JOB 4:12-21
ELIPHAZ CONTINUES
ELIPHAZ CONTINUES
photo courtesy of Wikimedia
12) A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. 13) Amid disquieting dreams in the night when deep sleep falls on men, 14) fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. 15) A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end
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16) It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: 17) 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
(18) If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, 19) how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth? 20) Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed they perish forever.
21) Are not the cords of their tent pulled up so that they die without wisdom
(18) If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, 19) how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth? 20) Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed they perish forever.
21) Are not the cords of their tent pulled up so that they die without wisdom
COMMENTARY
Temen was a trading center in Edom, noted as a place of wisdom. So, Eliphaz, who is one of his best friends, decides that Job has sinned and needs to confess and repent. When Eliphaz said "A word was secretly brought to me", the "dream" was obviously not from God, as we will see.
In fact, allow me to expand on this: there are heavenly angels and there are fallen angels. Heavenly angels minister to God's creation per His direction. Fallen angels attack God's creation as much as God allows. Angels, whether good or evil, can take on many forms.
There is no "spirit of the dead", no spirit of dead people hanging around this world. The dead do not wander around; their spirit is not recycled until they are perfected. When we die, we either go to Hades or Paradise (see Luke 16). Do I believe people see ghosts of their loved ones? Absolutely! I believe an angel has taken the form of the image of loved ones to deliver a message. The question is, is it a heavenly angel or a fallen angel?
Although Eliphaz claimed that his vision was divinely inspired, it is doubtful that it came from God because later God criticized Eliphaz for misrepresenting Him. How many people have you discovered who have misrepresented God? What ever the vision's source, it is summarized in 4:17. On the surface, this statement is completely true--mere mortal cannot compare to God and should not try to question God's motives and actions. Satan is famous for using half truths. Eliphaz, however, took this thought and expounded on it later, expressing his own opinions.
It is easy for teachers, counselors, and well-meaning friends to begin with a portion of God's truth but then go off on a tangent. It is better to keep your mouth shut and sit with someone than to open your mouth and add to their misery. Cue Psalms 69: 20 - 26: 20) Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21) They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. 22) May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. 23) May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. 24) POUR OUT YOUR WRATH ON THEM; LET YOUR FIERCE ANGER OVERTAKE THEM. 25) May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. 26) FOR THEY PERSECUTE THOSE YOU WOUND AND TALK ABOUT THE PAIN OF THOSE YOU HURT. (NIV)
In fact, allow me to expand on this: there are heavenly angels and there are fallen angels. Heavenly angels minister to God's creation per His direction. Fallen angels attack God's creation as much as God allows. Angels, whether good or evil, can take on many forms.
There is no "spirit of the dead", no spirit of dead people hanging around this world. The dead do not wander around; their spirit is not recycled until they are perfected. When we die, we either go to Hades or Paradise (see Luke 16). Do I believe people see ghosts of their loved ones? Absolutely! I believe an angel has taken the form of the image of loved ones to deliver a message. The question is, is it a heavenly angel or a fallen angel?
Although Eliphaz claimed that his vision was divinely inspired, it is doubtful that it came from God because later God criticized Eliphaz for misrepresenting Him. How many people have you discovered who have misrepresented God? What ever the vision's source, it is summarized in 4:17. On the surface, this statement is completely true--mere mortal cannot compare to God and should not try to question God's motives and actions. Satan is famous for using half truths. Eliphaz, however, took this thought and expounded on it later, expressing his own opinions.
It is easy for teachers, counselors, and well-meaning friends to begin with a portion of God's truth but then go off on a tangent. It is better to keep your mouth shut and sit with someone than to open your mouth and add to their misery. Cue Psalms 69: 20 - 26: 20) Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21) They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. 22) May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. 23) May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. 24) POUR OUT YOUR WRATH ON THEM; LET YOUR FIERCE ANGER OVERTAKE THEM. 25) May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. 26) FOR THEY PERSECUTE THOSE YOU WOUND AND TALK ABOUT THE PAIN OF THOSE YOU HURT. (NIV)
Do angels really make errors? Remember that Eliphaz was speaking, not God, so we must be careful about building our knowledge of the spiritual world from Eliphaz's opinions. In addition, the word translated error is only here, and its meaning is unclear. We could save Eliphaz's credibility by saying he meant fallen angels, but this passage is not meant to teach about angels. Eliphaz was saying that sinful human beings are far beneath God and the angels. Eliphaz was right about God's greatness, but he did not understand God's greater purposes concerning suffering.
MY THOUGHTS
I have a problem with others telling me something and then saying they heard it from God. I feel like this: if God wants me to know something, He has my number. Right? Spirits are not always Heavenly. Take it from me, I know first hand. That is a topic for another time.
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You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts. You are also encouraged to share this post on your favorite social media if we have been a blessing to you. Thank you.
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