First Word from a "Friend" -- 5/8/11

Sunday, May 8, 2011

FIRST WORD FROM A FRIEND

Job 4

My mom was diagnosed with multiple schlerosis almost 40 years before she died. Though there were times when she was discouraged, she didn’t live a life which constantly questioned God. However, at some point during the first ten years that she had the disease, a close relative spoke these words to her, “You must have done something really bad in order for this to happen to you.” As you can imagine, those words stung deeply.

Job’s affliction was even worse than a disease like M.S. or cancer. Not only was he afflicted by pain-inflicting boils from head to toe, but Job’s disease came on top of his loss of his possessions and ten children. But in the midst of his troubles, he had three friends who made an appointment to make the journey to be with him. I want you to notice again the words of Job 2:11, "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him." Their purpose in coming to Job’s house was to mourn with him and comfort him.

We are then told that they sat in the ash heap with him for seven days, without saying a single word. At the end of those seven days, Job burst out with the cries of chapter 3. Remember that while he and his friends sat in silence for seven days, those days were preceded by some months of agony, as we are told in 7:3. We saw in chapter three that Job gave vent to the emotions that had been bottled up inside of him. He lamented the fact that he was ever born. Then he complained that he hadn’t been killed at birth. And finally, he questioned why he had to continue to live in the midst of his suffering.

What a time for three faithful friends to do what they came for. They have mourned with him; now it is time to comfort him. The first to speak was Eliphaz. This morning we are going to take a look at what he told Job.

Before we do, let me point you to the brief outline in your bulletin. I included it there simply to remind us of the basic structure of these chapters. You will see that the dialogue between Job and his friends has three cycles. Eliphaz and Bildad will speak to Job three times. Zophar will not take his turn in the third round. Each time Job will give a response. So we start with Eliphaz.

I. Job, You Have Sinned

In chapter 4 Eliphaz is going to tell Job that he has sinned. At this point, he will not tell him quite so directly, but the message will be clear. Later on (chapters 15 and 22), Eliphaz will become more direct as he speaks to Job. As he speaks, I can envision Eliphaz discussing his own strategy with himself. It might run something like this…

A. Butter him up -- (Read 1-6)

¹ Then 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?

³ Surely you have instructed many,
And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
And you have strengthened the feeble knees;

⁵ But now it comes upon you, and you are weary;
It touches you, and you are troubled.

⁶ Is not your reverence your confidence?
And the integrity of your ways your hope?

He begans by asking Job to be patient with him. Surely he wouldn’t become weary, if Eliphaz were to try to talk to him. After listening to Job’s outburst, how could a friend refrain from responding to him?

In verses 3 and 4, Eliphaz acknowledges that Job has been a friend to others. He has taught many, strengthened weak hands, shared encouraging words, and strengthened feeble knees. This is simply a picture of coming to the aid of those in need. Whatever the need was, Job was there. The term “feeble knees” is the picture of a person who is just barely able to stand, whether literally or figuratively. Job was the kind of man who visibly demonstrated the scriptural principle of helping the poor and needy.

So we see that Eliphaz is very complimentary at this point. It wasn’t difficult for him to find a basis for complimenting Job, because Job had a reputation as a righteous man who made a practice of coming to the aid of those in need. Later in the book, we will see this in much more detail. Eliphaz is building Job up.

Notice the “but now” in verse 5. The idea is something like this, “But now you get a taste of what you have seen in others, and you are weary and impatient (ESV). Let affliction touch you, and you are troubled and filled with dismay (ESV). Because of all that has happened to you, you have lost heart. So now you who have counseled others need to receive counsel yourself. As we will see, Eliphaz has built Job up so that he can now tear him down.

That counsel from Eliphaz begins in verse 6, “Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?” Surely Job has nothing to worry about, if he is living a godly life. Can he not count on God to bless him, if he is indeed living a blameless life? “Take heart, Job. Surely you have nothing to worry about.”

B. Drop the bomb -- (Read 7-11)

⁷ “ Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?

⁸ Even as I have seen,
Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.

⁹ By the blast of God they perish,
And by the breath of His anger they are consumed.

¹⁰ The roaring of the lion,
The voice of the fierce lion,
And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹ The old lion perishes for lack of prey,
And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

The punch line is in verse 7, “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off?” Do you hear what Eliphaz is saying? If a person is innocent and upright, he will not perish or be cut off. His theological principle is very simple: Righteousness produces prosperity; sin results in suffering. Therefore, Job, since you are perishing and have been cut off from your life of blessing and prosperity and health, you must not be innocent and upright. Eliphaz is hinting, but hinting very strongly, that Job’s problem is his hidden sin.

How does Eliphaz reach such a conclusion? The answer to that question is in verse 8, “Even as I have seen.” Experience is his teacher. As he has lived his life, he has noticed that “those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His anger they are consumed” (8b-9). Now I ask you, is this a true statement? Yes. The wicked will reap what they sow. Listen to Prov. 22:8, “Those who sow iniquity will reap vanity (NKJV -- sorrow)…” Think about it. Will a wicked person get away with his sin? He may for a time, but not forever.

Now another question: Does this truth prove that Job’s problems are a result of his sin? Eliphaz answers that question with a “Yes, definitely.” He starts with the truth of Prov. 22:8, “Those who sow iniquity will reap vanity,” but he doesn’t stop there. He then concludes that the converse is also true. That is, those who are reaping vanity must be sowing iniquity. If a person has serious troubles, it must be a result of God punishing him for his sin.

What about it? Is that true? Some of you are giving the indication that it is not true. Why not? First of all, it is not sound logic. Let’s take a parallel: “Everyone who eats a large quantity of poison will get sick and likely die.” That is a true statement. Does it follow that everyone who gets sick to the point of death has ingested poison?” No, not at all. There are many other factors that could have caused his sickness. So it is with the principle of Prov. 22:8. Those who sow iniquity will reap sorrow, but the person who experiences sorrow may do so for reasons other than his sin.

So is all suffering the result of sin? Yes, definitely. Mankind suffers because of the sin that began in the Garden of Eden. However, that does not mean that there is a direct and unbroken link between the degree of a person’s suffering and the depth of his sin. We cannot conclude that because Bill has cancer and Harry is healthy that Bill’s sin is worse than Harry’s. It doesn’t work that way.

Can you think of examples in the scripture that would confirm this truth? There are many. Joseph experienced a great deal of suffering, beginning with the fact that his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. Was that because he was a greater sinner than his brothers? No. Then Potiphar’s wife lied about him and got him sent to prison? Was that because of his great sin? Not at all. As a matter of fact, the scripture tells us that “God was with Joseph.” His suffering was not a direct result of his personal sin. Or what about the apostle Paul? We could read a long list of the things that happened to Paul, including imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck, etc. Was it because he sinned more than others? No, most of those afflictions were a result of his faithfulness in following Jesus and making Him known to others. Finally, come to Jesus Himself. He suffered more than any person who has ever lived. Was it because of His sin? Obviously, not, because He had no sin of His own.

Eliphaz’ philosophy stood on the lie that all suffering is related to the personal sin of the individual who is suffering. Though that philosophy was wrong, it was the basis of the thinking of Eliphaz throughout his dialogue with Job.

What about verses 10-11, “The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered”? How did the lions enter into this discussion? The old lion is the lion that is experienced in taking its prey. But though he roars fiercely, the teeth of the young lions are broken. Not only does the old lion perish because he has no prey, but the lion cubs are scattered because they have no one to provide for them. Though ideas differ, it seems that this is another way Eliphaz is getting at Job. Job is the old lion. Most likely, Eliphaz is accusing Job of not caring for his children. In other words, Job’s sin was the cause of the death of his children.

We read back in 2:11 that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to mourn with Job and comfort him. Though they mourned with him, we would have to say that the first of the three is striking out when it comes to offering comfort.

C. Defend your position -- (Read 12-21)

¹² “Now a word was secretly brought to me,
And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³ In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴ Fear came upon me, and trembling,
Which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵ Then a spirit passed before my face;
The hair on my body stood up.

¹⁶ It 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?

¹⁸ If He puts no trust in His servants,
If He charges His angels with error,

¹⁹ How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before a moth?

²⁰ They are broken in pieces from morning till evening;
They perish forever, with no one regarding.

²¹ Does not their own excellence go away?
They die, even without wisdom.’

Eliphaz could say that he had seen how great sinners had experienced great suffering, but he sensed that he needed further confirmation for his assertion that Job’s problem was his secret sin. His confirmation was in the form of a dream or vision in the night. He says that he was startled and troubled by a spirit who passed before him. Notice in verse 12 that this was a secret revelation that was brought to him; no one else was a party to this strange visitation. Someone might ask, “Was this real, or did Eliphaz just make it up?” Perhaps we can’t say with authority, but I would say that it was real. Where it came from may be a different matter entirely. However, let’s not draw any conclusions until we hear what this supernatural being had to say to Eliphaz. Let’s read it again, this time from the ESV (verses 17-21)…

¹⁷ 'Can mortal man be in the right before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
¹⁸Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
¹⁹how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like the moth.
²⁰Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
²¹Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
do they not die, and that without wisdom?'

It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? In his own power and person, can a man be right before God? Can a woman be pure before her maker? But let’s suppose that a person reads the law of God and tries with all his might to keep it? The scripture tells us more than once, “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16; see also Rom. 3:20).

It seems best to regard both “servants” and “angels” as part of his heavenly host. The Lord doesn’t put His trust in these servants, and He has been known to charge His angels with error. Notice the “how much more” argument. If that is true of His servants and His angels, how more mortal men who dwell in houses of clay? Yes, we were made out of dust and we are crushed like a moth. We can’t miss the frailty of man. What chance does such a frail creature have of being right before God?

Notice verse 20, “Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces.” The prime example is Job himself. He got up one morning and everything was fine. Before he went to bed he had lost all his possessions and was deprived of all ten of his children. Look at mankind. They perish forever without anyone regarding it. Oh yes, people will make a fuss at a funeral, but how long will it be until that person is forgotten? The body of mortal man is like a tent. When it is time to depart from this life, it will collapse. And after a lifetime on this earth, in comparison to God, a man still has no wisdom.

This is an accurate description of mortal man, of man apart from God. Who could possibly argue with these assertions? I am reminded of Psalm 15. “Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” (15:1). In this Psalm David goes on to give a description of a man who walks uprightly, practices righteousness, speaks the truth in his heart, etc. Unless God intervenes, no mortal man can dwell in God’s presence. That is what Eliphaz is saying, and he is dead right.

So what is the problem? Well, ask yourself this question: Why is Eliphaz making this statement? Did someone ask him to explain the futility of man? Has Job asked any question? No. Rest assured that Eliphaz has a motive in stating these truths. Remember that he is responding to his friend Job. Eliphaz has returned to his insinuation of verse 7, where he implies that Job’s problem is his sin. Read it again, “Remember: who that was innocent every perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” Since Job was perishing and being cut off, he must be guilty of secret sin. Remember theological foundation upon which Eliphaz stands: Righteousness produces prosperity; sin results in suffering. Now in verses 17-21 Eliphaz is driving his point home. “Who do you think you are, Job? Don’t you know that a mortal man cannot be right before God and pure before his Maker? Then why do you claim to be right in His sight? Why don’t you just admit that all this has come upon you because of your sin?”

As we will see throughout the dialogue between Eliphaz and Job (in chapters 15 and 22 as well), Eliphaz speaks some truth, but the problem is in the way he applies it. Without doubt, he is speaking truth here in these verses. We might compare his words to what David says in Ps. 103:14-16, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." David applies it by then saying, “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him…” Eliphaz, on the other hand, has a different application. Though he doesn’t state it directly, he is obviously talking about Job, implying that Job is pretending to be something he is not.

Conclusion

The Word of God has something to say about comfort from a friend. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17). Prov. 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” I realize that the first part of the verse differs greatly in the KJV, but focus on the last part. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov. 27:10, “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend…” We might ask, “What kind of friend was Eliphaz?” What do you think? Don’t forget the words of Prov. 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend…” Was Eliphaz simply telling Job the painful truth? Though he spoke truth, he was applying it in a way that drove a knife into Job. His application was not accurate. We have no evidence at this point that Job’s suffering was a result of his sin. Eliphaz implies that Job’s sin is worse than that of his three friends, because his suffering is worse. Surely that is not the case.

Perhaps we could glean two principles from this passage that would help us know how not to comfort a friend. First of all, be sensitive to the pain of your friend. Even when there is a time for sharing the painful truth with a friend, don’t beat him over the head with it. I don’t get the impression that Eliphaz is sharing with a heart full of sympathy and eyes filled with tears. Secondly, don’t misapply the truth of God’s Word.

Earlier, we sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Ultimately, it is Jesus who is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. Remember that when Jesus went away -- when he was crucified, raised, and ascended to heaven -- He then sent the Holy Spirit. And what are some of the names given to the Holy Spirit by Jesus Himself? John 14:16-17, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Jesus refers to the coming Spirit as “another Comforter.” Literally, another of the same kind, another like me. The word “Comforter” literally means “the one called alongside.” If you are a true follower of Jesus, you have living within you One who has been called alongside you, another one like Jesus. He comforts, counsels, advises, rebukes, and gives whatever is needed. Surely that is the description of a true friend.

As the Spirit of God works in us, we can be a true friend to those around us. As the Spirit teaches us the Word of God, we can minister the truth of that Word to others. As the Spirit convicts us of our own sin, we can deal gently with others who fall into sin. As the Spirit continues to grow us and mature us, we can discern more accurately what is going on in our own lives and the lives of those around us. That will guard us against jumping to conclusions, even as Eliphaz did.

Take comfort, brothers and sisters. Even if earthly friends fail you, the Lord Jesus will always be that friend that sticks closer than a brother.