JOB 4 Eliphaz Speaks: Job Must Have Sinned Greatly Introduction : In this chapter, Eliphaz, the first of Job’s three friends begins to speak. After having kept silent for seven days and nights with the rest, the first words out of his mouth are not very encouraging to Job. Eliphaz basically assumes that Job must have done something very terrible to experience the extreme affliction and distress he’s going through. Eliphaz appears to be offended by Job’s reaction. This is typical of the oriental or Middle Eastern view of the tragedies and blessings of life—they are in direct proportion to what one does. But it is not necessarily consistent with God’s viewpoint or dealings with man. Therefore Eliphaz’ counsel to Job will not be very helpful at all. To give more authority to what he says, Eliphaz actually mocks Job’s integrity to make himself look like a wise counselor. In the end though, injustice is settled and the folly of Eliphaz and the other two “friends” of Job, Bildad and Zophar, is exposed: And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has ”.—Job 42:7-8 This chapter serves as a reminder to us not to get too prideful in our own position because it is the Lord who justifies and is sovereign. As the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 10:12 : “ Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall ”. See also Prov. 16:118; 1 Cor. 4:7; Gal. 6:1-5. vv. 1-6 ELIPHAZ BEGINS TO SPEAK : HE MOCKS JOB ’S WISDOM & INTEGRITY [1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 2 “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees ; 5 But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; It touches you, and you are troubled. 6 Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope ?”] The fact that Eliphaz 1 speaks first is an indication that he was oldest and perceived as “wiser”. We know this because, eventually, a fourth friend, Elihu 2, speaks last and his words give us great insight into the “rest of the story”. He makes it clear that Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar were inadequate to come to terms with Job’s affliction because he says: Now because they [Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar ] were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite 3, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom’. But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice .— Job 32:4-9 1 Meaning “God of purified gold”. 2 Meaning “my God is He”. 3 Buz ; one of three tribes of northern Arabia descended from one of the three sons of Nahor [Abraham’s brother; Gen. 22:20-21 ] and ninth generation cousin of Uz [ Gen. 10:22-23 }; the land Job lived in; Job 1:1 ]. In Jer. 25:23 the following are mentioned: “Dedan, Tema, Buz , and all who are in the farthest corners.” 1 Job Chapter 4 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © February 2014 Having read to the “rest of the story”, Elihu gives us an vital clue as to how we need to view the counsel and advice of Job’s three friends’—with a big grain of salt! Although Job’s three friends had been patiently and silently waiting for seven days and nights, now that they begin to speak it will become evident that their patience is “thrown to the wind”. After Job is through bemoaning his plight, wishing he’d died at childbirth or never been born, Eliphaz queries Job by sheepishly asking him a ‘loaded’ question. He asks that if we speak with you honestly will you become weary with the counsel we give you? But at the risk of offending you, your situation is so terrible that we cannot help speaking to you about what’s happened to you. Eliphaz begins to mock Job’s strengths, most notably his wisdom : “ Surely you have instructed many and you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees ; And Job’s integrity : “ But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled. Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope ?” Immediately, we see that Eliphaz is somewhat cynical of Job and really not very sympathetic with his predicament. He is not very helpful at all. He could be considered typical of those who are more concerned about the “ letter of the law ” while ignoring the “ spirit of the law ”. Perhaps you know someone like this. Jesus puts it this way in condemning the hypocrisy of the Pharisees: “For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin 4 and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith”.— Matt. 23:23 Although the Law was not officially given to Moses until about 200 years after this, Eliphaz, in his discourse with Job, will effectively neglect what would be the weightier matters of God’s law—in other words in his counsel to Job he ignores the importance of (a) true justice , (b) mercy and (c) personal faith in God . Eliphaz is basically saying, “Hey Job, you were so good at helping others, but now all this physical pain and mental distress has come upon you and you can’t help yourself”. “Where’s your wisdom and strength now—that you need it the most?” See especially Job 29:7-17 . This is reminiscent of what those who were at the crucifixion of Jesus’ were saying to him: And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! You are the Son of God, come down from the cross”. Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God’.” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.— Matt. 27:39-44 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself”…….Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us”.— Luke 23:36-37, 39 No wonder Job will later exclaim, “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all !” {Job 16:2 }. 4 These are all spices; the smallest of offerings. 2 Job Chapter 4 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © February 2014 vv. 7-11 ELIPHAZ ACCUSES JOB OF GETTING WHAT HE DESERVED [7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed . 10 The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered .”] Note that Eliphaz tells Job to remember two things; (1) that no one who was innocent ever perished [lit. “was lost”] , and (2) or when were the righteous ever “cut off ” [lit. “destroyed”] , which is what he apparently thinks is happening to Job 5. We see here that Eliphaz’ answer to Job is based on the “principle of experience” or “observations of life”. Solomon referred to this as things “ done under the sun ” [a phrase he uses 29 times throughout Ecclesiastes] as contrasted 6 with things “done in Heaven ”. It should be obvious that the former cannot always be trusted—things are not always as they seem and man is fallible when trying to discern things. We will come to see that not only Eliphaz, but also the two other friends of Job, accepted the traditional oriental or Middle Eastern view that the ‘law of sin and suffering’ governs the ebb- and-flow of life.