No 38 Eliphaz Continues 

 

In the past several posts we have been considering the first speech of Eliphaz―the first of Job's three friends to speak. His speech is two chapters long. We're approximately half way through it. We completed Chapter 4 in the last post. This post continues with the speech of Eliphaz in Job Chapter 5.

Eliphaz has had some pretty rough things to say to Job, hasn't he? It gets worse in Chapter 5.

Job 5:1 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? Eliphaz continues taunting Job. Paraphrased, his words might be saying, "Go ahead, scream out loudly to the heavens. Who up there is going to answer you? Who up there is going to listen to your bellyaching? [If you have a reference Bible, you may see a note which explains that "saints" (KJV) may refer to the holy ones or angels.

Job 5:2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. "Your anger is going to do you in―going to get the best of you. Your anger will get you nowhere, Job. May as well give it up." Eliphaz is not working from God's definitions nor with His wisdom. Here is God's definition of a fool: The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God (Psa 14:1 and 53:1). This cannot be God's description of Job, because God has, in fact, called Job His servant―His friend (Job 1:8 and 2:3). Eliphaz is no authority on religious questions (although he thinks he is). And certainly, Eliphaz is not speaking for God (although he thinks he is). We have considered how the thinking of Eliphaz does illustrate the attitudes and thinking of people in the last days of time.

The Speech of Eliphaz Illustrates Traits of People in the Last Days

First Trait of the Last Days is to have misshapen and misapprehensive views of God. To misunderstand God. Eliphaz did.

Second Trait of the Last Days is to call the people who are right―”wrong.” To call the ones who are good―”bad.” Eliphaz did.

Third Trait of the Last Days is to commend and praise the people of God for their reverence, integrity and piety (all the while believing they are a lie). Eliphaz did.

Fourth Trait of the Last Days is to have a faulty religion and accuse others of having a faulty religion. So did Eliphaz accuse Job.

Fifth Trait of the Last Days is to assert one’s self as the final authority in all matters of religion―to appoint oneself as the spokesperson and voice of God Himself. And Eliphaz has no qualms about doing so.

Sixth Trait of the Last Days is to appeal to dreams or visions (spiritualism) one has had as the final voice of authority. Eliphaz claimed to be speaking for God (on the authority of) the dreams and visions God had given him. Who could argue?

And here in Chapter 5, Eliphaz continues his faulty views.

Job 5:3-5 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. 5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

Verse 3. Eliphaz admits it may appear the wicked are taking root and prospering, but, if so, it is only temporary. It may have appeared that Job’s prosperity was based on true righteousness, but obviously it wasn’t. As God cursed Job’s supposed prosperity, "so do I," says Eliphaz. "That is, I curse it, because I know God cursed it." 

Verse 4. Eliphaz begins one of the cruelest arguments―and says one of the meanest things he could have ever said to his friend Job. He is going to blame Job for the death of his 10 kids. Here is the dark hint that Job’s wickedness brought about the tragedy suffered by his children.

Verse 5. The robbers were the Sabeans (Job 1:15) and Chaldeans (Job 1:17) who took Job's livestock away from his hired servants by force. These robbers stole all of Job's material possessions.

Job 5:6-7 Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; 7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 

Verse 6. Eliphaz reminds Job that trouble doesn’t just spring up out of the ground. Trouble doesn’t just sprout out of the dirt. Eliphaz is saying, "Job, guess where your troubles and hardships come from? From inside you―Job. And you won’t admit it. Affliction doesn’t just jump up out of the ground, Job. The ground must be plowed. The soil must be prepared. The seed must be sown. Time must be given for the seed to grow. You don’t just become wicked overnight. Bad stuff has to be nurtured. Wickedness is the fruit of a lot of wrong labor."

Verse 7. "Everything I am saying to you is truth, Job. Just as surely as sparks go up―trouble comes down."

And Now Eliphaz Speaks His Ultimate Truth―IF ALL THIS HAPPENED TO ME, I WOULD SEEK GOD.

Job 5:8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Verse 8. Says Eliphaz: "If all this stuff happened to me, 

1) I would seek God and make things right with Him.

2) I would try to make things right with God.

3) I would lay my case before Him.

4) I would be honest with Him.

God is so good to us―my friend Job―let Him be good to you.

 

Job, everything that has happened to you is your own fault. God hasn’t done anything bad to you, you did it to yourself. And it is all because you claim your innocence. Job, you cannot possibly be innocent. Look at what has happened to you. You have to be in the wrong. And you can’t see it. You are so sure of yourself and your ways. You think you are so smart. You think you’ve got everything figures out. You think you know all the ways of God. Can’t you see that God is turning your supposed light into the real darkness that it is? And now, you are angry because you’re stumbling around in the dark. In everything that you know about God, don’t you remember how He will save those who truly need Him and who are honest with Him.

Wise up! Feel your need of Him! Open up! Be honest with Him! Do this, my friend, before it is irrevocably too late. Do not persist in a way that cannot be changed, reversed, or recovered because of your errant views and beliefs.

What Eliphaz Could Not See

Isn’t it interesting that Eliphaz is suggesting that Job do the very thing that Job is, in fact, doing? And isn't it interesting that Eliphaz is, himself, the epitome of everything wrong that he is accusing Job of being wrong about?

Head and Heart

Eliphaz had mistaken ideas about God himself. And he is trying to correct the wrong thinking he believes Job has. To use the vernacular or street talk―his head is wrong. But (to use the vernacular or street talk again)―his heart was right. In the least he cared enough to come and visit his friend who was suffering.

 

The last days of this world will see people being divided into two camps: those with wrong heads and wrong hearts attempting to annihilate those with right heads and right hearts. But

that day is not here yet. In this present day, Christians must be able to distinguish between wrong heads and wrong hearts. Love them each and every one while living a life that exemplifies the truth as it is in Jesus.

 

I wish to love in that manner, don't you?

 

 

Please send questions or comments to Will Hardin at P O Box 24 Owenton KY 40359 or use the comments via Google section below.