“Cry for help, but will anyone answer you? Which of the angels will help you? Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. Their children are abandoned far from help; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them. The hungry devour their harvest, even when it is guarded by brambles. The thirsty pant after their wealth.”
OUCH! As if Eliphaz’s earlier accusations weren’t enough, now he’s accusing Job of being a fool, claiming that Job’s alleged foolishness will keep heaven from helping him. Eliphaz is also taking a swipe at Job’s handling of his children, as if Job’s neglect of his children is somehow responsible for the tornado that collapsed the house they were all in, killing them. And then Eliphaz implies that Job’s financial losses must stem from some secret foolishness, despite a total lack of evidence for such a claim. Then Eliphaz continues.
“But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.” Eliphaz, say what??? If you know that trouble is the common human lot, then WHY are you accusing Job of secret sins?
“If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields. He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer. He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed. He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted. They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night. He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong, and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful. And so at last the poor have hope, and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.”
Well pin a rose on you, Eliphaz! Having stringently criticized Job, implying that he has somehow either sinned grievously or has made foolish mistakes, now you want to hide under a cover of pious verbiage.
“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal. From six disasters he will rescue you; even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil. He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. You will be safe from slander and have no fear when destruction comes. You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you. You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. You will know that your home is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing. You will have many children; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass! You will go to the grave at a ripe old age, like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time! We have studied life and found all this to be true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”
The term “codswallop” is a British term meaning senseless talk or writing; nonsense; rubbish.” Here Eliphaz continues to criticize Job while attempting to disguise his disdain by invoking pious platitudes about God. Having attacked Job for having committed some secret sin, now Eliphaz tries to redeem himself by exalted pronouncements about those corrected by God. Problem is, it’s tough to know where Eliphaz thinks Job fits into this picture. Although there are individual statements that are true and quotable, overall, Eliphaz’s speech is nothing but a load of codswallop. Eliphaz criticizes Job and then tries to redeem himself by describing how God can heal. The problem is that Eliphaz has already implied that Job doesn’t deserve healing.
I am writing these Bible studies in the wake of the flooding disasters in Texas on July 4, 2025. At this point, the criticism of various groups and individuals has mounted nearly as high as did the record floods! Self-appointed critics have targeted camp owners, campers, emergency services, weather forecasters, and anybody else they can think of; meanwhile, thousands of people are left to grieve and pick up pieces and a few worn tokens of their loved ones. In an especially tragic turn of events, those owning trailers and recreational vehicles that were destroyed by the floods have been deemed to be visitors and therefore not eligible for government assistance. In some cases, entire families have been destroyed, leaving their relatives not only to grieve but also to take up payments on vehicles that now look as if they’ve been through a car crusher.
Despite the heroism that saved hundreds and perhaps thousands of people, these critics are certain that SOMEONE should be held responsible. These floods have constituted a tragedy, the scope of which nobody could possibly have predicted. Just as Job has done nothing to deserve his sufferings, so none of these families have done anything either.
When we closely examine Eliphaz’s pronouncements about God, we realize that he’s whistling in the dark, speaking hopefully but not realistically. The reality is that bad things happen to good people and that God does not necessarily restore everything someone has lost. Is God good? Yes! Absolutely! But our ideas of how God should restore things are not necessarily God’s. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Only in eternity will we understand the reasons behind the Texas flood disasters. But we do know that we are living in a fallen sinful world-the same world that Job inhabited-and therefore, disasters will happen. The same week that floods hit Texas, forest fires hit several parts of the West, destroying the Lodge at the Grand Canyon, as well as thousands of acres of forest. Floods also hit several parts of the Middle West as well as North Carolina. Although the Texas disasters have received the most publicity, people in these other areas are suffering as well.
How can we help in tragic situations? Find what you can do and begin doing it! Some kids have been running lemonade stands, raising thousand of dollars for flood relief. One lady has a ministry cleaning up the toys and stuffed animals recovered from the floods and then placing photos on Facebook so that families can claim treasured mementoes. Others have moved in trailers with showers and washing machines and driers for rescuers. Still others have begun providing clean new socks for those who have been trudging through mud and filthy snake-infested water up to their necks. Many groups are feeding volunteers and some groups are housing them. Even if you can’t do anything else, you can still pray, trusting that God will move people to do His work. What is NOT helpful is criticism and pious codswallop!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to help and comfort those caught in tragedies and not to become part of the problem. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
July 23, 2025 at 12:33 am
Always Good Devotionals!! Thank You! There was a good crowd at the ice cream social! I do not know how much money was raised? God Bless, Martin