Job 4:1-5:7

Someone has said you should walk a mile in another person’s shoes before criticizing them. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and have their shoes! I think that’s worth a chuckle. However, what follows with Job’s three friends isn’t amusing. They began their interaction with severe criticism. They hadn’t walked a mile, not even a yard, in Job’s shoes. Yet, they were convinced that Job had done something terrible to lose his family, health, and livelihood, which led them to reprimand him.

Before we move on to Job 4, let me introduce Job’s friends and present a framework for examining the upcoming chapters of the book.

It’s impossible to fully grasp Job’s suffering. While the righteous man mourned for his children, God allowed Satan to torment his body. This condition drove Job from his home to the refuse heap, where he sat in total despair, yearning for death to free him from his anguish. Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, stayed in solitude and silence with him until he voiced his desire for death. At that point they could no longer hold their tongues. The three began a series of increasingly aggressive monologues. The first round was filled with suggestions. The second round shifted to insinuations. In the final round, they launched accusations. Any initial sympathy turned into harsh blame directed at Job for his stubbornness.

Each friend presented a slightly different perspective on Job’s situation. Eliphaz asserted that Job must have sinned, claiming that suffering is a consequence of God’s punishment. Drawing from his personal knowledge and experience, he insists that God would never allow disasters and suffering to strike the innocent.

Job 4:7-9
Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? ⁸ As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.⁹ By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

In his second speech, Eliphaz accused Job of not fearing God and outlined seventeen troubles that afflict the wicked (Job 15). In his final appeal to Job, Eliphaz urges him to stop complaining and acknowledge his sins, reassuring Job that once he acts accordingly, God will restore his health (Job 22:21).

Bildad argues that Job’s sin, or possibly the sin of his children, is responsible for the tragedies and overwhelming pain. Only Job’s repentance can heal his body. Bildad asserts that obedience brings blessings, while disobedience results in punishment.

Job 8:5-7
If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, ⁶ if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation.

In Bildad’s second and third speeches, he persists in urging Job to repent.

Zophar is the harshest critic among the three friends. He insists that Job has sinned greatly and that his punishment is less severe than it should be!

Job 11:4-6
For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God’s eyes.’ ⁵ But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, ⁶ and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

Can you believe it? Zophar claims that the tragedies Job has endured are far less than what his sins would undoubtedly deserve.

After Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar take turns addressing Job, a fourth friend joins the conversation and engages in four exchanges with him. Elihu is angry that the first three friends couldn’t convince Job of his guilt. Being the youngest, he holds back for a while. Elihu addresses Job’s complaints and is confident he has insight into Job’s situation (Job 32:10, 17; 33:33; 36:2-4).^[1] He has been taking notes and quotes Job throughout his rebuttals. Elihu challenges Job’s view of God, correctly asserting that God is just, impartial, and omniscient (Job 34). He claims, “How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out” (Job 36:26 NIV). Elihu sets the stage for God to speak.

The prologue (Job 1-2) and epilogue (42:7-17) of Job are written in prose rather than poetry. The prologue tells who Job is and the tragedies he faces, while the epilogue describes his restoration. The interactions between Job and his friends, as well as God, are expressed in poetry, where ideas are repeated or contrasted. There are several ways to study this book. However, I believe we will benefit most by following this plan: we will trace Eliphaz through his three conversations with Job and revisit the same process with Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu. This approach will help us understand each friend’s arguments as they engage with Job. Many readers get bogged down in these poetic dialogues, which make up most of the book. Therefore, we’ll navigate through the poetic sections at a pace that allows us to focus on theological points without getting sidetracked by the lyrical structure. I aim to highlight the essential truths and extract insights from the book’s key points about the Person of God. Job tells a story of faith, and we’ll be encouraged as we learn how to maintain a “Job-like faith” even amid our struggles.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Job 4:1-5:7
Observe Eliphaz’s argument. What does he want Job to do?

Talking to God
Tell God everything on your heart—your joys, challenges, concerns.

Have Questions?
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This week’s podcast is a must-listen for parents. I have a conversation with professional counselor Heidi Erickson, who explains the effects of pornography on children and how we can protect them. Visit The Journey with Ron Moore Podcast, Episode 68.

^[1] Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 756.