For I am full of matter, the Spirit within me constraineth me.
Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
-Elihu, the prophet
Elihu of the book of Job was the type of Messiah. Only his speech – and that of the Lord, Himself – can be trusted without error of misconception.
Elihu declares the Anointing of God, its power, and its properties. Ages before Christ stood, and declared in the temple, He that believeth on me as the scriptures said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John7:38), Elihu, declared the above: I am full of matter the Spirit within me constraineth me. Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
Well before the coming of the New Covenant (perhaps even before the covenant of Abraham), Elihu began to teach us the meaning, and essence of the anointing. Not only so, but also essential building-blocks, the foundations of New Covenant faith.
I will speak that I may be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer. (see also Jer 20:9) Jesus is the Word of God – the Gospel must be proclaimed to satisfy the anointing, for the Spirit of God testifies of His Word.
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing, my maker would soon take me away.
Elihu would not bow to the fear of man; he had no respect for a man’s title, or earthly status. Again, Jesus taught us this very precept in Matthew 23:8-12, for Jesus was of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and the fear of man had no place in Him.
Elihu’s anointing began with this basis – he put no confidence in the flesh. In all his waiting, he hoped that Job’s friends would speak counsel by the Spirit of God, but rather these showed their folly. At the basis of their failure, Elihu reveals, is that they fear man, wherefore the Spirit of God could not utterly fill them until their bellies were ready to burst forth with the Gospel, alone.
But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. (Job 32:8)
The Gospel is born by the anointing upon man.
But ye have an unction [or ‘anointing’] from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
The mystery of Christianity is precisely that: Christ IN US. (Col. 1:27)
The Christian has full access to God’s power – from within him/ herself. If only we knew it actually, we could actualize it by faith. You don’t need a human minister anymore than Job did, you need what Job needed – which was supplied in Elihu: an intercessor who is both God, and man. As Elihu plainly declared (remember that he, alone, was not rebuked of God in the book – see also post Elihu and the Redemption of Job):
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. (Job 33:6) Elihu was the only intercessor that could help Job, he was in the place of God, but was also formed of the clay: both God and man. He was (or at least represents in the story) Jesus Christ.
Jesus appeared in the fulness of times to be the perfect intercessor between us and man. He has established in YOU (if ye be in Christ) a perfect, and complete connection with God. There is no longer anything that inhibits your approach to God, no, indeed. In fact, we are charged with an exhortation that we ought to enter the Holiest of all with BOLDNESS through the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19-22).
There is a new, and a different order than a priesthood of man. Jesus Christ is the only Priest you will ever need: He is Melchizidek, and Elihu – both God, and man yet also our personal intercessor, and vindicator.
Well that’s all very interesting theology, but where’s the point? What does that really mean to us besides that we’re saved?
PRACTICAL APPLICATION TIME:
Our hindrance to ultimate spirituality is in failing to personally approach Christ, and Christ alone as our Priest. Organizations, and denominations keep the church enslaved to a human-priesthood mentality. Now don’t get me wrong there are valid ministers, and this statement is not a rejection of such, but a balancing of ministry.
If you believe you need to go to some building, or some group in order to recieve from the Lord, then you are not leaning on Christ personally. In Christ, all things are yours. ‘Whether Paul, or Appolos, or Cephas [NOTE: these are ministers], or the world, or life, or death, or thigs present, or things to come; ALL ARE YOURS.’
But what does that mean? It means it was for freedom that Christ made you free; it means that God witholds no good thing from them that walm uprightly; it means if you want something from the Lord, you can get it straight from Him.
Ministers? Yes, they’re a blessing (the real ones) given to you. They’re not your essential priests. Christ, alone is your essential priest.
Paul is trying to point out to us that we – even as many as avail themselves to it – can get all the spiritual power, authority, wisdom (anointing) that he and the other Apostles had by getting it the same way they got it: through personal fellowship with Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest.
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, THAT YE ALSO MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US: AND TRULY OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. (1 John 1:3)
We could easily misunderstand that verse, John doesn’t declare the Gospel so that we can have fellowship with HIM (or the apostles), but that we may SHARE in the fellowship which the appostles had attained with God; that’s why he clarifies WHO the fellowship is with, not with the ‘us’ of the verse – the ministers – but with God. The whole point of John’s ministry is so that we can attain the fellowship that he had with God.
In fact, fellowship with Christ is a summary of ultimate spirituality. Many like to etherealize the spiritual, or make it exclusively about miracles, or rapturous visionary experiences (praise God for these things!) but ultimate Christian spirituality is fellowship with Christ. ‘Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me.’
Every spiritual gift, every True miracle, every True vision comes from our fellowship with the Lord.
For I am full of matter, the Spirit within me constraineth me.
Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
Are you full of the anointing?
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing, my maker would soon take me away.
Elihu was not impressed with Job’s friends. Why? Because they did not speak under the anointing. So what if they were ‘pastors’ (as they certainly seemed intent on being)! So what if all people thought them wise! They didn’t speak by God’s Spirit.
But YE have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
Elihu shows us that it is the one who operates in the Spirit who has authority in the Church, not the ‘wisened old counsellors’ who operate in their opinions and the best philosophies of the times. Show due respect, but let the Spirit of God be in charge, first in you (let not your own opinions and theology have the day, but let he Hoky Ghost teach you what’s True, and let your own opinion die), then in the corporate body of believers.
I’ll tell you now, just as Christ affirmed in the word, living thus will mean taking up a cross. In my experience from the outset of this journey until today, rejection and spite follow those who submit not to the opinions, organizations, and priesthoods of man. Because of denominationalism, and organizationalism, even Christians, and ministries you respect will ostracize you, and you will have no certain dwellingplace. But the reward is sweet honey from the Rock (eternal life is to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent) and far outweighs the things of this world.
Let the anointing which ye have recieved of Him abide in you (1 John 2:24-27), and not he fear of man. When Christ fills and empowers you, you are anointed. As the Lord said: ‘ALL power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go, therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28:18-20)
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing, my maker would soon take me away.
The fear of man bringeth a snare:
Pnuematic Rain 