InstaStudy

A Study of Job Chapter 4

An exploration of Eliphaz's initial response to Job's suffering, focusing on his arguments about divine justice and the nature of human righteousness.

1. Introduction to Eliphaz's Speech

1.1 Eliphaz's Rebuke (Job 4:1-6)

Verses: Job 4:1-6
  • Eliphaz initiates the dialogue, expressing surprise at Job's despair, given his past encouragement of others.
  • He reminds Job of his own teachings and strength he provided to the weak, faltering, and falling.
  • Eliphaz questions how Job can now be so overwhelmed by his own suffering, suggesting a possible inconsistency between his words and his current state.

2. Eliphaz's Argument: Suffering and Sin

2.1 The Innocence and Suffering (Job 4:7-9)

Verses: Job 4:7-9
  • Eliphaz asserts that the innocent do not perish, and the upright are not cut off, implying Job's suffering is a result of some wrongdoing.
  • He suggests that those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same, indicating a direct cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering.
  • Eliphaz attributes destruction to the breath of the Almighty, reinforcing the idea that suffering is divinely ordained punishment.

2.2 The Nature of Divine Justice

Verses: Job 4:7-9
  • Eliphaz's view of divine justice is based on a retributive model: good is rewarded, and evil is punished.
  • This perspective does not account for the complexities of suffering or the possibility of trials for righteous individuals.
  • It assumes a direct correlation between actions and consequences, which is not always evident in human experience.

3. Eliphaz's Vision and its Implications

3.1 A Vision and a Voice (Job 4:12-16)

Verses: Job 4:12-16
  • Eliphaz describes a secret message he received, a whisper that came to him in the night.
  • He recounts a vision that caused him fear and trembling, emphasizing the awe-inspiring and terrifying nature of the divine.
  • The vision conveyed a message about the limitations of human righteousness compared to the purity of the Almighty.

3.2 The Message of the Vision (Job 4:17-21)

Verses: Job 4:17-21
  • The central question posed is whether a mortal can be more righteous than the Almighty or purer than his Creator.
  • The vision suggests that even those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, can be crushed like a moth.
  • Eliphaz concludes that human life is fragile and transient, and that wisdom ultimately resides with the Almighty.