King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Monday, January 06, 2025
Chapters: Job 4-7
Message: Job: Eliphaz Reprimands Job
Hello My Friend,
I have another goal this year and that is to be more compassionate, I have compassion to a point, but am not so good at it when people start feeling sorry for themselves or do not make an effort to help themselves when they are capable. This passage comes to mind as I read the chapters for today.
[Romans 14:10-13 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.]
So, what is compassion? Well, it is defined as, [Compassion; A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another.] And there is something that accompanies compassion, and that is empathy which is, [The feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions.] Now, what does the Bible say about compassion?
[Lamentations 3:22-26 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.]
It is so true that even when we get whiny and start feeling sorry for ourselves that God’s compassion toward His people does not fail. As we continue in the reading of Job, his friends start to respond after his venting of wishing that he had never been born. Did you ever have one of those friends who feels the need to judge you whenever something bad happens? Well, Job had three of them, The first to speak is Eliphaz, and talk about having no compassion, he had absolutely none, he first begins to commend him on having what would be known as righteous judgment upon others, but seems to lack it for himself.
[Job 4:1-8 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? 7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.]
[Assay; The trial of the goodness, purity, weight, value.] Eliphaz, must have known Job for quite some time and seen how he was always helping people, how good he was, and his worth. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had doubts about his integrity, and this was the opportune time to call him out, he just knew he could not have been as righteous as he appeared. Eliphaz, proceeds to say that he knew that he was correct in his assumption because he had this spirit come up to him and tell him these things.
[Job 4:12-17 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, 14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: 16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, 17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?]
I am not going to lie, as I read this chills went through my body because I have experienced things like this in the past, dark shadows passing me by with thoughts of despair. Have you ever seen something pass by the corner of your eye, then it was there? Or have you ever felt as though someone was standing behind you, then no one was there? Those things are not always our imagination as we have both angels and demons lurking about us. While Satan cannot touch our soul, he can oppress us and fill our heads with all kinds of doubts and fears and what gives him the ammunition to do that is pride and envy. While he no idea that Satan was behind all of this, Eliphaz actually has some good points about envy.
[Job 5:1-3,8,12-13,17,27 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn? 2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: 12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. 17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.]
Eliphaz, makes a huge error here, he assumed that the affliction Job was facing had to do with his denial to admit his sin. He is basically telling Job that what he is going through is for his own good and that God is giving him the well deserved punishment he needed to draw out the sin that he has committed. Do you not hate it when people tell you that the suffering you face is for your own good? Like a parent who goes overboard with their spanking a child by beating on them with a literal rod. Whenever has beating on someone stopped them from doing something anyway? The only thing it does is provoke them to do more, which is why the Bible says that while we are to obey our parents, they are not to provoke them, [Colossians 3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.]
Yes, God does chasten us, but if we are honest with ourselves, He is more merciful with us than we deserve because we have all gotten away with more things than we care to admit. Nevertheless, God knows our heart, our intentions, and while it is truly better to suffer for righteousness, the worse thing to do is start telling people that they are getting what they deserve when they are suffering because do not know the whole story. Now, Job, is quite discouraged and responds to Eliphaz.
[Job 6:2-4,6-10 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. 8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! 10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.]
If there is one thing that I have learned about God’s chastening of His faithful it is that He still protects them even if they are dealing with unrepentant sin and only lets them go so far in their sin. Granted, there have been way too many saved, born again Christians who died in their sin because sin always brings death, but He is their advocate solely for the fact that they are trusting in His Son as their Saviour, [1 John 2:1-3 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.]
Job, did not want to hear all this, he just wanted some compassion from his friends, but all he was getting at this point was judgment. While he does admit that he did put his faith in his substance, he goes on to say that he was the hope for those he helped, and never asked for anything in return.
[Job 6:11-14,21-22,24-25,30 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? 13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? 14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. 22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance? 24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? 30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?]
When it all comes down to it, they really were afraid because this was something none of them have ever seen before. Think about it, if these terrible things happened to the righteous what does that do for those who are not? Peter, said it this way, [1 Peter 4:17-19 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.]
This was going through their heads as well and believe it or not there are people watching to see how we are going to handle these things, looking for hope themselves. Job, knew that he was a sinner, but also knew that what he was going through was not a result of sin. However, if he was guilty of something he at least wanted to know what it was so that he could repent. The only hope Job sees right now is death, and while he really was not ready to die, since his friend basically tells him to take the punishment and like it, he contemplates the end of life itself.
[Job 7:1-6 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? 2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: 3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. 4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.]
Job, realized something that we all realize at one point, life is, but a vapor, [James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.]
A weaver’s shuttle is an organizing tool for weaving yarn between warp yarns. In tapestry weaving, the most commonly used weaving shuttles are stick shuttles, which is where a warped thread is wrapped around a stick to straighten it. In other words, Job, felt like he was being twisted around this stick, he was in such pain, he smelled as the boils on his body would pop, then worms would literally breed in them. At this point, he has lost all hope that he will recover from this.
[Job 7:9-15 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. 11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? 13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.]
Job, is tired of everyone sitting there watching him, judging him, and Eliphaz’s words did not help at all. God, knows the way that we take, if we are living our lives to please God, then it is not for others to question our righteousness as though we have something to hide because there is some affliction in our lives. I know that it is natural to question, even I have been guilty of questioning what someone may have done when I see them in constant pain. This is another way that God humbles us, [Proverbs 24:17-18 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.]
We must understand that we are commanded to talk to someone about sin, and give righteous judgment, but we are not to accuse and judge them. We do not know what they are going through, we need to be careful that we do not add fuel to the fire, and bring them to the point that life is not worth living. This is how Job’s friends made him feel, he rather be alone than be tried by them.
[Job 7:17-21 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.]
Job, was right, there are way too many people who lift up the preachers, teachers, government leaders, and business owners on pedestals only to become judgmental when they discover that they are human. I have to admit that while I am pretty optimistic, I get bothered by unsolicited advice. I know what I was taught, and what I ought to be doing, I respect their option, but who are they to tell me otherwise, which is why Jesus said this, [John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.]
Job, was so discouraged and distraught that I believe had he any way of moving he would have ended his life himself, but God had other plans, which was why he did awake to see another day. Sadly, the suicide rate among Christians is astounding, and much of this has to do with their being pressured into being a certain way as instructed by their religion, family, or friends. So, how about we as Christians start having a little more compassion toward each other and stop being so quick to place judgment on one another? [James 4:11-12 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Job 6:10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.]
Today’s Prayer: God, I know how blessed I am and how much You have done for me since I put my faith and trust in Your Son as my Saviour. When I am afflicted, it never fails that there is always someone telling me how bad I am and then I start to question my own credibility. And here You are using these things to grow my faith, and keep me faithful. Lord, You are my hope, in You I see the light through all my affliction, You are my strength, to endure every pain, trusting in Your promises. Forgive me for the times when I am discouraged and have been critical of others. When I see others afflicted, let me not falsely accuse or judge them, rather be the hope and encouragement they need through their distress. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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