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. Job 32:6
As a lad, I loved to visit with my great-grandfather when some of the other neighbours came to call on him. These were old men, mostly retired farmers and woods workers, and they would have lots of interesting stories to tell. I would listen in fascination, spellbound by their yarns. I kept my mouth shut; I had nothing to say that they would find interesting, while they were overflowing with tales of exiting adventures and fascinating events. I know how Elihu felt when sitting with Job and his miserable comforters; he didn’t feel like he should interrupt those older men. And, unlike many today, he was willing to show them respect for their age and experience.
Many young people today expect to be shown respect automatically. They don’t seem to realize that respect has to be earned, and earning respect can take time. They expect their opinions to be given the same weight as those of the grizzled veteran or the aged campaigner. Unlike Elihu, they are bold with their opinions, and push their point of view. They need to remember that opinions are like belly buttons – everybody has one and nobody is the least interested in yours! It should never be that way in God’s Assembly, where experience on the spiritual battle ground should be respected by those who are younger.
Younger brothers who take part in the Bible readings of the assembly are a pleasant help. They offer insights that some of the older folks aren’t familiar with. It’s also refreshing to hear the questions that come from the young men. They reveal much about the spiritual condition and knowledge of the younger people. They also help us to build up the experience of the younger people in participating in the meetings. It is in such meetings that the respect of the younger people for the older folks is evident. Godly order in the Assembly is displayed.
Young people often do have good opinions and good ideas to offer. Those of us who are older need to recognize that. But the younger ones also need to learn respect for the older, and learn to wait like Elihu did before showing their opinions. -Jim MacIntosh