Job 5:9 | KingComments | STEP | Eliphaz returns to his theme of the general principle of sowing and reaping ( ; ). What appears above the ground is the result of what has been sown. Grief and trouble are not isolated events. It is not a coincidence when a human being is affected by them. As soon as a human being is born, trouble is his part. His troubles do not come out of nowhere. According to the theology of Eliphaz, Job should not attribute his suffering to coincidence or bad luck or something like that. Job has to look for a negative cause of his negative experience. According to Eliphaz’s reasoning, there must be sin underlying Job’s suffering. However, Eliphaz also sees that suffering is part of our earthly existence. “Man is born for trouble” ( ). This observation is correct. As born under sin, nothing but trouble can be his part. We sin because we are sinners and we must bear the consequences ( ). Those consequences are far from pleasant. But we may know that the Lord Jesus said: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” ( ). We may also take to heart the admonition that the Lord disciplines whom He loves ( ; ). Eliphaz’s advice to Job is to seek God and present his situation to Him ( ). It is good to point out to people that they should submit their affairs to God in confidence that He knows best what is right ( ; ). But in this case, where Job is accused of causing his suffering through hidden sins, such advice only arouses resistance. It also has to do with Eliphaz saying what he himself would do if he were Job. If he were Job, he would not expect assistance from anyone ( ) and would address his words directly to God and certainly not accuse Him. But Eliphaz is not Job, and certainly he is not in Job’s circumstances. What does he know about the enormous loss and the deep sorrow of Job and his great questions as to why? It is always dangerous to say what you would do if you were in the other person’s shoes, because you don’t know how you yourself would react if really happened to you what happened to the other person. To reinforce his argument, Eliphaz describes the greatness of God through the words of . God “does great and unsearchable things”. That’s why it takes an eternity to see more and more of that and to admire Him more and more. Eliphaz says this to show Job that he can’t check out God in His actions after all. It is best for him to take his rightful place toward Him, the Almighty and Unfathomable, by acknowledging his guilt and confessing his rebellion against Him. If Eliphaz himself had believed in the true words he says about God, he would have remained silent and sought God himself. God is “the God Who works wonders” ( ). Eliphaz places the greatness of God before Job, so that Job may understand how great God is and how small he himself is. But Eliphaz does not see that God is also working wonders in the life of Job. He is blind to God’s wonders in His reign, wonders at which we can only marvel. Eliphaz says to Job, as it were, that he, Job, does not understand God’s dealings with him, but that he, Eliphaz, does understand God’s dealings with Job. In Eliphaz mentions some of those unsearchable things and wonders from which God’s reign and power are evident. He points to the rain that God gives ( ). God sends rain and water as blessing. We often see rain as something very ordinary, but if we look closely at how it originates and what it does, we see that it is a great work of God’s power and goodness ( ; ). It is a work of nature for the benefit of the earth and the fields. This is also how God works in the world of man. He is concerned with the lowly and the mourning ( ). He gives the lowly a high place ( ). He also has a special place for the mourners. He lifts them “to safety”. If Job takes this attitude toward God, he will experience what Eliphaz tells him.

‏ Job 5:9

Exhortation for Job to Seek God

Eliphaz returns to his theme of the general principle of sowing and reaping (Job 5:6; Job 4:8). What appears above the ground is the result of what has been sown. Grief and trouble are not isolated events. It is not a coincidence when a human being is affected by them. As soon as a human being is born, trouble is his part. His troubles do not come out of nowhere. According to the theology of Eliphaz, Job should not attribute his suffering to coincidence or bad luck or something like that. Job has to look for a negative cause of his negative experience. According to Eliphaz’s reasoning, there must be sin underlying Job’s suffering.

However, Eliphaz also sees that suffering is part of our earthly existence. “Man is born for trouble” (Job 5:7). This observation is correct. As born under sin, nothing but trouble can be his part. We sin because we are sinners and we must bear the consequences (Gen 3:17-19). Those consequences are far from pleasant. But we may know that the Lord Jesus said: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). We may also take to heart the admonition that the Lord disciplines whom He loves (Heb 12:5-11; Rev 3:19).

Eliphaz’s advice to Job is to seek God and present his situation to Him (Job 5:8). It is good to point out to people that they should submit their affairs to God in confidence that He knows best what is right (Psa 62:8; 1Pet 5:7). But in this case, where Job is accused of causing his suffering through hidden sins, such advice only arouses resistance. It also has to do with Eliphaz saying what he himself would do if he were Job. If he were Job, he would not expect assistance from anyone (Job 5:1) and would address his words directly to God and certainly not accuse Him.

But Eliphaz is not Job, and certainly he is not in Job’s circumstances. What does he know about the enormous loss and the deep sorrow of Job and his great questions as to why? It is always dangerous to say what you would do if you were in the other person’s shoes, because you don’t know how you yourself would react if really happened to you what happened to the other person.

To reinforce his argument, Eliphaz describes the greatness of God through the words of Job 5:9. God “does great and unsearchable things”. That’s why it takes an eternity to see more and more of that and to admire Him more and more. Eliphaz says this to show Job that he can’t check out God in His actions after all. It is best for him to take his rightful place toward Him, the Almighty and Unfathomable, by acknowledging his guilt and confessing his rebellion against Him.

If Eliphaz himself had believed in the true words he says about God, he would have remained silent and sought God himself. God is “the God Who works wonders” (Psa 77:14). Eliphaz places the greatness of God before Job, so that Job may understand how great God is and how small he himself is. But Eliphaz does not see that God is also working wonders in the life of Job. He is blind to God’s wonders in His reign, wonders at which we can only marvel. Eliphaz says to Job, as it were, that he, Job, does not understand God’s dealings with him, but that he, Eliphaz, does understand God’s dealings with Job.

In Job 5:10-11 Eliphaz mentions some of those unsearchable things and wonders from which God’s reign and power are evident. He points to the rain that God gives (Job 5:10). God sends rain and water as blessing. We often see rain as something very ordinary, but if we look closely at how it originates and what it does, we see that it is a great work of God’s power and goodness (Mt 5:45; Acts 14:17). It is a work of nature for the benefit of the earth and the fields.

This is also how God works in the world of man. He is concerned with the lowly and the mourning (Job 5:11). He gives the lowly a high place (Lk 1:52b). He also has a special place for the mourners. He lifts them “to safety”. If Job takes this attitude toward God, he will experience what Eliphaz tells him.