Job 4:3-4 | KingComments | STEP | Job’s outburst in Job 3 gives rise to the following three rounds of discussions between Job and his friends. The friends always speak in the same order, possibly according to age: first Eliphaz, then Bildad and finally Zophar. It is always word and response: 1. first an assessment and condemnation on the part of the friends, 2. upon which a self-justification on the part of Job follows, and all of this in increasingly vehement terms. There’s something really human in all of this. We need to learn how much wisdom and caution we need if we are to speak to people about something we perceive. The friends do not have what the Lord Jesus does have – and what Job also had, according to the testimony of Eliphaz ( ) – and that is the ability to “how to sustain the weary one with a word” ( ). On the contrary, they only increase the grief of Job. They do not know “how delightful … a timely word” is ( ). It is also clear that the friends do not look at Job the way God looks at him. After all, God has repeatedly spoken of the blamelessness of Job. The friends look at Job as people who only see what is before them and connect that with their knowledge of God, i.e. with their own ‘theology’ of how God is. They do not judge the situation on the basis of their relationship with God. Their assessment shows that they do not know Job and that they do not know God. They look for the cause of suffering without knowledge of God nor of Job. Behind the suffering they only see the punishing hand of God. They do not know God’s educating hand. It also shows that they do not know themselves. Through all their ignorance, they add grief to Job’s suffering, instead of comforting him in his suffering. What is always at stake in the disputes is the question of the three friends whether Job really is an upright man or whether he is a hypocrite after all. It is in fact the same question that satan asks God in Job 1 and Job 2 ( ). Broadly speaking, the following can be said of the rounds of discussion: 1. In the first round of conversation (Job 4-14) the friends teach Job about the punitive character of suffering; Job responds to this in despair. --a. Eliphaz describes his own experience of the greatness and righteousness of God. --b. Bildad tells Job the tradition that suffering is retribution. --c. Zophar adheres to the dogma that suffering is the consequence of sins committed. Although the friends start from the same principle, they each have their own characteristic: I. Eliphaz is characterized by dignity, his appeal to God, and a penetrating request to listen to him. II. Bildad appeals to the sober mind and the lessons of history. III. Zophar is characterized by dogmatic severity and impetuosity with which he denounces Job’s (alleged) sins and the explanation of the certain judgment that comes upon them. 2. In the second round of conversation (Job 15-21) the friends express suspicions and accusations; Job goes from despair to hope. 3. In the third round of conversation (Job 22-26) Job silences his friends. But the mystery of suffering remains. An important cause of the difference between the speeches of the friends and those of Job is the difference in their relationship with God. Job is determined to be absolutely honest with God. He tells God everything, every tear, every despair. What matters to him is to maintain his relationship with God. The friends, on the other hand, do not tell God anything. They only speak about Him, never to Him. They don’t speak out of a relationship with God, but rather express their theories about God, theories they cling to as a rigid dogma. Job doesn’t ask for restoration of his prosperity anywhere either. What matters to him is his relationship to God and God’s relationship to him. In the arguments that the three friends have with Job, we see that they are based on the same principle and that is that all suffering is always punitive and never educational and that suffering has to do with the righteousness of God. There is no place in their thoughts for the love of God in relation to suffering. They do not see that these two – righteousness and love – always go together in His ways. When suffering is viewed as they do, there is no regard for the difference between the suffering that the righteous undergoes and that which is the part of the ungodly. Subdivision of the first speech of Eliphaz (Job 4-5) 1. Blaming Job’s despair ( ) 2. God’s favor for the righteous ( ) 3. Vision of God’s greatness and holiness ( ) 4. Experience of God’s ways ( ) 5. Exhortation for Job to seek God ( ) 6. God’s triumph over evil ( ) 7. The use of chastening ( ) Eliphaz the Temanite thinks, after what Job has said, that he can no longer remain silent, and is obliged to speak ( ). He feels compelled to speak and to reply to Job, astonished as he is by his violent reaction to his suffering. He is the main spokesman of the three friends. At each round of conversation, he is the first to take the initiative to speak. We see at the end of the book that the LORD speaks to him as the chief spokesman and His wrath kindles against him ( ). With Eliphaz’s answer, a number of dialogues begin, in which the wounds that have been struck inside Job are pressed more and more painfully. The friends always feel that they have to respond to Job’s complaints, and this in turn triggers a reaction in Job. Eliphaz believes that he must stand up for God’s honor, because in his eyes that honor is violated by what Job says. Unfortunately, his speaking does not impress Job about God. Why is that? Eliphaz has too narrow a view of God’s honor, as if it can only be maintained by exercising utter justice against evil, in which he also believes that cause and effect can be verified by humans after the fact. The first words Eliphaz speaks imply that he is aware that his words and those of his two friends will hurt Job, so much so that he supposes that Job can become impatient ( ). It is a curious beginning for someone who has come to comfort after all ( ). But, as he justifies himself, he cannot do otherwise. He must speak. He immediately takes a stand and points out to Job that he used to admonish others who suffered misfortune how to deal with them ( ). Through these admonitions, he has given strength to the suffering, he has strengthened their “weak hands”. His words have “strengthened feeble knees” ( ). Job – unlike his friends, as will be shown – knew how to speak a word to the weary at the right time. As a result, those weary ones were able to move on. But now look at Job, now that he himself is in misery ( ). Now there is nothing left of all this advice to others. He succumbs to the disasters that have befallen him. Now fate has struck him, he is in despair. Where are his uplifting words that he had for others? Eliphaz claims that one might expect that Job, who used to be able to encourage others who were in trial, would now address the words spoken earlier to himself (cf. ). What Eliphaz says is partly true, but the reason lies not only in the disasters that have struck Job. The cause lies deeper, namely that Job presupposes that God is his adversary ( ). There is also a reproach in what Eliphaz says. This reproach is that Job, who has taught another, does not teach himself ( ). We miss a word of comfort in the words of this friend. Grace teaches us to weep with those who weep and to empathize with the afflicted ( ). Job has, as the case may be ( ), called to the same thing the writer of the letter to the Hebrews calls upon the Hebrew believers to do ( ). In this we may follow Job. He has taken his time for it, although he must have been a busy man.

‏ Job 4:3-4

Introduction

Job’s outburst in Job 3 gives rise to the following three rounds of discussions between Job and his friends. The friends always speak in the same order, possibly according to age: first Eliphaz, then Bildad and finally Zophar. It is always word and response:

1. first an assessment and condemnation on the part of the friends,

2. upon which a self-justification on the part of Job follows,

and all of this in increasingly vehement terms.

There’s something really human in all of this. We need to learn how much wisdom and caution we need if we are to speak to people about something we perceive. The friends do not have what the Lord Jesus does have – and what Job also had, according to the testimony of Eliphaz (Job 4:3-4) – and that is the ability to “how to sustain the weary one with a word” (Isa 50:4). On the contrary, they only increase the grief of Job. They do not know “how delightful … a timely word” is (Pro 15:23b).

It is also clear that the friends do not look at Job the way God looks at him. After all, God has repeatedly spoken of the blamelessness of Job. The friends look at Job as people who only see what is before them and connect that with their knowledge of God, i.e. with their own ‘theology’ of how God is. They do not judge the situation on the basis of their relationship with God.

Their assessment shows that they do not know Job and that they do not know God. They look for the cause of suffering without knowledge of God nor of Job. Behind the suffering they only see the punishing hand of God. They do not know God’s educating hand. It also shows that they do not know themselves. Through all their ignorance, they add grief to Job’s suffering, instead of comforting him in his suffering.

What is always at stake in the disputes is the question of the three friends whether Job really is an upright man or whether he is a hypocrite after all. It is in fact the same question that satan asks God in Job 1 and Job 2 (Job 1:9 ; Job 2:4-5).

Broadly speaking, the following can be said of the rounds of discussion:

1. In the first round of conversation (Job 4-14) the friends teach Job about the punitive character of suffering; Job responds to this in despair.

--a. Eliphaz describes his own experience of the greatness and righteousness of God.

--b. Bildad tells Job the tradition that suffering is retribution.

--c. Zophar adheres to the dogma that suffering is the consequence of sins committed.

Although the friends start from the same principle, they each have their own characteristic:

I. Eliphaz is characterized by dignity, his appeal to God, and a penetrating request to listen to him.

II. Bildad appeals to the sober mind and the lessons of history.

III. Zophar is characterized by dogmatic severity and impetuosity with which he denounces Job’s (alleged) sins and the explanation of the certain judgment that comes upon them.

2. In the second round of conversation (Job 15-21) the friends express suspicions and accusations; Job goes from despair to hope.

3. In the third round of conversation (Job 22-26) Job silences his friends. But the mystery of suffering remains.

An important cause of the difference between the speeches of the friends and those of Job is the difference in their relationship with God. Job is determined to be absolutely honest with God. He tells God everything, every tear, every despair. What matters to him is to maintain his relationship with God. The friends, on the other hand, do not tell God anything. They only speak about Him, never to Him. They don’t speak out of a relationship with God, but rather express their theories about God, theories they cling to as a rigid dogma. Job doesn’t ask for restoration of his prosperity anywhere either. What matters to him is his relationship to God and God’s relationship to him.

In the arguments that the three friends have with Job, we see that they are based on the same principle and that is that all suffering is always punitive and never educational and that suffering has to do with the righteousness of God. There is no place in their thoughts for the love of God in relation to suffering. They do not see that these two – righteousness and love – always go together in His ways. When suffering is viewed as they do, there is no regard for the difference between the suffering that the righteous undergoes and that which is the part of the ungodly.

Subdivision of the first speech of Eliphaz (Job 4-5)

1. Blaming Job’s despair (Job 4:1-5)

2. God’s favor for the righteous (Job 4:6-11)

3. Vision of God’s greatness and holiness (Job 4:12-21)

4. Experience of God’s ways (Job 5:1-5)

5. Exhortation for Job to seek God (Job 5:6-11)

6. God’s triumph over evil (Job 5:12-16)

7. The use of chastening (Job 5:17-27)

Eliphaz Blames Job for His Despair

Eliphaz the Temanite thinks, after what Job has said, that he can no longer remain silent, and is obliged to speak (Job 4:1). He feels compelled to speak and to reply to Job, astonished as he is by his violent reaction to his suffering. He is the main spokesman of the three friends. At each round of conversation, he is the first to take the initiative to speak. We see at the end of the book that the LORD speaks to him as the chief spokesman and His wrath kindles against him (Job 42:7).

With Eliphaz’s answer, a number of dialogues begin, in which the wounds that have been struck inside Job are pressed more and more painfully. The friends always feel that they have to respond to Job’s complaints, and this in turn triggers a reaction in Job.

Eliphaz believes that he must stand up for God’s honor, because in his eyes that honor is violated by what Job says. Unfortunately, his speaking does not impress Job about God. Why is that? Eliphaz has too narrow a view of God’s honor, as if it can only be maintained by exercising utter justice against evil, in which he also believes that cause and effect can be verified by humans after the fact.

The first words Eliphaz speaks imply that he is aware that his words and those of his two friends will hurt Job, so much so that he supposes that Job can become impatient (Job 4:2). It is a curious beginning for someone who has come to comfort after all (Job 2:11). But, as he justifies himself, he cannot do otherwise. He must speak.

He immediately takes a stand and points out to Job that he used to admonish others who suffered misfortune how to deal with them (Job 4:3). Through these admonitions, he has given strength to the suffering, he has strengthened their “weak hands”. His words have “strengthened feeble knees” (Job 4:4). Job – unlike his friends, as will be shown – knew how to speak a word to the weary at the right time. As a result, those weary ones were able to move on.

But now look at Job, now that he himself is in misery (Job 4:5). Now there is nothing left of all this advice to others. He succumbs to the disasters that have befallen him. Now fate has struck him, he is in despair. Where are his uplifting words that he had for others? Eliphaz claims that one might expect that Job, who used to be able to encourage others who were in trial, would now address the words spoken earlier to himself (cf. Lk 4:23).

What Eliphaz says is partly true, but the reason lies not only in the disasters that have struck Job. The cause lies deeper, namely that Job presupposes that God is his adversary (Job 3:20 ; 23). There is also a reproach in what Eliphaz says. This reproach is that Job, who has taught another, does not teach himself (Rom 2:21).

We miss a word of comfort in the words of this friend. Grace teaches us to weep with those who weep and to empathize with the afflicted (Rom 12:15). Job has, as the case may be (Job 4:4), called to the same thing the writer of the letter to the Hebrews calls upon the Hebrew believers to do (Heb 12:12-13). In this we may follow Job. He has taken his time for it, although he must have been a busy man.