Eliphaz’ Last Appeal, and Job’s Anchor of Faith

“* T will bring the third part through the fire, I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried.”” — Zech. xiii. 9. “Then answered Eliphaz ... Is not thy wickedness great?”° — Chap. xxi. 1, 5-

PEA. has not yet spoken his last word. One more attempt must be made to press conviction home. Since Job persistently refuses to acknowledge transgression as the cause of his affliction he must be dealt with more definitely, and Eliphaz will put before him in detail some possible ways in which he has grieved the Lord.

The friends all through show a most lamentable ignorance of the character of God. ‘They appear to exalt Him in their talk of His greatness and holiness, but they do not seem to have any real acquaintance with Him, although Eliphaz later on urges Job to this personal knowledge of God.

Ts it any pleasure to El-Shaddai that thou art righteous, or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?’’ Eliphaz asks Job (v. 3).

Yet it is written that “‘ the Lord taketh pleasure in Hts people’. He “taketh pleasure in them that fear Him’. How little did Eliphaz know the heart of God!

“Ts it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee?” (v. 4), he sarcastically continues. Judging by the extent of the ‘“reproof’’ Job’s wickedness must be very great. His iniquities must have been unending since there seemed to be no end to his sufferings (v. 5)!

Eliphaz’ favourite weapon is sarcasm. Almost his first words to Job are clothed with this. After listening to all that had passed, he sees it is hopeless to convince Job by side attacks. He will cast aside all cover, and tell out his mind for the last time. Job had just said that he knew they were preaching at him in their histories of the fate of the wicked. So Eliphaz would speak out.

Job, “‘ts not thy wickedness great?” Thou art simply receiving thy portion in all the suffering that has come upon thee. It is a judgment for thy sins, cries Eliphaz, as he goes on to enumerate these sins.

Job must have robbed his brethren; stripped cruelly the poor; withholden water from the weary, and bread from the hungry (v. 6, 7); been deaf to the cry of the widow; taken advantage of the fatherless (v. 9) 3 therefore snares were around him, and sudden fear troubled him. Did he not see that he was in darkness, and deep waters (vv. 10, 11, m.)?

Worse than all, Job was saying in his heart that God did not know all this; Jehovah was too high and too hidden with clouds as He walked on the vault of heaven to see what Job was doing (v. 12-14, m.).

From the pedestal of his assumed knowledge of God, Eliphaz looks pityingly down upon this poor sin-punished friend of his.

“© Dost thou mark the old way which wicked men have trodden?”’ (v.15, m.). Wilt thou not take warning by their fate — they who said to God ‘“‘ Depart from us ’’ — he cries.

Eliphaz’ last appeal

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good

shall come unto thee.’”’ — Chap. xxit. 21.

From candid speaking Eliphaz turns to pleading, for he genuinely desires to help this stricken man. If Job would but acquaint himself with God, he would be at peace, and good should come to him and not evil (v. 21): he would even pray him to receive instruction from the mouth of God, and to lay up His words in his heart (v. 22, m.), for it was sad to see such havoc as appeared in Job’s life through persistent refusal to listen to the advice of the friends now pleading with him.

If Job would only return to El-Shaddai, he should be built up, instead of being broken down; if he would put away unrighteousness from his home, and lay his treasure in the dust, El-Shaddai Himself should be his treasure (v. 23-25).

Then Job would delight himself i in El-Shaddai; he would lift up his face to God without the “terrors”’ that he speaks about (v. 26); his prayers would be answered; he would be enabled to fulfil his promises to God; power and authority would be restored to him, for he should “decree a thing”? and it should be done; instead of darkness light should shine upon his ways (v. 27, 28); he would be able to say confidently to those who were cast down, “‘ there is lifting up”’ (v. 29); and he would be used once more to help, and bless others. Yea, souls should be delivered, all because he had put away unrighteousness, confessed his transgressions, and made clean his hands (v. 29, 30).

Fob’s reception of Eliphaz’ appeal “Then Job... said, Even to-day is my complaint accounted rebellion: His hand is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew

where I might find Him.” — Chap. xxiii. 1-3, m.

Job does not reply to Eliphaz at once; for the assumption that he is a transgressor, and the accusations of wrong-doing — with the renewed exhortation to put away sin and seek God — is more than he can answer. ‘The iron is entering his soul, and he can only pour out his heart unto God.

Even to-day is my complaint bitter,’ Job groans out in his anguish. Ohifhe could but get access to the Throne of God, he would spread out his case before Him; if he could but get His verdict, and understand His will, he would be satisfied (v. 3-5). If he could but come even to the seat of Jehovah, he is sure the Lord would not contend with him in the greatness of His power. Nay, He would only give heed to His servant (v. 6, m.), and permit him to reason with Him, so that he might be delivered from all the cruel judgment of his friends (v. 7).

The test of faith

“Behold I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him: ... He hideth Himself on the right hand, that I cannot see Him.” — Chap. xxiii. 8, 9.

Job is obliged to confess that he has no word from God in his deep trial. Whichever way he moves — forward; backward; to the left or to the right; he cannot perceive a trace of His Presence or His workings.

This hiding of God gives the bitterest pain of all; but it is useless labouring to find Him when He withdraws Himself from the consciousness; no agonizing in prayer or writhing in self-effort can compel Him to unveil His face, when He hides Himself in thick darkness.

Whatever Eliphaz may think about it, even though he calls Job’s complaint rebellion, yet Job is bound to own his position. Jehovah has broken him down on every side, and there is no possibility of ‘‘ keeping up appearances” now. God has hidden Himself from him, he does not know why!

The anchor of faith

“But He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I

shall come forth as gold.’’ — Chap. xxiii. 10.

But if I cannot see God, He can see me, cries Job — if I do not know the path He is leading me in, He knows it and that is enough. He has placed me in the crucible of trial, and when os a has done its work, He will bring me forth as gold

v. 10).

In spite of all the suffering, and outpouring of the bitter complaint of nature, writhing under the endurance of what was almost unendurable to a human being, we cannot but see again and again how Job was really made to understand his position by the inner teaching of the Spirit of God. We may continually discern the difference between the inner and the outer man all through his language.

As we listen to Job’s outpourings of grief, it seems as if at times the inner man was lost in the bitter cries of that outward man which was perishing day by day; yet again and again the inner spirit breaks forth in the tenacity of the faith which assured him that in the face of outward seemings he is still in the hand of God.

Again we see that at the moment of deepest despair when Job is driven to an agonized cry to his friends for pity, his spirit breaks free in triumphant faith in the living God. He is anchored afresh upon the Rock, so that now — when Eliphaz boldly deals with him as a transgressor, and he is dumb with the manifest impossibility of answering him — he is able to stedfastly rest in the faithfulness of God, and to understand what El-Shaddai is doing with him.

Job remembers that gold must always be purified by fire. He had learnt in days gone by the efficacy of sacrifices for the remission of sins, but now he knows that there is a trial by fire for the gold of God’s elect, and true gold will stand the fire, and only lose the dross which must be purged away.

Job had writhed under the charges of evil-doing, and bitterly cried to God to show him his transgressions, but from the moment he had seen his Redeemer to be his heavenly Vindicator, his spirit rests in calm assurance and dependence upon God. He knew now that Jehovah was only trying him; not punishing him as his friends had said.

The boldness of faith

“* My foot hath held fast to His steps; His ways have I kept, and

turned not aside. I have not gone back.” — Chap. xxiii. 11, 12.

‘“* Beloved if our heart condemn us not we have boldness toward God,” is the New Testament explanation of these bold words from Job.

Job knew that he had not swerved from his fixity of purpose to walk in the ways of God. He declared that his foot had held fast to His steps; that is, that the foot of faith had been planted firmly upon every fresh step onwards, for Jehovah the Lord had been his strength, making his feet like hind’s feet to walk upon the high places of His truth.

Moreover, Job could say with a clear conscience that he had not ‘“‘ turned aside”’ or “‘ gone back”? from aught that he knew to be the will of God: he had “‘ treasured up the words of His mouth’? and esteemed them more than his “necessary food’”’ (A.V.).

Here we have the secret of Job’s fear of the Lord, and dread of sin. He knew what it was to receive ‘‘ words from His mouth’. Such words remain in the heart as letters of fire, cannot be effaced, and are of far more value to spirit, soul, and body than even necessary food.

The Lord Christ knew this when He said to the tempter urging Him to provide for His own bodily needs, ‘‘ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’.

Does this mean also the written word, as we have it in the Scriptures? Yes, when the Holy Spirit of God speaks through the Scriptures, and makes every word as freshly given to the soul out of the mouth of God. Apart from this we are plainly told that the letter killeth; it is the Spirit alone, speaking through the letter, that giveth life.

The knowledge of faith

But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth... He performeth that which is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him.’’ — Chap. HX 13, 14.

Job’s knowledge of the character of God comes out very clearly again and again. Here he shows that he knows Him as the changeless One, with Whom there ‘can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning”’.

The immutable God could not be hindered, or turned aside from fulfilling His purposes. Job could rest assured that Jehovah would perform all the desires of His heart for him, “and many such things are with Him’? Job adds — many blessed purposes are in His heart for me, and He will take His own way of fulfilling them. I only know that “‘ what His soul desireth, even that He doeth”’, none can turn Him aside.

Oh blessed rest in God, the immutable One! Job has truly anchored within the veil ever since his spirit fled for refuge to God, and he was given the assurance of a Living Redeemer who would vindicate him in the day of His appearing.

The fear of faith

“Therefore am I troubled at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him. For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty, troubleth me.” — Chap. xxiii. 15, 16, A.V.

These seem strange words to follow the bold language that Job has just used, but in experience they are easily understood.

The outward man has been broken down on every side, and in the breaking all natural power of endurance and self-restraint had gone. The once dignified Job had not been able to hide his sufferings behind a barrier of reserve, nor had he been able to protect himself from the humiliation of pleading for pity from his misjudging friends, and even weeping like a child.

He knew that God was refining him as gold, and he understood that He was only performing for him the deep purposes of His heart for eternal blessing, but as he remembered the wormwood and the gall of the past days, as he said the words “many such things are with Him”’, he could not help trembling as to what those ‘‘ many things”? might mean in further suffering.

Job says ‘‘ when I consider I am afraid of Him ’ — and he explains this by. adding, ‘‘ God maketh my heart soft”, although ‘‘ J am not dismayed because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covereth my face’’ (v. 17, m.).

Ah, Job does not know how the fire is doing its work in him. A soft, or melted heart, can only be obtained by fire.

“Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire.. and ye shall be melted,” * was the Lord’s message to Israel in later years, and Isaiah says the manifested presence of God is as the “‘ fire of meltings’’ to His people.

A soft heart has lost resistance to the hand of God — not only in will, for the will may have been unresisting long before — but in an involuntary hardness that makes its capacity small and narrow.

““Be ye enlarged,” writes the apostle Paul to the Corinthians, and the heart can only be enlarged when it is softened and melted by the fire.

Job is conscious of the softened heart that melts within him at the presence of God, but he knows too that it is not fear — fear of the thick darkness that God is leading him through. He does not know what it is, but his heart is faint.

The marvel of faith ‘* Why is it, seeing times are not hidden from El-Shaddai, that they which know Him see not His days?” — Chap. xxiv. 1, m.

How is it, if my friends know God, ponders Job, that they do not understand His different times, or “‘ days”’, for dealing with souls.

For instance, there are some so selfish and grasping that they provide for their own needs regardless of the suffering of others; they, take advantage of the fatherless; rob the widow; trample on the poor, so that all are afraid of them (v. 2-4, m.). Then there are the poor who are oppressed, they work hard for daily food; they reap the corn and glean the vintage, yet they are without shelter at night, and have no covering from the cold (v. 5-8).

The oppressor robs the fatherless and the poor (v. g); and the oppressed for the sake of food, work within the walls of these men (v. 10, 11), and out of the populous city is heard the groans and the cries of the oppressed souls (v. 12) — yet God does not deal with either, for it is not His “‘ day” or time for doing so.

Then again there is the murderer, the thief, the adulterer, all who sin in the dark, and hide themselves in the day time (v. 14-17); “‘ Ye say... their portion is cursed in the earth”? (v. 18, m.), ‘‘ the grave”’ violently takes away all who thus

* Bzek. xxii. 21:

sin (v. 19, m.), but the fact is ‘* God giveth them to be in security” (v. 23), because it is not the “‘ day” for dealing with them.

It is true His eyes are upon their ways, in a little while they are gone, and when they are brought low they are gathered in and cut off like ears of corn (v. 23, 24).

Am I not speaking truth, Eliphaz? God has a time for all things, and those who know Him should see and understand His “‘ days’? (v. 25).

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Job, Chapters xxv, xxvi, XXVH, XXvill.