Eliphaz Continues Job 5

Job 5:1 "Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?"

Eliphaz is still talking from the last chapter. I should not be too critical of Eliphaz because what he said was important enough to be recorded in the scriptures.

He shows a lot of wisdom in these verses and no doubt he has had many discussions with his friend Job. In the case, however, I think Eliphaz has missed the point and does not know the whole situation. He is dealing with Job as if this was only an individual struggle. It is a test to show Satan that a righteous man can remain faithful even in the most awful circumstances.

v2 "For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one."

He is not giving Job much credit in this chapter. He is putting Job in the category of fools and then goes on to tell him what all happens to a foolish man. In verse 4 he cruelly reminds Job of the loss of his children and indicates it was his fault "His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them."

Then he reminds Job that his crops are being taken by strangers. It also reminds one of the loss of the oxen used to plow and the other animals that were taken in the first chapter. v5 "Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance." In better times, Job would have had people to prevent all this from happening but he is in a helpless state.

As if Job had not already been praying, Eliphaz tells him that if it were him he would seek God in verse 8. 'Look now if it was me...' v8 "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: That is good advice but probably not appropriate now for such a man as Job who must have surely been communing with God all along.

In verse 13 Job's wisdom is attacked. He is a teacher of many and must have been sought after for advice since he was so successful. v13 "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.." I do not believe Job used his wisdom to try to get some advantage. But he is virtually accused of such here.

It goes on and on. Eliphaz is in a accusatory mode and even with his wise words, it seems, he has still missed the jest of Job's situation. I like a lot of what Eliphaz said but if I were Job and had spent my life devoted to God, I would not want to hear all that he said at this time.

In the last verse, Eliphaz takes credit for what he has said. It is based on his great wisdom. "Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good."

Just because Eliphaz has done some research on the problem, does not give him the final say so and does not make it so just because he has spoken it. There is wisdom far beyond that of man.

In the next chapter we will see what Job's response is.

Psalm 88:1-3 "O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave."

Eliphaz continues speaking to Job.