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Eliphaz Continues
Call Out for Help
1Job, call out for help
and see if an angel comes!
2Envy and jealousy
will kill a stupid fool.
3I have seen fools take root.
But God sends a curse,
suddenly uprooting them
4and leaving their children
helpless in court.
5Then hungry and greedy people
gobble up their crops
and grab their wealth.
6Our suffering isn't caused
by the failure of crops;
7it's all part of life,
like sparks shooting skyward.
8Job, if I were you,
I would ask God for help.
9 His miracles are marvelous,
more than we can count.
10God sends showers on earth
and waters the fields.
11He protects the sorrowful
and lifts up those
who have been disgraced.
* 12God swiftly traps the wicked
13 in their own evil schemes,
and their wisdom fails.
14Darkness is their only companion,
hiding their path at noon.
15God rescues the needy
from the words of the wicked
and the fist of the mighty.
16The poor are filled with hope,
and injustice is silenced.
Consider Yourself Fortunate
17 Consider yourself fortunate
if God All-Powerful
chooses to correct you.
18 He may cause injury and pain,
but he will bandage and heal
your cuts and bruises.
19God will protect you from harm,
no matter how often
trouble may strike.
20In times of war and famine,
God will keep you safe.
21You will be sheltered,
without fear of hurtful words
or any other weapon.
22You will laugh at the threat
of destruction and famine.
And you won't be afraid
of wild animals—
23they will no longer be fierce,
and your rocky fields
will become friendly.
24Your home will be secure,
and your sheep will be safe.
25You will have more descendants
than there are blades of grass
on the face of the earth.
26You will live a very long life,
and your body will be strong
until the day you die.
27Our experience has proven
these things to be true,
so listen and learn.
Reflect
Ah, if only Eliphaz had remained silent! Or just listened! Then he might have given genuine comfort. But Eliphaz came from Teman, a city known as a place of wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7), and the desire to show off his “wisdom” was too strong. He has sacrificed his initial compassion in order to hold on to his understanding that suffering is the direct result of sin.
And now he reinforces his argument by implying that Job is a fool—the foolish man being the opposite of a wise man. He insists that if Job will simply admit that his suffering is God’s punishment for his sin, rather than denying it, God will certainly give him back all the material blessings he lost because of his sin.
Eliphaz does make some true statements:
- It’s true that suffering is common to humanity.
- It’s true that suffering can be the result of our own actions.
- It’s true that suffering can be God’s opportunity for correction.
What’s not true is the application to Job’s situation.
How easy it is for us to make statements which may be true in general but when applied to a specific circumstance, become false. That’s when our wisdom becomes folly and we play the familiar game of blaming the victim.
When we do that, we dismiss the person and their pain in favour of spouting our supposedly wise beliefs. In truth, we become the foolish ones.
Can we hear ourselves as we interact with someone in pain: someone who has lost a child, a spouse, their health, their job? Do our words of general truth become false accusations? It’s so easy to become another Eliphaz and make statements that place the responsibility for suffering on the sufferer.
Respond
God of grace, giver of life and restorer of souls, make me aware today of any way my strongly held beliefs could become false accusations – and then give me the grace to shut my mouth! Amen
Lynn Smith
Lynn served Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto as Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Development where leadership development became the focus of her involvement with students. After retiring, she co-founded NextLEVEL Leadership, an International organization focused on encouraging Christian women to develop in their leadership roles in the marketplace, profession or ministry. Her passion for seeing others grow in their leadership confidence has inspired her to teach and mentor wherever God calls. Publications: Gender or Giftedness: a Challenge to rethink the basis for leadership within the Faith Community; Mentoring: Leaving a Legacy; Fred's Not Here - Living with Alzheimer Disease takes Courage