Title Continuing Eliphaz's Advice/5:1-27
Content Title: Continuing Advice from Eliphaz
Text 5:1-27
Introduction
Eliphaz was convinced that his argument was justified, so he continues to link Job's suffering and crime in the text following the battlefield.
In other words, the text is a passage that developed the basic position that Eliphaz had already expressed in the previous paragraph with a stronger tone.
However, as shown in the text, it is characteristic that Eliphaz cites several quotations to demonstrate that his claim is justified.
Ultimately, in the text, it seems that Eliphaz wanted to show that sinners perish because of their sins and that the blessings of sinners have a time limit and a definite judgment.
From Eliphaz's point of view, the first part of the text is about the chastening of the ungodly, and the second half, where the origin of suffering, universality, and inevitability are declared.
Main subject
1. As a result of human self-infliction (5:1-7)
It is the fact that Eliphaz sees Job's situation from a very critical point of view.
First, Eliphaz quotes the “holy ones” mentioned in Psalm 89 in the text to assert that no creature can help man unless God helps him.
And Eliphaz speaks of the end of the foolish man in verse 2, keeping in mind the lamentation of Job mentioned in chapter 3 of this book.
“Ewol,” which Eliphaz uses here to refer to “a fool,” does not mean as strong as “Nabal,” which Job referred to as his wife, but ultimately refers to a person who renounces the fear of God.
When Eliphaz used this word, Job probably understood his beauty as a reproach for his folly.
As Job continued to remain stubborn despite Eliphaz's advice, Eliphaz not only continues to defend himself, but also increases the strength of his claims. It is said that it is man's own responsibility and that he received God's wrath as a result of his sins
Eliphaz would have thought this had nothing to do with him.
Because no matter how much he looked into his own actions, there was no event that caused such wrath.
That is why he insists on this preaching of Eliphaz much longer than Eliphaz's words.
In any case, this sermon of Eliphaz will be a living lesson to keep in mind in all areas of our lives.
This is because Eliphaz's persuasion is very valid if the suffering itself comes from the wrong actions of an individual human being. Therefore, when we face difficulties and hardships, we must first examine and reflect on ourselves.
However, Eliphaz's homily was not profitable because it was a one-sided push to the general situation and the special circumstances.
2. Ask God (5:8-16)
Following the previous paragraph that directly rebuked Job's complaints by referring to the folly of those who complained to God and the consequences, the text offers a solution to Job's suffering.
The text, which begins the concluding part of Eliphaz's argument, is an effort to put a brief pause on Job's sharp criticism of his sin or grim comments about the future, and to turn Job, who was in despair, to the positive and gentle attributes of God.
This text consists of the first part in which it is recorded that God should be righteous, the middle part mentioning God's attributes, and the second part in which Eliphaz's plea for Job's whip is expressed.
However, Eliphaz offers Job a solution to his troubles and at the same time expresses his own worldview.
Here, God appears as one who rules nature and human affairs with amazing power, and is implied as one who rules human affairs as a moral order, just as he bestows the laws of nature.
In other words, God prevents the evil and the unrighteous from fulfilling his orders and protects the powerless and weak.
Therefore, Eliphaz exhorts Job to obey God's moral laws as if he respected the laws of nature.
These exhortations imply that Eliphaz viewed Job as a man who, because of his sin, was at odds with God.
In particular, it can be seen that Job is implicitly criticized as a wicked man who persecuted the poor by falling into a proud state of being overconfident in his abilities.
* Emphasizes the reason for seeking God even in the midst of hardship by using a very good poetic expression
God, who counts even our hairs, wants to benefit those who love Him, so believers should seek Him in trouble
However, if we look at the reason in detail, not only to glorify God through suffering for counsel and direction in suffering, but also to gain patience to endure suffering, for spiritual benefit and improvement intended through suffering is to find out
*Also, after explaining what comes when we trust in God, Eliphaz advises Job to acknowledge God's power and sovereignty
Man's inner supplication to God first of all gives him inner peace.
Peaceful Peace is not a product of human effort, but a gift from God.
Therefore, Eliphaz asserts that if Job only appealed to God in this way, the present desperate situation would never come.
In Eliphaz's argument, we seem to see a representative figure of a person who insists only on their own subjective religious logic rather than comforting those who are suffering.
His attitude is reminiscent of the scribes and Pharisees who despised the masses in the New Testament era and emphasized only their rules and doctrines as behavioral habits.
As such, Eliphaz decides Job to be a sinner and then unfolds the story, so even though his arguments and logic are valid, his assumptions are wrong.
In this way, everyone is advancing their arguments by overly justifying their wrong assumptions.
Therefore, many thoughts and arguments are not problematic in their content, but when they are applied to certain situations, serious problems can arise.
Therefore, believers should always help others by taking appropriate measures through accurate judgment of the situation and correct diagnosis.
3. Happiness after discipline (5:17-27)
Unlike the previous paragraph, where Elivas' extremely schematic and sober thought system was referred to as a “lecture,” the content of direct recommendations was performed in the second person point of view.
In the text, Eliphaz indirectly mentions that it can be a process of refinement and recommends restoring blessings by conforming to the purpose for which God gave suffering.
The text that belongs to the concluding part of Eliphaz's thesis consists of the first part, which calls for repentance for external sins, and the second part, which mentions the purpose of God's punishment and the blessings that come if we obey him.
Eliphazne gives appropriate warnings and exhortations about Job
In particular, in the text, Eliphaz urges Job to “do not despise”, which has the following meanings.
In other words, subdue yourselves to the will of God by suppressing the natural hostility of man.
It is implied not to neglect or ignore discipline
In a text like this, Eliphaz speaks of comforting words that give him strength because he does not consider his sufferings to be worthless.
Also, in the latter part of the text, Eliphaz describes the paradoxical greeting of Christian truth, that is, the blessings that humans will receive in the midst of unavoidable disasters.
Although God's discipline may seem illuminating to humans, if humans obey them, they are actually a blessing to humans.
Therefore, the saints should not accept God's rebuke as punishment, but rather rejoice it.
On the other hand, the core of Eliphaz's logic in the battlefield and in the main chapter is that God's destructive judgment will surely fall on the wicked, not on the innocent.
This idea is contrary to Isaiah 57:1 and is in line with the motto of the psalmist mentioned in Psalm 1.
Therefore, it can be seen that at the core of Eliphaz's sermon shown in Chapter 4.5, the idea of causation and retribution, that Job was punished for his sins, was deeply engraved.
However, the beautiful counsel that Eliphaz presented in the text leaves a lasting beauty as it was a gracious counsel rich in promises.
conclusion
The lessons that believers can learn from the above are the following:
*We are disciplined by God because God sees us as His children.
*The peace of the present can be the sorrow of the future, but the suffering of the present can bring peaceful results in the future.
Therefore, we must remember the truth that God's blessings will come when believers change their wrong lives through God's discipline and learn obedience and humility.