Job 32:1-5 English Standard Version
1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. 3 He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.
We all have opinions and some of us are heavily opinionated. Here in this sudden appearance of Elihu we might learn a lesson about opinions.
Job 32:18 English Standard Version (ESV) For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me.
Elihu allowed his anger to break the constraints of the spirit. In doing so Elihu chose his opinion over God’s opinion. Given what God had to say to all of Job’s friends, it would seem that Elihu would have been better off keeping his temper and his opinions to himself.
Rendering opinions in anger sounds like a really bad idea. When we are angry, we are out of control. Opinion in anger, no matter how right it might be will be received with resistance because none of us enjoy coming under attack.
What defines opinions?
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia has an interesting offering; ce‘ippim, from ca‘aph, “to divide or branch out,” This is a biblical definition that admits opinions vary and can cause division. Perhaps we can offer that Job being righteous in his own eyes is nothing more than Elihu’s opinion. If this is true, then there might be other opinions about Job. Which ones are true? God’s opinion of course.
A worldly definition of opinion is a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. Given that this is consistent for all humans, how much weight do we give the opinion of others?
The way we collect information is important. Who we trust in collecting that information is vital. We have a plethora of sources for information and disinformation. Some have devious agendas which are not readily obvious to us. Anything that differs from how we feel is closely scrutinized. Feelings are the most unreliable source for rendering an opinion but it is a major factor. We see it almost daily as conversations use key words used to solicit deep emotional responses.