October 4, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 15 (NIV)
Eliphaz
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2“Would a wise person answer with empty notions
or fill their belly with the hot east wind?
3 Would they argue with useless words,
with speeches that have no value?…..Continue Reading
Is Eliphaz a friend. He doesn`t sound like any friend we would like to have. Again he is making the wrong assumptions about Job. He is questioning Job`s wisdom for he is saying that a wise man would not be speaking as Job is. He is accusing Job of vain knowledge and is like the east wind. That he restrainest prayer before God. That his mouth is full of sin and his tongue is crafty and that his own lips testify against himself. That Eliphaz and the grayheaded and the very aged men are wiser than Job so he should listen to all them and confess his sins. Then he goes on and says Job is a wicked man. How arrogant is this man Eliphaz that he is so sure that he is right about Job that he can`t even take the log out of his own eye before judging Job. Eliphaz is full of his own sins like pride, selfrighteousness, all knowing, judgemental attitude, hypocritical, etc. And who knows what else. But God knows. God bless us as we continue to learn.
Job 15
Job 9
When Eliphaz says Job’s own lips testify against himself, it reminds me of people who I’ve interacted with who accuse those who are suffering based on how they act while they’re suffering. Their mentality is they deserved whatever they suffered because of how they’re reacting to it now. But now I see the fallacy in that kind of thinking.
If God is truly just in punishing people according to the sins they’ve committed, wouldn’t it be unfair to give punishment based on sins that haven’t been committed yet? Can true justice be acted out proactively?
Job’s “friends” are grasping at straws to try and find a way for Job to have deserved what happened to him. Though one of the main themes of this book is that sometimes bad things just happen to people even when they don’t deserve it.
I cannot believe the lack of compassion and understanding these “friends” of Job have. They have a preconceived notion about what has happened (God blesses the righteous and curses the unrighteous, so if you are cursed, then you must be unrighteous) rather then really listening to Job and hearing his torment as well as his seeking God and affirming some measure of faith in Him. And to turn those same words back on the person who is suffering is pretty heartless as well as listing all the things that happens to evil people as if Job is one of them. It is just a reminder to make sure we really listen to people and consider the full counsel of God as we minister to people rather than coming in with presumption and thereby speak our version of truth to them rather than God’s.
Job 15
These 3 men. Not friends are now in the category of. Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. They have all the answers and are in love with themselves for being so full of wisdom. It’s no longer about jobs suffering it’s about who is the smartest and most holy
These friends are being so rough on Job assuming the only way he wound up in this place is some sinful offense that he refuses to admit and repent for. However, we have a lesson to be learned in these chapters as a result of these wrongful attitudes toward Job.
It shows us we should never jumpo to conclusions about someones situation, we should always consult God especially before we decide to provide counsel, and that we need to always take into account God’s perfect plan that our narrow minds can’t always understand.
I suppose these lessons for us are also at the expense of Job but that is just anothe rexample of God bringing good out of a bad situation.
I was thinking the same thing, Kelly, we should not jump to conclusions or jump to judgment.
It is hard to read Job because here in the NT, believers would never stand on righteousness. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8 I may find myself jumping the same conclusions as Job’s friends! It is the judgement and conclusions where they err. Have you ever had someone accuse you of thinking something that you didn’t think? Of being something that you aren’t? (This happens all the times nowadays….accusations fly…..racist, bigot, homophobe….) This is the same. They are accusing Job of sin that they have not witnessed based on the “consequences” of Job’s suffering.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. These are wise words. When a friend is down and out, it is always best to support and encourage, not criticize and tear down.
Job 15