Eliphaz Takes Aim At Job, Again Series

Eliphaz takes aim at Job, again

Job Sermon Series, Part 8

Introduction (Job Slide)

- Today we continue to examine Job’s conversations with his friends

-- Re: These men came in Ch. 2 to sit with him and mourn his loss

- They appear to come to comfort … but quickly their real motives are shown

-- They are discouragers; ones who desire Job to stop holding onto his faith

-- In their eyes, there is a cause/effect with his sin and his condition

- These friends have three conversations with him…

• Round 1: they suggest Job has sinned

• Round 2: they imply Job is a sinner

• Round 3: they state Job’s sin

- Round two begins with Eliphaz digging in deeper to accuse Job

-- It’s curious to note how the tone begins to change with these discussions

-- First, they were merely trying to offer guidance; now it’s an assault

-- Hopelessness is a powerful weapon the enemy uses …

- Read Job Ch. 15

- Pray

Point 1 – Eliphaz’s Second Assault (Ch. 15)

- As they have done before, Job is accused of not answering their questions (v1)

-- To them, Job is all talk and no action – he is self-centered (v2-3)

-- Job is accused of treading on the very instruction of God (v4)

-- Their logic: A reasonable man would listen to what is being said to him

- Therefore, the conclusion can only be that Job’s sin is the cause (v5)

-- Job is not able to speak properly because of the sin in his life

-- It is obviously Job’s mouth that has him in trouble here (v6)

-- “Therefore, don’t get mad at me because you have your feelings hurt”

- CHAL: Sometimes we need to step back and see if we are the cause

-- Eliphaz certainly believes that Job has brought this on himself

- Therefore, Eliphaz takes to asking a series of questions to Job

-- These are meant to elicit a specific response (Job is smarter than everyone)

- Re-read v7-9

• Are you Adam? Were you here before even the mountains?

• Do you even listen to God? Or, are you the smartest man ever to live?

• Tell us how smart you are, because you obviously know everything

- APP: Job has no right to counsel his friends; or refuse what they are saying

-- Their implication is they are correct here, and Job needs to simply listen up

-- Eliphaz places all the blame on Job, and cuts him deep with a question (v12)

-- “You’ve lost your grip on reality Job, your emotions are ruling you now.”

-- This is driven home deeper by accusation that he is raging against God (v13)

- Eliphaz reminds Job (who knows this) that there are no perfect humans (v14)

-- We have all sinned and have all fallen short… even YOU, Job

-- Therefore, since God does not place trust in his angels, why us? (v15)

- So, he tries to motivate Job by explaining why he’s suffering (v17)

• We have the knowledge from our ancestors about our condition

• Even the ruthless man will suffer because of his sins

• So much so, that God stores his wrath up for them to pay

• The punishment is clearly laid out for all who deserve it (v21-24)

- Furthermore, Job is accused of charging at God with a shield (v25-26)

-- He is accused of shaking his fist at God and daring to threaten the almighty

- He even describes the condition of someone who does this (v27)

-- APP: Fat was a sign of wealth, prosperity, and often used to describe wicked

-- The wicked man would rob other towns, pillage from everything (v28)

- Because a man is wicked (v29-33):

• He deserves to have his wealth taken

• He deserves death and the punishment that comes with it

• He should get nothing in return by believing his own lies

• His life should end abruptly; a vine stripped of its unripe grapes

- Hatefully, Eliphaz brings to mind the state that Job is in now (re-read v34)

-- APP: His children are dead and now his wife is barren b/c of him (cruel)

- The implication is also that corrupt people love bribes; Job is corrupt (v34)

-- This ruin has fallen on him because of the sins/decisions he has made

- IMP: Job … you are a wicked man and you’ve conceived this trouble

-- You have brought this upon yourself … and you deserve it (v35)

- TRANS: “And then Job replied…”

Point 2 – Job’s Reply (Ch. 16)

“If you really want to know who your friends are, just make a mistake” – Anon