“Eliphaz Speaks – Part 1”, Job 4-5

By Pastor Rich Paradis

With the opening testing behind us in chapters 1-2 and the initial lament of Job in the last chapter, we now move to an extended section of the book of Job called the Dialogue – Dispute section. This section will go from Job 4-27. These discussions will be characterized with one of the “friends” speaking for a while, followed by Job’s response. Eliphaz and Bildad will be leading 3 discussions while Zophar will lead out in only 2 discussions. Each of these discussions will continue to yield God’s insight into Job’s situation versus man’s sometimes feeble attempts to “help”. Let’s see the first one of these friends, Eliphaz, speak to Job with his brand of insight and help…

 

I.                   The Man Eliphaz - Introduction

a.       The first of Job’s friends to be introduced beyond the scene of sitting silently along with Job is Eliphaz. Eliphaz was a man from city of Teman, an Edomite city noted as a center of wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7). Some are convinced that Eliphaz was not only the eldest, but also the wisest and most sympathetic to the situation that Job currently suffers with.

b.      Eliphaz will reveal immediately a sort of respect for Job and the kind of man he is. But he will continue by accusing him and doubting that goodness and character.

c.       After the tirade of chapter 3, Eliphaz will have no problem looking spiritual. But we will see that instead of listening to Job’s heart cry, he listened and responded to Job’s words. Good counselors do both. They will offer God’s counsel, and they will offer it in love, the way that a Christian does as spoken of in Ephesians 4:15.

 

II.                Overviewing the Text    Job 4:1-21

a.       Remember, Job has just lamented the entire situation that befalls him in front of his 3 friends. He is broken, he is despairing, he is discouraged, and he is wondering out loud about his birth, his life, and even his purpose for being alive to suffer as he currently is.  The friends must have been sitting there slack-jawed and stunned at the intensity and the emotion of the entire monologue by the suffering man Job.

b.      With that monologue just coming into the rear view mirror, Eliphaz will now “answer” Job’s lament. As we have already noted, Eliphaz will make a significant “helpers” mistake by responding to what Job is saying instead of offering help to the heart of the hurting man. A brief word of application is appropriate here: Do you listen to the words only, or do you listen to the heart of those confiding and being transparent to you? Do you really listen, or are you loading for your response based only on the words that you heard and how they may make you feel?

c.       Eliphaz begins benignly enough by noting in Verses 1-6 that Job has been one to offer help and counsel in the past to others that were hurting, but that compliment is swallowed in a thinly disguised accusation that Job has really been one to give advice, but is now not able to receive it for himself. He is reminded by Eliphaz that if in fact his character and his virtue are true, he will be protected by God and he can embrace that as his future hope.

d.      The next section of the chapter, Verses 7-11, must have been painful for Job to hear. What Eliphaz is saying here is that God has been a God that would not allow the innocent or the upright to suffer. This will be a theme that will carry through all of the friend’s dialogues. This theme briefly stated is “Do right and it’ll work out; do wrong and get God’s judgment”. The problem with this logic is that Jesus “did it right” and He suffered more than all of us! This logic is wrong!! Whether the judgment that is now being reaped is slow like a wind’s damage, or sudden like the death by conflict or death to the mighty lion, it is coming and it is deserved.

e.       Eliphaz now relies upon a mysterious “word” that came in the form of a dream to him to continue his advice. Verses 12-16 speak of this dream and how it came upon him. The exact source of this “word” is not offered in the text. Again, he will make a mistake that many of us make when offering what we think is good advice and counsel to those that are hurting around us. That mistake is the mistake of “I’ve heard…” Sometimes we depend on these spectacular words from another world to give us special insight, etc. The Word of God is to be our “special word” that we can deliver to the hurting around us.

f.       The “word” that he heard is unpacked in Verses 17-21. The word is that there is no one that is perfect. God can’t even depend on the angels to all be right and pure. If He can’t even depend on the angels, how can He depend on our goodness?  The people are without wisdom and their ultimate destination is death.

 

III.             Overviewing the Text    Job 5:1-27

a.       This chapter will pick up right where the last chapter left off. Eliphaz has thinly veneered an accusation toward Job that all of this is happening due to his sinfulness. In Verses 1-7, he continues the accusation by now reporting that Job is also acting like a fool. Who can mediate for a fool before God? The foolish man takes root, just like the godly man discussed in Psalm 1:1-3. And the “rootedness” of this man will affect him, his home, his children, and his harvest. That kind of life is both impossible to deliver a man from and undoubtedly caused by something. It didn’t just come up out of the ground. All men are sinful and Job is part of “all men”.

b.      Eliphaz now offers advice that seems sort of okay, except for the fact that it is coming from one who doubts the character and virtue of Job and is now in possession of the “moral high ground” in his own mind. True humility is shown best when we react humbly even when we have the moral high ground. All can be humble from the “low ground”.

c.       But instead of humility, Eliphaz shares in another way that the mistaken “helper” often does. Instead of offering the Word of God and the counsel of the godly, he offers insight from all that he has “seen”. So now he has not only tried to offer counsel from what he uniquely has “heard”, but now he is offering counsel from what he uniquely has “seen”. Both of these platforms for counsel are limited and sometimes inaccurate.

d.      But Verses 8-16 have Eliphaz offering “What he’d do if he was Job”. Although he may or may not have known it, Eliphaz is doing the very same thing that Satan accused God of doing. Satan accused God of “buying Job’s worship”. Now Eliphaz is instructing Job to “buy the forgiveness of God”.

e.       The final section, Verses 17-27, has Eliphaz discussing the “blessedness” of the man who is corrected and reproved for his sin. Eliphaz is convinced that all of this suffering is due to some unconfessed or secret sin that God must punish through suffering and tragedy. He’ll put pain on you, and He’ll eventually take pain away. He will provide help and restore that which has been taken. It is sort of sad that Eliphaz’ remarks include the children being restored in Verse 25. Sometimes, truth can be served in some of the most “super-spiritual” and cold ways. How about the patronizing attitude of Eliphaz in Verse 27? A sad response to a friend…

 

IV.             An Application For All Of Us

a.       Be sure to listen not only to the words of the hurting, but also the heart’s cry.

b.      Remember to utilize the Word of God as your primary counseling tool, not the special words or experiences that you have had that will only be proved to be incomplete and most likely inaccurate when utilized to offer general principles for all cases.

c.       “Do right and it’ll work out; do wrong and get God’s judgment”? This logic is wrong if you consider the life of Jesus!!

d.      Don’t allow cold theology to replace warm affection as you deliver truth to those that are hurting.