In The Word
Read: Job 4-5
Eliphaz Says the Innocent Do Not Suffer
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can refrain from speaking?
3 Behold, you have taught many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.
4 Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have strengthened feeble knees.
5 But now it comes to you, and you are impatient;
It touches you, and you are horrified.
6 Is your fear of God not your confidence,
And the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright destroyed?
8 According to what I have seen, those who plow wrongdoing
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
9 By the breath of God they perish,
And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.
10 The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me secretly,
And my ear received a whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting thoughts from visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on people,
14 Dread came upon me, and trembling,
And made all my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit passed by my face;
The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mankind be righteous before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 He puts no trust even in His servants;
And He accuses His angels of error.
19 How much more those who live in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!
20 Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces;
Unregarded, they perish forever.
21 Is their tent-cord not pulled out within them?
They die, yet without wisdom.’
God Is Just
5 “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you?
And to which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For irritation kills the fool,
And jealousy brings death to the simple.
3 I have seen the fool taking root,
And I cursed his home immediately.
4 His sons are far from safety,
They are also oppressed at the gate,
And there is no one to save them.
5 The hungry devour his harvest
And take it to a place of thorns,
And the schemer is eager for their wealth.
6 For disaster does not come from the dust,
Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For man is born for trouble,
As sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would make my plea before God,
9 Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.
10 He gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 He captures the wise by their own cleverness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from the sword of their mouth,
And the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So the helpless has hope,
And injustice has shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 In six troubles He will save you;
Even in seven, evil will not touch you.
20 In famine He will redeem you from death,
And in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 You will laugh at violence and hunger,
And you will not be afraid of wild animals.
23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And the animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure,
For you will visit your home and have nothing missing.
25 You will also know that your descendants will be many,
And your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to the grave at a ripe age,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
After all the tragedy that happened to Job, he sat down with his friends for seven days of silence. In Chapter 3, Job vents to his friends. Then his first friend, Eliphaz, speaks up. Eliphaz states that Job was a man who helped others to stand during times when they were weak. He calls Job a hypocrite, because now that trouble has found him, he does not want to be comforted by the same words he preached from his own mouth.
Eliphaz then relies on human reasoning by stating, “Remember now, whoever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed?” We know that Abel was innocent, and yet he was killed. We also know that Jesus Christ was sinless, and yet he was crucified. Eliphaz then states that Job must have committed a sin because now he is reaping the consequences for it.
1 Peter 2:19-20 and 1 Peter 3:13-17 clearly tell us that there will be suffering for those who do what is right and a suffering for those who do what is wrong. You may be in the middle of a storm or trial in your life, and you are blameless. If this is the case, God is looking for you to patiently endure the storm so that you can find favor with Him. Do not let the enemy accuse you when you are choosing to praise God, but then cursing Him when times are tough. Instead, repent from cursing Him and begin to thank God for all He has done in your life. Be steadfast in whatever storm you are in because God is in the storm with you.