Arrogance and Humility

Elihu provides excellent reminders that God is greater than we can imagine (v 26): he never needs counsellors or teachers (v 23) and he is the supreme ruler over the natural world (vs 27-33). God is greater than our finite minds can comprehend. He - the only being like this in the universe - never needs any instruction from anyone. God’s wisdom is unfathomable.

God’s majestic greatness and his literally unimaginable understanding should make us properly humble about our own finite knowledge. This does not mean that we do not know anything, or that we must live in perpetual doubt and skepticism about basic truths. What it does mean is that our knowledge is minuscule compared to God’s. We do not know all his purposes, nor can we understand all his ways.

Therefore, we must be very, very careful when it comes to applying our understanding to specific situations. It is at this point that Elihu gets derailed. In verse 4, he is claiming to be perfect in knowledge and completely accurate in what he says. Elihu is not claiming absolute omniscience, but he is saying that he is absolutely right about this topic. Is he?

I will leave it to you to carefully go over the Scripture passage to weigh what Elihu says. But there is one thing that is inescapable: Elihu is simply wrong in the attitude that he adopts. He is arrogant and condescending. He is a self-appointed expert. His audience is a righteous man who is suffering horribly. Even if what Elihu says is true, it is spoken more in pride than love and this, ironically enough, shows that he is not as wise as he thinks. When we talk to others, it is our attitudes as well as our words which are important.

Respond in Prayer

Mighty God, you are high above and beyond all understanding. Yet because you have revealed yourself to us, we can know you. Help us see how great you really are, so we can gain a proper perspective about ourselves. May our words and attitudes please you. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Steve West

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).