11th October 2025

11th October 2025


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 4&5) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


Job’s life had been turned upside-down and inside-out with his own wife urging him to depart from the Lord and to take his own life. Initially Job’s faith was incredibly strong, he refused to curse God and he rejected his wife’s foolish and hellish call. But months later when his three friends arrived to mourn with him, Job was sitting in ashes almost unrecognisable to his companions. Indeed, as they sat with him for seven days and seven nights they listened to Job’s anguished “why”


Eventually, Job fell silent and it was the turn of his friends to supply the broken man with answers. Job’s “comforters” were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite and they entered into a series of “back and forths” with Job. The first series of discussions runs from chapter four to fourteen, the second from chapter fifteen to twenty-one and the third from chapter twenty-two to twenty-six and it was the oldest and “wisest” Eliphaz who would speak first. Eliphaz means “God is fine gold” and he was from the town of Teman which was in the region of Edom.  


As Eliphaz listened to Job’s cry he found himself unable to be silent. Job was a man who had helped others (4v2-4) but he was now impatient and dismayed in the face of trouble (4v5). Eliphaz gently suggested that Job was not practicing the things he preached (4v6). Furthermore, the theology of Eliphaz taught him that trouble comes to people because of their sin. According to the oldest of Job’s three friends no innocent man ever perished (4v7) or to paraphrase “Job these things have happened to you because of sin” bad things just don’t happen to good people.


If Job was about to take issue with his friend’s wisdom, Eliphaz shared something startling - he had received his knowledge by special revelation. A word allegedly came to Eliphaz in the night (4v12-13) and he was told if God even finds error in His angels (4v18) then he will surely find error in sinful man. What gave Job any right to demand answers from God? How can anyone argue with special revelation?


The matter for Eliphaz was relatively straightforward. Job had sinned against God - good people don’t suffer, Job was suffering and therefore there must have been some unconfessed sin in his life. Job needed to repent. The foolish man knows only trouble (5v3), his actions bring problems to his family (5v4) and his stupidity causes his wealth to be lost (5v5). Trouble doesn’t just magically appear from nowhere (5v6). It seems that Eliphaz was suggesting that Job was a fool who had no one to listen to him (5v1).


Eliphaz may well have been inconsiderate in some of the things he was saying to Job and he certainly didn’t have the full picture but he wasn’t all wrong. His description of God’s providence is glorious (5v8-16). The Lord knows all things and directs all things. He sends the rain (5v10), he raises the lowly (5v11), he frustrates the crafty (5v12) and he saves the needy (5v15). Therefore, Eliphaz reasoned, Job needed to seek God and commit his cause to the Lord (5v8). The oldest counsellor was convinced of his position. Job had sinned and needed to trust the Lord and repent. If Job would do this then the Lord would surely restore him completely in this life (5v17-27). It would be for Job’s own good to listen to his friend (5v27).


The first speech of Eliphaz is interesting because it mixes great truth with limited understanding. “Bad things only happen to bad people” might seem like wisdom but as we know from bitter experience and the story of Job - sometimes bad things happen to those who have done no wrong, sometimes repentance does not immediately lead to the dark clouds disappearing and sometimes the answers do not come quickly, easily or at all. Eliphaz was well meaning but telling Job to “get over himself” was certainly not the best way to go.


Thanks be to God - for Jesus is a gentle counsellor. He will not break a bruised reed and he will not snuff out a faintly burning wick (Isaiah 42v3). Why do bad days come? I can give no definitive answer but this I know - suffering has a place in the life of the Christian and the Lord will always do what is right (Genesis 18v25).   


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q97 What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper?
It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves, of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
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