Chapters 4 & 5: Eliphaz response to Job Part 1

Job 5:27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

·       V5:27 It seem to me Eliphaz was at first going to be the spokesman for the three. The three men have searched it out and determined Job must yield to their accusations for his own good. Could it have been that the three men, “friends” had predetermined that Job had caused God to punish him?

V4:2 Why did Eliphaz ask question, “Wilt thou be grieved”?

·       V2:11 They came to mourn with him and to comfort him or commune with him.

·       Commune: (Webster #1) To converse; to talk together familiarly; to impart sentiments mutually, in private or familiar discourse; followed by with before the person.

·       V2:13 They saw that his grief was very great

·       What grief were they expecting V4:2? V7, 8 grieving over plowing iniquity, and sowing wickedness.

·       V2b .  .  .but who can withhold himself from speaking? Eliphaz felt he had to address Job’s lack of grief over sin.

·       The mourning, comfort from theses three men ended.

V4:3-4 Eliphaz knew the character of the man Job. Job freely shared the blessing form God (his wisdom, his wealth. Job knew what God expected a man He called perfect would do.

V4:5 now it is come upon thee: Elerphaz seems to have told Job that he was troubled because he was suffering like everyone else and had no answer for the suffering.

V4:6 The question of Eliphaz to Job is the same question Satan asked of God in 1:9-10 (remember Satan’s devices). These three men played right into the hands of Satan and his desire to destroy Job’s testimony and belittle God in the eyes of the world.

·       Was this a question or an indictment made by Eliphaz claiming that Job was a hypocrite because he was troubled and fainted when it came upon him?

·       Eliphaz asked, did Job fear God and eschew evil because of the hedge God placed about him? Was his hope in the LORD based upon his health, wealth, children? 

V4:7-9  Eliphaz makes a true statement in theses verses

·       Prov 22:8; Gal 6:7-8

·       Eliphaz’s mistake is to imply that Job was not innocent or righteous or he had plowed iniquity and sowed wickedness and he was suffering from the blast of God.

Vs4:10-11 Eliphaz likens Job to the king of beasts

·       As a roaring lion that spoke loudly about God’s glory and spoke fiercely against evil; as a young lion with strong teeth that are able to tear apart.

·       Broken by the blast from God. Job once was a stout lion that lost his children by the blast from God and is now old and perishing nothing left to live for.

·       1Peter 5:8 devil, as a roaring lion: Satan’s devices

V4:12-16 In a frightening vision in the night Eliphaz was visited by a mysterious, frightening spirit. He could not discern the form of the image he saw.

V17-21 The spirit’s words.

·       V17 A true question Job said the same thing 9:2 without needing a vision from a spirit.

·       V18 In this dream Eliphaz saw the judgment of the angels that followed Satan.  

Ø    He did not charge all His angels (servants) with folly only those who followed Satan. Those spoken of in Jude 6.

·       Vs 19-21 Eliphaz used this dream to indirectly attack Job.  If God judged his His angels he will certainly judge a mere man of clay and dust (Gen 3:19, Ps 104:29) Where was Job sitting?

·       Eliphaz repeats this in 15:15-16

·       V20-21 It seems the Eliphaz used spirit’s words about God’s treatment of mere men and the vanity of death to suggest that if Job died no one would care or remember him.

Ø    These men knew of the flood. Very little is said about all who came between Adam and Noah. They just went away.

1John 4:1 we are to try the spirits to discern if they be from God.

·       Would the Holy Spirit speak as this spirit spoke to Eliphaz, giving him words to attack the man God called perfect?

·       Who was this spirit from? __________

·       When God spoke to men in dreams and visions they knew it was from God. (Gen 15:1; Gen 31:11; Mat 1:20)