10. Eliphaz second speech

Eliphaz” second speech

Job said to God, ’Let not thy dread make me afraid’ (Job 13:21). This opened the way for Eliphaz to renew the attack. Eliphaz said, ’Yea, thou casteth off fear, and restraineth prayer before God’ (Job 15:4). This is still a sore temptation of Satan. When the soul is passing through darkness, it often seems as if it could not pray — so different from what it was. ’There now’, says Satan, ’is not that a proof that you are nothing but a wicked person. Surely you must be a hypocrite’. ’For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery’.’The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days’. ’Dear me’, says the believer, ’that is just as it is with me. I do not enjoy prayer as I once did. I am filled with pain’.

’Miserable comforters’, says Job, ’are ye all’. And then he becomes still more desperate. The thought comes again, God is against me! “Why, he hath delivered me up’. ’I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me for his mark’. ’Oh!’ says the believer, ’how is it that God allows me to be thus — how is it?’ And then Satan pours in a volley of infidel thoughts, not to be put on paper.

Again the longing cry for the priesthood of Christ goes up from the heart of Job. ’O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man for his friend!’ (Job 16:21). ’Lay down now; put me in a surety with thee. Who is he that will strike hands with me?’ (Job 17:3).