{"id":7789,"date":"2020-02-21T20:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-02-22T03:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=7789"},"modified":"2020-02-16T18:09:19","modified_gmt":"2020-02-17T01:09:19","slug":"job32_1-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/job32_1-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Open to God Speaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Job 32:1-22 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Job 32:1-22.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Job 32:1 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 Job refuses to budge from his belief that his suffering is not the result of his sin, so Job\u2019s friends finally give up trying to convince Job otherwise (v1).\u00a0 What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The best way, and s<\/strong>ometimes the only way, to beat your critics is to outlast them.\u00a0 If you stand your ground long enough, they will eventually go away and stop bothering you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Job 32:2 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 2: A young man called Elihu begins to speak.\u00a0\u00a0According to some scholars, the fact that the author of Job has to explain Elihu\u2019s family background in verse 2 suggests that Elihu was not nearly as well known as Job and his three companions.<\/p>\n

Notice there is a lot of anger going on in this scene:\u00a0\u00a0Job\u2019s friends are mad at Job.\u00a0\u00a0Job is mad at his friends and at God.\u00a0\u00a0Job believes that God is mad at him.\u00a0\u00a0And now Elihu is mad at Job\u2019s friends and at Job for being mad in their own ways!<\/p>\n

Why was Elihu angry at Job?\u00a0\u00a0Elihu was angry and disappointed with Job because Job kept trying to justify himself before God (v2b).\u00a0\u00a0As the Bible Knowledge Commentary says about this verse, Elihu was angry at Job because Job seemed \u201cmore willing to cast aspersions on God’s character than to admit to any sin\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, as we will see, Elihu\u2019s perspective is not the same as Job\u2019s three friends.\u00a0\u00a0As Elihu says in verse 14, \u201cI will not answer him [that is, Job] with your arguments [that is, the points made by Job\u2019s friends].\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Though younger and less experienced than Job and Job\u2019s three friends, Elihu will in some ways demonstrate more insight into Job\u2019s situation than Job\u2019s three friends and even Job himself.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be open to God speaking to you through people.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Notice that Job was waiting for God to speak directly to Job, but instead of God speaking, along comes a young man with a word for Job.\u00a0\u00a0Do not limit God\u2019s voice to personal epiphanies, dreams, visions and unusual circumstances.\u00a0\u00a0If you refuse to believe that God can speak to you through the people in your life who know and love Him, you will miss much of what God is trying to tell you.<\/p>\n

Job 32:3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 3:\u00a0 \u00a0I like how the English Standard Version translates this verse \u2013 \u201cHe burned with anger also at Job\u2019s three friends\u00a0because they had found no answer<\/em>, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong.\u201d\u00a0 In other words,\u00a0i<\/strong>t is possible to condemn a person without helping them in any way, without advancing the argument or without giving a helpful answer to the person you are talking to.\u00a0\u00a0The easiest role to play \u2013 one that takes no effort, intelligence or maturity at all \u2013 is to be a critic who condemns others.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t just be someone who criticizes and condemns.<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re going to speak into an unhappy situation, suggest a real, practical and thoughtful solution to the situation.<\/p>\n

Job 32:4-22 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: “I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know.
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I waited while you spoke, I listened to your reasoning; while you were searching for words,
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I gave you my full attention. But not one of you has proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not man.’
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“They are dismayed and have no more to say; words have failed them.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand there with no reply?
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me;
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man;
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-22:\u00a0\u00a0I appreciate Elihu\u2019s approach to this discussion.\u00a0\u00a0As passionate as Elihu was about the situation, as much as he had things he wanted to say, Elihu waited for his elders to finish speaking first.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Even when you feel passionately about an issue, be willing to let other people speak first, especially your elders.<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s part of showing respect to those who are older than you.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do not discount what people younger than you have to say just because they are younger.<\/strong>\u00a0Wisdom does not discriminate based on age.\u00a0\u00a0As Elihu says in verse 8, \u201cit is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0In other words, God\u2019s Spirit can give a young person wisdom beyond their years.\u00a0\u00a0So be open to God using people younger than you to speak to you.<\/div>\n
\n

Heavenly Father, may my heart always be humble and open enough for You to speak to me through other people who love and follow You, whether they be younger or older than me.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Job 32:1-22.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Job 32:1 (NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0\u00a0So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.<\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 Job refuses to budge from his belief that his suffering is not the result of his sin, so Job\u2019s friends finally give up trying to convince Job otherwise (v1).\u00a0 What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The best way, and sometimes the only way, to beat your critics is to outlast them.\u00a0 If you stand your ground long enough, they will eventually go away and stop bothering you.<\/p>\n

Job 32:2 (NIV)\u00a0
\n2\u00a0\u00a0But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.<\/p>\n

On verse 2: A young man called Elihu begins to speak.\u00a0\u00a0According to some scholars, the fact that the author of Job has to explain Elihu\u2019s family background in verse 2 suggests that Elihu was not nearly as well known as Job and his three companions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7789"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7792,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7789\/revisions\/7792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}