Book of Job

9/3/17                                                                                                                                                                      ...

Elihu’s First Speech: The Sovereign God Who Speaks Job 32:6 - 33:33                 We have introduced Elihu not as a bombastic young upstart, but a thoughtful prophet who parallels some things God will say in his speeches. Our narrator breaks down the words of Elihu into four speeches introduced in 32:6, 34:1, 35:1, and 36:1. The first three of these speeches follow a similar outline suggested by Talbert (p. 176). In each of these Elihu recites an allegation using Job’s words. He then gives a rebuttal of the allegation and closes with either an appeal for Job to defend himself or a diagnosis of Job’s condition based on what Job’s words say about God. The last speech is different from these. Interspersed in these speeches are four indications that Elihu’s assessment agrees with what God will say later.                 Today we...