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

Well that’s awesome Eliphaz. You and your friends have worked it all out. Hello readers, continuing in Job’s life … and we are still in Eliphaz’s first response to Job. Excuse the sarcastic beginning to the blog, but if we understand what Eliphaz is saying, it’s pretty appropriate because he was talking like many worldly wise talk today, full of hot air but nevertheless they think they’ve got other people’s lives and problems worked out, they’ve got God all summed up. Eliphaz is saying “Here are the words of wisdom, Job listen up”. Who did Eliphaz think he was? His life wasn’t in tatters so that gave him an excuse to accuse Job? How often do people speak with great swelling words of wisdom. But it doesn’t matter what Eliphaz and his friends “searched out” … Job didn’t need their philosophy and wisdom, which did him no good. For all their searching, they ended up angering God because of what they said to Job. Eliphaz had a deluded view of himself. He had a problem. Here it is…

Let’s go back to Job 4:8 – Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Note what Eliphaz said… even as I have seen. That was his problem, and it is the problem with so many of us today. We understand and walk according to our sight. People are not slow to spout out their own thoughts and philosophy on life. You can go into a bar and you’ll hear endless wisdom of men, even as they drink themselves silly. Men who have got burnt relationships offer others relationship advice as if they are an authority. After all they think they’ve got their life more sorted than the person they’re talking down to … as Eliphaz did.

Eliphaz was no comfort because he just gave Job “his” thoughts and opinions. That’s not what people need, that’s not gonna minister true comfort. They need the truth of God’s word which portrays a true picture of who God is, because if we understand who God is, that will help us get through times like Job had. If you know who he is, even if you don’t understand hows and whys of circumstances of life … yet you can trust him in committing your soul unto a faithful Creator. Remember, while we love to entertain an inflated view of ourselves …  it is actually God’s faithfulness that counts … we kid ourselves about our faithfulness, we are so faithless. Eliphaz said “I have seen”… but the Bible tells us not to walk according to what we see, because we actually are meant to look on the things that are unseen. We are meant to walk according to the sight of faith… which is believing and obeying God’s word. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5,6 – Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Lean NOT unto thine OWN understanding… and we can often be remiss to consider the following verse… Proverbs 3:7 – Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Eliphaz was pretty wise in his own eyes, read his response, don’t you think?

It is interesting how God was the topic of discussion… yet a whole lot of rubbish was discussed. No headway was actually made. How many “God” conversations go on in this world! Yet noone gets anywhere, yet nobody really has a  true picture of who God is because everything is about me, myself and I. That’s man for you. Have you ever noticed how when life goes down “God” gets dragged into it. When bad things happen, everyone discusses where God’s at. Everyone has their two cents. And Eliphaz and his mates had “searched it out”. But they ended up completely misrepresenting God in it. Elihu came in, and he had more to offer, yet he found fault in the way Job handled his distress and so he should be tried for that. That’s pretty tough, and sure Job really realized some things which perhaps he’d never understood outside of the fiery trial he was in. His faith became a reality, not to say it wasn’t, but when your faith is tried, that’s when God will bring you forth as gold. He said he had heard, but now my eye seeth thee! Isn’t it great in mundane vain discussion when God truly enters it. The glorious light of the gospel, the glory of God. Job lost his need for “hows” and “whys” when he heard God. God never told Job “why”, but when he spoke to Job he was revealing his power, wisdom and glory… and saying Job, you can trust me. Even if you can’t see, trust me. Even if you don’t know, trust me. Our heart can fool us. Our sight can fool us, we can be tricked so easily. Our understanding can’t be trusted. Our feelings can betray us. We need to lean solely on God’s word.

Eliphaz said… it’s for your good Job. Well lots of people think they can help. But they don’t end up being a help. So many helpers and comforters… yet no help and no comfort. So many people think they can help and try to help, but they have nothing to help with. They only have their own understanding, their own words, their own wisdom, their own life experiences. You’ll actually help someone by telling them God’s word. People need the gospel of Jesus Christ. Eliphaz pretty much said Job this is happening to you because you done something wrong, but he didn’t compute these kind of verses into his assessment. The Bible says in Psalm 130:3 – If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22 – It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. What about 2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Above are wonderful verses… but Eliphaz’s speech lacked these kind of truths to balance what he was saying. You see, truth needs to be and is balanced, but you can take something true and misapply it or misappropriate it and make a mess of it. People need the whole balanced truth of God’s word, they don’t need a false gospel, a false Jesus, a false spirit or a distorted portrayal of who God is. That’ll only darken counsel when counsel should actually be able to help others. You know, all Job wanted was to hear from God, his friends didn’t give him that, but when God came into the conversation the whole thing turned. It’s so important not to have religion, not to have I … but to have God’s word, which is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to give others. Not man’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom, not I have seen… but it is written.

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