Job's alleged help continues with Eliphaz' speech in chapter 5. Eliphaz approaches Job's problems through a slightly different lens. He assumes that since wisdom is rewarded and foolishness is punished Job must have entered into some sort of folly. His failure to recognize it is further evidence of his folly, for who but a fool would not know he is foolish? God punishes fools, though he eventually will grant them mercy. At least Eliphaz gives some hope of mercy and deliverance. Yet he has a decided one-size-fits-all diagnosis of Job's problems. Job is most certainly personally responsible for the challenges he is going through.
This simply doesn't fit with the reality of living in a sinful world. If our world is fallen and cursed, and if people are affected by the actions of other people, we can expect much hardship to come upon us. It isn't all of our own doing, though much of it certainly is. Yet many times negative things happen and we had nothing in particular to do with them. Eliphaz doesn't account for this possibility.
What is Job to do as a result of Eliphaz' counsel? Hunker down and wait? He's been doing that already. In short, Eliphaz identifies a possible problem, asserts that it is the only problem, and tells Job to do what he is already doing. Maybe he tells Job this because he assumes Job is enough of a fool that he wouldn't have thought of that himself.
Maybe when we see a Job, when we find out we are like Job, we can take greater comfort. This world is full of evil. Bad things happen. Yet we know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has taken that evil upon himself. He has submitted himself to the evil world. He overcame all the sin of the world and lives to make intercession for us. Let us live, even when we are assaulted by evil, in light of that resurrection promise. Let us live in hope that our Lord has accomplished our salvation and will bring it to pass in full. Are we foolish? You bet. But our Lord came to save fools as well.
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