Job 4

Job 4:1-21

THE FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZJob 4, 5.THESE two chapters contain the first speech of Eliphaz, and introduce the long and interesting debate between Job, his three visitors, and, finally, with Elihu, Jehovah’s defender.It is interesting to note the characteristics of this debate. They are those common to practically every intense discussion; they begin on high ground and in calm tone, but eventually descend to sharpness of speech and bitterness of spirit, and are not to be found entirely free from personalities. However, none of these were originally intended. These two chapters contain the opening speech of Eliphaz.THE GENTLE REPROOFMark the approach!It is made by an apology for breaking the silence.“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,“If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? (Job 4:1-2).This is certainly a careful procedure. Eliphaz finds himself in the dilemma of either speaking when silence seems more in harmony with his friend’s sorrow, or else of keeping silent when his friend suffers from a false philosophy. It is a delicate situation, and is approached with diffidence.The speech contains a review of his friend’s ministry.“Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.“Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees” (Job 4:3-4).There is never a time when a man so much needs to be reminded of his sacrificial service in behalf of others as in that day when he himself is smitten.Its review, however, paves the way for personal reproof.“But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.“Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways”? (Job 4:5-6).There is many a man whose philosophy concerning the sufferings of others sound and even comforting; but when grief and pain come to him, he forgets what he taught his fellows, and is even tempted to think in wholly different, channels, and to reach almost adverse conclusions.THE GOODLY It is interesting to trace the reasoning of Eliphaz.

His contention takes a course of two or three lines.He maintains the godly cannot perish.“Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off”? (Job 4:7).This statement is absolutely true, but while the innocent cannot perish, all history is replete with the fact that they can suffer, and while the righteous are not cut off forever, it is certainly a fact that they are temporarily cut off. Even Christ Himself on the Cross lost the vision of God, and cried, “Why hast Thou forsaken Me”?Whether Eliphaz meant to refer to finalities or merely to possible experiences would determine whether what he said were true.

It will be seen when we come to it that Job interpreted him as meaning the innocent could not suffer, and the vision of the righteous could not be obscured. The viewpoint of men often determines their interpretation of words.The godless cannot escape judgment.“Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.“By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils are they consumed” (Job 4:8-9).Here again, debate seems scarcely necessary. The general principle laid down by Eliphaz is confessedly correct, but Job’s interpretation of that will also prove that one needs to make his meaning very clear, or else seem to approve false conclusions.Strength cannot oppose the Almighty.“The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken.“The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad” (Job 4:10-11).Man has reason to fear the roaring of the lion, and the fierceness of his voice, and the breaking, tearing power of his teeth, but not God. There is nothing beyond Him. Even the old lion, crafty in his ways, could not take his prey apart from Divine provision, and his whelps would starve and be scattered; in other words, animal life is dependent upon Divine provision and power.THE GREAT From 4:12 to 5:27, Eliphaz is reporting an experience and philosophizing upon the basis of the same..He saw an indefinite something.“Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.“In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,“Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.“Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:“It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof” (Job 4:12-16 a).It is not at all uncommon for men of certain psychical temperaments to have visions. Most of those amount to nothing except a temporary elation or depression of the individual involved.It is doubtless true that the best poised men who have such visions, if they believe them to be sacred at all, maintain a silence about them.

There are some experiences that are spoiled by speech, and in fact, are too sacred for the same, and there are others that doubtless were nothing more than a dream, and are in no wise important with God or the soul.That there have been exceptional instances, no student of Scripture can doubt, unless he be an unbelieving student of the same; for instance, Isaiah’s vision as recorded in chapter six finds the proof of its genuineness in Isaiah’s ministry; while Paul’s vision on the way to Damascus has its Divinity demonstrated in the marvelous life resulting from the same and the matchless ministry that followed it. However, there was no indefiniteness in either the vision of Isaiah or Paul as there is in this of Eliphaz.Strange and unwonted experiences are not proofs of inspiration.

The facts are that the argument of Eliphaz which follows has its points of weakness, and Job will make them apparent when he replies.The present tendency is to rest too much upon personal experience; in fact, a recent book contributed to philosophy, in which the author seeks to show that personal experience is the foundation stone on which the Church of God rests, is commonly repudiated by careful students of Scripture, and the whole argument of Modernism now resting upon personal experience as a proof of the saving power of Christ, is only a partial truth, and we know that partial truths, at times, are entire falsehoods.However, Eliphaz clearly heard. That was not like Paul’s attendants, hearing the sound, but not discerning the sense thereof; but like Paul himself, he heard a voice, and what was said follows:“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?“Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:“How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?“They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.“Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom” (Job 4:17-21).“Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?“For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.“I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.“His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.“Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even gut of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.“Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;“Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:“Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:“Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:“To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.“He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.“He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.“They meet with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noon-day as in the night.“But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.“So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:“For He maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and His hands make whole.“He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.“In famine He shall redeem thee from death; and in war from the power of the sword.“Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.“At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.“For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.“And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.“Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.“Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.“Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good” (Job 5:1-27).There is no claim in this text that this vision was certainly divinely given. It is reported as a dream, but Eliphaz evidently believed that in that dream the speaker was the voice of truth, and in fact, there is so much of truth found in these verses that one would be justified in maintaining that it was a special revelation.However, the next chapter will be devoted to Job’s answer, involving as it does, the power of matter over mind.