(REFLECTIONS ON Job 4:1-21; Job 5:1-27)

Eliphaz is the first of Job’s friends that speak up. Although he accuses Job of being impatient, through the words on the page, we can almost hear Eliphaz’s impatience in wanting to correct Job for cursing the day he was born.

Eliphaz’s conclusion can be found in Job 5:17,

17 “Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

Eliphaz believes that the reason Job is facing such great challenges is that God is disciplining him for his sin. He bases this conclusion on what is often called retribution theology: the belief that God judges sin and that our actions have consequences. While this principle has biblical foundations, the problem arises when we assume that a person’s suffering must be the direct result of that person’s sin.

That is why Eliphaz said,

7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 “According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.

This is personal and cultural experience. However, Eliphaz didn’t stop here. Not only did he believe that the innocent do not suffer because of his experiences, he also justified himself saying this was word from the Lord.

12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily,
And my ear received a whisper of it.

Although our experiences, both personal and corporately can help us in our faith and walk with God, we must always remember that it is the Lord that determines when things happen, how things happen, and why things happen. Even in the midst of spiritual insight, let us not become conceited like Eliphaz and speak as if we are God Himself.

Yes, it is easy for us to say, “God told me,” or “The Holy Spirit told me,” combined with our personal and corporate experiences to come to a conclusion, but in the end let us speak more out of love than out of being right, and also remember that we are not God, and are only one voice in the world of voices.

Can God speak through us? Yes, He can! But let us not pretend that all our words are God’s words. Let us also learn through deep study of the Bible, prayer, meditation, and worship, to do a better job of separating out our words from God’s. Let us keep a humble heart above all, and speak to proclaim the name of Jesus and to glorify His name.

Let us glorify the Lord with our words, and not seek to use God’s words to attack and destroy.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Job 4
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Job 5