Chapter 5 Eliphaz continues to indirectly accuse Job. He never directly mentions Job by name.

V1 to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

·       Saints: Deut 33:2, 3; Mat 27:52

Ø    Holy men (Deu 33:3): A saint is one whom God accounts righteousness to while he is alive on the earth. (Gen 15:6) “Saints” to refer to men in the vast majority verses in the Bible; Paul uses saints to refer to Christians.

·       Saints angels (Deu 33:2): Could Eliphaz telling Job to call out and see if a spirit will talk to him as one talked himself?

·       I believe Eliphaz is speaking of spirits (angels). In 15:15-16 The heavens were seen as unclean because of the saints. V16 sets mere man apart from the saints in V15. There seems to be a knowledge of the fallen angels.

Vs2-5 Eliphaz sets himself up as the standard, the judge?

·       V2 The fool and his wrath: Prob 12:6, 27:3

Ø    Silly and envy: Job seemed to envy those who died at birth.

Ø    2Tim 3:6 with Eph 4:14

Ø    Pr 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

·       V3a Eliphaz watched as foolish men prospered

Ø    Ps 37: 35-36; Jere 12:1-3

·       V3b Eliphaz said he suddenly cursed the foolish he saw prosper; he set himself above those men as judge.

·       V4-5 the end of what foolish and silly men gained.

Ø    V4 What else could Job think than to believe that Eliphaz blamed Job for the death of his children?

Ø    V5 Remember 1:14 the Sabeans stole his oxen making it difficult to raise crops. Plowing helped control the thorns

Ø     V5b the robber swalloweth up their substance: 1:3, 17

The statements made by Eliphaz are true of foolish, silly, wicked men but not Job, the man God called perfect.

What else could Job believe than these three “friends” had determined (V5:27) that because Job was a foolish and silly man the robbers were able to steal his substance and the LORD joined in the punishment and killed his children

Satan’s devices: I wonder if Satan was laughing at what Eliphaz was saying to Job. Could Satan have said to himself, “Since I couldn’t directly get Job to curse God maybe I can use Eliphaz and a terrifying vision to accomplish my will instead.”

Chapter 5:6-27

·       V6-7 Here is a true statement by Eliphaz: affliction and trouble is common to every man. Be assured as sparks file upward trouble will come unto you.

Ø    Job 14:1; Gen 3:17-19; 1Cor 10:13

·       V8 Eliphaz seems to be telling Job that if he (Eliphaz) suffered affliction or trouble he would seek God and commit his cause to God (admit and repent), place his hope in God.

Ø    In a round-about way Eliphaz is telling Job, again, that he needs to admit that he has brought judgment upon himself and plead for God’s forgiveness.

·       I wonder how Job understood the statement, “wise in their own craftiness” in V11-14?

Ø    Add Vs15 &16 with 11-14 it appears to me Eliphaz is hinting that Job gained his wealth through deceit at the cost of the poor and God is punishing him for his crafty devices.

·       Who is the master of crafty devices? Satan

It seems to me that these three men had predetermined that all that came unto and upon Job was because he had to used his wisdom to gain all that he had through crafty means, he did not earn his cushy lifestyle through legitimate means.

·       Vs 9-16 More true statements about God: remember theses statements are scripture. Before Moses knowledge of God was known by man. (Rom 1:19-20).

·       But Eliphaz used his knowledge to falsely accuse Job.

·       We must be careful how we use our knowledge of God.

Vs17 with Heb 12:5-6 despise: not taken lightly or consider it in vain. Eliphaz wrongly considered Job’s troubles as a chastening from God for sin and his crafty devices.

V18-26 Be careful with the truths contained within these verses. Those who believe the health, wealth, and happiness gospel like these verses.

·       Remember the Old Testament primarily deals with physical matters – New Testament deals primarily with spiritual matters. All this was promised to the nation of Israel if they would repent and turn to their God.

·       In these verses Eliphaz spoke of things that came directly upon Job. Could Eliphaz be hinting that Job had despised earlier chastening from God? So God judged him.

V27 Eliphaz wants Job to forget what he knows in his heart and accept the accusations of the men.