Enduring With Job: 7 Days Of HopeSýnishorn

Eliphaz is the first of Job’s friends to speak. He has seen his friend’s pain and heard his cries of frustration. Now he aims to comfort his friend. While his intentions may be pure, his word choice begins the discussion on rocky footing.

Eliphaz claims that the innocent never perish. Righteous people are supported by God. He protects them and blesses them since they are following the rules he has set upon the Earth. But with that, no one is as righteous as God – not even the best human being in the world, and certainly not Job.

Eliphaz continues to argue that since no one is as good as God, everyone must undergo correction at one time or another. That is how God purifies His people, through discipline. And even though Job’s goodness is known throughout the land, he is still human.

Eliphaz means well. He is trying to encourage his friend that perhaps all of this is just God purifying him. He is trying to get Job to see the hope in his situation. To Eliphaz, it’s unthought-of that God would ever send pain without reason. Suffering either has to do with justice or correction. It has to have a purpose.

Many of us believe like Eliphaz. When we see trouble strike others we think the same thoughts: they deserved it, or God is using it to make them stronger.

But what if that’s wrong? What if that doesn’t give the whole purpose to suffering in the world? What if, in this case, the simplest answer isn’t best?

Job did not deserve the pain that came into his life and he will argue this in the chapters to come. To Eliphaz, the world itself has a moral order where the bad get what is coming to them and the good go on to live full lives. But for anyone who has lived in this world with open eyes, they would tell you these rules are constantly broken.

Takeaway: The world does not always work the way we hope.

Prayer: Father, I pray that You would protect the innocent and provide for the righteous. And when that doesn’t seem to happen, help me trust You anyways.

To learn more about the devotional book, Enduring with Job by David Ramos, click here!