In the previous chapter and series of studies, Job called into question what had been understood as truth, or the divine order of things. He confessed that he felt he dwelt in the midst of chaos. Nothing seemed to work, as he had always understood it to work. Moreover, he didn’t understand God’s goodness and pity, because God didn’t seem to sympathize with Job’s grief and let him die. Job concluded with the idea that he didn’t believe life was worth living, if man couldn’t understand the plans of the Almighty. How can one serve God, when everything seems to be in chaos? Why doesn’t a good God sympathize with mankind’s suffering, his depression and his feeling of utter worthlessness? This was the problem that Job saw in his life experiences. His recent losses and suffering simply called into question everything he had ever believed in.
Eliphaz, the Temanite, was the first of the three friends to speak in reply to Job’s soliloquy. He was probably the eldest of the three, so the honor of being first to speak would naturally fall to him. He began by asking Job, if he would be offended, if he spoke a word. But, who could keep silent after hearing such a dramatic outburst from the one they all held in such high esteem (Job 4:1-2)? Let’s pause a moment to consider Eliphaz’s motives. Many scholars and preachers believe he and his two friends didn’t really come to comfort Job, or if they did, they soon changed their minds and began accusing him of many things, including being responsible for the deaths of his sons and daughters. Not all scholars believe this, but I’ve found most, of whom I am privy to, do understand the dialogue in just this way. Siding with the minority opinion, I believe we should interpret what is said here to reflect compassion and concern for Job’s plight. Whether their advice is good or not, and true or not, they are like most comforters today, wanting to do the right thing by helping their friend.
Eliphaz began by saying that Job helped others. He was there to stand in the gap between calamity and survival for others who felt helpless (Job 4:3; cp. 2Samuel 4:1; Isaiah 13:7), and when the knees of folks were buckling under life’s heavy load, Job was there to help lighten the load (Job 4:4; cp. Isaiah 34:3-4; Hebrews 12:12). In other words, Job not only had a word of encouragement to lift the spirit, but also helped in the practical sense by relieving the downtrodden of some of their responsibilities (cp. Job 29:15-16).
As I mentioned in my previous studies, Job and his three friends understood life as though what you sow, you shall reap were not only a truism but an absolute fact of life. This is how God dealt with men all of the time. So, if one suffered being righteous, it was because he had sinned and was under the correction or discipline of God. If one who was unrighteous suffered, it was because of God’s judgment against them, and there was a difference between the two. With the former, there was hope. Therefore, Eliphaz wondered, since Job had done so well with others, who found themselves being corrected by the Lord, why was he so shortsighted, when it came to him (Job 4:5)? Why was he so apt to faint when trouble came to him? Eliphaz was surprised!
Wasn’t Job’s confidence the fact that he revered God? In other words, if Job truly revered God, he had the assurance that God was his Helper. Moreover, wasn’t Job’s hope due to his upright manner of living? That is, Job sought to live well before the Lord, so Job had no reason to despair. God would ultimately forgive and restore him (Job 4:6). In order to drive this fact home, Eliphaz asks Job: “Who, being innocent, ever perished, and where were upright people ever destroyed” (Job 4:7)? That is to say, among those the Lord corrects, who did he ever correct to the death? It is understood that all men sin, and when one sins, one is corrected by the Lord, but correction never leads to death! The Lord isn’t angry forever, he does eventually forgive and restore (cp. Micah 7:18).
On the other hand, when the Lord deals with the wicked, who sow evil, because this is the life they’ve chosen, they will reap trouble and death as fruits of their labor, and that without hope (Job 4:8-9).
For Eliphaz the world order is secure. God corrects, but delivers the righteous, but on the other hand, the wicked, whose violent behavior is as the great roaring lion, the Lord breaks his teeth and the once proud lion dies for lack of prey. When he no longer is able to have his way through power and intimidation, his home is broken up and his children are scattered and often become prey themselves (Job 4:10-11).
So, does Eliphaz offer Job comfort? Well, yes and no. If Job had sinned and was being corrected by God, then Eliphaz offered him good advice. However, we are aware of matters that the four characters in this dialogue are not privy to. The Lord has said unequivocally that Job was not only upright and shunned evil, but a cosmic drama was taking place in which Job was the recipient of unjust calamities. Job was correct. He hadn’t sinned to deserve the lot he had been given, and Eliphaz was wrong to take for granted that he had sinned. However, this is how most folks deal with life, when their worldview has been challenged. While Job admitted his confusion, Eliphaz simply embraced his worldview and accused Job of sin, but as most good servants of the Lord, he said it in love.
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