Today in God's Word—May 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
May 30, Job 4
”Remember, who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright ever cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed." - Eliphaz, in Job 4:7-9
I hope you’ve been neither the perpetrator nor the victim in this fictitious, but realistic scenario: The tests confirmed it, and the doctor returned to the patient's hospital room to tell him the bad news. The doctor was kind, but this was her least favorite thing about being a doctor. The patient was disappointed, but thanked the doctor, who left him alone in his room. Word of the diagnosis spread quickly and the next day, a fellow who went to church with the patient came to visit. "Hey, I heard your awful news. I really hate it. My next door neighbor's third cousin by marriage had the same thing. Doctors told her nothing could be done. She died a slow, horrible death in agonizing pain!" Then he added, "If there's anything I can do, just let me know," and left. His departure was the best thing about his visit.
Do you think I'm being unkind or unfair to compare such a bungled hospital visit to Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar's conversations with Job? I hope you will see why I think the comparison is valid by the end of this essay. Let me begin by jumping to the back of the book to get God's evaluation of what the friends said to Job: “After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Tenamite: 'My anger burns against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.'" The visitors had done more than just discourage Job. They had slandered God with their flawed theology.
Let's look at some of the obvious flaws in Eliphaz's first speech, recorded in Chapter 4. Job's first friend to speak sets the tone for all that will follow from the others. He started with what seemed like a compliment that quickly turned into an indictment. "Behold, you have
“instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees." So far, so good. But then, "But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you and you are dismayed." And then the attack was on.
Eliphaz accused Job of trusting in his own integrity. He suggested that Job was wicked, and the calamity and suffering he's going through were his just deserts. Since his agony is so intense, his sins must have been really bad sins. Eliphaz was following a very common opinion, both in his ancient time and in our own. The big idea of Eliphaz’s speech that spans two chapters is that Job is suffering greatly, therefore his sins must also be great. He believed that the righteous prosper and the wicked suffer. He asked, "Who that was innocent ever perished?" (Ummm, how about Abel, pronounced righteous by God, but hated and killed by his brother?) Then Eliphaz revealed the source of his knowledge. It was a secret message in a scary vision during the night. He slandered the holy angels when he said God couldn't trust them, much less sinful human beings. True, Eliphaz and his contemporaries probably lived in a time when there was very little revelation from God compared to what we know from the Bible. But we have the Bible and can know that his suppositions and arguments are flawed. While there is a true Biblical doctrine of sowing and reaping, Eliphaz is making arguments from the universal law of sowing and reaping that will not fit some specific cases. And like fake news and political rhetoric today, it need not be true to be said. Then the harmful effects that come from misstatements continue whether there is any basis in fact or not.
Let's close with a couple of observations about these matters. First, preachers and writers and all who discuss the Bible with others need to be careful about taking a text from these chapters that are already known to be flawed theology, misrepresentations of God. We might find a
pretext for a sermon or an essay in these impassioned words, but we'd better handle such material with caution and discernment. And more applicable to us all, we each have opportunities to offer compassionate support to hurting, suffering, grieving people. Please remember Eliphaz and do not do what he did. This "friend" of Job made his "sympathy call” a thinly disguised attack on poor Job's character. Let's not add to a miserable person's misery by kicking them while they are down.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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