Job 4:1–5:27 Eliphaz’s Opening Rebuke of Job

 ¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

²“If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?

But who can withhold himself from speaking?

³Surely you have instructed many,

And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

And you have strengthened the feeble knees;

⁵But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;

It touches you, and you are troubled.

⁶Is not your reverence your confidence?

And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?

Or where were the upright ever cut off?

⁸Even as I have seen,

Those who plow iniquity

And sow trouble reap the same.

⁹By the blast of God they perish,

And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.

¹⁰The roaring of the lion,

The voice of the fierce lion,

And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹The old lion perishes for lack of prey,

And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²“Now a word was secretly brought to me,

And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,

When deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴Fear came upon me, and trembling,

Which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face;

The hair on my body stood up.

¹⁶It stood still,

But I could not discern its appearance.

A form was before my eyes;

There was silence;

Then I heard a voice saying:

¹⁷‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?

Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸If He puts no trust in His servants,

If He charges His angels with error,

¹⁹How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,

Whose foundation is in the dust,

Who are crushed before a moth?

²⁰They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;

They perish forever, with no one regarding.

²¹Does not their own excellence go away?

They die, even without wisdom.’

¹“Call out now;

Is there anyone who will answer you?

And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

²For wrath kills a foolish man,

And envy slays a simple one.

³I have seen the foolish taking root,

But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

⁴His sons are far from safety,

They are crushed in the gate,

And there is no deliverer.

⁵Because the hungry eat up his harvest,

Taking it even from the thorns,

And a snare snatches their substance.

⁶For affliction does not come from the dust,

Nor does trouble spring from the ground;

⁷Yet man is born to trouble,

As the sparks fly upward.

⁸“But as for me, I would seek God,

And to God I would commit my cause—

⁹Who does great things, and unsearchable,

Marvelous things without number.

¹⁰He gives rain on the earth,

And sends waters on the fields.

¹¹He sets on high those who are lowly,

And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

¹²He frustrates the devices of the crafty,

So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.

¹³He catches the wise in their own craftiness,

And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the daytime,

And grope at noontime as in the night.

¹⁵But He saves the needy from the sword,

From the mouth of the mighty,

And from their hand.

¹⁶So the poor have hope,

And injustice shuts her mouth.

¹⁷“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;

Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

¹⁸For He bruises, but He binds up;

He wounds, but His hands make whole.

¹⁹He shall deliver you in six troubles,

Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.

²⁰In famine He shall redeem you from death,

And in war from the power of the sword.

²¹You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,

And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

²²You shall laugh at destruction and famine,

And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

²³For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,

And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

²⁴You shall know that your tent is in peace;

You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.

²⁵You shall also know that your descendants shall be many,

And your offspring like the grass of the earth.

²⁶You shall come to the grave at a full age,

As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.

²⁷Behold, this we have searched out;

It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Preamble: Eliphaz is now the first to Job’s friends to speak after their week-long silence and Job’s less than noble outpouring of his great misery and grief in chapter three. Now after reading and considering chapter three, you may have been shocked (or felt quite disturbed) as I did when you read Eliphaz’s response to his deeply wounded friend, the shear coldness and callousness of him. And so let us look at Eliphaz’s less than comforting words to his friend Job to try to understand him.

Commentary

4:1-2 ¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

²“If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary?

But who can withhold himself from speaking?

Eliphaz’s opening remarks to Job are the words of man who is greatly annoyed and frustrated with Job. For in Eliphaz’s eyes Job has crossed an unwritten boundary in opening his heart and venting all his feelings the way he did. Thus Eliphaz, opening statement to Job is, “If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?” Eliphaz than has not been moved by Job’s great outpouring to any sort of compassion for him, but only frustration and anger at him; and yet even if we don't understand another's venting their feelings, we should at the very least seek to guard our own words and feelings when responding to them, even if the person needs to be rebuked. Eliphaz though has little patience for Job and his "venting" his feelings in such a undignified manner. Indeed Eliphaz describes himself as being weariful from hearing all of Job’s words, words which Eliphaz now feels compelled to rebuke. 

4:3-5 ³Surely you have instructed many,

And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

And you have strengthened the feeble knees;

⁵But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;

It touches you, and you are troubled.

Eliphaz thus begins by reminding Job that he was once a wise counselor, a man who taught and instructed others on how to conduct themselves; that by his words Job strengthened weak hands and upheld those who were stumbling, that his words gave strength to feeble knees, all which are metaphors for giving good and uplifting counsel and instruction to others in their troubles. “But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; It touches you, and you are troubled.” Eliphaz's lack of empathy is clearly revealed by his cold and contemptuous statement to Job. For he could "empathize" with Job when Job was silent but when Job spoke out his true nature came out. Again by saying as much to Job Eliphaz now completely disavows all that Job has lost and is going through, for it is clear the man has little patience for those who “fall apart” and lose their composure, regardless of the things and circumstances that has brought them to that point. And so Eliphaz instead of comforting, Job here only offers him a scornful rebuke.

4:6-8 ⁶Is not your reverence your confidence?

And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?

Or where were the upright ever cut off?

⁸Even as I have seen,

Those who plow iniquity

And sow trouble reap the same.

By making that assertion, Eliphaz sees Job’s falling apart as only being born out of Job's own reverence and integrity as having completely fallen apart. That Job had only been trusting in his own reverence and integrity; as if Job was some kind of smug self assured arrogant man who now that trouble has found him has become completely unglued, this though does not recall all of Job’s noble responses to his loses. And so, none of which Eliphaz said is true of Job, and seems more like Eliphaz to me (vs. 6). Eliphaz then points to a “universal truth” that must have been held by Job and his friends that the innocent and upright people are never cut off, or tragically perish as has befallen Job's children. Indeed, Eliphaz is quite sure that those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. Which can only be true if you look at people through the arrogant lens that one’s suffering as always being of one’s own making. Thus, Eliphaz’s outlook on life leaves no room for ambiguity, and even less for compassion for those who are visited by unexplained tragedy and evil in their lives; (therefore consider what the Lord Jesus says in Luke 13:1-5 before you get up on your high horse and look down on others in theirs), and yet in his eyes the answer must always be they did something to deserve it. This then will be not just be his own outlook, but also Job’s friends with him, who will also express similar points of view. Now there are clearly sowing and reaping principals which the Bible expounds everywhere in the Word of God (Gal. 6:7), but what Eliphaz and Job’s others friends will continually fail to see is that these are not always at play when one observes another’s sufferings and tragedies. For what did Job do to deserve all of the tragedy and loss and pain and suffering that has now befallen him? And yet they will insist on this, that Job has earned what he has gotten, and so they will all go on condemning Job in the strongest of terms so as to validate their own understandings of his suffering such horrible tragedy and loss. Which itself is deserving of some grave and great punishment. 

4:9 By the blast of God they perish,

And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.

Eliphaz so confident in his outlook that he now makes the great mistake of declaring God’s Judgment upon His righteous servant Job. Now we know that God was not the author of Job’s troubles, Satan was. By saying such things Eliphaz then is only making God out to be completely heartless and always desiring to punish, as if He stands over us all with a hammer waiting to strike us when we falter and fail, for he say’s, “By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.” Now if that were true of God there would be no sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ by Him to save us all who believe in Him (John 3:16). For God always wants to show mercy, always stives to find away to save people from His Judgment just as He did for the people of Nineveh, Israel’s arch enemies, even when Jonah only stubbornly wanted their judgment (see Jonah 3:10-4:11).

4:10-11 ¹⁰The roaring of the lion,

The voice of the fierce lion,

And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹The old lion perishes for lack of prey,

And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

Now to try to add validity to his claim, (or sound wise and understanding), Eliphaz will use a bunch of metaphors that basically describes God as breaking out the teeth of young strong lions and scattering their young, even causing the old lion to perish for lack of prey. This then is a very cruel slight of Job and his children as all having come under the judgment of God. Now in the Bible lions can be a metaphor for wicked people. And yet Job has done no wrong, so how does his “theology” apply to him?

4:12-21 ¹²“Now a word was secretly brought to me,

And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,

When deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴Fear came upon me, and trembling,

Which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face;

The hair on my body stood up.

¹⁶It stood still,

But I could not discern its appearance.

A form was before my eyes;

There was silence;

Then I heard a voice saying:

¹⁷‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?

Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸If He puts no trust in His servants,

If He charges His angels with error,

¹⁹How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,

Whose foundation is in the dust,

Who are crushed before a moth?

²⁰They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;

They perish forever, with no one regarding.

²¹Does not their own excellence go away?

They die, even without wisdom.’

Eliphaz now reveals a dream (or vision) that he had in the late night when he was visited by an angelic being. Now according to his own words his encounter with it brought about great fear to him, making him tremble and shake as it passed before his face (vs. 12-15). And yet Eliphaz could not discern its form (vs. 16), which for me is the first red flag since all angelic beings sent by God to any of his people were always discernable in their form and appearances. From Daniel in the O.T. and Joseph and Mary in the New, God’s angels always made themselves clearly known to the ones they visited. Having thus appeared to Eliphaz in some undistinguishable form this angelic being (which very well might have been Satan or one of his own), the spirit begins by asking Eliphaz a question; which for me is red flag number two, for this is the same tactic that Satan used to lure Eve into taking of the fruit from the tree of life, by asking a question that was meant to arouse ones pride and thus provoke a response. For again, when God’s angels’ visited people in the Bible, they didn’t ask them for their opinions, they came to them with His Word. Now as to the spirit’s question: It thus asks Eliphaz, “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? (vs. 17) A very subtle and yet arousing question clearly meant to stir up Eliphaz suspicions and anger against his friend Job. For such a question does not need answering, since we all know the answer is no, and yet at no time did Job ever claim to be more righteous than God, or act like he was more righteous than God. Therefore, it is only a question meant to invoke a response from him, to arose Eliphaz’s wrath and awaken his pride against his friend Job. This is so very clear to me when we read Eliphaz’ very bold and blatant condemnation of Job after recalling this encounter. The spirit then goes on to describe God in ways that are not appropriate for Him, which for me is red flag number three, saying of God,

“If He puts no trust in His servants,

If He charges His angels with error,

¹⁹How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,

Whose foundation is in the dust,

Who are crushed before a moth?

²⁰They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;

They perish forever, with no one regarding.

²¹Does not their own excellence go away?

They die, even without wisdom.’ ^{Vs. 18-21}

Now that view of God is clearly demonic, for it reflects more of Satan’s attitude towards our great God and Lord and Savior than any of God’s angels, or even any of us His saints would ever make. For in it  the Lord God is only made out to be some kind of heartless tyrant who trusts no one and indiscriminately crushes people like moths, and yet only demon could see God in that light. As well it makes the Lord God out to be a Person who does not trust His angels in heaven; but rather it says He dispenses of them with a whim; and so reasons the spirit how much more mortal men who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is dust, who are only crushed like a moth by Him is the implication, thus God has cast Job away is the implication being presented to Eliphaz who himself will shallow it all up. It's so sickening to see the Lord God so mispresented like that by it. But the whole point by it is turn Eliphaz on Job, to awaken and arouse of all of his prideful prejudices and thus unleash him on Job. Now as for God trusting no one, from the beginning He trusted Adam and Eve, and even though they they let Him down, He did not abandon them and crush them like moths, instead He sought out a means for their and our redemption from sin and death, and in this He entrusted His Son and Servant Jesus with all of our salvation. Therefore, if a spirit speaks to you like that one does, don’t listen to it! The spirit then goes onto describe all of us mortals created in God’s Image as only being houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust; to which I say again our foundation is in being created in God’s Image, our form came through dust, not our persons. The spirit then goes onto describe humanity under God’s care and watch as only being crushed like a moth, and broken in pieces from morning till evening, saying we as people perish forever with no one regarding. Again, if our great God and Savior so regarded us like that why would He suffer and die on the Cross for us all. Therefore, that spirits view of God seems more like a demon angel’s outlook on Him and life itself than anything coming from our God and Savior. The spirit’s finial words to Eliphaz then are really provocative, for they will now give Eliphaz’s already jaded outlook, a full justification for his condemning Job, by now describing Job as having lost all of his excellence as the judgment of God on Job; saying that they die, even without wisdom. Meaning Job having lost all his glory; all his preeminence; is now just a fool destined to die as such. Which is the finial red flag for me, because it was God Himself who first pointed out Job to Satan out of all the men on earth as an example of Godly excellence, saying: “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ^{Job 1:8} And even after Job lost everything, including his own health at the hand of Satan (but not knowing who had done all of this to him), he still refused to curse God and die as his wife counselled him, for he said to her: “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. ^{Job 2:10} Therefore, if nothing else has changed about Job’s person and his integrity how then could God now send a spirit to Eliphaz and declare him as a fool destined to die as such. Therefore, the spirit that appeared to Eliphaz was not sent by God to him, rather it was a demonic spirit, or maybe even Satan himself, who having planted the seed in Eliphaz’s thoughts of Job’s demise and ruin as coming from the hand of God, will now sit back and watch as Eliphaz will now go on a crusade of condemnation against his friend, the blameless and upright Job. Instead, Eliphaz should’ve been on a mission of comfort and consoling and mercy towards Job. Of trying to understand what it is God was doing and going to do. But that is what self-righteous envy and jealous does, it looks for the opportunity to condemn the one, or rejoice in the fall of the one, they are so envious of. Which leads us to chapter five where Eliphaz now emboldened by that spirit that appeared to him, will (along with his friends who will follow him) now go on to callously and continually try to accuse the blameless and upright Job of things which he has never done. 

5:1-2 ¹“Call out now;

Is there anyone who will answer you?

And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

²For wrath kills a foolish man,

And envy slays a simple one.

Eliphaz’ having recalled his being visited by a spirit; which he believes came from God; but clearly didn’t, and thus with his being “informed” by it that Job is a basically a fool and destined to die as such, (and thus is now reaping all he has sown, or as we will see all that Eliphaz and his friends think that he has sown), Eliphaz cannot contain himself, but now lays into Job with all of the self-righteous zeal that he can muster, saying to him, “Call out now;

Is there anyone who will answer you?

And to which of the holy ones will you turn?”

In Eliphaz’s eyes then Job has been already been condemned, Job then now has no one not even a holy one he can now turn to. Think about the implication of what Eliphaz is saying to Job, for that is the real folly, it is with him, not with Job. And so with one in heaven to appeal to; for Eliphaz’s eyes God has now judged Job and cast him and all that he once had away; Job ’s own person and lot then is only to be cursed. Eliphaz's arrogant and reckless assertion here against Job then says much of him and absolutely nothing of Job. And yet Job never showed any wrath or envy towards his friends, but clearly Eliphaz has issues with Job, with all of Job’s noble standing and stature in the east which had far and away exceeded his. Nonetheless his reckless condemnation of Job will not play out as Eliphaz so confidently asserts here, but rather it will later stand against Eliphaz to mark him as worthy of judgment in the sight of God. But that will all be revealed much later. For now, Eliphaz will continue on in his attack of Job’s person and character; even drawing on Biblical truths to do so.

5:3-4 ³I have seen the foolish taking root,

But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place.

⁴His sons are far from safety,

They are crushed in the gate,

And there is no deliverer.

Job’s longstanding blameless and careful legacy is now arrogantly reduced by Eliphaz to being nothing more than that of the fool’s legacy, who has prosperity for a season but who suddenly comes to ruin.  Eliphaz then looks down upon his “friend” Job’s legacy as only being worthy of being completely shunned and cursed. Even saying of Job’s children their sudden demise was assured, that they’re being “crushed in gate” which is his metaphor for their being judged by God; for the gate was the place in city where the ancient judges and elders would sit and give their counsel and verdicts, was assured because of his wrong assumption that Job has only lived like a fool. Thus, with the verdict rendered by God in Eliphaz eyes, there is no deliverer for them either, for they too then suffered their own fate, just like Job has. It’s an incredibly cold and callous thing to say to a man suffering so much incredible and unexplainable loses. But that is what the self-righteous do, for they got an answer for everything, but its never Good News for you.

5:5 ⁵Because the hungry eat up his harvest,

Taking it even from the thorns,

And a snare snatches their substance.

Eliphaz now equates Job’s fields being pillaged and robbed by bandits as coming as some sort of perverse justice for the poor, who now eat up what remains of his harvest. All which is complete nonsense for it was Satan who brought the Sabean and Chaldean bandits and raiders there, not God, and they killed all of Job’s servants and stole all of his livestock. Should that then be attributed as being the Work of God, to do such things to a just and blameless person in His sight. I think not!

5:6-7 For affliction does not come from the dust,

Nor does trouble spring from the ground;

⁷Yet man is born to trouble,

As the sparks fly upward.

Eliphaz then justifies his understanding by using a metaphor, basically saying that affliction and trouble do not just spring up out of nowhere, for these things then must have come to Job because he deserved, is the implication. Then in the same breath,  Eliphaz offers Job some "consolation", saying, "Yet man is born to trouble, as sparks fly upward" Vs. 7  which is basically saying, O well Job don’t take it so harshly for you were just born to all of this. Unfortunately, there are people like Eliphaz in every generation who live by that line of reasoning; that if troubles come to you, then you must have done something to deserve it. And that is what Eliphaz is asserting here that Job has done something, something that must have been pretty horrible to have all that has happened, happen to him,  

5:8-9 ⁸“But as for me, I would seek God,

And to God I would commit my cause—

⁹Who does great things, and unsearchable,

Marvelous things without number.

Eliphaz now turns to Job and tells him that if he were him, he would seek God and commit his cause to Him. It’s so ironic that after condemning Job to having no holy one he can turn to (5:1-2), to now tell him to turn to God, telling him that God does great things, unsearchable and marvelous things without number. All which is true, and which can make Job’s friends reasonings at times palatable, however Job never turned away from God, either before this or after all of this.

5:10-16 ¹⁰He gives rain on the earth,

And sends waters on the fields.

¹¹He sets on high those who are lowly,

And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

¹²He frustrates the devices of the crafty,

So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.

¹³He catches the wise in their own craftiness,

And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the daytime,

And grope at noontime as in the night.

¹⁵But He saves the needy from the sword,

From the mouth of the mighty,

And from their hand.

¹⁶So the poor have hope,

And injustice shuts her mouth.

Eliphaz continues on rightly assigning to God the Sovereignty which He exercises in all of creation and of course in the affairs of man. Saying of God that He brings rain on the earth and He waters the fields, all which is true, but with a person like Eliphaz saying such things this is not a universal blessing of God in his eyes, as the Lord Jesus says it often is, (see Matt. 4:43-48, vs. 45), rather all the things stated here by him are in his eyes rewards of God given to those who seek and obey Him. And so, though there are some comforting truths in some of these verses; some of which can be confirmed elsewhere in the Scriptures; we need to remember the person who is bringing them forth, and his reasons for doing so. For as we will later see Eliphaz and later his friends will use all their reasoning powers as well only to  try to get Job to admit to some very heinous deeds and crimes which he had never done just so they can keep their own beliefs and “theology” about God intact. A theology which they feel explains all of Job’s looses and suffering.

5:17-27 ¹⁷“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;

Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

¹⁸For He bruises, but He binds up;

He wounds, but His hands make whole.

¹⁹He shall deliver you in six troubles,

Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.

²⁰In famine He shall redeem you from death,

And in war from the power of the sword.

²¹You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,

And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.

²²You shall laugh at destruction and famine,

And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

²³For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,

And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.

²⁴You shall know that your tent is in peace;

You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss.

²⁵You shall also know that your descendants shall be many,

And your offspring like the grass of the earth.

²⁶You shall come to the grave at a full age,

As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.

²⁷Behold, this we have searched out;

It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Eliphaz now begins his own little sermon on the joys and blessings of being corrected by God. Now verse seventeen is widely quoted in Christian circles, for chastening is part and parcel of belonging to God. But honestly, I don’t know anyone, or any passage that declares anyone is ever happy when they are in the midst of being chastised by the Lord, for that is fruit of righteousness that comes through it, on the others side of it, but not while one is in the midst of it (see Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-6; Rev. 3:19). I mean do you know any child that is happy when getting a spanking to bring about their correction? And so should Job as a child of God be happy about all that has befallen him as Eliphaz asserts he should be here? Should Job be happy about His loss of his children, his propriety, his wealth, his standing in society etc. And all of it with no explanation, no understandable reason as to why. Now we know that what has happened to Job is not the chastening of the Lord, but a vicious attack by Satan on Job’s person, life, and character, but Job does not know that and neither do his friends, all they know is what they now see, and what they now see is the once mighty and noble man Job brought right down to ash heap. Eliphaz’s words here then, however well meaning he may have intended them, are completely misapplied. For to attribute Satan’s attack on Job as God’s chastening him is only a grave error of judgment, not justice. Now in these verses, vs. 18-27, Eliphaz basically reverse engineers all that has happened to Job to seemingly try to bring Job to a place of repentance and confession, but confession of what? And repentance from what? That he feared God and always shunned evil. Now in his discourse here Eliphaz goes on to make all kinds of promises to Job, stating that he will have a bright and beautiful future if he would get himself right with God. Saying that God will make him whole again (vs. 18), which is true, as the gospel reveals, when we believe In the Lord Jesus Christ we are made new creations In Christ. Nonetheless not until we are in heaven, when we are then clothed with our heavenly bodies will all of our earthly afflictions be taken away from us forever. And so, though Eliphaz words here ring with truth, they must have only left a bitter taste in Job’s mouth after all he had already said of him and to him. Same with his promising Job that he will never see trouble or evil again (vs. 19) which is not true, for even the prophets and certainly the Apostle’s endured ongoing troubles and opposition throughout their sojourns down here (read Hebrews 11). Thus, always assuming one’s grave misfortunes and whatever evil befalls someone is always God’s hand being heavy upon that person is a very naive and arrogant and self-righteous stance to take. Eliphaz then goes on to promise Job that in famine God will redeem him from death, and during times of war he will be spared from the power of the sword. Now these statements can be true in our lives, but they cannot be said to be universally true all the time. For righteous Christians have suffered famine, and righteous men of God have died in wars. For God does not promise anyone that they will not suffer from any of that. Eliphaz then goes onto say that Job will be hidden from the scourge of tongues, which is again ironic given how his tongue has already assailed Job, and we know for the Godly person, and especially now Godly Christians who stand up for Godliness in this morally debased world, being unjustly defamed and reject for doing so is almost certainly guaranteed, but that comes with believing in and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ, just as He said would happen to us (Matt. 5:11-12; Luke 6:26; John 15:19 etc.). I think of Billy Graham now, a stalwart of upright and Godly conduct, who throughout his adult life (and now even in his death) is still the victim of some terribly unjustified attacks on his person and ministry. Eliphaz then is only making a false promise of God in promising Job (or anyone else) exclusion from that.  

Eliphaz now asserts that even when faced with destruction the righteous person will not fear, again promising a deliverance that the Scripture does not guarantee us, for even the Apostle Peter faced his own death with reservations, as Jesus said he would (John 21:18-19). Eliphaz goes on in verse twenty-two telling Job that such will be his boldness and confidence in the Lord that he shall even laugh at destruction and famine, that he shall not even be afraid of the beasts (wild animals) of the earth. Now there is no Biblical person who was ever so confident (or foolish) so as to laugh at destruction when faced with it; as if they were immune from suffering harm. Now think of Elijah in the cave how humbly he acted when God aroused the forces of nature all around him. And especially Moses how humble a man he was, for both Moses and Elijah never presumed upon the Lord’s deliverance of them. Same with famine, famine is nothing to laugh at, and for those who are visited by it, it only brings much pain and misery and loss of life with it. Nonetheless God does promise provisions for those who fear him, (who walk humbly with Him, not self-confidently before him), for He alone provides relief from famine, as He did by keeping many alive through Joseph, including Jacob his father and all his household during the seven-year famine. Nonetheless God does not guarantee any of us that we will not suffer need in this life, but that He will meet those needs in our lives as we follow Him. Therefore, the truly Godly more often than not are on their knees praying, then on their feet boasting and feasting. And as for not fearing wild beasts, this again is completely misleading, for though God does watch over us, and He very often protects us from many things, He does not guarantee us an immunity from harm.

Eliphaz goes on in verse twenty-three and uses some strange allegory there saying to Job that when he gets right with God another benefit will be that he will even have a covenant with the stones of the field? Now don’t be confused by this, for Job’s friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar will often use some strange allegory, metaphors, and imagery in seeking to sound wise and understanding. Unfortunately, the same can also happen in Christian circles were people sometimes say all kinds of wild and strange things in trying to sound like deep people of faith. However God doesn't want profound faith from us just child like faith in us Now as to Eliphaz promising to Job that he will even have a covenant with the stones of field. Does this then mean that Job will never have to pick rocks and stones from his fields again, or that his fields furrows will always be straight and true? That’s my literal take on it, but who knows, for whatever it means to Eliphaz, I can assure you it means nothing to Job, given all of his loses which he has only begun to mourn.

Eliphaz then goes and tells Job that all the beasts of the field will be at peace with him, as if he were taken right back to the garden of Eden. Again, such promises by Eliphaz are not promises of God, for we live in fallen world, were humanity and wild animals often are in a state of fear, hostility, and or aggression towards each other. For angry dogs won’t stop barking and growling at you when you walk by their property just because you now live righteously. Eliphaz then promises Job that his tent will be in peace (vs. 24), meaning those of his household will never be visited with evil, and that nothing will ever go missing from it, as if killers stop killing, and thieves stop stealing, when they see a Godly person’s home. If you think so, just ask Job, for he knows different. Eliphaz’ then goes on to promise Job that in living righteous before God he will be guaranteed many descendants (vs. 25) and that his own life shall be full of days (vs. 26). Now having many children can be God’s blessing in one’s life, same with having a long life; but these two things can also come of unjust and wicked people as well. And so this again is not an absolute black and white situation that absolutely always comes to the righteous, as Eliphaz asserts here. For even the Lord Jesus Christ had to suffer and die before His days were fulfilled. And in this context, it only must have only hurt Job terribly to hear that spoken to him, given he has lost all his children. In closing Eliphaz then confidently asserts to Job,

“Behold, this we have searched out;

It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.” ^{Vs. 27}

Eliphaz’s use of the plural here then indicates that his views are not just his own, but are in fact also the views Eliphaz’ compatriots, and very likely Job’s on some level as well. And given Eliphaz’s boldness in stating them, he as the first and likely most senior speaker no doubt has held these opinions for a long time. Therefore, challenging such long standing ideas and doctrine when it is ingrained in one’s belief system can be a challenge, but that is another thing that will come through Job's suffering, a correction of his and their wrong "theologies." as Job will later find out, as he searches for answers. Therefore wrong theology must always be challenged and corrected when it is found out, especially in the church, in a local assembly, which is to be the pillar and ground of truth, for we must always strive to represent God and His Word and Works well if we are to live justly and rightly with Him and others. And so maybe we now have a basic understanding as to why God would allow such things in Job’s life, to bring about correction, both to him and his friends. For by allowing these terrible things in Job’s life, there is now an unescapable means by which to challenge their longstanding but misguided beliefs about mans sufferings, while also bringing Job to the place of repentance, for even a blameless and upright person is still a person in need of the Lord's Salvation and His Righteousness for them.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Job 3:1–26

 ¹After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²And Job spoke, and said:

³“May the day perish on which I was born,

And the night in which it was said,

‘A male child is conceived.’

⁴May that day be darkness;

May God above not seek it,

Nor the light shine upon it.

⁵May darkness and the shadow of death claim it;

May a cloud settle on it;

May the blackness of the day terrify it.

⁶As for that night, may darkness seize it;

May it not rejoice among the days of the year,

May it not come into the number of the months.

⁷Oh, may that night be barren!

May no joyful shout come into it!

⁸May those curse it who curse the day,

Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.

⁹May the stars of its morning be dark;

May it look for light, but have none,

And not see the dawning of the day;

¹⁰Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,

Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not die at birth?

Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

¹²Why did the knees receive me?

Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?

¹³For now I would have lain still and been quiet,

I would have been asleep;

Then I would have been at rest

¹⁴With kings and counselors of the earth,

Who built ruins for themselves,

¹⁵Or with princes who had gold,

Who filled their houses with silver;

¹⁶Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,

Like infants who never saw light?

¹⁷There the wicked cease from troubling,

And there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸There the prisoners rest together;

They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

¹⁹The small and great are there,

And the servant is free from his master.

²⁰“Why is light given to him who is in misery,

And life to the bitter of soul,

²¹Who long for death, but it does not come,

And search for it more than hidden treasures;

²²Who rejoice exceedingly,

And are glad when they can find the grave?

²³Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

And whom God has hedged in?

²⁴For my sighing comes before I eat,

And my groanings pour out like water.

²⁵For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,

And what I dreaded has happened to me.

²⁶I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

Preamble: Job chapter three has to be one of the most despairing chapters in the entire Bible. I think only the Book of Lamentations is on par with it. After a week of long silence and contemplation, Job sitting amongst his friends now speaks, however the words here are not like his previous words which he spoke so bravely after initially experiencing all his loses, rather they the words of a man consumed with despair.

Commentary

Vs. 1-10 ¹After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²And Job spoke, and said:

³“May the day perish on which I was born,

And the night in which it was said,

‘A male child is conceived.’

⁴May that day be darkness;

May God above not seek it,

Nor the light shine upon it.

⁵May darkness and the shadow of death claim it;

May a cloud settle on it;

May the blackness of the day terrify it.

⁶As for that night, may darkness seize it;

May it not rejoice among the days of the year,

May it not come into the number of the months.

⁷Oh, may that night be barren!

May no joyful shout come into it!

⁸May those curse it who curse the day,

Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.

⁹May the stars of its morning be dark;

May it look for light, but have none,

And not see the dawning of the day;

¹⁰Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,

Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

Job’s week-long silence is now broken; but not by his friends trying to speak to him; but by Job himself who has seemingly lost all hope as he curses the day of his birth, saying may that day be cursed, and let it be clothed with darkness, and let no joy come from the day it was said a male child is conceived! Job goes on to say to not let God Himself seek it, nor any light shine upon it, but rather let darkness and the shadow of death claim it, and let a cloud settle on it, and the blackness of the day terrify it. Job then sees even his preincarnate state where there was not light, no life, a better state to be in than having all of ones hopes suddenly destroyed and ruined before one’s eyes. But that is what Satan does, he steal’s, kills, and destroys. And thus, through Job we also get to see his true nature revealed. Now darkness here in verses 4-5 encompasses not only darkness but also entails misery. And so along with the very powerful metaphors he uses throughout this chapter Job will use this word darkness as the spearhead for his cursing his own coming into existence, which he now only sees as darkness, for to be brought forth into life only to live and see this day, it would have been better than to never have lived at all is Job’s only thought now. But even that statement does not due justice to depth of Job’s grief and despair being expressed in this chapter. 

Preamble:

In this section Job moves beyond cursing the day of his birth and existence to now asking the question, “Why”, the unanswerable question. Nonetheless by asking these kinds of questions, in fully expressing one’s own grief through them, Job is opening the door to his own healing, even though there will be much grief and despair interposed in his statements as he expresses his immense grief through the question, “Why”.

Vs. 11-12 ¹¹“Why did I not die at birth?

Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

¹²Why did the knees receive me?

Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?

¹³For now I would have lain still and been quiet,

I would have been asleep;

Then I would have been at rest

¹⁴With kings and counselors of the earth,

Who built ruins for themselves,

¹⁵Or with princes who had gold,

Who filled their houses with silver;

“Why did I not die at birth, why did I not perish in the womb.” Job’s misery is such that he now thinks that having not lived at all would’ve been far better than to have ever come to this day in his life. But that is what tragedy often does to us it blinds one to all the good that was, and will be again. And so even though Job does not see it, no moment in our lives (no matter how tragic) is to be the end of our lives. But he will get there, and so will you. Job then goes onto express that it would have been better for him to have been left to die as infant then to have lived to see this day, for he now thinks that his life has all been for naught, for in a moment he lost it all, like the kings and counselors of the earth who only build ruins for themselves as their legacies and empires all end with them, or like the princes who acquire gold and fill their houses with silver but can keep none of it at their lives end. 

Vs. 16-19 ¹⁶Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,

Like infants who never saw light?

¹⁷There the wicked cease from troubling,

And there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸There the prisoners rest together;

They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

¹⁹The small and great are there,

And the servant is free from his master.

Job’s questions of “why” continue again with a slant towards his wanting to find relief from his miseries via the grave. And so, he asks why he ever even came to life? For it again Job now feels that it would’ve been better to die as still born child then to have lived only to see and experience all of this, for in death Job reasons that the wicked cease from troubling others there, that one can find relief there, however that is not true, death is not a means to find relief from anything, for it does not promise peace for anyone, and certainly not for those who die in their sins and transgressions, for Sheol (the grave, the place of the dead), offers no rest to those who do so. Nonetheless Job in his deep despair now sees death as the place where even the prisoners find rest, that they no longer hear the voices of their oppressors and tormentors bearing rule over them, for in death Job reasons that both small and great are there, and that the servant is free from their master there. Again, Job’s outlook on death as a sort of “liberation” from one’s miseries and grief is an outlook that is only being driven by his own personal loses and suffering, it is not sound and should not be embraced by anyone. Job then stands as a lesson for all who advocate for assisted suicide, because suicide guarantees no one hope of relief from ones sufferings, and as we will see with Job, the seasons of our lives can change even with death near and at the doors.

Vs. 20-26 ²⁰“Why is light given to him who is in misery,

And life to the bitter of soul,

²¹Who long for death, but it does not come,

And search for it more than hidden treasures;

²²Who rejoice exceedingly,

And are glad when they can find the grave?

²³Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

And whom God has hedged in?

²⁴For my sighing comes before I eat,

And my groanings pour out like water.

²⁵For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,

And what I dreaded has happened to me.

²⁶I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

Job’s contemplative questions continue, by his now asking why is light is given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul? Basically, why do people live on when death is greatly desired and gladness for them seems only to be found in the grave Job asks now (vs. 20-22). Indeed, he asks why does God give life and light to those whose way is hidden; who cannot see any way out; whom Job goes on to say that God has hedged in (vs. 23). Now stop and imagine for a moment if God had taken Job’s life at this time as he so desires of Him here, just think about all the good that Job would’ve missed out on, and all we would’ve never been privileged to see and learn and understand of God’s dealings with man. Know for certain then that God giving light and life to any of us, even while in our deepest misery and pain is always so that we may find Him and be reconciled to Him, and others while we can.

In verse 24 Job decrees his great sadness and sorrow which seemingly will not end, but his depression will end, if he sees it to its end. While verse twenty five reveals the heart of the matter, for the thing which Job dreaded most has now come upon him. Now this is up for speculation, but since he nobly endured the losses of all his wealth and possessions, it cannot be those things, same with the loss of all of his children, which obviously devasted him, but it cannot be that great tragedy either, for Job having torn his robe and shaved his head then fell to the ground after those things and worshiped and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ^{Vs. 21}

Therefore, the thing that Job dreaded most was the loss of his own health, and in this he is now going through a very painful and ugly affliction with no end or remedy in sight, this then was the breaking point of Job’s person. Now Job’s finial statement after his very dark compilation of all his miseries and desires for death, and before his friends begin to speak to him is: “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” ^{Vs. 26} Job then now realizes that in expressing his grieve so freely and darkly that his friend’s will now not look kindly upon him for doing so, all which will begin in chapter four.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Job 2:1–13

¹Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. ²And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ³Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” ⁴So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ⁶And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” ⁷So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. ⁹Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. ¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. ¹²And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. ¹³So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Commentary 

Vs. 1–10 ¹Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. ²And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ³Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

⁴So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ⁶And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” ⁷So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. ⁹Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

The scene now returns to heaven where once again the sons of God appear before Him. And again, Satan also appears with them (for more on this see commentary on chapter 1). And once again when questioned by God, Satan does not give a direct answer to His question, but only answers in the vaguest terms possible (vs. 1-2). And once again the Lord points to Job as a man unlike all others on earth, a man who is blameless and upright in all of his conduct, even after all the Lord had allowed Satan to steal and destroy all that was his. Now it must be observed and noted that the Lord was in no way indifferent to Job’s massive loses, (as we will see at the end of the Book), but that for now Job is serving as His witness to Satan, that Satan never has, nor will he ever have any grounds for his own rebellion against the Lord (vs. 1-3). Nonetheless Satan is not moved by Job’s outstanding response even after being attacked so viciously by him. But instead, he quickly dismisses Job's upright response as only being motivated by his wanting to spare himself, saying to the Lord, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ^{vs. 4-5}

Once again, Satan is only interested in disproving the Lord, in seeing one of His saints faulter and fail. Nonetheless as we will later see the Lord has a far greater purpose in allowing Job’s sufferings, and eventual his fall (in this consider Daniel 12:10). And so, the Lord once again grants Satan his request, and once again He puts boundaries on him, saying to Satan that he cannot take Job’s life (vs.6). And with that Satan goes out from the presence of the Lord and strikes Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head (vs. 7). Thus, Job having lost everything else he loved and held dear now must bear the loss of his own health. And so he now sits down in the midst of the ashes of all that was once his and begins scraping himself with a broken piece of pottery, trying to relive himself of his painful boils (vs. 8). It is then while scraping himself in the midst of all his loses that his wife now appears to him and she says to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” ^{Vs. 9} Job though will not listen to such talk and he says to her, … “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (vs. 10). Now if the Book of Job were to end here, we would all think Job as a most noble and honorable man of God, who had passed the testing of God without the slightest faulter. However the faces we put on in public after suffering deep loses don’t always reveal the pain we feel and express in private when those loses settle in. And that is where chapter three will begin. But first Job will be visited by three friends, who upon hearing of all that has happened to Job have come to visit him.

Vs. 11-13 ¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. ¹²And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. ¹³So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. 

We are now introduced to Job's three friends. The first one named is Eliphaz the Temanite, now with his being being named first this is likely indicating that he the eldest, or the most premiant of the three. (Now a quick search of his name indicates that he may have been descendant of Esau, Gen. 36:11, though this cannot be fully confirmed). Next mentioned then is a man called Bildad the Shuhite, he may have been a descendant of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4), though again this is only speculation. And finally Zophar the Naamathite, who by his title was likely from the region of Nammah, and being named last he was the youngest and most zealous of the three as we will see. All three of them then having agreed to meet together with Job, now come to Job to mourn with him and comfort him over all his loses. However to their grave surprise when they arrived where Job was, they do not recognize him, for there are no fine clothes, no wife and children, not even any servants around him, instead all they see is a broken man covered in painful boils sitting in a pile of ashes with his head bowed down. And so, each one of them when they see Job like this are completely taken aback, for no one expected to see him like this, and seeing him like this, each one of them immediately tears their own robe and sprinkles dust on their head and sits down with him on the ground, so as to be united with Job in his mourning. Now for seven days and seven nights no one says a word to him, for they all saw that his grief was very great (vs. 13). It is then in chapter three that Job will speak first.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Job 1:1-22

¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. ²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.⁴And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ⁹So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹²And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

¹³Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁷While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ²⁰Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹And he said: 

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, 

And naked shall I return there. 

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; 

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Commentary

Vs. 1 ¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

From the onset we are told of man named Job from the land of Uz, who is Scripturally declared to be blameless and upright. Now before him only Noah was called blameless in the Scripture (Gen. 6:9); this though is not to be confused with sinless, for that designation belongs to Christ alone. Thus, Job had a sin nature like us all, but he did not live according to it, instead he was a man who feared God and shunned evil. Job then always and actively sought to live righteously before God. Now as for the land of Uz it is said to be in the east, and commentators have varying views on its location, but as for this commentary this is largely irrelevant, for what is relevant is all that is to be found in the Scripture, all the truths and insights given us through it. And in the Book of Job there are many.

Vs. 2-3 ²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

Now as to Job’s personal life and possessions, he was married, as well God had greatly blessed him with seven sons (seven is a perfect number) and three daughters. As for His possessions, Job had massive herds: seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen (for plowing fields and various other kinds of work), and five hundred female donkeys (these then were breeding animals and very valuable), as well he had a very large household, meaning he had many servants and various types of workers whom he owned or employed. Job then is said to be the greatest of all the people of the East, which would’ve encompassed all of Arabia and lands around it. For a none ancient king to have acquired such wealth and prosperity is truly an amazing feat.

Vs. 4 ⁴And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

Having seen Job’s personal life of righteousness, business acuteness, and his skills in building his home. We are now introduced to Job’s character as a father. Apparently, his sons were also just men, for they would invite their sisters to eat and drink with them. And this in a culture and at a time when women were not regarded as equals, but more often than not were made to be subservient to and servants of their male counterparts. Job then raised his sons to be just and considerate men. Not vulgar and vile dogs.

Vs. 5 ⁵So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Job’s love for, and fatherly oversight of his children is now expressly shown us. For after the days of his children’s feasting would end, Job would send and sanctify them; that is, he was acting as their priest before God, even going so far as to rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all to Him. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This Job did regularly. Job then wasn’t only concerned about his own standing with God, but he was also very concerned about his children, and he did everything in his power to keep them in His favor. This then is also a duty for a Christian father to keep his children in his prayers before our God.

Vs. 6-12 ⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ⁹So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹²And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

The scene now shifts from Job on earth to God in heaven where the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them (vs. 6). Now the term sons of God in the O.T. is a Hebrew term referring to God’s angels; however, this term must always be discerned and determined by contest whether these are now His angels, or those angelic beings whom He also created but later rebelled against Him (Rev. 12:7-9; Gen. 6:1-4). And so it was that along with the sons of God also appeared Satan, whose Hebrew name means Accuser, who was once the premier of His angels (Ezekiel 28:11-16), but now having been cast out ,along with those angels who followed him, he through the fall of Adam has been given domain over the earth for a season, however this too has an end, but for now let us stay within the confines of Job’s story. It is then in verse seven with the appearance of sons of god before Him that the Lord first questions Satan, asking him, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Notice Satan in answering His question does not give any specifics about his activities on earth, (for like the sly creature that he is he does not self incriminate), just that he has been walking back and forth on it. Obviously, the Lord does not need Satan to tell Him what he has been doing, and so instead of going any further, the Lord now points to His servant Job on earth, saying, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (vs. 8). Satan though is unmoved by the outstanding and upright conduct of Job. Instead, he returns to his own evil nature and begins to subtly accuse Job by attacking Job’s motives, saying to the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ^{vs. 9-11}

What is so startling to me is the way Satan ends his accusations of Job by saying that if God were to stretch out His hand and touch all that Job has, then surely Job would curse Him to His face! Satan then is incapable of seeing any good in anyone. Now there is a two-fold attack taking place here. First it is quite clear that he is trying to provoke the Lord against Job, trying to get Him to lay His hand upon him, but not for good. Then if the Lord does so, (or will allow him to do so), Satan only wants only to see the righteous Job in the end cursing the Lord to His face in response to his suffering such things. And so, with that the stage is now set for the great testing of our Lord’s servant, therefore the Lord now says to Satan, … “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. ^{vs. 12}

Vs. 13–22 ¹³Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

 Now as Satan begins his attack upon Job, it will all come upon in unrelenting catastrophic waves, with each new one bringing more ruin and destruction down upon Job and all that is his. Now in this Satan begins by first attacking Job on the very day all his children are eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; thus during a time of family celebration; Satan begins his assault upon Job’s person by first unleashing some Sabian raiders to steal all of Job’s oxen and donkeys while they are working in His fields, killing all of Job’s servants there, and thus leaving Job with a complete loss of all of his working animals which are foundational to an agrarian lifestyle, leaving only one servant alive to report back to him this most distressing news (vs. 13-15). However while that servant is still speaking to Job, another appears and says to him, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{vs. 16} Now the statement “the fire of God” is not saying that God sent this fire upon Job, but that to his surviving servant who witnessed this massive destructive occurrence, this is how it appeared to him as something that came about not by mans hand, but as we know by Satan’s, who as we saw previously also holds sway and control of individuals or groups of people as with the Sabeans. Job then having suffered the lose of fields and animals to work them and harvest his crops, now suffers the loss all of his sheep and those servants that attended them, except one to repot back to him this most unsettling news. Now his sheep would have been the source of his wool for clothing and selling and trading in markets etc., as well as meat for him and all his household thus this too is a devasting loss as it takes years to build up a sustainable herd and so to lose all of them so suddenly would be devasting to one’s household. And yet there is still more to come, for while that servant was still speaking another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{Vs 17} This time it is the Chaldeans who form three bands of raiders and steal all of Job’s camels while killing all of his servants tending them except they leave one to return to him and tell him the bad news. Now camels were a needed and valued commodity in ancient times because without them travel or transporting anything is near impossible in arid lands. Now the next wave of destruction and ruin to come upon Job from Satan is the arguably the most devasting one, for Satan now attacks Job in the very heart and soul of his person. For as that servant was still speaking of the loss of all of his camels and servants with them, another now arrives and says to him, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{Vs. 18-19}

In one last very cruel and devasting blow Satan now attacks all of Job's children, and that on the very day when Job would've interceded for them. However, even with all of those loses what we see in verses twenty to twenty-two is not a man who curses God to his face, as Satan said he would do, but a man who though exceedingly devasted; for he tears his robe and shaves his head; does not turn on God, rather Job falls to the ground and worships and say’s, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. ^{Vs. 21-22}

Job then remains resilient in keeping to his upright character and integrity with God. However the story does not end there, and so we will pick it up again in chapter two in the next blog entry.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.