#667 Elihu

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. 3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

4 Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.

6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:

“I am young in years, and you are very old;

Therefore I was afraid,

And dared not declare my opinion to you.

7 I said, ‘Age should speak,

And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

8 But there is a spirit in man,

And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

9 Great men are not always wise,

Nor do the aged always understand justice.

10 “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,

I also will declare my opinion.’

11 Indeed I waited for your words,

I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.

12 I paid close attention to you;

And surely not one of you convinced Job,

Or answered his words—

13 Lest you say,

‘We have found wisdom’;

God will vanquish him, not man.

14 Now he has not directed his words against me;

So I will not answer him with your words.

15 “They are dismayed and answer no more;

Words escape them.

16 And I have waited, because they did not speak,

Because they stood still and answered no more.

17 I also will answer my part,

I too will declare my opinion.

18 For I am full of words;

The spirit within me compels me.

19 Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;

It is ready to burst like new wineskins.

20 I will speak, that I may find relief;

I must open my lips and answer.

21 Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;

Nor let me flatter any man.

22 For I do not know how to flatter,

Else my Maker would soon take me away. Job 32 NKJV

Jobs friends will no longer answer him, they have given up on him, not compelled by sound reason, but resigned to believe that he has sin not confessed. They see it as useless to contend with him, "righteous in his own eyes", he is stuck upon his preferred narrative. There are plenty of men that this is true of and each of us thinks more highly of ourselves than we should, but his friends are not in the right here.

Enter Elihu whose name means MY God Is He, and he is angry first at Job, because he takes what Job has said to be against God. In order to justify yourself you have turned on the One Who made you, but Job really sees God as his only hope in the matter either way. Defending himself against the false accusations of his "friends" has not revealed in him a hatred for God, nor even a lesser view of sin than others. In fact, he has made it clear, that he agrees with them and God against sin, and has set his affections toward God.  

Elihu is also angry at his friends and had not spoken till now because of their age. He respects his elders, but also thought that their age should carry with it the wisdom to answer Job. He is upset that they were not able to resolve this. It says he did not speak because he was afraid because he was young. I understand that we should respect our elders, but I also understand that they are human and can be wrong. It is possible to respectfully disagree, and no matter whether it is the king or your grandpa who issues the decree, it is better to go into the furnace than against God. It is easy for the aged or young to be wrong based on the cleaving of their soul to traditions that do not hold up against the truth. We looked and saw this, taught that, but now we have more light, God has spoken and it goes against our tradition. Meat does not produce maggots.

Listen to me- you had your turn, I listened closely and none of you were able to convince Job, so now I will give my opinion. He goes on and on yet says nothing this whole chapter, but he says he is full of words, and so the reader should be ware, he did not lie in saying that. He does not want to flatter any man, but he says some pretty flattering stuff to introduce himself. 

But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many wordsthey will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…Matthew 6: 6-7

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,

But he who restrains his lips is wise.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

The heart of the wicked is worth little.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,

But fools die for lack of wisdom. Proverbs 10: 19-21