Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 32 · Verses 6-7
Verſe 6. And Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite, anſwered and ſaid, I am young, and ye are very old, wherefore I was afraid, and durſt not ſhew you mine opinion.
7. I ſaid, Dayes ſhould ſpeak, and multitude of years ſhould teach wiſdome.
The reſt of this Chapter contains Elihu's general Preface, directed to both parties, but chiefly to Jobs three Friends. And he inſiſts the longer in Prefacing, Partly, becauſe he was a young man, in which caſe it was neceſſary to clear, that he appeared not in this cauſe out of any arrogance or impudence, but meerly out of love to truth, and to plead that it was equitable they ſhould lay aſide all extrinſick advantages (of age, experience, wit, &c.) which they had on their ſide, in this debate, and that none of theſe ſhould pre-judge his cauſe, but let naked truth carry it. Partly, that he might here, once for all, condemn and lay by the three Friends (with whom he deals no more after this Preface, but leaves them to ſee the errour of their proceeding, by taking notice of that right way which he followed) whereby alſo he might inſinuate into Jobs affection, and invite him to hearken more patiently to what he was to ſay, ſeeing he did not take part with his Friends againſt him.
In theſe Verſes, we have the firſt branch of this Preface; wherein he g… a reaſon, why he had kept ſilence ſo long, and had not interpoſed ſooner to end this difference: Namely, That the conſcience of his own youth, and his reſpect to their age, and opinion of their wiſdome, made him afraid to ſpeak in ſo grave an audience, upon ſuch a ſubject, v. 6. As reckoning and judging within himſelf (for ſo this phraſe, I ſaid, is to be underſtood here, as Gen. 20.11. where it is, ſaid, and not, thought, in the Original) that it became ſuch aged men, and they were only fit, to ſpeak to ſuch a matter, ſeeing their long experience ſhould teach them more wiſdome, which they might communicate to others, v 7.
In general, Learn, 1. Albeit zeal ſhould be managed with ſobriety; yet that zeal is not approved which burns only in mens breaſts againſt an evil courſe, or, errour, unleſs it break forth alſo, as need requires, in their ſtation; For, he whoſe wrath was kindled, v. 2, 3, 5. now anſwered and ſaid, &c. and ſpake when he was called to it. Not as many, who diſlike evil courſes (if men may truſt their profeſſions and diſcourſes) and yet they never appear to do any thing againſt them in their ſtations.
2. Zeal, in defending of a good cauſe, may yet ſuffer prejudices in mens opinions, by reaſon of diſadvantages in the perſon who manageth it; As here, his youth might readily cauſe them miſtake his zeal; and frequently we find many ready to except againſt, and reflect upon, the perſons of men, that thereby they may render their cauſe ſuſpicious. And therefore men who would find out truth, had need to try a cauſe impartially, abſtracting from the conſideration of perſons who manage it.
3. Albeit real diſadvantages in mens perſons do not warrant them to deſert a good cauſe; yet they ſhould teach them to manage it with ſoberneſs and fear; As here Elihu doth, conſidering his youth, wherein he is imitated but by very few young men, who have any thing of zeal and honeſty in them.
In particular, Learn, 1. Youth, conſidered in it ſelf, is attended with many weakneſſes; For, ſo doth Elihu grant, That his youth gave him cauſe to fear, l…ſt he run into miſtak…s in ſpeaking of ſo weighty and grave matters, and that their age gave them many advantages which he wanted. Who ſo will conſider the heat of young blood (which makes young men raſh and precipitant, and their zeal to out-ſtrip their knowledge and light) their youthful luſts, want of experience, &c. will eaſily perceive that youth is not eaſie to manage aright. Whereas to men of age, many of theſe ſnares are broken; Time and experience will let them ſee many things to be but folly and vanity, which youth will not believe that they are ſuch; Thoſe ſtrong paſſions which do oft times maſter and over-power, even true grace, in younger perſons, may be more ſubdued and cooled in them, &c. This may let us ſee, that it is a great mercy to be helped well through a time of youth, and to be kept from the ſnares of it, and the ſad effects of theſe diſadvantages which attend it.
2. One great advantage of age above youth, is, in the matter of wiſdome gathered by ſtudy and experience, and in the cooling of their heat and paſſions, which uſually repreſent things to men through falſe Perſpectives; For, this is the advantage intimated here. On his own part, he was afraid, and durst not ſhew his opinion, conſidering that he was young, and they old: Not only was he afraid leſt he ſhould goe without the bounds of his ſtation, in offering to ſpeak before them; but leſt, being but a young man, he ſhould miſcarry in ſpeaking to the matter it ſelf. And on their part, he reckoned this their advantage, That dayes (or, men of dayes) ſhould speak, (that is, Not only is it their priviledge to ſpeak, when young men ſhould be ſilent and hear; but it is expected they ſhould be able to ſpeak to purpoſe, on ſuch weighty ſubjects) and that multitude of years ſhould teach wiſdome, that is, their long life ſhould be ſo improved, as they may be taught much experimental knowledge, by living long in the world, which alſo they ſhould teach and communicate to others. It is true, this difference betwixt age and youth doth not univerſally hold, as Elihu afterwards tells them; yet many times it proves true, that age out-ſtrips youth in theſe things, as Rehoboam found by experience in the matter of his Counſellours, 1 King. 12. And however it hold eventually, yet the characters here aſſigned, of youth and old age, do point out, that it is a great defect in young men, not to be well acquainted with their own precipitancy and want of experience; And that it is a great ſhame for aged perſons, if (as they have place to ſpeak, ſo) they be not wiſe and able to ſpeak to purpoſe, and if the long time they have had, hath not ſo taught them, as makes them both able and willing to communicate their light to others, who, poſſibly, are not ſo able, or ſenſible of the good and evil of courſes, as themſelves are. But they themſelves are no leſs raſh and head-ſtrong, than if they were ſtill children.
3. It is an evidence of grace, and a great mercy to young perſons, when they are made to diſcern and take notice of the diſadvantages they lye under; For, ſo is Elihu ſenſible here of what might rationally be expected from his youth and their age. Thus Solomon is ſenſible of the diſadvantages of his youth, 1 King. 3.7, 8, 9. When young men are not ſenſible of their diſadvantages, they cannot but run headlong on ſnares, while they think themſelves wiſe enough, and ſo prove, in effect but mad fools: Whereas theſe who are afraid l…ſt they do miſcarry, and ſo are not raſh to do or ſpeak any thing, they prove themſelves to be moſt able, and do ſeldome miſcarry.
4. When God gives young men a bleſſed ſight of their own diſadvantages, it will produce much ſobriety; As here it doth in Elihu. See Tit. 2.6. And if we conſider the words, we will find theſe evidences of ſobriety in young men.
1. They who are ſober, will have no conceit of themſelves; For, Elihu here is free of that. And where conceit is, it is an evidence that the weakneſſes of youth are not well ſtudied.
2. Sober young men will have a good eſteem of aged men and their opinions, till they find very clear cauſe to judge otherwiſe; For, he judged that ſuch ſhould speak and teach wiſdome.
3. They will ſtill be modeſt, and reſpect age, even when they are diſ-ſatisfied with their opinion; As here, he waited till they had ſpoken out, and reckoned that dayes ſhould speak, or, had place to ſpeak before him.
4. They will be farr from preſumptuous boldneſs, and full of humble fears, in their undertakings, eſpecially when they are called to oppoſe others who are elder than themſelves; As here, he enters with much fear upon this undertaking.