S) "7 I thought age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.
8 But it is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
9 The abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may elders understand justice."
Job 32:7-9 (NASB)
O) These are the words of Elihu, who was a fifth character in the story of Job (that is, not Job and not one of the three friends). In v.4, we see that this man was younger than the other four, and customarily did not contribute to the dialogue. But, because of frustrations at the inability of the other three friends to reach Job (see v.5), he found himself unable to hold back any more (see vv.18-20). Regardless of his judgment of the situation at hand, he showed remarkable wisdom in this chapter. He began with a series of disarming statements, and in them, the above verses are found. He humbly acknowledged that the others were not his contemporaries, but he also gave credit to God for all wisdom. He affirmed that wisdom is not gained from age, but it is gained from God.
A) In years past, I would have related the most to this young(er) man, and the application of this passage surely would have been all about how I must humbly approach those who are older than me, before trying to introduce wisdom that is not truly from within myself, but from God. Those are all still good principles, and no doubt, there will continue to be occasions when I might counsel men older than me. Still, I find myself at a tipping point. No longer do I relate to the younger generations on TV, but instead I relate more and more to their parents on TV. Similarly, in this passage, I find that the words of Elihu are less of an encouragement to me as a young man, and more of a warning to me as a man approaching mid-life. As much as I ever enjoy teaching, I must always value learning. It is such an important thing, that I humble myself to remember that I do not hold the keys of wisdom and understanding. Truly, wisdom and understanding come from God alone. When I study scripture and think through theology, I must recognize that I do not have all of the answers. Good solid counsel is always valuable. I must remember, especially as I get older, that there can be as much to gain from men older than me, as there can be from men younger than me. The most important thing is whether their words align with holy Scripture. Perhaps the least important thing is the age of the speaker.
P) Father, You are the giver of all life and breath, and the giver of all wisdom and understanding. In grace, I have some understanding and wisdom. In grace, You also give more to other people. Please keep me humble, Lord, enough that I am always willing to be taught biblical wisdom, by anyone who knows the Bible, regardless of such temporal things as age (or gender, or race, or stature, or anything else). Open my eyes and ears, to receive whatever wisdom You will give me, by whomever You wish to use to teach me. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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