Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: Job was at his lowest moment. And when his friends showed up to comfort him, they did little more than compound his predicament. Round after round of counsel, and none of it touched the real ache of his suffering. Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll brings us to this precarious moment. Along the way, he'll show us that even long-winded speeches from well-meaning friends can stumble onto something true. As this final voice winds down, Job starts to view God's character in a significant way. Chuck begins with prayer.

Chuck Swindoll: It's a wonderful reminder, our Father, to know that you stayed up all night planning this meeting. That you neither slumber nor sleep. That you've never met a moment when you were tired. You've never come to the end of your rope.

And how patient and gracious you have been to us, who frequently find ourselves there. How good you are to us, how gracious, giving us what we don't deserve, restoring us even when we resist your hand in our lives. Thank you, Father, for pursuing us when we weren't even looking for you and for bringing peace when we were in the midst of such deep need. You are good all the time.

Forgive us for comparing you to anyone we've ever known or somehow thinking that there is something a lot like you in us. For apart from Christ, we are of all people most miserable. Left to ourselves, we would make a royal mess of our lives. We come today to learn and to grow and to worship, and for a change, not to be preoccupied with ourselves.

Some image in a mirror, some reputation we're trying to polish. Thank you that you are not impressed. Thank you for interrupting our world with reminders on occasion of our own limitations and weaknesses. It's as if you reach down and touch us, and whatever you touch, you change.

Thank you, Father, for watching over us even when we don't know where to look for danger. Thank you for those in uniform who have the unenviable task of protecting their country. Heroic women and men who serve the cause of freedom. Give our President great guidance. These are threatening days. The Congress is divided, the people are unsure. We need you to intervene and to touch us there.

Lord, for this moment now in time, we pray that you will put your hand upon different lives represented in this room, and some who couldn't make it today for whatever reason. We pray that you will visit us with a fresh touch of your presence and your encouragement. Awaken us, free us. Give us reminders that you do all things well. In the name of Jesus, we pray these things. And all God's people said, amen.

Bill Meyer: 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: 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. So this is, he gave him the whole 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. 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. 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? Verse two: the anger of Elihu burned against Job. His anger burned against his three friends. Verse five: 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 two and verse six, 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 six: "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're 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 nine of chapter 32: "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. That's why I liked 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 rash. 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?" 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." 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. We still are learning. I learn from virtually every person I'm around.

Every intern we've ever worked with, I've learned something valuable from the interns. And hopefully they picked up some things as well. Elihu is not a learner. Elihu is busy with that long index finger bouncing against the sternum of Job. And probably never himself had one boil. Job's covered with them. Don't be the pope, Elihu. Learn from this man. Well, the first speech he begins in chapter 32 and ends it at the end of chapter 33.

And there's a couple of things in it I think are worth mentioning. He speaks first to all the men, verses 6 to 14. Then he speaks to Job, 15 to 22. And then he continues on speaking to Job and finally gets to his point. Takes him forever, but he finally gets to a point. Verse 13 of chapter 33: "Why do you complain against him?" H is capitalized appropriately; it refers to God. Job, why do you complain against God, that he does not give an account of all his doings?

Indeed, God speaks once or twice, yet no one notices it. In good Hebrew poetry, he says once, yea twice. Sometimes it'll say six, yea seven. So he's saying God speaks in a couple of ways. First, verse 15: in a dream or a vision. If you like marking your Bible, put a little one there. That's the first way God speaks, at least he did in those days. And put a little two by verse 19: "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed."

God speaks when you're sick. When you're laid aside with unceasing complaint in his bones, describing the pain of life. So that his life loathes bread and his soul favorite food. His flesh wastes away from sight and his bones, which were not seen, stick out. It's a picture of going hungry and being so sick you don't even want to eat. Then his soul draws near to the pit, thinks he's going to die, and his life to those who bring death.

Then he refers to a very interesting observation: a mediating angel. Now look closely. He says God speaks in a dream and a vision in the night, verse 15. And he also speaks even in the pain. There is a message that God communicates in suffering itself. Most people who have gone through deep suffering have a knowledge and a wisdom others of us lack. Why? Because they learned on the bed of affliction.

And then how do we get the message from God to us? Well, Elihu suggests, look closely, verse 23: there is an angel as mediator for man. One out of a thousand. I think you may have never seen this before. I confess, I don't remember ever reading this before. They're rare. One in a thousand, we would say. To remind a man what is right for him. Let him be gracious to him and say, "Deliver him from going down to the pit."

And he delivers him from death. Let his flesh, verse 25, become fresher than in youth. Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor. Then he will pray to God, and he will accept him. Capital H, God will accept him and he may see his face with joy, may restore his righteousness to man. Let me pause here and let you look at that. Let your mind turn over what we just read. Now admittedly, this may be Elihu's opinion, but it is inspired.

It comes from the Spirit of God and it's preserved for us in the sacred text. Interesting, isn't it? Could it be that certainly in those days when God communicated through dreams and visions, and in those days when God spoke directly to individuals in supernatural manners, could it be that there is a mediating angel? John Hartley in his book, *The Book of Job*, writes, "Elihu teaches that there is a heavenly intercessor who takes up the sufferer's case. This helper is an angel who functions as a mediator, one who will help whomever God is afflicting for disciplinary reasons."

"The identity of this mediating angel is uncertain. Elihu is also countering Eliphaz's position that there is no holy one to whom Job may turn for help. Elihu says that there is a special angel who works for the redemption of the afflicted. The phrase 'one among a thousand' is taken by some to mean this mediating angel is a very special heavenly creature. In Elihu's teaching, this special angel works for the restoration of those who have strayed from the right way."

How about that? Now before I go on, let me caution here. God no longer speaks in dreams and visions. I think there are times we learn things while suffering. I certainly believe in the ministering spirits, who are the angels who carry out God's bidding and sometimes even carry God's message. Most often they are invisible. We cannot hear them, we cannot see them, we cannot touch them. Though they can manifest themselves in human form and have done so.

Hebrews 13 suggests that. I think these mediating angels, if in fact there are such, are rare. And I think they carry his message. Now, we have now the Holy Spirit who takes the word of God and reveals truth to us from the Scriptures. So be careful about guiding your life with dreams and visions. Okay? I always get a little nervous when a fellow Christian says, "I had a vision and God told me to tell you." And I go, whoa.

I mean, I may not do that, but you need to know down inside I'm going, oh brother. You know, like this gal that saw the face of Jesus in an enchilada. You know, I see Snoopy in an enchilada. Doesn't mean Snoopy's there. I see him in the clouds and all of that. That's nonsense. That's crazy-making stuff. Don't fall into that. You go there, I can take you to Zipville where you'll find out all kinds of other things and you'll have no way of knowing it wasn't God because I say it's a vision and he told me.

People tell me God told me so-and-so. I say, is he baritone or bass? And they don't like it when you ask him that because it sounds like you don't believe God is miraculous. I believe he's miraculous. I believe he can do whatever he wishes to. I just know he's limited the truth to his word and I'm satisfied with that. When we exhaust the Scriptures, then we can look for other sources. But we have a lifetime in which we cannot even exhaust one page of Scripture.

But in those days before the Bible was complete, God gave his message through dreams and visions. And he spoke in the midst of the pain with mediating angels communicating. And Job, God's speaking to you in this. Are you hearing what he has to say? Interestingly, Job doesn't answer. The second speech begins in chapter 34. Elihu is pleading for his audience. Maybe he's seeing Job drift a little, kind of like Eutychus. "Hear my words, you wise men," verse two.

"Listen to me, you who know. For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food." He says it again in verse 16: "If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the sound of my words." Now he speaks only to Job until he gets to verse 33. Then he waits. It's like a pause. In 34:33: "Shall he recompense on your terms because you have rejected it? For you must choose and not I. Therefore, declare what you know." And I think he waits, and Job doesn't speak.

Why doesn't Job answer? He's been there before. I don't mean this to sound wrong or to be ugly, but not every person needs an answer. You just let them go on and you don't owe them an explanation. You don't need to give them proof of something. Job doesn't even answer Elihu here. So Elihu gets a little ticked. And he ends with a rather strong and firm word regarding repentance. And he now takes up the cause of the other counselors who were blaming Job at every turn.

And that continues through chapter 35. I realize we're covering a lot of territory. I'm aware of that. Trust me, you're not missing a lot. 35 is a lot of 34. 34 is a lot of 14 and 12 and 9 and 7. It's the same old singsong given in other words, but Elihu has nothing fresh to offer. And so Job doesn't answer him. In fact, Elihu ends by insulting Job at the end of chapter 35, which is this third speech you may recall.

At the end of it, he sort of levels Job. Verse 13 of chapter 35: "Surely God will not listen to an empty cry," implying Job's cries are empty. "Nor will the Almighty regard it. How much more when you say you do not behold him, the case is before him, you must wait for him." Hear the preaching? "And now because he has not visited in his anger, nor has he acknowledged transgression well, so Job opens his mouth emptily. He multiplies words without knowledge."

That's really insulting to say it like that. Eugene Peterson gets the idea when he paraphrases: "Job, you talk sheer nonsense. Nonstop nonsense." That's the way he ends. And then he goes to his fourth message, and Job patiently waits for him to finish. But you know what? When you get toward the end of Elihu's speech, he gets back on target. In fact, chapter 36 and into 37, he covers four bases. Listen to them; they all make sense.

First, God watches over the righteous. If the righteous commit a transgression, he lets them know they've done wrong. If they respond to the rod of discipline, he restores them. If they don't, they suffer the consequences. That's awfully good theology. One man suggests that chapter 36 is the best theology in the book of Job thus far. And he may very well be right.

Bill Meyer: What a picture of our God. Watching over us, correcting us when we wander, restoring us when we respond. That's the God Job is beginning to see, even in the middle of his pain. This is Insight for Living, and there's much more that Chuck Swindoll wants to show us in this comprehensive study about Job, a man of heroic endurance. Maybe you've been listening today and projecting your own story onto Job's. Well, here's the lingering lesson: God sees you and he cares for you.

Yes, the same God who governs the heaven is attentive to all the details of our lives. His compassion brings comfort to all of us because we all have our own story to tell. And sometimes our story includes suffering. Along those lines, we want to point you to our featured resource today. It's a book that Chuck's written called *Finding God When the World's on Fire*. And it aligns naturally with our study in Job.

Whether you're in a difficult season of surprises or someone you love is going through a rough stretch, you'll find these biblical principles incredibly helpful. Chuck's book, *Finding God When the World's on Fire*, is an honest companion for anyone whose faith is being tested by real life. By loss, by illness, by uncertainty, by a world that refuses to settle down. When you support Insight for Living with a donation, we'll send a copy to you with our thanks.

We're deeply grateful for your financial support of this nonprofit ministry. By giving generously, you're helping others discover the hope that God offers in his word. Ask for the book *Finding God When the World's on Fire* when you go to insight.org/donate or call us at 800-772-8888. You can also write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas, 75034. Here's our phone number one more time: 800-772-8888. Or go to insight.org/donate.

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

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