What can we learn from Eliphaz about offering counsel to those in distress? Setting the Scene: Job 4:1 in Context “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered.” (Job 4:1) • Job’s three friends have sat with him seven days in silence (Job 2:13). • Job finally speaks (Job 3), pouring out raw grief. • Eliphaz now “answers.” His words will fill Job 4–5 and set the tone for the debate that follows. The Value of Presence Before Words • Eliphaz and the others initially do the right thing: they sit, weep, and remain silent—true ministry of presence (Job 2:11-13). • Romans 12:15 echoes the same ethic: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” • Lesson: Comfort begins with shared silence and compassion, not quick advice. Speak After Listening • Eliphaz does not interrupt. He lets Job vent his anguish first. • James 1:19: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” • Lesson: Hear the whole story before forming conclusions. Listening honors the sufferer’s dignity. Begin with Affirmation, Not Accusation • Eliphaz starts well: “You have instructed many… you have strengthened the weak hands” (Job 4:3, 4). • Proverbs 25:11—“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” • Lesson: Acknowledge past faithfulness and present pain; it opens hearts to counsel. The Snare of Pat-Answer Theology • Eliphaz quickly shifts: “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (Job 4:7). • He assumes suffering equals sin, a simplistic formula refuted by Job’s narrative and by Jesus in John 9:1-3. • Lesson: Avoid reductionist clichés. God’s ways are deeper than tidy explanations (Isaiah 55:8-9). Guard Our Image of God • By insisting on a retributive system—good things happen to good people, bad to bad—Eliphaz misrepresents God’s character. • Psalm 34:19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” • Lesson: Counsel must align with the full counsel of Scripture, not with personal assumptions. Gentleness over Accusation • Eliphaz eventually wounds Job with harsh words (Job 5:1-7). • Galatians 6:1 calls for restoration “in a spirit of gentleness.” • Lesson: Truth delivered without tenderness breeds discouragement, not healing. Check Our Sources: Revelation vs. Imagination • Eliphaz appeals to a mystical dream (Job 4:12-16). • Scripture warns against elevating private experiences above God’s Word (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). • Lesson: Anchor counsel in clear revelation, not subjective impressions. Look to the Greater Comforter • Where Eliphaz falls short, Christ succeeds: – He shares our sorrows (Isaiah 53:3). – He invites the weary to Himself (Matthew 11:28-30). – He intercedes as the perfect Mediator (Hebrews 4:14-16). • Lesson: Our counsel gains power when it reflects the compassion and truth of Jesus. Summary Takeaways • Be present before speaking. • Listen fully; answer slowly. • Start with encouragement. • Resist simplistic explanations. • Speak truth with grace. • Base advice on Scripture, not speculation. • Point sufferers to the steadfast comfort of Christ. |
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