I Missed It!

 

 

Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has

I missed it! I missed it big time. I don’t know how many times I have casually read the book of Job and missed it. Not this time though! This time the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention. What did I miss? I missed Elihu. Where is Elihu in this verse?

 

God was upset with Eliphaz and his two friends, (Bildad, and Zophar) but there is no mention here of Elihu! God was not upset with Elihu! He must’ve spoken right things about God. And this is where quite frankly I am very embarrassed. I didn’t pay attention to the sudden arrival of Elihu in the manuscript in the first place. I just lumped him in with Job’s other friends, never taking a nose count or a name count. But Elihu was different…..very different. .

 

When he spoke, I just assumed he was one of the three originals who came to comfort Job. I never ran a background check on him. I was so caught up in the story and examining the faulty conclusions of the others I missed him!

 

Where did he come from? When did he join the conversation? Was he a tagalong that was too young to garner a mention in Job 2? We aren’t told, but we can assume he heard every single thing Job and his friends spoke, because he responded to all of them! What bugs me most about my overlooking of this fifth character in the story of Job is I never really paid attention to when he arrived on the scene and joined the conversation!

 

Some interesting notes in several commentaries that I have read concerning Elihu: For one thing he is introduced in chapter 32, right after the “words of Job had ended.” One of the last things Job had asked for in his speech was, “”Oh that the Almighty would answer me.” And before the Almighty answered him in chapter 38, He brought Elihu into the picture. Elihu, boldly stated in Job 33:6 Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay.  Elihu, a flesh and blood mediator for Job, just as Christ is a God-incarnate flesh and blood mediator for you and I.

 

In Job 33:23-26 Elihu speaks prophetically about Jesus, note some of the words he uses that should cause you and I to think of Jesus  and God’s plan of salvation!

 

Job 33:23 "If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness,

 24 Then He is gracious to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom';

 25 His flesh shall be young like a child's, He shall return to the days of his youth.

 26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.

 My journaling Bible has these headings for Elihu’s speech:

Chapter 33: Elihu contradicts (straightens out) Job.

Chapter 34: Elihu proclaims God’s justice.

Chapter 35 Elihu condemns self-righteousness

Chapter 36:1-23 Elihu proclaims God’s goodness

Chapter 36 24- Chapter 37:24 Elihu proclaims God’s majesty.

 

Whoever Elihu is meant to be, he certainly had all these things right….and I missed it! No wonder there is no word of condemnation for him from God. I’ve added a new note to my journaling Bible today. I put it at chapter 33 thru 37 and the note simply states, “Elihu got it right!”

 

Was Elihu meant to be a type of Christ? That’s probably farther than this amateur should go, but he certainly spoke a lot of truth. And what he spoke about God was right on. May we too learn to guide others by speaking the truth in love. May we proclaim the justice of God. May we condemn self-righteousness, and may we ever proclaim God’s goodness and His majesty.