Eliphaz: The Innocent Prosper
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking? Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands. Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have stabilized the knees that were buckling. But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.
Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope? Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed. The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken. The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it. In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder. Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker? If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error, how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth! They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever. Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’”
AAGH! It never fails! Just when Job’s friends have been doing so well by sitting quietly and sympathizing with him, they decide to start in with the advice. Eliphaz leads off. “Yet who can keep from speaking?” Eliphaz, look in the mirror! Stop right now! But of course, Eliphaz continues at great length. “Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope? Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?”
Eliphaz starts out quite well, reminding Job of all the people whom Job has counselled and helped over the years; sounds encouraging. Right? But Eliphaz can’t leave well enough alone. Surely, surely, surely, Job must have sinned secretly to bring all these calamities upon himself. “As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.” At this point, Job is probably wishing that Eliphaz had stayed home or at least that he had left after the seven days of mourning.
Eliphaz continues by claiming to have had a nightmare in which a spirit spoke to him, saying, “‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker? If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error, how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth! They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever. Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’”
Hmm. What’s going on here? Has Eliphaz been pretending friendship while he has been secretly envying Job? If so, the mental image of Job “dwelling in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth…smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk…perishing forever…dying without wisdom” would make perfect sense. Otherwise, who in their right mind would say such things to a grieving friend? If Job isn’t depressed already, these statements should certainly do it!
The one nugget out of all this blather is the central question: ”Can a mortal be more righteous than God?” Hold onto that thought as we slog through more specious advice from Job’s friends.
APPLICATION: While the Book of Job has comforted many millions of people through the years, it has also served as a rich mine from which well – intentioned friends and relatives have retrieved fool’s gold. What could/should Eliphaz have told Job?
- Eliphaz begins quite well by reminding Job of all the people whom Job has counselled through the years. Eliphaz could have continued that thought by kindly reminding Job of the strength and courage Job’s words have given mourners and the way those people have recovered because of Job’s encouragement.
- Eliphaz speaks as if he is GLAD that Job is suffering! Look at the horrific word pictures Eliphaz draws – crushed like a moth! Smashed to pieces! Perish forever! Tent cords pulled up! Some friend! Eliphaz is GLOATING over Job’s downfall.
- Eliphaz doesn’t appear to have very much faith in God’s mercy or His grace, and Eliphaz throws Job’s faith in God in Job’s face. “Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope? Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?” Eliphaz could easily say, “Look, Job, things look horrible now. But you have served God all your life. God is not going to abandon you now, even if things appear dark. But Eliphaz is not a believer, and he probably is used to demons that must be propitiated frequently with blood sacrifices.
Several years ago, we were going through a very difficult time, and our friends were bombarding us with good advice. “Buck up! Have faith! Things are going to get better! Trust God!” But we felt lower than a ditch digger’s boots, and we were hanging onto our faith and our sanity for dear life as it was. Finally, in exasperation, I told one friend that I didn’t want to hear one more piece of advice from someone who had not earned their PhD in suffering! (That particular friend had come out of agoraphobia after being sexually abused as a child and she knew exactly what I meant.) People who have really suffered don’t hand out platitudes or easy answers; they simply hug, spend time with you, and refuse to judge, criticize, or condemn.
Most of us either are grieving or know someone who is grieving. If you have friends who have suffered a loss, why not offer something practical? Take them a meal or send them vouchers for a restaurant. Perhaps your friends are so overwhelmed that they would be grateful if you would just come clean their house, wash their clothes, or do some small activity with them. My husband is NOT a golfer; however, when our beloved pastor’s wife died after a prolonged battle with cancer, once a week my husband met with our pastor and they played golf. The scores were unimportant; this activity helped give our pastor a reason to get out of the house and into the fresh air and to rub shoulders with someone who wasn’t going to keep harping on the enormity of his family’s grief.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that You ARE a God of love and mercy and that You do not crush us like moths! Thank You that even in the midst of tragedy, You can still bring us comfort. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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