GOOD INTENTIONS GONE WRONG

Eliphaz Counsels Job

Eliphaz thought that Job had talked the talk, but was not walking the walk. (Job 4:1-5)

Eliphaz said that the innocent don’t suffer or perish. It is those that plow trouble that reap it. Even if the wicked seem strong, they will perish. (Job 4:6-11)

Eliphaz used a vision he had as proof that all of mankind is sinful. Because God is holy and we are sinful, we shouldn’t question his ways or think he is unjust. (Job 4:12-21)

Eliphaz said that nobody but the Lord could help him. (Job 5:1)

Eliphaz said that anger and jealousy destroys the foolish. Not only do these things destroy the foolish, but they destroy his possessions and children as well. These tragedies didn’t happen to Job randomly. Apparently, he was reaping what he had sown. (Job 5:2-7)

Eliphaz believed that Job needed to seek the Lord, since God punishes the wicked and blesses the righteous. God was the only one who could help him. (Job 5:8-16)

Eliphaz said that if Job received the Lord’s discipline with humbleness, he would be blessed with favor, protection, wealth, and children. (Job 5:17-27)

Eliphaz believed that God always blesses the righteous with prosperity and curses the wicked with misfortune. Is this always the case?

Proverbs 3:33 “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”

Proverbs 10:24 “What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.”

Proverbs 12:7 “The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.”

Proverbs 12:21 “No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Do the righteous sometimes suffer, and are the wicked sometimes prosperous?

See Psalm 73:1-14...

What are some danger of thinking that the righteous are always prosperous and the wicked are always cursed with misfortune?

See John 9:1-3...

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””

Acts 14:22 “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

1 Thessalonians 3:3–4 “that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.”

How should we think about the suffering of the righteous and prosperity of the wicked?

Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”

Psalm 119:67 “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”

Romans 2:4–5 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Job Responds to Eliphaz

Job believed that his suffering was so great that he had a right to complain. (Job 6:1-7)

A donkey doesn’t bray when it’s full, only when it is hungry. In the same way, Job was only complaining because he had a reason to. Like there is no enjoyment in tasteless food, how much worse is the bitter pill Job is having to swallow?

Although Job’s great desire was for the Lord to take his life, he held on to the fact that he had not denied the Lord. (Job 6:8-10)

Job felt like he didn’t have the strength to endure the suffering he was going through. (Job 6:11-13)

Job warned his friends that if they feared the Lord, they would show him kindness instead of accusing him of wrongdoing when he was innocent. He said they were speaking deceptive words. Their words promised hope, but only gave despair. (Job 6:14-20)

Job asserted his innocence and insisted that his friends couldn’t point out any wrongdoing he has done. Instead of helping Job, they were hurting an innocent man. (Job 6:21-30)

Job’s life had become so hard and painful that he had no hope left. And since his suffering was so great, he was not going to stop complaining. (Job 7:1-11)

Job didn’t understand what had caused the Lord to turn against him. His misery was so great that he longed for death. (Job 7:12-15)

Job desperately wanted the Lord to leave him alone. He didn’t understand what had brought all of this on. He longed for the Lord to forgive him of any sin that caused this, or at least to let him catch his breath. (Job 7:16-21)

What are your thoughts about Job’s response to Eliphaz? What were some things he was right about? Do you seen anything that he said that was incorrect?

“If you ask, ‘Why is this happening?’ no light may come, but if you ask, ‘How am I to glorify God now?’ there will always be an answer.” — J.I. Packer

Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

2 Corinthians 1:8–9 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10...

See Philippians 4:6-13...

1 Corinthians 10:9–10 “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

See Philippians 2:14-18...

See Isaiah 40:28-31...