John Brown Job 4-5 Eliphaz Relying on Experience I. F. Job 5:1-3 (NKJV) "Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 For wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays a simple one. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 1. More truth mixed with lies. a) Wrath and envy does kill, but again Eliphaz kills Job's hope with the lie that there is no one to hear and answer him when he call out for help! b) Eliphaz is classifying Job among the "foolish" because he believes that he has sinned against God secretly. G. Job 5:4-7 His sons are far from safety, They are crushed in the gate, And [there] [is] no deliverer. 5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest, Taking it even from the thorns, And a snare snatches their substance. 6 For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground; 7 Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward. 1. There is surely truth to this. a) Mankind, even God's kids, are not immune to human suffering. (1) The Hebrew word for "man" means "the miserable." (2) And our English word "sympathy" means "to suffer together." (a) That was not God's hope for us, but it is part of the curse from the fall! (b) But because our Lord is so wonderful, knowing that mankind would suffer, he uses it for good in the life of those who follow Him. (i) James 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. b) the sparks fly upward because of the principle of thermodynamics. (1) It is a law of nature, not an accident! (2) The plight of mankind is likewise not an accident. (a) It was chosen at the Garden! H. Job 5:8-16 "But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause-- 9 Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. 10 He gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields. 11 He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. 13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night. 15 But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand. 16 So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. 1. Eliphaz is a `self-righteous fool." a) He has told Job that there is no one who will hear him (Job) if he cries out "But as for him, he would seek God, And to God he would commit his cause- (1) And of course God would hear him because he was not a sinner! I. Job 5:17 (NKJV) "Behold, happy [is] the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 1. This is also true but Eliphaz is "whipping" Job with it, not encouraging him with it! J. Job 5:18-26 (NKJV) For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. 19 He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you. 20 In famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. 21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. 22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 24 You shall know that your tent [is] in peace; You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. 25 You shall also know that your descendants [shall] [be] many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. 26 You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. 1. In these verses, Eliphaz gives us situations in which the Lord will redeem His children, and once again it is a mixture of truth and lies. a) Verse 18 gives a beautiful picture of caring Father that although suffering is part of His plan, he is there right beside us! b) But, Christians do die from famine, and war, and wild beasts and people's tongues! c) And then almost as if to taunt Job, Eliphaz "prophesizes" a prosperous future for Job and death at an old age! (1) But of course this is predicated upon Job admitting that he has secretly sinned against the Lord and asking for His forgiveness. III. A. We must be careful of psychoanalyzing everyone, but not looking into our own hearts! B. We must all be careful that the counsel we give is Godly! 1. Sin is not always the reason for the suffering! C. Not all "spirits" are holy! 1. 2 Corinthians 11:13 (NKJV) For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore [it] [is] no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2. That is why God's children must walk by faith in what they know to be true and not in their "feelings." D. And lastly, just because something is "true" doesn't mean it is Godly or righteous! 1. satan love to quote the truth, but if we "kill the patient" that is not God's way! 2. Christians can rip each other to shreds with the "truth".