JOB LESSON 4


     We will begin this lesson in Job 4:1 "Then Eliphaz the Temanite
answered and said," Job 4:2  "[If] we assay to commune with thee, wilt
thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?"

     Eliphaz was fully aware that up until this time Job did not want
his friends to talk to him. We discussed earlier, that many times deep
grief has to be worked out silently within one's self. Now, Eliphaz
believed that it might be time to speak to Job. He was actually asking
Job's permission to speak to him. He had waited 7 days, and now, he
felts he must speak.

     Job 4:3 "Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast
strengthened the weak hands."

     It appears, that Job had ministered to those around him who had
problems of any kind. It appears, he had instructed them in the ways
of God. His instructions had strengthened those who were weak in the
LORD.

     Job 4:4 "Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou
hast strengthened the feeble knees."

     We knew earlier of Job's great concern for his own children, but
this shows me a man who was concerned about all of those around him,
as well. Job's advice to others in trouble had been of great help to
them in their recovery.

     Job 4:5 "But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it
toucheth thee, and thou art troubled."

     This friend was telling Job that he was good at giving advice,
but he was not very good at taking advice. He was, also, saying, take
for yourself, the advice you have given others. This friend of Job
believed that this calamity, that had befallen Job, was a chastisement
from God. He was thoroughly convinced that Job had done some terrible
thing, and God was punishing him for it.

     Job 4:6  "[Is] not [this] thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and
the uprightness of thy ways?"

     Job feared God, and had confidence that God would see him through
every peril. His hope was that he lived before God the very best that
he could. He had done everything as near perfect as he knew how. It
was very hard to put that confidence in God into practical
application, with as much trouble as Job had at this time. The friend
was making a sleight remark to Job about his righteousness. He was
saying, if you were righteous in the sight of God, wouldn't he save
you from this? He had begun to insinuate that Job had sinned.

     Job 4:7 "Remember, I pray thee, who [ever] perished, being
innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?"
     This was, probably, some very good advice that Job had given to
his friends in need who had come to him. God would not be cut off. It
just appeared that way at the moment.

     Job 4:8 "Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow
wickedness, reap the same."

     With friends like this, Job did not need enemies. His friend was
accusing him of sin. Iniquity, here, was speaking of both physical and
spiritual evil. He was saying, "you reap, what you sow". He was
convinced that Job had sinned and was refusing to repent of that sin.
This was not true.

     Job 4:9 "By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of
his nostrils are they consumed."

     It is the breath of God within all of us that allows us to live.
God is in control of our birth and our death regardless of who we are
or what we have done. It is also Jesus who is the Judge of all the
world. It is his determination of whether we live in heaven or spend
an eternity in hell.

     Job 4:10 "The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce
lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken." Job 4:11 "The old
lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are
scattered abroad."

     Eliphaz, now, was relating Job to evil men who were spoken of as
lions. He was saying that Job had abused his power as a leader. The
old lion was a tyrant who had lost his power. In this last statement,
it was a terrible blow to Job, because his children were called the
whelps. They were taken from Job, but they were not scattered, they
were in heaven with God. Job's friend spoke of them, as if they were
lost for the sins of their father. All of the statements from Job's
friend were not true, because they were not from God.

     Job 4:12 "Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear
received a little thereof." Job 4:13 "In thoughts from the visions of
the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,"

     Whether this was speaking of a dream or a vision, it does not
matter. There are two sources for dreams and visions. Only one source
is from God. I would believe that Satan was using this friend to
further attack Job. Notice, also, that the words he heard were as a
whisper, which he did not hear clearly.

     Job 4:14 "Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my
bones to shake." Job 4:15 "Then a spirit passed before my face; the
hair of my flesh stood up:"

     It would not matter that this was an evil spirit, he would have
felt fear from it anyway. There was no question that Eliphaz had
encountered the spirit, but the question is was it from God, or Satan?
Satan will use members of our family and our closest friends to do us
hurt.

     Job 4:16 "It stood still, but I could not discern the form
thereof: an image [was] before mine eyes, [there was] silence, and I
heard a voice, [saying]," Job 4:17 "Shall mortal man be more just than
God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?"

     The key to this was in the fact that the spirit planted a
question in Eliphaz's mind. God makes statements. Satan brings
questions that cause us to doubt. This spirit was of Satan. Job had
not tried to say that he was pure, or that he was more just than God.
God had said that Job was righteous. It was God who said all of these
nice things about Job. Job appears, from everything he said and did to
be an humble man.

     Job 4:18 "Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels
he charged with folly:"

     All of these accusations were lies from the father of lies,
Satan. Job did not worship angels who are ministering spirits. He put
his faith in the LORD, where it belonged. Just as God knew that angels
were not infallible, Job knew they were not, too.

     Job 4:19 "How much less [in] them that dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation [is] in the dust, [which] are crushed before the
moth?"

     Job's friend was saying that God could not even trust Job to do
the right thing. He was housed in a body of clay and was therefore
worldly. Job's friend was speaking lies. God did trust Job. That was
what this whole attack on Job's person was about, because God did
trust him, and told Satan that He did.

     Job 4:20 "They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish
for ever without any regarding [it]."

     He was speaking of the fact that all flesh dies. Part of this is
true. God has no regard for the flesh of man, just for the spirit that
dwells within that flesh.

     Job 4:21 "Doth not their excellency [which is] in them go away?
they die, even without wisdom."

     Now, we see the jealousy of Job's wisdom by his friend. He was
saying, that Job had been known as a wise man on the earth, but his
wisdom would die with him.








                            Job 4 Questions


1.  Which of Job's friends spoke first?
2.  What was he asking Job for in verse 2?
3.  What do we learn about Job from verse 3?
4.  In verse 4, we find of Job's great concern for whom?
5.  Job's friend was telling Job that he was good at ________ advice,
    but not good at __________ advice.
6.  What did Job's friend believe caused this calamity to come on Job?
7.  Who was Job's confidence in?
8.  What was his hope?
9.  The friend had begun to insinuate that Job had ________.
10. Verse 7 was, probably, the same thing that _______ had said to
    those in trouble.
11. Quote Job chapter 4 verse 8.
12. By the _________ of God they perish.
13. Who is the Judge of all the world?
14. Who was Job's friend relating him to in verse 10?
15. The whelps, in verse 11, were  speaking of whom?
16. What were two different things that verse 12 and 13 could be
    speaking of?
17. What two very different sources do dreams and visions come from?
18. When this happened to Eliphaz, what effect did it have on him?
19. Who will Satan use to get to do us hurt?
20. What is the key to where this spirit came from?
21. Who had said that Job was righteous?
22. From everything he said and did, we can conclude that Job was an
    ___________ man.
23. Who were all of these lies from?
24. What are angels?
25. What was Job's friend saying about his relationship with God?
26. God did trust ______.
27. What was the reason for the attack of Satan on Job?
28. All flesh ________.
29. God has no regard for the flesh of man. He regards the ________
    ______ _______ _____ the flesh.
30. The last verse of this lesson reveals the ________ of Job's
    friend.