Job 5:17-27, Job Needed Better Listeners

As we said yesterday, and see in today’s passage, Eliphaz gives good answers to the wrong question.  In Job 5:17 we might say Eliphaz even quotes Scripture.  The last half of that verse appears in Prov. 3:11-12, Heb. 12:5-6 and Rev. 3:19.  In those contexts it’s correct; in this one it is not correct.  According to Ch. 1-2 God is not chastening Job; He is honoring Himself through Job!

Here are a few thoughts on what Job’s questions, listed in the last post, are really saying.  None of the following underlined statements is true.

·       A life of suffering is not worth living.  When we choose death rather than suffering that is what we are saying.  “In my affliction I can do no good; I can’t glorify God.  It would be better if I had never been born, better if I die now.”

·       We were created for comfort.  This is a common thought for humans.  “If God is a God of love, He must want me to enjoy my existence.”  When pain comes, the first thought is how to get out of it.

·       Suffering is the result of sin.  This, of course, is the theology of Job’s friends.  We may even relate it to Genesis 3.  Before sin all was good; after sin, things got bad.  But what Job’s friends meant was that Job used to have a useful and enjoyable life; now his life is miserable.  It can only be because of sin. 

·       Suffering is God’s doing.  We will come to this subject later.  In this context I am thinking of Job’s question, “why do You hide Your face from me?”  He means that the pain is God’s doing and there is no hope, no escape.  (If you want to think about this some more, here are passages where this theme comes up: 1:21; 2:10; 9:21-24; 10:8-12; 16:7-14; 19:5-6,8-13,21; 20:15-29; 23:13-17; 24:22-25; 27:2-4; 29:11,18-23).  As you see, it is a major issue.

·       Lack of immediate answers means God doesn’t care.  Perhaps none of these men would agree to this if asked.  But for Job particularly, it is what he is thinking.

·       The wicked should suffer more than the righteous. 

What we are saying is that if Job’s friends truly heard Job, these are the issues they would consider.  This is what Job’s theology is telling him.  He needs to see this and renew his mind on these matters.