the just, and the unjust let us cling to you in all times, not just good times. We know that you build us and shape us by pressing us. It’s the pressure that makes a Dimond. We just want to thank you, Father, for the righteousness you gave us through your son because we know that without HIM, we had no hope. There is not enough goat and sheep blood to wash away our sins it had to be you it had to be your son. That way, the only way you paid the price that we could never pay because we owed a debt we could never pay. Thank you for bringing us into right standing with you. In Jesus’ name, I pray amen