Job 4
In chapter 3 Job had finally spoken and bemoaned the day of his birth, expressing a longing for death. Job's friend Eliphaz now asks whether Job will be grieved if they try to speak with him, but straight way further asks 'who can refrain from speaking?'
Eliphaz tells Job that he (Job) has instructed and supported many that were in difficulty, but now he is affected he is fainting and troubled. He asks him to remember who perishes being innocent? It is those who are wicked who experience God's wrath.
He goes on to tell of a vision he had in the night in which he heard a voice speaking about man's position in reference to God, his maker and how God does not put his trust in mortal man made from the dust.
The verses that seemed to stand out to me today were 3-5:
'Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.'
How unkind these words sound!
It is as if Eliphaz is saying, 'It was all very well you encouraging other people but when you are the one suffering where is your faith?'
In the following verse (6), he then says 'Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?', which I wonder if it means, 'Look at you now, is this how you fear God, and hope in him, and walk uprightly?'
And he then insinuates that Job has brought wrath from God on himself by his sins, because he claims that this doesn't happen to those who are innocent.
Poor Job! He has had everything taken from him - everything! (Except his wife, who appeared to offer little support).
He must have been in such deep distress and complete misery from the pain and discomfort of the boils which were all over him...and yet he is being told firstly that he should 'practice what he preaches' and secondly accused of bringing it all on himself. How the words of Eliphaz must have added to his pain! It is an example of Proverbs 12:18, 'There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword'.
Have you ever known such unkindness in your life? Been unfairly accused, misunderstood or told you are a hypocrite?
Not only are you keeping company with the experience of Job, but you are tasting a drop of what our Lord Jesus suffered - for his dear people. Luke 4: 23 records how he said, 'Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself'.
King David, in writing of his own experience of this, also writes prophetically of the Lord Jesus...'Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none'. Do you remember how Jesus was mocked when crucified with people saying, 'He saved others; himself he cannot save'? (Matthew 27:42).
Satan can use fear of this reproach to stop the Lord's people from declaring their belief and trust in him. They fear sinning and people turning round and saying, 'Call yourself a Christian?'
How does this apply to us today? It makes me think of how we should be when we try to comfort people. It is so easy to glibly speak - or like Eliphaz, wrongly accuse- when we are not the one in the trouble. So easy to quote comforting verses of scripture as if it is the person's fault for not being comforted by them.
And what about if we are the one in Job's situation? What if we are in trouble and being wrongly accused or harshly spoken to by those we expected comfort from?
Well, there is much counsel in the Proverbs about how to respond - to not 'answer a fool according to his folly' (26:5) - 'a soft answer turneth away wrath' (15:1) - and the Apostle Peter counsels as to follow Jesus' example, 'when ye do well, and suffer for it..take it patiently' (1 Peter 2:20).
What grace this calls for to not be offended by well meaning 'Job's comforters' - and perhaps we should be gently rebuked and strive to turn our thoughts heavenward! Is there an element of truth in what Eliphaz was saying? Is it a sign of our unbelief in God that we become cast down?
Perhaps...but God does not treat his people like Eliphaz's response. He is total compassion, kindness, love, and mercy. He looks on his children in their troubles with even more love and pity than a father has to his children. He tells us that 'in all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old' (Isaiah 64:9).
May we, when trying to comfort others not judge them or make assumptions about their situation. May we be given grace and wisdom to speak to those who appear to be unbelievers or believers. And if we are the one in Job's situation, may we too be given grace to receive criticism, judgement, harshness - however uncalled for - and faith to turn to the Lord and cling to him.
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