Job 4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved?
But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many,
you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have supported him who was falling,
You have made the feeble knees firm.
5 But now it has come to you, and you faint.
It touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Isn’t your piety your confidence?
Isn’t the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Consider now, whoever perished, being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever destroyed?
8 According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity,
and sow trouble, reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish.
By the blast of his anger are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion,
and the voice of the fierce lion,
the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey.
The cubs of the lioness are scattered abroad.
12 “Now a thing was secretly brought to me.
My ear received a whisper of it.
13 In thoughts from the visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
14 fear came on me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face.
The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I couldn’t discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes.
Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
17 ‘Shall mortal man be more just than God?
Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.
19 How much more, those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed before the moth!
20 Between morning and evening they are destroyed.
They perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Isn’t their tent cord plucked up within them?
They die, and that without wisdom.’
How are we to comfort those who mourn?
Comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:4-5
Was Eliphaz a good comforter?
Eliphaz begins speaking in a very gentle manner. He compliments Job for being a man who, in the past, instructed, supported, and strengthened many. v.3 Job had clearly been an upright, God-fearing, man. Now that Job is in trouble Eliphaz is there to instruct him, helping him to understand why he is struggling.
Eliphaz comes prepared with a formula that guides all of his thinking. Eliphaz asks his friend:
Consider now, whoever perished, being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever destroyed? v.7
Restated as a syllogism:
The innocent are not destroyed.
You are being destroyed.
Therefore you are not innocent.
And, in case Job missed his point, Eliphaz restated it for emphasis.
Those who plow iniquity,
and sow trouble,
reap the same. v.8
Eliphaz is quick to assign blame. It is clear to Eliphaz that because Job is being destroyed he clearly has some hidden iniquity. He is simply reaping the results of the wickedness that he had sown. God is punishing him. By the breath of God they perish. By the blast of his anger are they consumed. v.8 Rather than asking: Why is this happening? Eliphaz believes Job should be asking:
What have I done to deserve this?
Where did Eliphaz get this catch-all formula?
Eliphaz explains that he learned this formula from a spiritual experience. He had a vision, a personal revelation.
Then a spirit passed before my face.
The hair of my flesh stood up.
It stood still, but I couldn’t discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes.
Silence, then I heard a voice. v.15-16
And what did this spirit teach him?
Shall mortal man be more just than God?
Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?
Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.
How much more, those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust. v.17-19
Eliphaz learned from the spirit that since God judges and punishes angels, 2 Peter 2:4, who rebel against him, how much more v.19 will he judge men who sin against him. Learning this from his spirit guide Eliphaz concluded that Job was experiencing hardship because he had sinned.
Was what the spirit taught Eliphaz correct?
Had Job grievously sinned?
It is true that there are times when God directly and swiftly punishes sin. I will punish the wicked for their iniquity. Isaiah 13:11 But in this instance, because in the opening chapter we were shown the proceedings in the council chamber of Yahweh, we know that Job is innocent. He had not sinned. In fact, his unfolding condition was solely the result of Yahweh granting the Accuser permission to test Job.
Eliphaz had been naive. He had been deceived. That is why the Scriptures instruct believers to test the spirits.
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
Satan and his minions seek to deceive God’s children, sowing false teachings, doubt, and ultimately chaos in God’s world.
Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Of course this was not only a problem in Job’s day. Perhaps you have encountered Christians who insist on following personal visions, revelations, or promptings in their hearts that they interpret as the teachings of God even though those revelations blatantly contradict the Word of God in the Scriptures. Rather than heeding God’s Word which teaches that…
All Scripture and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work, 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
…some Christians are tempted to believe false spirits which grant them permission to follow the desires of their hearts.
There is a popular trend in many “evangelical” churches to emphasize direct communication with the Holy Spirit apart from the Word. In these circles, tradition and the teaching ministry of the church through the ages are not only treated as fallible (as the reformers believed), but as objects of mockery… Calvin said of these folks, “When the fanatics boast extravagantly of the Spirit, the tendency is always to bury the Word of God so they may make room for their own falsehoods.” (Michael Horton, Modern Reformation 8-17-07)
I once counseled a young lady who sincerely believed that God had granted her permission to divorce her husband. Using the Scriptures as a guide I asked if her husband had committed adultery? Matthew 5:32 No, he had always been both faithful and loving. Had he abandoned or in any way abused either her or their children? 1 Corinthians 7:15 No he was a gentle, kind, husband, father, and provider, who was fiercely committed to their marriage. Why, then did she want to end the marriage? She no longer had feelings of love for her husband that she first had and stated that God revealed to her in her prayers that divorcing her husband would bring her peace and joy.
Which scenario makes more sense?
The Spirit of God who inspired the Scriptures so that we would be thoroughly equipped suddenly changed those instructions so that they would come into accord with the desires of our fickle hearts…
Or…
A false spirit appeared telling us just what we wanted to hear?
There are also unsteady men who in their arrogance claim to be taught by the Spirit, but reject any Bible-reading. They claim that the study of the Bible is attending to dead and killing letters. They place the Scripture below their so-called revelations. To such who make these claims their revelations are of the Spirit of Christ, I must reply, how ridiculous! The role of the Spirit is not to feign some new and unheard revelations, but to seal our minds in the same doctrine of the Scriptures. (John Calvin, Institutes)
Eliphaz continued:
Job 5:1 “Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For resentment kills the foolish man,
and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His children are far from safety.
They are crushed in the gate.
Neither is there any to deliver them,
5 whose harvest the hungry eats up,
and take it even out of the thorns.
The snare gapes for their substance.
6 For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust,
neither does trouble spring out of the ground;
7 but man is born to trouble,
as the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God.
I would commit my cause to God,
9 who does great things that can’t be fathomed,
marvelous things without number;
10 who gives rain on the earth,
and sends waters on the fields;
11 so that he sets up on high those who are low,
those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He frustrates the plans of the wicked,
So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness;
the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
14 They meet with darkness in the day time,
and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he saves from the sword of their mouth,
even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor has hope,
and injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects.
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds and binds up.
He injures and his hands make whole.
19 He will deliver you in six troubles;
yes, in seven no evil will touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death;
in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine,
neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.
23 For you will be allied with the stones of the field.
The animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is in peace.
You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.
25 You will know also that your offspring will be great,
Your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave in a full age,
like a shock of grain comes in its season.
27 Look at this. We have searched it. It is so.
Hear it, and know it for your good.”
Clinging to his formula, Eliphaz continues by building an argument as to why Job must confess the sin that caused this calamity.
Believing that Job foolishly v.2 refused to confess his sin, Eliphaz argues that Job’s children were crushed in the gate v.4 and his harvest v.5 was lost. Job needed to realize that affliction doesn’t come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground. v.6 There was a reason for his trouble. And that reason, according to Eliphaz’ special spiritual guide, was that Job did not come to God in confession; he did not seek God. Job did not commit his cause to God. v.8
Eliphaz knew for a fact that God frustrates the plans of the wicked. v.12 So if Job would simply accept God’s correction as a sign for him to confess, all would return to normal because happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. v.17 In admitting his sins God would bind up v.18, restore, make whole v.18, deliver v.19, redeem v.20, and grant Job peace v.24, blessing him with a long life. v.26
Eliphaz concludes his opening remarks by saying, “Look at this. We have searched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.” v.27 In other words, Job I know what I’m talking about so if you know what’s good for you, you better listen up!
Because the father of lies, John 8:44 is the master of half-truths, the temptations of Satan can be very compelling. It is true that God does discipline those whom he loves. Hebrews 12:6 It is also true that God will judge the wicked, Ecclesiastes 3:17, but that does not mean that every calamity or sickness is because of sin.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him…” John 9:1-3
If we were to believe Satan’s lie, the lie that Eliphaz was teaching to Job, we would be tempted to call into question the character of God and doubt ourselves, planting the seeds of anger, doubt, resentment, confusion, and helplessness. Just what Satan wants.
After hearing Eliphaz’ reasoning Job responds.