God knows everything, but this does not eliminate man’s responsibility to confess his sins. Failure to do so forfeits God’s practical forgiveness.
A steward is a man entrusted with a certain responsibility. He may have a greater or lesser area of oversight, but he always has something placed under his care of great importance to the master. If he is to care for money, he is to do so faithfully and to the best of his ability. If he is to care for fields or houses, he is to do likewise. Whether the master of the house is present or absent, the steward is to do as he has been commissioned by the one who owns that for which he is a steward. Stewardship is a great privilege. It is an honourable thing for any man to be considered worthy of the task, but at the same time, it is a position of great responsibility and one that must be done with great sobriety.
Wisdom often results from time and experience. It should not, however, be assumed that old age automatically equals wisdom. For instance, the Bible says, “Better is . . . a wise child than an old and foolish king.” Wisdom comes from the Lord, and He distributes wisdom irrespective of one’s age. Perhaps the wisest statements given by man found within the Book of Job were given by a young man named Elihu (Job 32:6). He listened carefully as Job’s older friends spewed forth foolish words. He thought that “days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7). Eventually, he came to the conclusion, “great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 32:9).
Though the Bible refers to the elder in various contexts, today’s passage refers to the elder as simply an older gentleman. The elder here is contrasted first with the younger men while the next verse contrasts it with the elder women. The issue at hand is one of respect. It is important to note that the scripture does not imply or teach that believers can never question the actions of an older man. However, it does indicate the method of this questioning. An elder is not to be rebuked but intreated “as a father.” To intreat a person is to plead with or earnestly ask them. Intreating reflects approaching him with respect which is the method by which the Lord demands an elder be approached.
The Book of Job primarily focuses on the conversations between Job and his three friends. The content of many of their speeches seems to lack the expected wisdom until a younger man named Elihu takes the opportunity to speak. His words were packed with wisdom. One of the areas he addressed concerned giving flattering titles to men. Elihu declared that it was sinful to give men flattering titles and that he knew better than to do so. Keep in mind that flattery is based upon deceit and is never favourable. By refusing to give flattering titles to men, Elihu chose not to say anything concerning others simply to gain an advantage for himself. Elihu knew that God would bring this type of flattery into judgment.
