Today started out with Job giving his summary of defense. He went through and discussed the way things were before everything happened to him, when God was his friend and companion.
Then it went on to discuss how things changed and what was happening to him at that point, in contrast to the positive notes of blessing and honor from before. His final lament showed that Job still had rage for his current condition.
Job continued on with his final appeal. It was negative in the sense that Job denied all of the sins listed, but had the positive purpose of attesting loyalty to God as his sovereign Lord.
Job discussed the sins of the heart, especially sexual lust, cheating in business, and marital infidelity. He revealed genuine understanding concerning matters of social justice: Human equality is based on creation, compassion toward those in need is essential, and power and influence must not be abused. Covetous greed and idolatry are equally reprehensible in the eyes of God.
A fourth counselor, named Elihu and younger than the other three, had been standing on the sidelines; giving deference to age and listening to the dialogue-dispute. He decided it was time to declare himself ready to show that both Job and the other three counselors were in the wrong.
Elihu gave four poetic speeches. He felt that something important was being left out and where the wisdom of age had failed, he by the Spirit of God had the understanding to supply the right answers.
He said, “Let the days speak, and many years teach wisdom. But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the almighty, that makes him understand. It is not only the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. Therefore, I say, listen to me me; let me also declare my opinion.”
Elihu continued speaking and was different than the others, because he did not stoop to false accusations about Job’s earlier life as the three friends had, but stayed with criticism of Job to quotations from Job himself. He spoke to Job directly, and unlike the others addressed Job by name.
Elihu told Job to pay attention to all that he would say. He was thoroughly convinced of the importance and wisdom of the advice he was about to give. And he said,
Elihu’s method was to quote Job, then show him where and how he was wrong. Elihu felt that Job needed to be corrected. Certainly Job’s perception of God as his enemy was wrong, but Elihu was also offended by what he considered Job’s claim to purity.
Job, however, had never claimed to be “pure and without sin,” though some of his words were also understood that way by Eliphaz. Job admitted to being a sinner, but disclaimed the outrageous sins for which he thought he was being punished.
His complaints about God’s silence were also an offense to Elihu. But he never imputed to Job the blanket statement that God never spoke to man, whereas Job’s point was that God was silent in his present experience.
Elihu continued with saying the dreams and visions were not the only ways God spoke to people. He can also talk to us in ways that we do not perceive. Elihu rightly stated that God speaks to people in order to turn them away from sin. But he overlooked Job’s reason for wanting an audience with God: to find out what sins he was being accused of.
Elihu taught that God’s apparent cruelty for chastening human beings is actually an act of love, since people are never punished in this life in keeping with what they fully deserve.