In this lesson, children learn that Elihu waited patiently to speak and that God gives wisdom to the humble who listen. This lesson suits ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Good listening is a gift, and God can teach us through people who are younger than we are. We should wait our turn and listen carefully before we speak.
Memory Verse
Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart and tap it gently while you say the verse. Then cup both hands behind your ears to show that God gives us understanding when we listen.
The Story: Job 32 for Kids
Job had three friends who had been talking with him for a long time. They had tried very hard to explain why bad things had happened to Job, but they could not find the right answer. Job kept saying he had done nothing wrong, and his friends kept saying he must have done something bad. At last, the friends had nothing more to say, so they stopped talking.
A young man named Elihu had been sitting quietly the whole time. He was much younger than the three friends, so he had waited politely for them to finish. Now he was upset, because no one had given Job a good answer. He felt that his own heart was full of words, like a jar of wine that is ready to pop open.
Elihu said, “I am young, and you are very old, so I held back and did not dare to share my thoughts.” He explained that wisdom does not always come from the oldest people. He said that God’s breath gives people understanding, and that age alone does not make someone wise.
Elihu had listened carefully to everything the friends said. He had paid full attention to each word, but he had not found anyone who really answered Job. He knew that he himself must speak now. He wanted to be honest and fair, and he promised not to flatter anyone with fancy titles.
Elihu was ready to speak, because he believed God had something to teach through his words. He did not want to be proud or to pretend he knew everything. He simply wanted to share what he had learned, so that everyone could think about God’s wisdom together.
Read It Together
Job 32:6-7
6 Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, “I am young, and you are very old; Therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion. 7 I said, ‘Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
(WEB)
Point out that Elihu was young and respectful. He waited while the older men spoke. Ask the children what it feels like when someone interrupts them.
Job 32:11-12
11 “Behold, I waited for your words, and I listened for your reasoning, while you searched out what to say. 12 Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you.
(WEB)
Show how Elihu listened carefully to every word the friends said. Explain that good listeners pay attention with their eyes, ears, and hearts, not just their mouths.
Job 32:21-22
21 Please don’t let me respect any man’s person, neither will I give flattering titles to any man. 22 For I don’t know how to give flattering titles; or else my Maker would soon take me away.
(WEB)
Explain that Elihu wanted to be honest and not flatter people. Talk about how telling the truth kindly is a way of showing love to others.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you can do this week to listen better to your family or friends?
- Why do you think Elihu waited so long before he spoke?
- How does it feel when someone really listens to you?
- Can a young person sometimes teach an older person something? How?
- What does it mean to be honest and kind at the same time?
Activity Ideas
Ear and Heart Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a big ear on one side of the paper and a heart on the other side. Have them write or draw one thing they want to listen to God about, and one person they want to listen to better this week. Encourage them to talk about their drawings together.
Listening Freeze Game
Play a simple game where you talk and the children must stand still and listen. Say a short sentence, then ask the children to repeat exactly what they heard. Give the children a chance to be the speaker too. Praise careful listeners and remind everyone that waiting your turn is a kind thing to do.
Take-Home Listening Card
Cut a piece of cardstock into a small card and write “Listen first, speak second” on it with a marker. Let each child decorate the card with stickers or drawings. Ask them to keep it in a pocket or on the fridge, and to look at it when they are tempted to interrupt someone at home or at school.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that wisdom is not reserved for the old or the powerful. Elihu teaches us to humbly wait, listen attentively, and speak with honesty, trusting that God’s breath gives understanding to people at every age. It also reminds us that God speaks through many voices, so we should approach others with openness.
Avoid overstating to children that Elihu is a perfect model of every good quality, since the book of Job reads him with some complexity and later passages do not fully endorse all he says. Keep the focus on the simple truth that listening and humility are good, and that God gives understanding.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for giving us ears to hear and hearts to understand. Help us to be quiet and listen to others, even when we want to talk. Teach us to speak kindly and honestly, and to trust that you give wisdom to everyone who asks. Amen.
