0162. Eliphaz the Temanite

Eliphaz the Temanite

"Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite" (Job_2:11).

Eliphaz the Temanite. This "comforter" was a man with much self-assertiveness. He was a man who professed to have seen some wonderful visions. Concerning his visions he said:

"Now a thing was secretly brought to me,

And mine ear received a whispering thereof.

In thoughts from the visions of the night,

When deep sleep faileth on men,

Fear came upon me and trembling,

Which made all my bones to shake.

Then a spirit passed before my face;

The hair of my flesh stood up:

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof:

An image was before my eyes." etc..

One who had seen such hair-raising visions, surely felt that his words should be deeply appreciated. Job should sit up and listen.

The sum and substance of the testimony of Eliphaz was this: "Who ever perished, being innocent? Or, where were the righteous cut off? They that plow in iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish."

The difficulty with Eliphaz lay in the fact that he did not know all the truth. Sin and wickedness will surely be visited with chastisement; but it is wrong to say that all suffering is the result of God’s chastening hand.

In John 9, the question was asked by the disciples concerning the man born blind, "Who hath sinned, this man or his parents?" They had the same idea as that expressed by Eliphaz. Job was suffering, because Job had sinned.

Beloved, let us not be too hasty in our judgments. Some of God’s choicest saints suffer the most.

If Eliphaz had been able to look behind the scenes he would have found that God, through the trials of Job, was vindicating His own righteousness and also substantiating the faithfulness of Job.

If the disciples had been able to look behind the scenes, they would have known that the man had been born blind; in order that "the works of God should be made manifest in him."

One thing is sure–when we do not know the reason for our suffering and our sorrows, we can "trust and not be afraid."

"Not now, but in the coming years,

It may be in the better land,

We’ll read the meaning of our tears,

And up in Heaven we’ll understand.

"We’ll know why clouds instead of sun,

Were over many a cherished plan,

Why hopes were crushed, when scarce begun,

‘Tis there in Heaven we’ll understand.

"God holds the key, He leads the way,

He guides us with unerring hand,

Sometime, with tearless eyes we’ll see,

Yes, up in Heaven, we’ll understand."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR