"The book of Job does not reject answers [i.e., religious wisdom] as such. There is content to biblical religion. It is the secularization of answers that is rejected - answers severed from their Source, the living God, the Word that both batters us and heals us. We cannot have truth about God divorced from the mind and heart of God." (Peterson, Intro. to Job)
Elihu speaks. And he has a lot of words! Apparently holding his tongue through all of the previous speeches caused him to explode "with pent-up anger." There is some truth in what he says:
...it's God's Spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible. (32:8)
The Spirit of God made me what I am, the breath of God Almighty gave me life! (33:4)
I'm human - no better than you; we're both made of the same kind of mud. (33:6)
It's impossible for God to do anything wicked, for the Mighty One to subvert justice. (34:13)
Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God? (34:17)
[God] has his eyes on every man and woman...There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough, to hide those who do evil. (34:21-22)
But whether silent or hidden, [God's] there, ruling... (34:30)
Elihu also has a whole lot of bunk intertwined and wrapped around the truth, as well as a fair measure of pride and self-righteousness mixed in. These chapters reminded me of a book written by Peter Scazzero entitled,
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. One of the most illuminating and convicting passages from this book is Scazzero's identification of symptoms of
unhealthy spirituality. Here are some examples from Elihu's speech that illustrate a few of these symptoms:
- Spiritualizing Away Conflict by giving people the silent treatment, blaming, attacking, becoming sarcastic, avoiding, or telling half the truth.
[speaking to Job's three friends] You're total frauds! (32:15)
I have to speak - I have no choice. I have to say what's on my heart, and I'm going to say it straight - the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I was never any good at bootlicking; my Maker would make short work of me if I started in now! (32:21-22)
I have no ulterior motives in this... (33:3)
Don't interrupt - I'm not finished yet....Don't distract me with interruptions. I'm going to teach you the basics of wisdom. (33:31-33)
All right-thinking people say - and the wise who have listened to me concur - 'Job is an ignoramus. He talks utter nonsense.' (34:34-35)
- Using God to Run from God by using God's truth to judge and devalue others; by pronouncing "God told me to do/say this" when the truth is "I think God told me to say/do this"; by applying biblical truths selectively when it suits my purposes.
This is the way God works. Over and over again he pulls our souls back from certain destruction so we'll see the light - and live in the light! (33:30)
[God] deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions, and replaces them at once with others. Nobody gets by with anything; over night, judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered. He punishes the wicked for their wickedness out in the open where everyone can see it... (34:24-26)
But whether silent or hidden, [God's] there, ruling, so that those who hate God won't take over and ruin people's lives. (34:30)
- Dividing our lives into "secular" and "sacred" by compartmentalizing God to "Christian activities" without thinking of Him in every area of our lives.
Isn't it just common sense - as common as the sense of taste - to put our heads together and figure out what's going on here? (34:3-4)
And there's so much more in Elihu's rant that reveals my own spiritual unhealthiness. Messages that sound spiritual, but aren't purely God's truth. Such as:
- doing a lot for God is a sign of spirituality
- it's all up to me
- God can't move unless I pray
- things will fall apart if I don't persevere
- God never gives us anything we can't handle.
- suffering comes into our life to make us stronger and so that we can help others
Any other half-truth come to your mind that has been separated from the whole of God's truth?
2 comments:
The truth mixed with error definitely caught my attention. Another section in which reading Scripture in context is absolutely critical.
Loved the tie-in to Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Staci! It's been awhile since I've read that book.
Something else that stood out to me:
I kept thinking, "Experience will tell. The longer you live, the wiser you become...getting old doesn't guarantee good sense." (32:8-10)
How true! When I was a kid, I thought you were wise if you were an adult. But I had so many examples of that not being the case that I got very confused. It wasn't until my late teens that I realized that my basic premise was wrong. Getting old DOES NOT guarantee good sense. I need to remember that for myself...
Job 34:21 "God's Eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps." Seems like Job's friends focus on evaluating Job's behavior. We can speak truth and it can come from a not-so-good place in our hearts. Job's friends, even Elihu, hold a definition of the good way that doesn't take a good look at depravity. So what's my definition of good?
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