Elihu and Paul

7        “I THOUGHT, ‘AGE SHOULD SPEAK; ADVANCED YEARS SHOULD                 TEACH WISDOM.’
8        BUT IT IS THE SPIRIT IN A MAN, THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY,                 THAT GIVES HIM UNDERSTANDING.
9        IT IS NOT ONLY THE OLD WHO ARE WISE, NOT ONLY THE AGED                 WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS RIGHT.”

                                                - JOB 32: 7-9

4        “MY MESSAGE AND MY PREACHING WERE NOT WITH WISE AND                 PERSUASIVE WORDS, BUT WITH A DEMONSTRATION OF THE                         SPIRIT’S POWER,
5        SO THAT YOUR FAITH MIGHT NOT REST ON MEN’S WISDOM, BUT                 ON GOD’S POWER.”

                                                - 1 CORINTHAINS 2:4,5


        Elihu and Paul lived thousands of years apart. Yet they knew the same God and the same wise principle that true wisdom did not come by age or experience but through God’s own Spirit.

        Elihu had waited patiently on the sidelines listening and watching the events of Job unfold. He bit his tongue while the older, and supposedly more wizened men had their say. He listened while Job’s three friends told Job over and over that he was being punished because of his own sin. And he heard Job again and again refute them by telling them from his own heart that he was blameless and had not sinned as to bring this upon himself. But Elihu the youngest of the group opens his mouth, being stirred by the Spirit to speak. He reprimands Job for even complaining to God. He refutes Job’s claims that he is pure and without sin and he reminds Job that no one can fully comprehend the wisdom and actions of God. He reminds Job of his position as a creation of God and that the only thing that they all deserved was to go into the pit. Yet God in his graciousness saves us from that pit. Elihu knew the truth of the Gospel which is intertwined with the loving nature of God.

        He says, “God does all these things to a man, twice, even three times – to turn back his should from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him” (Job 33:29,30).

        How could he know this apart from the Holy Spirit revealing it to him?

        Like Elihu, Paul spoke with wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Yes Paul was very educated and he spoke well; but those were all tools that God used through Paul. Without the component of the Holy Spirit imparting all wisdom and the very message to be spoken through Paul than all those skills and all that education went to work against the Gospel. But once the Spirit entered Paul those things were redeemed for God’s glory.


        I love being a pastor. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be and I definitely have so much more to learn. So much more =) But I just can’t imagine doing anything else right now. Still, sometimes I fall into a slump. The passion wanes a bit and I feel as if I am just going through the motions. These are quite obviously the times when I am not letting the Holy Spirit guide my steps. When I am not sticking close to my creator.

        Sometimes, God forgive me, even when I am preparing a message I try to do it without asking God first. As if I have everything that I need to preach the Word of God and so I don’t have to ask God for help. How presumptuous! God is the one that will be speaking, not me!! Paul reiterates Isaiah 29:14, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” If I don’t invite God into everything that I do then he will frustrate me until I turn back to Him and rely on his wisdom and understanding. He has done since the beginning and throughout the history of His people. Whenever the Israelites would turn away from Him, he would bring hardship upon them until they finally repented and turned back to Him. Elihu spoke this truth to Job and his friends. Telling them that the only thing that they deserved was to go down to the pit; but God in his compassion would bring hardship on them in order to save them from the pit!!


Heavenly Father,
Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of your Holy Spirit. Spirit, please work in and through me. I don’t want to speak any words but those that you want to speak through me. I love you God. You are so awesome and you pour out so much on my life. Please use me to speak your message.

In Jesus precious name I ask these things. Amen