Job 4:1-21
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?
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.
12 "Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body 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 saying:
17 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If He puts no trust in His servants,
If 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 a moth?
20 They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.
21 Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.'
The first friend of Job to speak counsel was Eliphaz. He began by telling Job that he probably does not want to even listen to him, as if Job knew better and would quickly be bored with an assessment of advice in his adversity. He reminded Job how he was known for counseling others, strengthening their weak and knocking knees in a sense, reminding us of Isaiah 35:3-4 and Hebrews 12:12 which are examples of God giving strength in such advice through others. But then his friends points out that Job now is weary and troubled instead of taking his own advice to find strength for his weak hands and knees, not being able to work anything out or stand up in confidence. He suggested that Job’s confidence was his righteousness, and that his hope was in his integrity. In other words, he was telling Job that he was relying on being a good person in God’s eyes for hope to rely on. His friend dug deeper into Job’s character and motivation, saying that he must be reaping what he sowed, that the truly righteous are not so punished by God. Job had to have sinned or he would not find himself in the present circumstances. Then Eliphaz claimed that God spoke to him by an angelic messenger of unseen form in a vision at night that raised the hair on the back of the neck, telling him how nobody is more righteous or pure than God, seeming to point to Job as being self-righteous. Then he went on to say how God trusts nobody, not even angels who erred (presumably in the fall with satan), so how could He trust a man like His servant Job? Obviously, Job’s friend was in the dark as to what transpired at the beginning of this book, for satan had been attacking Job with the assent of God. The adversary was trying to show how unrighteous Job truly was in spite of God’s words to the contrary, just as Eliphaz now was doing as if an agent of that one. Job’s friend claimed he would be broken by God and take away his excellence and wisdom he so held to, but these were true virtues stated by God. He just never said Job was perfect, just more upright than other men. The lessons here first of all demonstrate how we cannot look at outward circumstances and judge their source as a person’s sin. God may be testing them to refine them, or it could be a direct attack of our adversary as a roaring Lion to discredit and sow doubt and fear and disbelief. The second lesson then is that we dare not trust those who claim angelic dreams or revelations as being from God; most have a demonic source, and are intended to cast doubt on God’s word and providence in grace. Lastly, we see how our confidence is in the righteousness of Christ alone whom we are in, and not in our own goodness or works as a demonstration of proof. If we suffer, it is not always a result of sin. If we hear a supposed word from God reveled by an angel, be certain to check alignment with God’s word first. Many claim to be special prophets, but speak contrary to God as Job’s frien here did. And if we continue to serve and strengthen others, we may find our need to be strengthened as well; it is no shame or shortcoming, but simply a necessity (2 Corinthians 1:4, Hebrews 10:24-25) to help each other find encouragement in truth applied to living. Job was slandered in these subtle accusations, but held to doing right and trusting God even as he blamed himself in self-pity. May we apply his example to learn our true standing in the grace of God in Christ according to His word.
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