Elihu continued speaking:  “Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! I am telling you nothing but the truth,for I am a man of great knowledge. (Job 36: 1-2, 4 NLT)

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Wisdom is the loving use of what we know. Job’s friends lacked the understanding of how to apply truth to his suffering. They may have been more concerned about being right than helping their friend.

 It is possible to say right things in the wrong way or to bring true sayings at an improper time or place. Many of the things that Job’s counselors said were true but did not apply to Job. The Devil knows the Word of God and is not shy about using it on us, out of context. Just because something is true, does not mean it is right to say it. Elihu and his friends made the mistake that you and I often make. They assumed that life is a mere cause and effect relationship. Job was suffering; therefore, he was being punished for his wrongdoings. The Book of Job teaches us that life is not that simple. Bad things happen to good people. In Job’s case, it was because of his righteousness that he was suffering.

A telling point in this interchange is when Elihu said that he only tells the truth and he has great knowledge (v 4). Anytime we think we have a corner on the truth; it shows our ignorance. If you think you are wise, you are probably not. The smartest thing Elihu could have done would have been to talk less and listen more. Silence is sometimes golden. Then possibly knowledge could have blossomed into wisdom

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]