In Eliphaz’s third and final speech, he accuses Job of wickedness. Grasping for a reason behind his friend’s suffering, Eliphaz must believe his friend has done something to deserve this. If he hadn’t, surely God would not have allowed this amount of suffering to befall him.
How quickly our faith reduces to a formula when in crisis. If I do good works for God, God will bless me, right? Job knew that no matter what he did or did not do, God “is unchangeable, who can oppose Him? He does what he desires” (Job 23:13). Which leaves us wondering, if the outcome will always be the same, why even bother with trying to do good?
I recently moved into a house with a newly remodeled kitchen. It is neat and pristine on the surface, but I have learned that the pipes beneath it are not. Previous owners committed the cardinal sin against sinks. They put grease down the drain, and now I’m dealing with a clog.
As several different plumbers have come in and out of my home, I have learned that a beautiful kitchen is worthless if the pipes are bad. When it comes to kitchens, it is only what’s beneath the surface that allows everything to function, flow, and thrive. When it comes to us, it is the same.
To the church in Galatia, Paul wrote, “For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh” (Galatians 6:7–8). For whatever a man puts down the drain, he will also see it come up again.
God cares about our good works, not because they affect His will—He is unchangeable, who can oppose Him?—but because they affect who we are. As Paul continues, saying, “the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit” (v.8).
We must not get tired of doing good, not because our good deeds will lead to good circumstances, but because sowing goodness leads to a life of trusting in the Spirit—the type of life that can withstand trials with faith.
Job seems to have the opposite problem of my kitchen. His life is in shambles, his kitchen a disaster zone, but the plumbing is clear. He is asking why, as we all would, but he is also asking a better question: where? Where is God in the struggle? “If only I knew how to find him,” he pleads, “so that I could go to His throne” (Job 23:3).
Through our great High Priest Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the throne room Job seeks. Because of this, although we can’t always be confident of the why, we can be confident of the where. Where is God in our suffering? Right there with us in the midst of it.
Whatever suffering befalls you today, know that God is near. And His Spirit is allowing you to do good, so that even if your physical life is in shambles, you can be confident the life inside of you is eternal.
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37 thoughts on "Eliphaz’s Third Speech and Job’s Reply"
Lord i seek you in my suffering!
Lord im confident in you.
Doing good may make us feel good and lead to good circumstances in our life but it will also bring us closer to the Lord which is our ultimate goal!
Amen … more of where and less of why..
I think it so interesting, the major problem with Job’s friends and consoles were that they didn’t believe in him. Surely he did something wrong, surely he just wasn’t doing something right. Their words didn’t lift up his character or encourage him, but told him what he was doing wrong.
This has so much to teach us about being a friend and leader. To encourage the best from people and point them to God rather than showing them all the ways they may be flawed or messing up.
I love this. Thank you.
I feel like Job SO much sometimes, and it makes me feel kind of bratty because I’ve not gone through all he has. I’m searching for a house, praying every step of the way, and feel no comfort. I know that He’s faithful and I know that He is here, but it’s so hard to feel comfort in such a stressful process when I feel like prayers bounce off the ceiling of my apartment as my lease runs out. I’ve found myself asking God “where are you with the answers?” But I’m trying to be patient and have faith.
Wow Andrea, this was SO good! Thank you!
Jesus the same yesterday today and for ever
“Can a man be of any use to God? Can even a wise man be of use to Him?” (Job 22:2) God can accomplish anything He purposes, with or without me. But He chooses to use us to do His work! And He delights in what He has made. He delights in us! Oh how I long to be used of God to do His work. Feeling restless recently. Like there’s more coming. Drawn to know God more and love others more. Restless when I waste my time on worthless things.
:thanks Andrea this one was for me :’)
God cares about our good works, not because they affect His will—He is unchangeable, who can oppose Him?—but because they affect who we are….. We must not get tired of doing good, not because our good deeds will lead to good circumstances, but because sowing goodness leads to a life of trusting in the Spirit—the type of life that can withstand trials with faith.
This.
This is what my heart needed to hear. Thank you!
Absolutely love this. Right in the feels ❤
“How quickly our faith reduces to a formula when in crisis.”
This really resonates with me. I have spent the majority of my Christian walk believing if I do good, then God will bless me but if I don’t, trials will come. In fact, this is the farthest I have ever gotten into the book of Job because reading something that didn’t fit into my formula of “good equals good, bad equals bad” made me so uncomfortable that I would just revert back to those feel good passages of scripture.
But God is so good. He has been so patient with me and my shallow faith. And He is revealing to me that true intimacy with Him is so much better than any earthly blessing. He’s showing me that instead of scrambling around trying to earn a comfortable life, I can take His loving hand and walk wherever He leads, trusting He’ll never leave me or forsake me. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Thank you She Reads Truth for this study!
I have never doubted that God is with me through this journey I’ve been on. Have I asked why? Of course I have. But I have not doubted His presence is with me. With my kids. He’s even with their dad. There still a lot of hard things I have to do but I know God is with me. I don’t like it but I know God is with me.
Please pray for my son who is a senior in high school. He is with the high school ministry across the border. In Mexico. This is how he has spent his spring break every year. This year he’s is on the Barnabas team. Which we all know is encouragement. I’m so proud of my boy. I love him so much. I had to do something very hard over the weekend. Before leaving, he put his STRONG arms around me and prayed for me. He ended by saying “thank you God for my strong mom“.
“Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his seat!” I love this statement. It’s like a child who is so confident that their parent loves them and wants to be with them even when they are apart and not visibly protecting them. I am amazed at Jobs faith when he didn’t have the example of Jesus on the cross. What a great reminder to us that we can be confident in going to the throne during hard times!
This side of heaven there will be things we never fully understand but knowing the character of God- that He is good, unchanging, faithful- means that we can trust Him in the mystery.
“But He is unchangeable…”
This is profoundly comforting. In our world, everything changes, even us. Kids grow up, marriages end, love fades, jobs come and go. In fact, though the bulk of my day will be much like yesterday, today will be different. And so it is hard to put our trust in the things around us, especially when we’ve dealt with adversity. I know many folks who wake each day “waiting for the other shoe to fall” because they’re convinced that calamity will come at some point. But when I ask them to list some certainties … among them I’ll hear; the sun still rises every morning, the moon still comes out at night, the earth still revolves, birds still sing and flowers still bloom. There are things in this place that we are guaranteed (in our lifetime) that are unchanging and yet no sunrise or sunset is the same. Even on the cloudy days, riddled with storms or blizzards, though we may not see it the sun is there. If we can find confidence in the constant setting and rising of the sun, in the knowledge that it is there regardless, than we can be even that much more assured in the unchanging character of its creator. In our conflicting seasons it may seem God has deserted us, that He has chosen to not hear our prayers, to not provide cover from the storm … but we must find peace in the absolute assurance that He is EVER PRESENT. Even more than a lighthouse on a distant shore still out of view, but whose light is always there, God stands firm with us in our seasons, He does not depart. And whether we know it or not in the onslaught of destruction around us, He provides glimpses of Him along the way just like the circulating beacon of that guidepost providing flash of its existence amidst the waves. Our eyes need to lift from our plights because nothing around us is guaranteed and we aren’t assured of anything more in this life but the one thing we can have confidence with everything fails arounds us, when the storms rise and the waves take us under, is that God remains and His eye is upon us. His heart hurts when we endure but He knows where the storm with take us and He goes too.
The past two years had been long for us and one year and a half ago God had given me a vision that brought peace in our season with one word that I attributed to the victory God would have for us in it. I had no idea that the one word that brought me peace would be found in the very name of the very long awaited job God would gift my husband. What I thought was an reminder from God was an actual, very real glimpse of His plan for us. He NEVER fails, He NEVER changes … Prayerful that today, regardless of what may come, we remember, without fail, His character!
I need this today. So many people around me are celebrating new babies and my arms are still empty. Sometimes I have a pity party because God gives people who don’t even believe in Him children, but not me. But today especially I need to hear the Truth that you do good because it makes you more like Christ, not because it makes God bless you.
“God cares about our good works, not because they affect His will—He is unchangeable, who can oppose Him?—but because they affect who we are. As Paul continues, saying, “the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit” (v.8).
We must not get tired of doing good, not because our good deeds will lead to good circumstances, but because sowing goodness leads to a life of trusting in the Spirit—the type of life that can withstand trials with faith.“
THIS RIGHT HERE, definitely spoke to me.
Thank you SRT!
Amen
Oh may “His spirit allow me to do good” please God . Please help me to walk in righteousness
We have hope because we rest in the promise of God’s presence with us, made possible by Jesus and through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Job’s physical suffering, while extreme, cannot compare to the loss he is experiencing from God’s distance. Eliphaz encourages him to find God and make things right. Job knows relationship with God is what he had, it is what he longs for, but that is only a gift God can give and Job does not recognize it at the present. The greatest pain is his separation from the love of God.
The peace God’s presence and love has to offer is our breath every day. It is the reason we live. Last night, our niece was baptized. We sat in the service, worshiping with other believers…celebrating, as we should. In front of us sat my husband’s parents. His mom, a godly woman, has an aggressive cancer. She has been healthy every day of her life, until a month ago. What she has experienced in the last month would be along Job lines. Yet she sat in front of us last night, singing of the power in the name of Jesus, singing of Jesus power over death and his redemption over our sin, singing of his great love. Her exhaustion was evident as she was helped to the car but, she had worshiped her Savior, together with the children and grandchildren she loves. She has not been able to attend church. However, last night, though physically-extremely-taxing, was soul-filling for that godly mama and the family around her who love her and were able to witness her depth of love for Jesus one more time.
So, do good because it is right not for the reward we will receive for we already have our reward—redemption through Christ who sustains us. Good news!
I heard Lysa TerkHurst from Proverbs 31 Ministry day that, “God is good, He is good at being God, and He is good to me.” It is hard to remember when walking through hard times and when we have the why questions, but He is always there. I’ve gone by feelings for so much of my life, but I should be going by God’s Truth from His Word. When my baby was stillborn, I was devestated. I grew up Catholic, but was invited to go to a full Gospel church after her funeral. I was thinking the people were crazy, because they were clapping and praising, because I wasn’t used to that. I remember looking up and asking God why He brought me here. I remember focusing on one lady that looked like she had it all together. I figured she could praise because her life was great. God used that same woman to come up to me and tell me that He wanted her to tell me to run to Him and not away! I heard the Gospel and found out about salvation that day. That woman became a helper for me during this time. I found out her life wasn’t perfect. She had a miscarriage and money issues like we had, but she had the love and joy of the Lord. I’ve learned so much about God and His Word, but I need to really take it to heart and apply what I’ve learned. He is Good and Faithful and always there. He has shown me time and time again. I’ve heard Him show me that I was worried for nothing. He worked it out. I know His Word tells us not to be anxious, but pray. Please pray for us with anxious hearts to remember His Word.
Amen, Kristen. Thanks for sharing that.
I borrowed this from a friend; I hope it brings you comfort as it does me. “Lord, may your Word remind me of who You are and how much You love me. May it bring the security of knowing my life is in Your hands and You will supply all my needs. Thank You, Lord, that when I look into Your Word I find You. Give me ears to recognize Your voice speaking to me every time I read it. When I hear Your voice and follow You, my life is full. When I get off the path You have for me, my life is empty. Guide, perfect, and fill me with Your Word this day. In Jesus/Yeshua’s name I pray.”
If the common thought was that you reap what you sow, then who can fault Eliphaz for assuming that Job must have done something terribly wrong to have reaped such tragedy? Eliphaz’ words aren’t at all comforting but he was trying to offer an explanation for Job’s suffering based on prevalent thought. It didn’t occur to Eliphsz that Job could be righteous AND suffering. We know better. Bad things do happen to good people. It’s not the “goodness” we should focus on, however. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. What should the reaction of the righteous be? Should it be different than those who don’t know God? Do we shake our fist at God in the hard times or do we open our hands to grasp His, trusting Him because we know He is a loving compassionate Father, regardless of our circumstances? Believers are righteous, yet we suffer at times. Fact. God is good and loves the righteous. Fact. Our faith is occasionally tested. Fact. Our suffering does not change the nature of God. It does not change our right standing with God. Our reaction to suffering reveals the depth of our relationship and trust in God. Yes we weep and we do not like it one bit but we know Who will walk us through the dark valley. Let us stand firm and hold on to Who and what we know. He is present and He loves us. We are ever secure in Him. Even when our world is collapsing. Especially when our world is collapsing. Do not be swayed by what you see. Hold on to the truth. We walk by faith, not sight. God is still present. God still cares. And He is still sovereign. Fact.
Amen!
❤️
Your words are always so beautifully thought out ❤️
I just love your thoughts and your encouragement Churchemouse! Thank you.
Excellent reminder of truth.
Amen!!
Amen!
Amen
Yes!!