If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?
But who can keep from speaking?
Job 4:1-21 (New Revised Standard Version)
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
"If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?
But who can keep from speaking?
See, you have instructed many;
you have strengthened the weak hands.
Your words have supported those who were stumbling,
and you have made firm the feeble knees.
But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
it touches you, and you are dismayed.
Is not your fear of God your confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?
"Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
By the breath of God they perish,
and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
and the teeth of the young lions are broken.
The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
"Now a word came stealing to me,
my ear received the whisper of it.
Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh bristled.
It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard a voice:
'Can mortals be righteous before God?
Can human beings be pure before their Maker?
Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
how much more those who live in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like a moth.
Between morning and evening they are destroyed;
they perish forever without any regarding it.
Their tent-cord is plucked up within them,
and they die devoid of wisdom.'
My grandmother left me her little black book. I realized, fast, it’s a contradiction in terms when I was telling a friend how I treasure her little black book. Her little black notebook has her thoughts on her bible studies, filed alphabetically, by subject of her study.
Grandmother had a great page, in her little black book, (the page I can’t find again today) saying God makes His plans for us because He is The Lord. I remember it came from Deuteronomy, but today I can’t find it.
Romans 9:14-18, Exodus 33:19*
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."[*]
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
You have to love the book of Job; it is so relevant today: good intentions, poor discernment, wanting to please the Lord, laziness in communication, struggling to please the grieved, trying to do good, copping out, excuses & valiant effort. Job is, obviously, the Lord’s great bible book on the Lord’s will & overcoming suffering. Today, we are talking about discernment. And loving your neighbor as yourself.
It was surprising to me to read Job 2:3, God says this about Job:
Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity
Eliphaz is a contradiction, he is a loyal friend, praising Job, enduring through Job’s many disasters, but offering up advice from Eliphaz’s very own special vision. Eliphaz praises Job for his many efforts to strengthen others and gives the best advice possible – God is the basis of Job’s hope. But Eliphaz has judged Job as being unrighteous – someone who has deserved tragedy. Maybe Eliphaz is comforting himself, the disasters falling on Job will not fall on Eliphas, himself, because he sees Job as a man who has the appearance of righteous, but is a sinner. Eliphaz clings to a vision of rigid Religious Law, and refuses to see suffering comes to us all. Eliphaz clings to Religion instead of the hope of God’s redemption.
Before we kick Eliphaz to the curb, he should be praised. Eliphaz hangs in there and listens (sometimes poorly) to an angry, offensive and offended Job. Everyone I’ve talked to about losing a parent (as an adult offspring) is astonished this great hurt is treated by our fast-paced life as, more or less, a speed bump. It hurts at the time, but after the initial shock, we should move on. Many more people will ask, “How you are doing” after losing a parent, but not take any action like sending a note. I have been guilty of this myself, but realized after Isabelle’s death how much it means to receive a note written with a few thoughts on it.
Usually grief takes at least a year to recover from losing a parent. More like two years for losing a child, as I did. One of my peeves as a grieving parent is to be asked, delicately, how I am. When I reply, I say, “I’m pretty good.” That is a good description, I am not fine, and really do not care to lie. But I am tired of being asked and then receive a look like I am a damp spot on a bright day. It’s annoying. But I am like Eliphaz says, “If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?” I don’t always want to be asked about grieving, but at the same time, don’t want Isabelle to be forgotten. With all grieving, help comes from the Lord. Psalm 121.
Eliphaz, a Jew, is more like today’s Jewish community, he understands it will take time to recover. No one in the Jewish community is expected to put aside grief like changing a tire. After the funeral is over, the crowds don’t pat the grieved on the back and depart. The calling, gathering, food and cards take quite a while before it’s finished. Mirrors are covered with black cloth, there is usually a black banded wreath on the door. What I appreciate about this acknowledgement of grief: the knowledge a human being – valuable to the Lord – isn’t swept away with a euphemism of celebrating their life and moving on.
We are fortunate knowing Jesus is the basis for our hope. We are fortunate knowing Job’s desire, never to be born, was healed, he began to see the blessing in this life again & found earthly redemption for his sorrow. We know the end of Job’s story. In Jesus Christ, we are assured there is a time of enduring peace and joy.
<><
But who can keep from speaking?
Job 4:1-21 (New Revised Standard Version)
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
"If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?
But who can keep from speaking?
See, you have instructed many;
you have strengthened the weak hands.
Your words have supported those who were stumbling,
and you have made firm the feeble knees.
But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
it touches you, and you are dismayed.
Is not your fear of God your confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?
"Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
By the breath of God they perish,
and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
and the teeth of the young lions are broken.
The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
"Now a word came stealing to me,
my ear received the whisper of it.
Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh bristled.
It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard a voice:
'Can mortals be righteous before God?
Can human beings be pure before their Maker?
Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
how much more those who live in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like a moth.
Between morning and evening they are destroyed;
they perish forever without any regarding it.
Their tent-cord is plucked up within them,
and they die devoid of wisdom.'
My grandmother left me her little black book. I realized, fast, it’s a contradiction in terms when I was telling a friend how I treasure her little black book. Her little black notebook has her thoughts on her bible studies, filed alphabetically, by subject of her study.
Grandmother had a great page, in her little black book, (the page I can’t find again today) saying God makes His plans for us because He is The Lord. I remember it came from Deuteronomy, but today I can’t find it.
Romans 9:14-18, Exodus 33:19*
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."[*]
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
You have to love the book of Job; it is so relevant today: good intentions, poor discernment, wanting to please the Lord, laziness in communication, struggling to please the grieved, trying to do good, copping out, excuses & valiant effort. Job is, obviously, the Lord’s great bible book on the Lord’s will & overcoming suffering. Today, we are talking about discernment. And loving your neighbor as yourself.
It was surprising to me to read Job 2:3, God says this about Job:
Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity
Eliphaz is a contradiction, he is a loyal friend, praising Job, enduring through Job’s many disasters, but offering up advice from Eliphaz’s very own special vision. Eliphaz praises Job for his many efforts to strengthen others and gives the best advice possible – God is the basis of Job’s hope. But Eliphaz has judged Job as being unrighteous – someone who has deserved tragedy. Maybe Eliphaz is comforting himself, the disasters falling on Job will not fall on Eliphas, himself, because he sees Job as a man who has the appearance of righteous, but is a sinner. Eliphaz clings to a vision of rigid Religious Law, and refuses to see suffering comes to us all. Eliphaz clings to Religion instead of the hope of God’s redemption.
Before we kick Eliphaz to the curb, he should be praised. Eliphaz hangs in there and listens (sometimes poorly) to an angry, offensive and offended Job. Everyone I’ve talked to about losing a parent (as an adult offspring) is astonished this great hurt is treated by our fast-paced life as, more or less, a speed bump. It hurts at the time, but after the initial shock, we should move on. Many more people will ask, “How you are doing” after losing a parent, but not take any action like sending a note. I have been guilty of this myself, but realized after Isabelle’s death how much it means to receive a note written with a few thoughts on it.
Usually grief takes at least a year to recover from losing a parent. More like two years for losing a child, as I did. One of my peeves as a grieving parent is to be asked, delicately, how I am. When I reply, I say, “I’m pretty good.” That is a good description, I am not fine, and really do not care to lie. But I am tired of being asked and then receive a look like I am a damp spot on a bright day. It’s annoying. But I am like Eliphaz says, “If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?” I don’t always want to be asked about grieving, but at the same time, don’t want Isabelle to be forgotten. With all grieving, help comes from the Lord. Psalm 121.
Eliphaz, a Jew, is more like today’s Jewish community, he understands it will take time to recover. No one in the Jewish community is expected to put aside grief like changing a tire. After the funeral is over, the crowds don’t pat the grieved on the back and depart. The calling, gathering, food and cards take quite a while before it’s finished. Mirrors are covered with black cloth, there is usually a black banded wreath on the door. What I appreciate about this acknowledgement of grief: the knowledge a human being – valuable to the Lord – isn’t swept away with a euphemism of celebrating their life and moving on.
We are fortunate knowing Jesus is the basis for our hope. We are fortunate knowing Job’s desire, never to be born, was healed, he began to see the blessing in this life again & found earthly redemption for his sorrow. We know the end of Job’s story. In Jesus Christ, we are assured there is a time of enduring peace and joy.
<><
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