Page 82 - Reading Job to Know God

you. If you are righteous, why don’t you do that?

And then in chapter 5:8-27, he says if you are really righteous, Job, why
are you despairing? Come now, Job, you know you are not righteous.
Repent! You see, that is basically his argument. He tries to prove from
these two things that Job is not really righteous because he is caving in.
Job is not righteous because he is complaining. Therefore, he says repent,
Job, and get right with God so that you can be blessed.
Let me give some of the emphases of Eliphaz’ speech and then show how
Job responds to it. Verses 1-11, if you are righteous, why are you folding
under this pressure? You see, Eliphaz is confused. He thought he knew
Job. He is one of Job’s best friends. The tone of Job’s words, the state of
Job’s mind and the attitude that Job is showing seems ungodly to Eliphaz.
Something is wrong. Is this the Job I know? Is this the Job that is my best
friend? Despairing? Despondent? Cursing his birthday? Wishing he
would die? Wishing he was never born?
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, ‘If one ventures a word with
you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from
speaking? ”

The idea is after what you just said in chapter 3, who can shut up? I shut
up for seven days, but I have to speak now.
“Behold you have admonished many, and you have strengthened
weak hands. Your words have helped the tottering to stand, and you
have strengthened feeble knees. But now it has come to you, and you
are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear
of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?”
You see his argument? Job, you were such an instrument of comfort
in the lives of others. You were so skillful in helping other afflicted
people. You helped the tottering to stand and you encouraged those
who had weak knees, but now you are despairing.
You know, before we get too hard on Eliphaz, let me just ask this
question. Wouldn’t you have drawn the same conclusion? Job, apply your
own medicine. You tell others to trust in the Lord. You tell others not to
despair and not to be despondent and in every trial of life just look to the
Lord. You get some trials in your life and you curse your conception. I
would have said exactly what Eliphaz said. I would have told him the
same thing. If you are righteous, he says, you have nothing to fear. Vs. 6,
“Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your
ways your hope? Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
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