Our friend Job finally exhausted his thoughts and questions about his suffering and fell silent. He wanted to hear God, if God would answer him. God was about to speak, but first he sent Elihu to prepare Job for what was coming.

Elihu had been a silent witness to the conversations between Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. They were older than he, so he waited respectfully for them to finish talking before he spoke up. But as he waited, God spoke to Elihu and filled him with such insights that he felt ready to burst with what he had to say.

“I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know. For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.” Job 32:17-20

A Safe Friend

Unlike the first three friends who spoke to Job, Elihu had no selfish or unkind motives behind what he needed to say. What Job was about to hear was not a personal attack.

“My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life  . . . I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay. No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you.” Job 33:3-4, 6-7

Elihu was courteous toward Job, but he was also true to what God’s spirit showed him. Some of his words sounded harsh, but they were meant to bring Job back to God. Ray Stedman says that as John the Baptist called people to prepare for Jesus’ appearing, Elihu called Job to prepare for God who was about to speak to him.

Job’s Mistakes

First, Elihu addressed Job’s complaints and misconceptions about God. Job wrongly accused God of being unjust toward him, so Elihu quoted Job and corrected him.

“But you have said in my hearing – I heard the very words – ‘I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin. Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy’ . . . But I tell you, you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal” Job 33:8-10,12

There was no reason for God to justify himself to Job, nor did he have to answer Job the way he expected.

“Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one’s words? For God does speak – now one way, now another – though no one perceives it.” Job 33:14

Dreams, Visions, and Pain

Elihu was sure God did speak to people, and he cited just two of the ways he knew about.

First, God spoke through dreams and visions. There were no Scriptures in those days; God spoke to people in other ways, including their dreams. He revealed their hearts to them and warned them against pride and sin. Paying attention to dreams and visions helped preserve people’s lives. (Job 33:14-18)

Second, God spoke through pain. Elihu described a kind of suffering through which God spoke and Job probably recognized his own experience.

“Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones, so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal. Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out. They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death.” Job 33:19-22

Elihu’s words described Job, and he would have been left feeling very bleak if it were not for the next revelation God gave. Elihu proposed that God had a helper for Job, someone who would ransom him and make him whole again.

One-of-a-Kind Helper

“Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, and he is gracious to that person and says to God, ‘Spare them from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom for them— let their flesh be renewed like a child’s;  let them be restored as in the days of their youth’— then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.” Job 33:23-26

This passage perfectly describes Jesus Christ.

• The messenger from God, unique beyond any other messenger, who came to tell people how to live uprightly.
• The Mediator who says to God, “Spare them from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom for them.”
• The One who asks God to give people new life, “let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth.” In other words, Jesus asks the Father to let people be born again.
• The One who gives people the greatest blessing of all, “— then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.”

Questioning God

Job wasn’t reconciled to God yet. He was so discouraged that he had even gone as far as to say, “There is no profit in trying to please God.” (Job 34:9) He really needed someone like Elihu to set him straight. He had been pretty careless in how he talked about the Lord of the universe.

It’s not unusual for people to question or even dismiss God. Yet, they may be more aware of him than they realize. Have you ever wondered why people use God’s name so freely? They say, “Oh my God!” or “Jesus!” or “Christ!” Even people who don’t believe in God blurt out his name when they’re upset or surprised.

I always reminded my children that the only time to use God’s name was when they were talking about him or talking to him, but people invoke his name in all kinds of circumstances. It’s a paradox because swearing demeans God’s name while acknowledging his existence.

God Doesn’t Have to Answer

God was so high above Job that he didn’t need to answer to Job. No human being can force God to give an account of himself, but Elihu pointed out that every human being will give an account of themselves to God someday.

“It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” Job 34:12

“Will you condemn the just and mighty One? Is he not the One who says to kings, ’You are worthless,’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked.’” Job 34:17-18

“His eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step. There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.” Job 34:21-22

True Repentance

Elihu gives Job one more thought on the subject of true repentance.

“Suppose someone says to God, ‘I am guilty but I will offend no more. Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’ Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know.’” Job 34:31-33

Job wanted to know what God thought about his situation. Soon he would hear, but in the meantime he needed to get his heart ready.