January 12, 2017 – Job 32-34 – Wisdom with Age?

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Job 32-34. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read His Word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does This Passage Say?

• This is perhaps one of the sections in Job that I struggle with the most. There is some argument as to whether Elihu’s speech is even an original inclusion into the narrative of Job (Some argue it was added at a later time). Scholars still do not agree on this. However, it is in the book and we will treat it as original.
• Elihu has been sitting here listening all along. He has not spoken because he believes youth should take a back seat to the wisdom of age. However, the three friends accuse Job without offering him aid and Job seems to have self-pride before God. This angers Elihu. No longer can he bottle up his words. So he begins to speak, astounded that Job would stand before God the way he believes Job has.
• Elihu takes two of Job’s arguments into consideration … That Job is innocent and that God is Job’s enemy. While Elihu complains about the three friends and their words … in reality he ends up saying nothing too different than they have already said. While what he says may have some truth, again this is not overly helpful to Job in his suffering.

How Can I Apply this Passage to my Life?

• In the opening words of Elihu we find that he was willing to yield to the wisdom that often comes with age. When he hears things that don’t make sense, or he even believes is wrong, he can keep quiet no longer. There is wisdom that comes with age. I know today I am much wiser than I was 15 years ago, why? Because I have more life experience and I have learned more over the years. I also know that there are things that I know that some older and yet wiser than me do not know. Yes, there is wisdom in age, but that doesn’t mean youth does not allow for any wisdom. What we must do is always share wisdom, whether older or younger, with gentleness and respect.