Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / Another Long-Winded Monologue, Part 2 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living

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Another Long-Winded Monologue, Part 2 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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  Speaker 1: Most people who have gone through deep suffering have a
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  Speaker 1: knowledge and a wisdom others of us lack.
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  Speaker 2: Why? Because they learned on the bed of affliction.
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  Speaker 1: There is a message that God communicates in suffering itself.
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  Speaker 3: Job was at his lowest moment, and when his friends
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  Speaker 3: showed up to comfort him, they did little more than
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  Speaker 3: compound his predicament. Round after round of counsel, and none
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  Speaker 3: of it touched the real ache of his suffering. Well,
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  Speaker 3: today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll brings us to
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  Speaker 3: this precarious moment. Along the way, he'll show us that
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  Speaker 3: even long-winded speeches from well-meaning friends can stumble onto something true.
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  Speaker 3: As this final voice winds down, Job started to view
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  Speaker 3: God's character in a significant way. Chuck begins with prayer.
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  Speaker 1: It's a wonderful reminder, our Father, to know that you
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  Speaker 1: stayed up all night planning this meeting. That you neither
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  Speaker 1: slumber nor sleep. That you've never met a moment when
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  Speaker 1: you were tired. You've never come to the end of
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  Speaker 1: your rope. And how patient and gracious you have been
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  Speaker 1: to us who frequently find ourselves there. How good you
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  Speaker 1: are to us. How gracious, giving us what we don't deserve,
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  Speaker 1: restoring us even when we resist your hand in our lives.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Father, for pursuing us when we weren't even
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  Speaker 1: looking for you and for bringing peace when we were
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  Speaker 1: in the midst of such deep need. You are good.
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  Speaker 2: All the time.
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  Speaker 1: Forgive us for comparing you to anyone we've ever known
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  Speaker 1: or somehow thinking that there is something a lot like
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  Speaker 1: you in us For apart from Christ, we are of
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  Speaker 1: all people most miserable. Left to ourselves, we would make
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  Speaker 1: a royal mess of our lives. We come today to
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  Speaker 1: learn and to grow and to worship and for a change,
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  Speaker 1: not to be preoccupied with ourselves. Some image in a mirror,
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  Speaker 1: some reputation we're trying to polish. Thank you that you
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  Speaker 1: are not impressed. Thank you for interrupting our world with
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  Speaker 1: reminders on occasion of our own limitations and weaknesses. It's
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  Speaker 1: as if you reach down and touch us. And whatever
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  Speaker 1: you touch, you change. Thank you, Father, for watching over
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  Speaker 1: us even when we don't know where to look for danger.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for those in uniform who have the unenviable
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  Speaker 1: task of protecting their country. Heroic women and men who
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  Speaker 1: serve the cause of freedom. Give our president great guidance.
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  Speaker 1: These are threatening days. The Congress is divided. The people
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  Speaker 1: are unsure. We need you to intervene and to touch
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  Speaker 1: us there. Lord, for this moment now in time, we
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  Speaker 1: pray that you will put your hand upon different lives
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  Speaker 1: represented in this room. And some who couldn't make it today,
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  Speaker 1: for whatever reason, we pray that you will visit us
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  Speaker 1: with a fresh touch, your.
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  Speaker 2: Presence, and your encouragement.
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  Speaker 3: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Awaken us, free us, give us reminders that you do
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  Speaker 1: all things well. In the name of Jesus, we pray
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  Speaker 1: these things and all God's people said, amen.
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  Speaker 3: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: Job's story, be sure to purchase a copy of our
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook by going to insight.org
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  Speaker 3: slash offer. Chuck titled today's message, Another Long-Winded Monologue.
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  Speaker 1: On top of Elihu's message to Job are three other
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  Speaker 1: friends who have taken far too long to say much
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  Speaker 1: too little to Job, who could have taught them all.
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  Speaker 1: And then Elihu on the heels of everyone else, Eliphaz
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  Speaker 1: three times, Bildad three times, Zophar twice, and Job answering
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  Speaker 1: each one, you'll remember along the way.
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  Speaker 2: Elihu has waited, and then finally when he talks, you
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  Speaker 2: wonder why, honestly. Six chapters.
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  Speaker 1: So this is a, he gave him the whole load,
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  Speaker 1: I guess we could say. Rather than getting bogged down
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  Speaker 1: into needless detail, let's sort of slide our way along
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  Speaker 1: with Elihu, with apologies. Here's my take on what he
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  Speaker 1: has to say. Let me give you several observations. First,
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  Speaker 1: he delivers four speeches. Let me say secondly, his message
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  Speaker 1: contains two very fine points. First, God disciplines us. a
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  Speaker 1: person to turn him from the error of his ways.
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  Speaker 1: God disciplines a person to turn him or to turn
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  Speaker 1: her from the.
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  Speaker 2: Error of their ways. Second, God governs justly. He's fair.
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  Speaker 2: And the major theme of all that LEU has to
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  Speaker 2: say is a good theme. God is sovereign. He is
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  Speaker 2: not only good all the time.
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  Speaker 1: He is in control all the time. He is sovereign
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  Speaker 1: and he doesn't explain himself, nor should he.
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  Speaker 2: Feel obligated to.
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  Speaker 1: Third, neither Job nor his counselors answer Elihu at any point.
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  Speaker 1: These chapters run uninterrupted. There's no question and answer. There's
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  Speaker 1: no response. There's no dialogue.
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  Speaker 2: It's all a monologue. It's a long-winded monologue.
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  Speaker 1: Interestingly about Elihu, unlike the others, it says four times
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  Speaker 1: at the beginning of his talk that he's angry. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: it says that he's burning with anger. Did you catch
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  Speaker 1: that when.
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  Speaker 2: I read that earlier?
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  Speaker 1: Verse 2, the anger of Elihu burned.
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  Speaker 2: Burned.
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  Speaker 1: Against Job, his anger burned. Three, verse three, his anger
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  Speaker 1: burned against his three friends. Verse five, his anger burned
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  Speaker 1: as he spoke. Remember when you've spoken and you were angry?
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  Speaker 2: All of us can remember.
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  Speaker 1: Almost without exception, we said things we wish we hadn't said.
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  Speaker 2: We said more than we wish we would have said.
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  Speaker 1: We regret things that fell from our lips, especially if
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  Speaker 1: we were burning with anger. It's kind of a momentary
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  Speaker 1: out-of-control verbal condition. And that's Elihu.
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  Speaker 2: We're told a little of his background.
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  Speaker 1: You can check it for yourself in verse 2 and
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  Speaker 1: verse 6. We're told where he's from and what... what
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  Speaker 1: family he's come from. And we're told he's younger. Did
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  Speaker 1: you get that? Verse 6, I am young in years
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  Speaker 1: and you are old. Therefore, I was shy and afraid
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  Speaker 1: to tell you.
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  Speaker 2: What I think. Ever been in that situation? Sure, most
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  Speaker 2: of us have.
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  Speaker 1: You're around those who are wiser, those who have more
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  Speaker 1: years on you. And we all have learned over the
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  Speaker 1: years that we need to respect those who are older.
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  Speaker 1: I think his words speak of intimidation. He's reluctant to speak.
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  Speaker 1: He's even, as he says, fearful. But he does make
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  Speaker 1: a good comment because he's listened to those other gray heads.
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  Speaker 1: And he says in verse 9, 32.9, the abundant in
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  Speaker 1: years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice.
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  Speaker 2: True.
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  Speaker 1: In other words, years may cause you to listen closely,
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  Speaker 1: but you may not necessarily hear great wisdom just because
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  Speaker 1: a person is older. That's why I like the verse
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  Speaker 1: 18 of chapter 32.
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  Speaker 2: I'm full of words.
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  Speaker 1: He's also full of himself when you get to reading
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  Speaker 1: what he has to say.
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  Speaker 2: He's younger.
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  Speaker 1: He's rash. Let me suggest that he made four very
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  Speaker 1: real mistakes. when he decided to talk. First, he took
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  Speaker 1: too long getting started. You know how we'll say to
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  Speaker 1: someone we know real well, like somebody in our family,
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  Speaker 1: get to the point. You know how you'll do that?
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  Speaker 1: Or what is it you're trying to say? Second, he
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  Speaker 1: comes across as pompous. He comes across as pompous. How
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  Speaker 1: do we come across as pompous? He leaves little room
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  Speaker 1: for response. He states his opinion with too much dogmatism.
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  Speaker 1: He sees himself as the final authority he preaches. Let
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  Speaker 1: me give you a tip. It's helpful if you just
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  Speaker 1: leave the preaching to me.
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  Speaker 3: Okay?
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  Speaker 1: Let me take the hits. If it's one-on-one or one-on-a-few,
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  Speaker 1: don't preach. If it's with your kids, don't preach. If
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  Speaker 1: it's with your partner in life, don't preach. If it's
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  Speaker 1: with your boss or somebody who works for you, don't preach.
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  Speaker 1: Preaching isn't appropriate. in small group settings. And he forgets that.
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  Speaker 1: The third thing, he states what Job already knew. He
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  Speaker 1: brought nothing new out. That's why Job never responds. And
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  Speaker 1: fourth mistake, he never acknowledges that he doesn't know for sure.
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  Speaker 1: There's something refreshing about someone who has the floor, who's
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  Speaker 1: willing to say, I really don't.
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  Speaker 2: Know all that I should know about this, but it's
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  Speaker 2: wonderful when you're.
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  Speaker 1: Around someone who has a wealth of knowledge, but you
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  Speaker 1: hear them say, I'm not the final word. I do
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  Speaker 1: not care what authority you are, how long you've studied
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  Speaker 1: in the field, how many initials are after your name,
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  Speaker 1: what degrees you have earned and worked hard for, you
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  Speaker 1: are not the final word.
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  Speaker 2: You are still a learner.
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  Speaker 1: And the most intelligent are the most teachable.
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  Speaker 2: We still are learning.
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  Speaker 1: I learn from virtually every person I'm around. Every intern
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  Speaker 1: we've ever worked with, I've learned something valuable from the interns.
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  Speaker 2: Hopefully they picked up some things as well. Elihu's not
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  Speaker 2: a learner.
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  Speaker 1: Elihu's busy with that long index finger bouncing against the
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  Speaker 1: sternum of Job.
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  Speaker 2: And probably never himself.
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  Speaker 1: Had one boil. Job's covered with them. Don't be the Pope, Elihu.
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  Speaker 1: Learn from this man. Well, the first speech he begins
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  Speaker 1: in chapter 32 and ends it at the end of
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  Speaker 1: chapter 33.
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  Speaker 2: And there's a couple of things in it I think
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  Speaker 2: are worth mentioning.
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  Speaker 1: He speaks first to all the men, verses 6 to 14.
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  Speaker 2: Then he speaks to Job, 15 to 22.
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  Speaker 1: And then he continues on speaking to Job and finally
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  Speaker 1: gets to his point.
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  Speaker 2: Takes him forever, but he finally gets to a point.
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  Speaker 1: Verse 13 of chapter 33.
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  Speaker 2: Why do you complain against him? H is capitalized appropriately.
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  Speaker 2: It refers to God, Job.
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  Speaker 1: Why do you complain against God that he does not
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  Speaker 1: give an account of all his doings? Indeed, God speaks
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  Speaker 1: once or twice, yet no one notices it. In good
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  Speaker 1: Hebrew poetry, he says once, yea, twice. Sometimes he'll say six, yea, seven.
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  Speaker 1: So he's saying God speaks in a couple of ways. First,
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  Speaker 1: verse 15, in a dream or a vision. If you
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  Speaker 1: like marking your Bible, put a little one there. That's
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  Speaker 1: the first.
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  Speaker 2: Way God speaks. At least he did in those days.
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  Speaker 1: And put a little two by verse 19.
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  Speaker 2: Man is also chastened with pain on his bed. God
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  Speaker 2: speaks when you're sick, when you're laid aside.
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  Speaker 1: With unceasing complaint in his bones, describing the pain of
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  Speaker 1: life so that his life loathes bread and his soul
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  Speaker 1: favored food. His flesh wastes away from sight and his bones,
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  Speaker 1: which were not seen, stick out. It's a picture of
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  Speaker 1: going hungry and And being so sick you don't even
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  Speaker 1: want to eat.
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  Speaker 2: Then his soul draws near to the pit.
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  Speaker 1: He thinks he's going to die. And his life to
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  Speaker 1: those who bring death. Then he refers to a very
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  Speaker 1: interesting observation.
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  Speaker 2: A mediating angel. Now look closely.
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  Speaker 1: He says God speaks in a dream and a vision
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  Speaker 1: in the night.
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  Speaker 2: Verse 15. And he also speaks even in the pain.
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  Speaker 1: There is a message that God communicates in suffering itself.
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  Speaker 1: Most people who have gone through deep suffering have a
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: knowledge and a wisdom others of us lack.
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  Speaker 2: Why? Because they learned on the bed of affliction. And
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  Speaker 2: then how do we get the message from God to us? Well, L.A.
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  Speaker 1: Hughes suggests that Look closely, verse 23, there is an
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  Speaker 1: angel as mediator for man. One out of a thousand.
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  Speaker 1: I think you may have never seen this before. I confess,
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  Speaker 1: I don't remember ever reading this before.
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  Speaker 2: They're rare. One in a thousand, we would say.
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  Speaker 1: To remind a man what is right for him, let
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  Speaker 1: him be gracious to him and say, deliver him from
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  Speaker 1: going down to the pit. And he delivers him from death.
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  Speaker 1: Let his flesh, verse 25, become fresher than in youth.
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  Speaker 1: Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.
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  Speaker 1: And he will pray to God and he will accept him.
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  Speaker 1: Capital H, God will accept him and he may see
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  Speaker 1: his face with joy, may restore his righteousness to man.
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  Speaker 1: Let me pause here and let you look at that.
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  Speaker 1: Let your mind turn over what we just read. Now, admittedly,
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  Speaker 1: this may be Elihu's opinion, but it is inspired. It
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  Speaker 1: comes from the Spirit of God, and it's preserved for
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  Speaker 1: us in the sacred text.
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  Speaker 2: Interesting, isn't it?
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  Speaker 1: Could it be that certainly in those days when God
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  Speaker 1: communicated through dreams and visions, and in those days when
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  Speaker 1: God spoke directly to individuals in supernatural manners.
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  Speaker 2: Could it be that there is a mediating angel?
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  Speaker 1: John Hartley, in his book, The Book of Job, writes,
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  Speaker 1: Elihu teaches that there is a heavenly intercessor.
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  Speaker 2: Who takes up the sufferer's case.
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  Speaker 1: This helper is an angel who functions as a mediator,
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  Speaker 1: one who will help whomever God is afflicting for disciplinary reasons.
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  Speaker 1: The identity of this mediating angel is uncertain. Elihu is
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  Speaker 1: also countering Eliphaz's position that there's no holy.
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  Speaker 2: One to whom Job may turn for help.
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  Speaker 1: Elihu says that there is a special angel who works
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  Speaker 1: for the redemption of the afflicted.
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  Speaker 2: The phrase one among a thousand.
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  Speaker 1: Is taken by some to mean this mediating angel is
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  Speaker 1: a very special heavenly creature. In Elihu's teaching, this special
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  Speaker 1: angel works for the restoration of those who.
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  Speaker 2: Have strayed from the right way. How about that?
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  Speaker 1: Now, before I go on, let me caution here. God
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  Speaker 1: no longer speaks in dreams and visions. I think there
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  Speaker 1: are times we learn things while suffering. I certainly believe
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  Speaker 1: in the ministering spirits who are the angels who carry
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  Speaker 1: out God's bidding and sometimes even carry God's message. Most
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  Speaker 1: often they are invisible. We cannot hear them. We cannot
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  Speaker 1: see them. We cannot touch them. Though they can manifest
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  Speaker 1: themselves in human form and have done so, Hebrews 13
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  Speaker 1: suggests that. I think these mediating angels, if in fact
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  Speaker 1: there are such, are rare.
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  Speaker 2: I think they carry his message. Now, we have now
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  Speaker 2: the Holy.
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  Speaker 1: Spirit who takes the word of God and reveals truth
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  Speaker 1: to us from the scriptures. So be careful about guiding
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  Speaker 1: your life with dreams and visions, okay? I always get
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  Speaker 1: a little nervous when a fellow Christian says, I had
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  Speaker 1: a vision, and God told me to tell you.
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  Speaker 2: I go, whoa.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I may not do that, but you need
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  Speaker 1: to know, down inside I'm going, oh, brother. You know,
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  Speaker 1: like this gal that saw the face of Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: In an enchilada. You know.
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  Speaker 1: I see Snoopy in an enchilada. Doesn't mean Snoopy's there.
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  Speaker 1: I see him in clouds and all of that. That's
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  Speaker 1: that's nonsense that's crazy making stuff don't fall into that
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  Speaker 1: you go there I can take you to Zipville where
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  Speaker 1: you'll find out all kinds of other things and you
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  Speaker 1: will have no way of knowing it wasn't God.
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  Speaker 2: Because I say it's a vision and He told me.
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  Speaker 2: People tell me, God told me so and so. I say,
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  Speaker 2: is He baritone or bass?
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  Speaker 1: And they don't like it when you ask them that.
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  Speaker 2: Because it sounds like you don't believe God is miraculous.
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  Speaker 2: I believe He's miraculous. I believe He can do.
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  Speaker 1: Whatever He wishes to do. I just know He's limited
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  Speaker 1: the truth to His word. And I'm satisfied with that.
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  Speaker 1: When we exhaust the scriptures, then we can look for
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  Speaker 1: other sources. But we have a lifetime in which we
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  Speaker 1: cannot even exhaust one page of Scripture. But in those days,
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  Speaker 1: before the Bible was complete, God gave his message through
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  Speaker 1: dreams and visions. And he spoke in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: the pain with mediating angels, communicating. And Job, God's speaking
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  Speaker 1: to you in this. Are you hearing what he has
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  Speaker 1: to say? Interestingly, Job doesn't answer. The second speech begins
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  Speaker 1: in chapter 34. Elihu is pleading for his audience. Maybe
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  Speaker 1: he's seeing Job drift a little. Kind of like Eutychus.
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  Speaker 1: Hear my words, you wise men. Verse 2. Listen to me,
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  Speaker 1: you who know, for the ear tests words as the
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  Speaker 1: palate tastes food. He says it again in verse 16.
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  Speaker 1: If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the sound
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  Speaker 1: of my words. Now he speaks only to Job until
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  Speaker 1: he gets to verse 33.
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  Speaker 2: Then he waits. It's like a pause.
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  Speaker 1: In 34, 33, if you'll turn there, shall he recompense
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  Speaker 1: on your terms because you have rejected it? For you
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  Speaker 1: must choose and not I. Therefore, declare what you know.
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  Speaker 2: And I think he waits.
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  Speaker 1: And Job doesn't speak. Why doesn't Job answer? He's been
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  Speaker 1: there before. I don't mean this to sound wrong or
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  Speaker 1: to be ugly, but not every person needs an answer.
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  Speaker 2: You just let them go on. And you don't owe
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  Speaker 2: them an explanation.
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  Speaker 1: You don't need to give them proof of something. Job
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  Speaker 1: doesn't even answer Elihu here. So Elihu gets a little ticked.
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  Speaker 1: And he ends with a rather strong and firm word
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  Speaker 1: regarding repentance. And he now takes up the cause of
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  Speaker 1: the other counselors who were blaming Job at every turn.
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  Speaker 1: And that continues through chapter 35. I realize we're covering
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  Speaker 1: a lot of territory.
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  Speaker 2: I'm aware of that. Trust me, you're not missing a lot.
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  Speaker 2: 35 is a lot of 34. 34 is a lot
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  Speaker 2: of 14 and 12 and 9 and 7.
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  Speaker 1: It's the same old sing song given in other words.
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  Speaker 1: But Elihu has nothing fresh to offer. And so Job
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  Speaker 1: doesn't answer him. In fact, Elihu ends by insulting Job
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  Speaker 1: at the end of chapter 35, which is this third
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  Speaker 1: speech you may recall.
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  Speaker 2: In our outline. At the end of it, he sort
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  Speaker 2: of levels Job.
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  Speaker 1: Verse 13 of chapter 35, surely God will not listen
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  Speaker 1: to an empty cry, implying Job's cries are empty. Nor
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: will the Almighty regard it, how much less when you
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: say you.
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: Do not behold him. The case is before him, you
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: must wait for him. You hear the preaching?
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: And now because he has not visited in his anger,
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: nor has he acknowledged transgression well, so Job opens his
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: mouth emptily. He multiplies words without knowledge. That's really insulting
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: to say it like that. Eugene Peterson gets the idea
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: when he paraphrases, Job, you talk sheer nonsense, nonstop nonsense.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: That's the way he ends. And then he goes to
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: his fourth message. And Job patiently waits for him to finish.
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: But you know what? When you get toward the end
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: of Elihu's speech, he gets back on target.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: In fact, chapter 36 and into 37, he covers four bases.
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: Listen to them. They all make sense. First, God watches
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: over the righteous.
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: If the righteous commit a transgression, he lets them know
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: they've done wrong. If they respond to the rod of discipline,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: he restores them. If they don't, they suffer the consequences.
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: That's awfully good theology. One man suggests that chapter 36
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: is the best theology in the book of Job thus far.
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: And he may very well be right.
• 24:59
  Speaker 3: What a picture of our God watching over us, correcting
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: us when we wander, restoring us when we respond. That's
• 25:06
  Speaker 3: the God Job is beginning to see, even in the
• 25:09
  Speaker 3: middle of his pain. This is Insight for Living, and
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: there's much more that Chuck Swindoll wants to show us
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: in this comprehensive study about Job, a man of heroic endurance.
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: Maybe you've been listening today and projecting your own story
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: onto Job's. Well, here's the lingering lesson. God sees you
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: and he cares for you. Yes, the same God who
• 25:30
  Speaker 3: governs the heaven is attentive to all the details of
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: our lives. His compassion brings comfort to all of us
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: because we all have our own story to tell. And
• 25:39
  Speaker 3: sometimes our story includes suffering. Along those lines, we want
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: to point you to our featured resource today. It's a
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: book that Chuck's written called Finding God When the World's
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: on Fire. And it aligns naturally with our study in Job.
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: Whether you're in a difficult season of surprises or someone
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: you love is going through a rough stretch, you'll find
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: these biblical principles incredibly helpful. Chuck's book, Finding God When
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: the World's on Fire, is an honest companion for anyone
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: whose faith is being tested by real life, by loss,
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: by illness, by uncertainty, by a world that refuses to
• 26:15
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• 26:18
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• 26:21
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• 26:26
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• 26:29
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• 26:33
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• 26:36
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• 26:39
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• 26:39
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• 26:41
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• 26:42
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• 26:44
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• 27:09
  Speaker 2: I'm Bill Meyer.
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: Join us again when Chuck Swindoll continues his study on
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: The Colorful Life of Job, Tuesday on Insight for Living.
• 27:20
  Speaker 3: The preceding message, Another Long-Winded Monologue, was copyrighted in 2002, 2004,
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 and.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: By Charles R.
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: Swindoll, Incorporated.
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: All rights are reserved worldwide.
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.