Job: Avoiding the Error of Eliphaz (Job 4-5)

We then see a glimpse into Heaven and there God himself confirms that there is no one else like his servant Job on earth. That Job is a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.

And Satan, being Satan, challenges this truth and states, in essence, of course Job fears God. Job fears you because of all the blessings you have given him and all the possessions that have increased because of you. If you would just take away those blessings and possessions from Job, he would curse you to your face!

God allows Satan to do his worst but not to physically harm Job.

And so Satan took Job’s wealth, his possessions, and even his ten grown children. Yet in his suffering, Job kept his faith.

And we have recorded a beautiful example of faith when having heard all that had befallen him, Job proclaimed in Job 1:21 “21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.””

But that was not the end of Job’s suffering. Next, we read that God is holding court in heaven again and Satan again enters into God’s presence.

Again, God draws attention to his servant Job and again claims that there is no one like him on the face of the earth. That he is still a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil. He still holds fast to his integrity even after the calamity that had befallen him.

“2:4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.””

And again, God gives Satan permission to do his worst but do not take his life.

That is exactly what Satan did. He struck Job with a terrible sickness that caused sores to fester all over Job’s body. He was in agony. He could not find any relief. He was in pain all the time.

In the midst of this terrible sickness that he was enduring, Job said the following in Job 2:10 “10 ...Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Job proved that his worship of God was not transactional. It was not based on what he gained from God, but his worship was based on revering and worshiping God for who God is.

You see, the value, and the purpose, and the reason that Job worshiped God and why we should worship God is because of the value of God himself.

This was a profound truth that resonated in heaven and resonates all through history.

From chapters 1 and 2 we learned that:

1. Satan wants to destroy our Joy in God

Number one, Satan wants to destroy our Joy in God.

How does he try to accomplish this?

Well, he uses two things. The carrot and the stick. Pleasure and pain.

Satan can use the pleasures of this world to entice us to take our focus away from God. To make God seem unnecessary. Satan can make us focus on the comforts of this world instead of the glory of God.

Satan can also use pain and suffering to cause us to doubt that God cares or is control.

Whichever method Satan uses the goal is the same, to separate us from the joy we receive by being in right relationship with God.

He can not separate us from our Salvation but he can destroy our testimony and by destroying our testimony we diminish the ability to glorify God with our lives.

2. God wants to reveal His Worth in Our Lives

Number two, God wants to reveal His Worth in Our Lives.

God is worthy of all glory. In fact, all of life has been created to ultimately glorify God.

One way that he glorifies himself is by helping us see His Glory, His magnificent worth.

He never changes but our understanding of Him can deepen.

God can reveal Himself to us thru revelation.

God can reveal Himself thru correction.

God can reveal Himself thru our suffering.

The more that we can see and understand his infinite value, the more we can grow closer to him, the more that God is Glorified.

3. God allows Satan limited power to cause us pain

Number three, God allows Satan limited power to cause us pain.

But we know and can be assured that God is in control. God has Satan on a leash. God sets the limits to Satan’s ability to cause pain and suffering.

There is not a great struggle of equally opposing powers between God and Satan. There is no contest!

God is in control! God is sovereign and God is Good and although we may not have glimpses into heaven to understand the why’s of our suffering, we can rest in the assurance that God is in control.

CH 2:11-13 JOB’S THREE FRIENDS

The story continues in chapter 2:10-13 with Job being visited by three of his friends.

And from this visit, we see what true friendship looks like.

These friends sat with Job and allowed him to express his grief. They sympathized and comforted him where he was at. These friends showed compassion for Job. They mourned with him. They raised their voices and wept with him. They tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their head. They grieved with Job.

So we saw what true friendship looks like when someone is suffering.

1. True Friendship is Marked by Companionship

So, we first see that true friendship is marked by companionship.

To be a companion means to be there for someone to be present for them.

2. True friendship sympathizes and comforts.

Second, true friendship sympathizes and comforts.

To sympathize literally means to shake the head or rock the body back and forth as a sign of shared grief, to mourn with those who mourn.

See Job, wasn't crying out by himself. His true friends sympathized with him.

They came down and they shared in his feelings.

A true friend gets down where someone is at and tries to understand where the sufferer is coming from.

You be there with them.

We cry, when they cry. We’re down there with them.

That's sympathizing with them. You just need to be there for people.

And then we are to comfort those in need.

To comfort someone is to seek to share their pain.

3. True Friendship shows Compassion

And Thirdly, true friendship shows compassion.

Biblical compassion is more than sympathy or pity. It is about coming alongside the suffer and experiencing their pain with them.

This is miles more than sympathy.

True compassion is hard. We have to put aside our own feelings and concerns in order to be able to have a sense of another’s feelings to the degree where we know their heart and mind and share in their experiences.

CH 3 HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

At the end of chapter 2 we learn that these three friends have sat with Job in silence for seven days and seven nights. Then in Chapter 3 Job speaks.

And what we hear from Job is a cry from a man who is struggling with his faith—struggling with despair—struggling with depression.

Job curses the day he was born. He questions why he was even born.

But we know why we are born.

We know that God created each one of us intentionally. There are no accidental, unplanned births. It may be unplanned by the mom and dad, but never by God.

We know that we are God’s masterpiece, created by God for a unique purpose. And that purpose is to glorify God. God created us for himself.

Next, Job questions why people who suffer were even born at all. And we went over that although we do not have a specific answer to why people suffer, we do have a way to view suffering. And that is by viewing suffering with our eyes on the eternal perspective.

This life is but a blink of an eye compared to eternity. That truth can give us hope when we are feeling helpless in this world.

We can take heart in knowing that there is a purpose for everything that happens here on earth.

Finally, when our suffering becomes too great to bare, we can always turn to our Lord and take refuge in him.

We are to allow our sufferings to always drive us closer to Christ, never away from him.

CH 4 Eliphaz’ First Response

Which brings us to this morning. Starting with chapter 4, each of Job’s three friends will speak to him. First Eliphaz will speak, then Job responds. Next, Bildad speaks and Job responds. Lastly Zophar speaks and Job responds. This will be considered one cycle of speeches with there being three cycles total.

All three men are consider wise and knowledgeable concerning God and the world. They represent the wisdom of the ages at that particular time.

They each have a different approach to their arguments with Eliphaz giving more weight to his personal experiences, Bildad relying more on the wisdom of the ages and Zophar being more inclined to find understanding in a system of thinking in which everything is black and white.

While the three friends differ in their approach their outcome or verdict on why Job is suffering is the same. They all believe that Job is suffering because he is a sinner.

They each will defend a view that is called retribution theology. This is the idea that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer.

We will see them again and again espousing this idea.

So this morning we are going to read Eliphaz’ first speech.

INTRODUCTION

There is something wonderful about well-timed words. Solomon was right when he said,

Proverbs 16:24 ESV

24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

He also said,

Proverbs 12:25 ESV

25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Solomon also warns us concerning the power of words used incorrectly.

Proverbs 15:4 ESV

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

James says something similar in the New Testament when he compares the tongue to a forest fire.

James 3:5–6 ESV

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

There is absolutely nothing more destructive, defeating, discouraging, deflating, or depressing than ill-timed, unwise, uncaring, self-centered, self-promoting words spoken by a friend.

Have you ever experienced someone offering bad advice, unhelpful words in your time of need?

Yet, the opposite is true. There is nothing more refreshing, uplifting, encouraging, or instructive than well-timed, wise, caring words spoken by a friend.

Job, while enduring his suffering for perhaps months on end, was visited by three friends. They found Job sitting on an ash heap outside his hometown. They hardly recognized him.

Like true friends, they sat with him and mourned with him and stayed silent while Job processed his grief. They sat in silence with him for seven days and seven nights.

Then after seven days of silently sharing in Job’s grief, Job begins to speak.

He starts to pour out his heart and speaks out loud concerning his confusion about why he is suffering.

Job speaks with such sorrow. He is depressed and despairing.

Upon hearing Job’s lament you would think that Job’s three friends would continue to show true friendship with compassion and sympathy yet his words drive them to abandon their friendship and instead they all respond to Job’s outburst, his words, and not his spirit.

SCRIPTURE

Eliphaz Speaks

4:1-11 Eliphaz' Assessment of Job’s Situation

Job 4:1–2 ESV

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?

Eliphaz gently breaks the silence of the three friends. He feels driven to share his thoughts with Job. We can not fault Eliphaz for his motivation to speak. He sees a problem and he wants to fix it with words.

It is always wise to gently ask if the person you are trying to counsel actually wants to hear your advice.

[TELL STORY OF EDNA VENTS VS WANTS ADVICE]

Job 4:3–4 ESV

3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.

Eliphaz acknowledges that Job has been a wise counselor to others in the past. That he has spoken wise words to help others and have comforted many in their time of need.

If you have to give someone a difficult truth and correction, it is always helpful to give two positive truths before speaks any words of admonition.

Be gentle in your speech. Don’t just hammer a person with all the wrongs that they are doing.

Job 4:5 ESV

5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.

Eliphaz is genuinely confused as to why Job can dish out advice to others but can’t take it.

When we are trying to help people it doesn’t help to antagonize them with their wrong behavior. We know that Job is not unwilling to receive advice, he is unwilling to receive bad advice. There is a difference.

Even if we think someone is being resistant to receiving advice it is always better to be give encouragement than it is to dispense discipline.

We are seeing now that Eliphaz does not think Job needs encouragement … he is convinced that what Job really needs is discipline.

Job 4:6 ESV

6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

What he is saying here is the idea of, “Job, does not your despair show that you have lost your confidence in your reverence of God and lost your hope in the integrity of your ways.”

Eliphaz wrongs assumes that the basis of Job’s complaint in Job 3 was based on Job having a guilty conscience. As we know, this is a false assumption. Job’s complaint was simply the cry of a life in pain and not because Job consciously or unconsciously understood that he deserved the suffering he was receiving because of some sort of sin in his life.

This begins a section of Eliphaz’ speech where he will put forth the idea that Job is suffering because some sort of sin on his part, and that he should confess and repent of his sin in order to be restored.

Job 4:7–8 ESV

7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? 8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

This is the classic response to human suffering—promoted by many Christians and unfortunately preached in many churches today: that innocent Christians are never in a crisis and the godly never suffer.

Eliphaz is basically saying, “Job, this is all your fault!”

Can you imagine telling someone that? Can you imagine telling someone that who is still mourning the loss of their ten children?

How heartless and tactless this is. Eliphaz has lost sight of why he was their to begin with. He was initially there to comfort his friend in his time of need. Now he is speaking with such callousness.

Instead of words of comfort, Eliphaz crushes Job’s heart with words of condemnation.

He is making an equation concerning sin, suffering and judgment.

His basic premise is this: sin = suffering; suffering = judgment.

Job is suffering—therefore Job is sinning; since Job is sinning, his suffering has brought about judgment.

What Eliphaz failed to consider was that Job was not sinless—no one is—but Job was innocent.

Eliphaz has overlooked the fact that even though unrepentant sinners will ultimately be judged by God, they are not all immediately judged.

Even unbelievers can live a long life of where it doesn’t seem like anything bad ever happens to them.

That was Asaph’s dilemma when he wrote in Psalm 73:3-5,13-14

Psalm 73:3–5 ESV

3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

Psalm 73:13–14 ESV

13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.

We know that while sinners may not be judged immediately, they will be judged ultimately. Contrary to the advice of Eliphaz, the righteous may not prosper immediately, but they will prosper ultimately … in heaven! Amen!

Job 4:9 ESV

9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

Eliphaz here clearly implies that Job’s suffering came as the judgment of God against him; that the breath of His anger burned against Job.

Job 4:10–11 ESV

10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

Eliphaz paints the picture of how strong the anger of God is, that it is strong enough to humble and defeat even strong young lions. The idea is that the anger of God has also brought Job to where he is at now.

4:12-21 A Major Teaching Revealed to Eliphaz

So what kinds of evidence does Eliphaz, the original prosperity preacher, bring to prove that sinners suffer and the righteous receive blessings?

I find it funny that his first piece of evidence is from a vision that he had.

Job 4:12–17 ESV

12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. 13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. 15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: 17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?

These last two questions are rhetorical questions and the answers are supposed to be obvious: Job can’t possibly be blameless and honest in the eyes of God.

How do you argue with someone whose counsel begins with, “I had a vision from God and I know the truth about your life”?

How do you respond to that! How do you argue against that!

Have you ever known someone who uses visions to trump God’s Word? We need to be very careful when someone claims to have a vision or word from God.

We need to remember that God is not a God of confusion and chaos. He will never reveal to us in dreams or visions anything that goes against what he has already revealed to us in his Word.

Job 4:18–21 ESV

18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; 19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth. 20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. 21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’

Eliphaz continues by comparing heavenly beings and humans. If God does not trust even heavenly servants than how much less does God trust humans whose origins are from clay and dust. Who perish between morning and evening with no one even taking any notice of their absence and who have died never having acquired wisdom.

It’s funny that Eliphaz is talking about humans never having acquired wisdom in their lifetime yet he doesn’t seem to put himself in that category of not having obtained wisdom.

5:1-7 A Teaching Verified by Eliphaz

Job 5:1–2 ESV

1 “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple.

Eliphaz begs his friend to listen to reason and to agree with the common wisdom regarding Job and his problem.

He challenges Job to consult and call upon any godly person and they would tell him the same thing that Eliphaz has been saying.

Verse 2 almost sounds like the admonishment that Job spoke to his wife in chapter 2, verse 10 “you speak as one of the foolish women would speak.

Eliphaz doesn’t explicitly call Job the fool but he speaks this proverb and there is no one else to apply it to.

Job 5:3–7 ESV

3 I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling. 4 His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. 5 The hungry eat his harvest, and he takes it even out of thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. 6 For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground, 7 but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.

Again, Eliphaz speaks from his own experiences and observations from life,he says “I have seen”. What he observes is that affliction and trouble don’t just come from nowhere. There is always a reason just as surely as sparks fly upward.

5:8-16 A Personal Affirmation from Eliphaz

Job 5:8 ESV

8 “As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause,

Eliphaz said it tactfully, yet he still said it—that Job was not seeking God and was not committing his cause to God in his affliction.

Why else would you say, “Hey, if it was me, I would seek God”.

Again Eliphaz is under the false assumption that Job has sinned before God and that if he would just confess his sins and repent, he could get back into God’s good graces.

Job 5:9–16 ESV

9 who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: 10 he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields; 11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. 13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night. 15 But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the mighty. 16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

Everything he says about God is true but again his problem is in trying to apply these truths to Job’s case. Job has not sinned against God. That is not why he is suffering. Yet Eliphaz continues to counsel Job to seek God and to commit to his ways. As if he hasn’t been doing that already. As if Job has made some hidden sin that he refuses to admit to.

5:17-27 An Assurance of Restitution Offered by Eliphaz

Job 5:17 ESV

17 “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.

Eliphaz continues to lay it on pretty thick. He continues to emphasize his point that Job’s problems are because God corrects His sinful children, and Job is one of those sinful children. He even gives Job a glimmer of hope by reminding him that it is a blessing to be reproved and disciplined by God.

Again, there is so much truth in Eliphaz’ words, the problem is in the application.

Job 5:18–26 ESV

18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal. 19 He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you. 20 In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. 21 You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. 22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth. 23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 24 You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing. 25 You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth. 26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.

Eliphaz wanted to encourage Job further. “Job, God will heal your wounds and deliver you if you will confess your sin and turn to Him.”

He continues to describe in detail all the blessings of restoration that would come to Job’s life if he would only repent and turn to God.

Job 5:27 ESV

27 Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good.”

Eliphaz wanted to persuade Job even further, so he gave his statement the authority of communal knowledge (we have searched out). “Job, we all together here—your friends and counselors—have investigated this carefully and know what we are talking about.”

It is like he is saying, “Trust us, we know what is good for you”.

It can be said that at least Eliphaz was sincere and meant well but no matter how well and sincere you are, if you do not speak truth in love and apply it correctly, than you will cause more harm than good.

Next time we will cover Job’s response to Eliphaz’ words and we will see how hurtful and damaging his words were to Job.

APPLICATION

But this morning the question before us is: What can we learn from Eliphaz and how can we avoid the errors that he made?

Acknowledge the Sufferer’s Pain before You Challenge Their Perspective

When we give advice or counsel to those who are suffering, we need to first acknowledge their pain before we even think of challenging them on their situation.

Notice, that not one time did Eliphaz acknowledge Job’s pain and suffering. He never commiserated with him. Never offered any words of sympathy.

When we counsel and console those who are suffering, especially those who we believe are in sin or whose suffering is cause by sin, we need to let them know that we sympathize with whatever it is they are going through.

What this might look like is speaking words that begin with,

“I can’t imagine how difficult this might be for you”, let me give you a word from God.

“It must be agonizing to be going through this” and here is God’s counsel.

“I’m so sorry that you lost” your fill in the blank. your job, your house, your loved one, your marriage.

Let me help you get back to the path God has for you.

Even though the situations people find themselves in may be caused by their sin, that doesn’t mean we should automatically put them on blast concerning their sin before we show compassion and sympathy for the very real hurt and pain they are experiencing.

Showing compassion and sympathy does not absolve them of any fault that may be the result of their sinful behavior. It’s showing them God’s Love.

Don’t Analyze Someone’s Words—Deal with Their Spirit

Secondly, we need to deal with people’s spirit more than we need to analyze and dissect people’s words.

Eliphaz made the error of attacking and dissecting Job’s words that he spoke in grief and pain instead of dealing with Job’s spirit that produced those words.

Sometimes a persons words are not the most important thing that we need to speak into to. We often times will find that if we help people deal with why they are speaking a particular way and deal with their spirit, then we can help them better than if we try to debate them word for word.

Job’s spirit was crushed and bruised and hurting and instead of Eliphaz speaking words of comfort and encouragement into Job’s spirit to lift him up, he instead attack his words as if they weren’t directly tied to his spirit.

A wise counselor and comforter must listen with his or her heart and respond to feelings as well as to words. You do not heal a broken heart with logic; you heal a broken heart with love.

Base the Content of Your Counsel on Biblical Truth, Not Personal Experience

Thirdly, we need to base the content of our counsel on biblical truth, not personal experience.

Eliphaz made the error if relying too heavily on personal experience over biblical truth.

It OK to illustrate truth with personal experience whenever it’s helpful, but the basis of lasting hope and genuine healing is not what you’ve encountered—it’s what God has revealed. It is not what you’ve seen but what God said.

When someone tells us how much they’re hurting and we respond by telling them what happened to us, we miss the mark as badly as Eliphaz.

The great thing about offering biblical counsel is that it doesn’t rely on your knowledge or experiences. Anyone can share God’s word to someone in need. Knowing that God’s Word is always true, and useful and necessary is powerful and wonderful.

What we need to be careful in doing is to not apply God’s word incorrectly like Eliphaz did. He spoke many truths concerning God but he applied them incorrectly.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Eliphaz’ wisdom fell short.

He should have acknowledged Job’s Pain before challenging his perspective.

He should have dealt with Job’s spirit before he attacked his words.

And he should have based his arguments on biblical truth instead of personal experience.