Insight for Living

Guest (Male): Have you ever sat with someone who talks and talks, and yet somehow never gets to the point? Someone convinced they hold the final word on everything? Job's already endured three friends who said far too much and helped far too little. And now, a fourth voice chimes in, burning with things he simply must say. But buried in all his words lies a truth worth waiting for. One about who gets to have the last word in life, and who doesn't.

Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues his comprehensive teaching series on Job.

Chuck Swindoll: Well, we're still in Job. We're going to be in Job until Jesus comes back. Not at this rate. I'm taking six chapters today, baby. We're going to get through this thing. It's what you call a long-winded monologue. Job, chapter 32, is the place we'll start reading a few of these verses, and then I'll just skip toward 37.

Elihu is being introduced to us. He's the fourth friend of Job. Would that we all had friends like that. 32:1: "Then these three men ceased answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned against Job. His anger burned because he justified himself before God.

And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, his anger burned. So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, spoke out and said, 'I am young in years and you are old. Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think. I thought age should speak and increased years should teach wisdom.

But it is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. The abundant in years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice. So I say, listen to me. I too will tell what I think.'" Look at verse 18 and smile. "For I am full of words." So let's go to chapter 34. Amazing. 34:1: "Then Elihu continued and said, 'Hear my words, you wise men, and listen to me, you who know. For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. Let us choose for ourselves what is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.'"

Verse 7: "What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men? For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing when he is pleased with God.' Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong." Chapter 37. Don't you wish you could do that in a sermon? Just jump right to the end and you've come to the end of it. 37:14: "Listen to this, O Job, stand and consider the wonders of God.

Do you know how God establishes them and makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, the wonders of one perfect in knowledge?" Verse 21: "Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies, but the wind has passed and cleared them. Out of the north comes golden splendor. Around God is awesome majesty. The Almighty, we cannot find Him. He is exalted in power and He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him. He does not regard any who are wise of heart."

Guest (Male): You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into Job's story, be sure to purchase a copy of our Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook by going to insight.org/offer. Chuck titled today's message "Another Long-Winded Monologue."

Chuck Swindoll: Frankly, I think it's pretty gutsy for a pastor to put as his sermon title "Another Long-Winded Monologue." You who are visiting with us don't know this, but the rest of us do that we have monitors, little television monitors out in the hallway wrapped around this worship center. Somebody decided to put my picture on there when the sermon title appears. I want you to know I don't appreciate all the comments I heard when I walked out. One man said to his wife, "Long-winded monologue. So what else is new?" A teenage kid said to his mother, "Oh no, not again."

In the day of 10 to 15-minute sermonettes, which by the way are for Christianettes, I believe my 40 to 50-minute messages are probably a little outdated and tedious at times. Down through the years, people have fussed about long sermons. I was interested in reading a comment made by an older woman years ago when the Welsh preacher John Owen went on and on and on. She made the comment that he was so long setting the table in his introduction she lost her appetite for the meal.

Ronald Reagan, the great communicator, while president loved to tell the story of the young country preacher who had never before preached a message. He came to this country church and walked in. To his amazement, there was one rancher present. The place was empty except for this one man sitting about halfway back on the hard bench. The young preacher walked back there and he said, "Well, what do you think I ought to do?" The rancher said, "Well, I don't rightly know, son. I'm just a cowpoke, but if I went out in my field and found only one steer, I'd feed it."

That's all the young preacher needed to hear. So he climbed up into the pulpit and he delivered a fiery sermon. It went on and on and on. When he finally ended it, he walked back to the fellow in the pew and he said, "Well, what did you think?" "Well, I don't rightly know, son. But I'll tell you this, if I went out in my field and found I only had one steer, I wouldn't feed him the whole load."

Frankly, I'm encouraged that I'm in pretty good company when it comes to long-winded preachers. If you'll turn to Acts 20, you knew I'd find a text for this, didn't you? Acts chapter 20, verse 7. Please take note of a man named Eutychus. Only time he's mentioned in the scriptures. Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together," Luke's writing, so it includes him, he was there, "when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight." I put in the margin of my Bible, "Bless his heart."

"There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together, and there was a young man named Eutychus." You know what his name means? It means fortunate. Now keep reading. Eutychus was sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep. Isn't that great the way it reads? He's just sinking into a deep. I have seen that so many times in my ministry. It's when they start to drool that you have to get worried about them. But so dear Eutychus is sinking into a deep sleep and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.

I love this story. But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak and then left. This dear man, he just couldn't stay with it and he finally sinks into sleep and falls backwards down three floors and the apostle raises him up. Spurgeon said, "Remember, if we go to sleep during the sermon and die today, there are no apostles to restore us." So be warned.

Having said all of that about preaching too long, you'll be relieved to know that the title has nothing to do with my message. It has everything to do with Elihu's long-winded monologue when you turn back to Job chapter 32. On top of Elihu's message to Job are three other friends who have taken far too long to say much too little to Job who could have taught them all. And then Elihu, on the heels of everyone else, Eliphaz three times, Bildad three times, Zophar twice, and Job answering each one, you'll remember along the way, Elihu has waited and then finally when he talks, you wonder why. Honestly.

Six chapters. Are you ready for this? The length of these chapters is longer than 12 other Old Testament books and 17 of the 27 New Testament books or letters. Longer than those. So this is a load, I guess we could say. Rather than getting bogged down into needless detail, let's sort of slide our way along with Elihu, with apologies. Here's my take on what he has to say. Let me give you several observations.

First, he delivers four speeches. Four of them. Two chapters cover the first speech, 32 and 33. The second speech is in 34. Third speech is in 35. Then the fourth speech is in 36 and 37. So 2, 1, 1, 2. Frankly, he's more effective at the beginning and the ending than he is in the middle. It gets a little dull and boring when he goes on and on on this subject. Let me say secondly, his message contains two very fine points. First, God disciplines a person to turn him from the error of his ways. God disciplines a person to turn him, or to turn her, from the error of their ways. Second, God governs justly. He's fair.

And the major theme of all that Elihu has to say is a good theme: God is sovereign. He is not only good all the time, He is in control all the time. Even when I'm sick, even when you're sick, even at times like this, God is never shocked, God is never surprised, God is never out of control, and furthermore, God doesn't feel obligated to explain Himself. I think if He tried, most of us wouldn't get it anyway because He is so profound. And I don't mean that as an escape hatch. I really mean it. He is sovereign and He doesn't explain Himself, nor should He feel obligated to.

Third, neither Job nor his counselors answer Elihu at any point. These chapters run uninterrupted. There's no question and answer, there's no response, there's no dialogue. It's all a monologue. It's a long-winded monologue. Interestingly about Elihu, unlike the others, it says four times at the beginning of his talk that he's angry. In fact, it says that he's burning with anger. Did you catch that when I read that earlier? Verse 2: "The anger of Elihu burned." "Against Job his anger burned." Verse 3: "His anger burned against his three friends." Verse 5: "His anger burned as he spoke."

Remember when you've spoken and you were angry? All of us can remember. Almost without exception, we said things we wish we hadn't said. We said more than we wish we would have said. We regret things that fell from our lips, especially if we were burning with anger. It's kind of a momentary out-of-control verbal condition. And that's Elihu. We're told a little of his background, you can check it for yourself in verse 2 and verse 6. We're told where he's from and what family he's come from and we're told he's younger. Did you get that? Verse 6: "I am young in years and you are old. Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think."

Ever been in that situation? Sure, most of us have. You are around those who are wiser, those who have more years on you. And we all have learned over the years that we need to respect those who are older. I think his words speak of intimidation. He's reluctant to speak. He's even, as he says, fearful. But he does make a good comment because he's listened to those other gray heads and he says in verse 9, 32:9, "The abundant in years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice." True, huh? In other words, years may cause you to listen closely, but you may not necessarily hear great wisdom just because a person is older.

A person can be old and foolish. A person can be much older than you and know less than you in wisdom. So years are no guarantee of wisdom. David Atkinson writes, "Elihu is an enigma. He blusters on the stage as an angry young man full of his own importance, offering to clarify the situation for Job and his friends, angry with the muddle they have got themselves into. In one respect, it's rather like a comic turn, for he manages to spend a lot of time not saying very much." Don't answer out loud, but have you ever been around a person who did that? And you had your hopes up that you were going to really get an insight on something, and you listened and you keep listening, thinking he's going to make his point here in just a minute if I'm just willing to wait, or she'll make sense if I just hear her out on this. But they don't. That's Elihu.

That's why I like the verse 18 of chapter 32: "I am full of words." He's also full of himself when you get to reading what he has to say. He's younger, he's brash. Let me suggest that he made four very real mistakes when he decided to talk. First, he took too long getting started. You know how we'll say to someone we know real well, like somebody in our family, "Get to the point"? You know how you'll do that? Or, "What is it you're trying to say?" Every person who has ever been an assistant of mine has heard me do that. I'm kind of notorious for "What's the point?" or "Get to the bottom line. What is it?" You want to say that to Elihu just about six verses into chapter 32. "What is it? Say it." And then when he does, you go, "I'm sorry I hurried you."

Second, he comes across as pompous. He comes across as pompous. How do we come across as pompous? He leaves little room for response. He states his opinion with too much dogmatism. He sees himself as the final authority. He preaches. Let me give you a tip. It's helpful if you just leave the preaching to me, okay? Let me take the hits. If it's one-on-one or one on a few, don't preach. If it's with your kids, don't preach. If it's with your partner in life, don't preach. If it's with your boss or somebody who works for you, don't preach. Preaching isn't appropriate in small group settings, and he forgets that.

The third thing, he states what Job already knew. He brought nothing new out. That's why Job never responds. And fourth mistake, he never acknowledges that he doesn't know for sure. There's something refreshing about someone who has the floor who's willing to say, "I really don't know all that I should know about this, but..." It's wonderful when you're around someone who has a wealth of knowledge, but you hear them say, "I'm not the final word."

Let me give you an example of that. A man who meant a great deal to me and means a great deal to me to this day, one of my mentors is Bruce Waltke. Dr. Waltke is as fine a student of the Hebrew Bible as I have ever been around, ever. It was my privilege to study under him two of my four years at Dallas Seminary, and it was a splendid experience. I'll remember taking an early course in Hebrew one summer before we began the course that fall and remember seeing him sitting on a stool up front and he would cradle his Old Testament, his Kittel Hebrew Bible, and was reading from it and would kind of rock. And sometimes he would tear up, he would weep. I tried that, and I wept for other reasons. Looked like a rag rug sort of and I was trying to do it and then realized, oh, it's upside down, that's a problem.

He, I'm having a little fun about this, but he was truly brilliant and not only knew the text, knew the footnoting, knew the textual apparatus, knew arguments for the interpretation at just every place we turned, it seemed. Well, I was pastoring a church near the seminary at the time and I was in Proverbs 22 and I was doing something on the family, rearing children. And I came up with an interpretation that was a little bit of a maverick approach to rearing children. But I became increasingly more convinced of it. I thought, I need to run this by Waltke. I don't want to be out there on the limb and be way off base.

So I made an appointment with him and came as an alumnus back to the school and he was gracious to see me. "Chuck, how are you?" "Fine, Dr. Waltke." "Sit down, what's on your mind?" I said, "Well, I'm doing some work in Proverbs 22." "Oh, one of my favorites." So he turns to it in the Hebrew Bible. I'm trying to find my English version and I said, "You know, I've done some work in the text and I want to be sure I'm not off base." And he listened and didn't interrupt and I spent maybe 15, 20 minutes going over why I was teaching that and where I was going to go with it. And when I looked up, he was like this on his desk looking at me. And he said, I'll never forget this, he said, "Chuck, there are no popes in the body of Christ. I'm not the final word on that. Looks fine to me. That's what the Lord's shown you, that's what you've got to preach."

I'm telling you, I could have flown out of there. It was like this was great. I probably walked out and he goes, "Oh man." But he didn't. I'll never know. But I will never forget the comment: "There are no popes in the body of Christ." I do not care what authority you are, how long you've studied in the field, how many initials are after your name, what degrees you have earned and worked hard for, you are not the final word. You are still a learner. And the most intelligent are the most teachable.

Guest (Male): There's freedom in those words, isn't there? You are still a learner. None of us has arrived. None of us holds the final word. And the wisest among us are simply the ones still willing to listen, still willing to grow. Take a moment and sit with that today. Where might God be inviting you to stay teachable? Well, here at Insight for Living, we'd love to help you learn more. In fact, Chuck Swindoll and his team have prepared some wonderful study tools for you. At the top of the list is a book Chuck's written that ties in powerfully with this study on Job. It's called Finding God When the World's on Fire.

Here's what Chuck wants you to know: Your story is not unlike Job's story. Your heartbreaks are real heartbreaks. They can't be dismissed as no big deal. But here's the best part: The God who met Job at the lowest points of his life is the same God who is present in yours. And that's the message Chuck reinforces in his book Finding God When the World's on Fire. We'd love to send you a copy today with our thanks when you include a contribution to support the ministry of Insight for Living.

You can address your contribution and request for the book to Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. That's Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. You can also call us at 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/donate. And then, if you have a little extra time this weekend, we invite you to sit down and watch a riveting conversation between Chuck Swindoll and media personality Dave Ramsey. In this lively exchange, Dave and Chuck talk about stewardship over ego, the freedom of debt-free living, and the thread of redemption that God weaves through every season, even the ones we're sure will ruin us. To watch the interview between Chuck and Dave Ramsey, stop by insight.org/conversations.

I'm Bill Meyer. Join us again when Chuck Swindoll continues his comprehensive study on the life of Job, Monday on Insight for Living.

The preceding message, "Another Long-Winded Monologue," was copyrighted in 2002, 2004, and 2026, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.