"THE BOOK OF JOB"
The Great Debate: First Cycle Of Speeches (4-14)
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS SECTION
1) To examine the counsel of Job's friends, what their observations
were, and upon what they based their conclusions regarding Job's
suffering
2) To consider Job's response to his friends, how he took their
"advice", and how he continued to vent his complaint over his
suffering
SUMMARY
Following Job's outburst in which he cursed the day of his birth and
wondered why those who long for death continue to live, his three
friends begin offering their counsel. Eliphaz the Temanite starts with
expressing his view that the innocent don't suffer, the wicked do. As
support for his position, he refers to a vision that he had.
Chastening Job, Eliphaz then directs Job to seek God's forgiveness,
reminding him of the blessings that would come if Job repented
(4:1-5:22). Job defends his rash words as being prompted by his grief,
and again expresses his desire for death. Reproaching his friends as
being a "deceitful brook", he challenges them to show him where he has
sinned. He then resumes his complaint, asking God a multitude of
questions (6:1-7:21).
Bildad the Shuhite now steps in and rebukes Job for his strong words.
Maintaining that God is just, he implies that Job's sons died because
of their own transgressions, and if Job were only pure and upright he
would be blessed by God. Appealing to wisdom of the ancients, he
contends the wicked are without support, and that God will not cast
away the blameless. If Job would only repent, God would fill him once
again with laughter and rejoicing (8:1-22). Job basically agrees, but
wonders who can really be righteous in God's sight in view of His
wisdom and strength. He then complains of God's inaccessibility, and
maintains his own integrity while concluding that God destroys the
blameless along with the wicked. Feeling hopeless, Job bemoans the
lack of a mediator between him and God. Once again, he gives free
course to his complaint as he lashes out with more questions directed
toward God (9:1-10:22).
Finally, Zophar the Naamathite enters the dialogue with his own rebuke
of Job for his rash words. Indicating that Job has actually received
less suffering than he deserves, he reproaches Job trying to search out
the deep things of God. Instead, Job should be putting away iniquity
and wickedness, for then he would abide in brightness, security and
hope (11:1-20). In response, Job chides his friends for their attempt
to impart wisdom but succeeding only in mocking him. Affirming the
wisdom of God, Job says the advice of his friends has been of little
help. He calls them "forgers of lies" and "worthless physicians" who
have only given him "proverbs of ashes" and "defenses of clay".
Confident of his own integrity, Job again expresses his desire to speak
with God to ask Him what he has done to deserve such suffering. Once
again despairing of hope, he longs for death (12:1-14:22).
OUTLINE
I. ELIPHAZ SPEAKS AND JOB RESPONDS (4:1-7:21)
A. THE COUNSEL OF ELIPHAZ (4:1-5:27)
1. Introductory remarks (4:1-6)
a. Though he does not wish to weary Job, he cannot refrain
from speaking
b. Job has strengthened others in the past, now he needs
strengthening
c. Is Job not trusting in his own confidence and integrity?
2. Eliphaz's view: The innocent don't suffer, the wicked do
(4:7-11)
a. When have the innocent ever perished?
b. But I have seen the wicked perish by the blast of God, just
like the lions
3. In support of his view: Eliphaz appeals to a vision (4:12-21)
a. A terrifying vision, in which he heard a voice
b. A revelation that man cannot be more righteous than God
c. If angels can be charged with error, how much more so men
of clay?
d. Note: Eliphaz is appealing to "subjective revelation"
1) His example shows the error of appealing to such to
determine truth
2) "Nothing is more essential than testing experience by an
objective standard of reality. When God has spoken
concerning a matter, that is decisive for all the issues
involved. His word must be the court of appeal for all
thoughts, impressions, and views." (Newton Wray)
4. Eliphaz warns Job (5:1-7)
a. There is danger in the anger of a foolish man
b. Such a one will see his sons crushed and his harvest
depleted
c. Affliction comes because man is born to trouble
5. Eliphaz directs Job (5:8-16)
a. Seek God and commit your cause to Him
b. For God does great things, catching the wise in their own
craftiness, saving the needy and giving hope to the poor
6. Job reminded of God's blessings on those who accept His
chastening (5:17-26)
a. Happy is the man God corrects; don't despise His chastening
b. God will make him whole, and protect him in times of
trouble
c. God will give him peace, many descendants, and long life
-- Eliphaz's conclusion: "This we have searched out; it is true.
Hear it and know for yourself." (5:27)
B. JOB'S REPLY (6:1-7:21)
1. He justifies his rash words (6:1-7)
a. They are prompted by his heavy grief
b. He is experiencing the poisonous arrows and terrors of the
Almighty
c. Animals don't complain when well fed; but food has become
loathsome to him
2. He longs for death, while his integrity is still intact
(6:8-13)
a. He wishes that God would go ahead and crush him
b. Then he would have some comfort in knowing that he had not
concealed (or denied) the words of God
c. How long can he hope to endure?
3. Job reproaches his friends (6:14-23)
a. They should have shown proper kindness
b. They have been like a deceitful brook, that disappoints
those who come to it
c. They have been afraid of what they have seen
d. He had not asked for their assistance
4. He challenges them to show him where he has sinned (6:24-30)
a. Show him his error and he will be quiet
b. Reproving him with no proof is of no benefit, it is like
overwhelming the fatherless and undermining one's friend
c. Look at him again and treat him justly, there is no
injustice in him
5. Job now resumes his complaint (7:1-10)
a. His life is one of hard servitude, with months of futility
and wearisome nights
b. The condition of his flesh makes him toss all night
c. His days swiftly go by with no hope of ever seeing good
again
d. He expects to descend to the grave and soon forgotten
6. Job speaks out in the anguish of his soul (7:11-21)
a. Why does God terrify him with dreams and visions, so that
he longs for death?
b. Why is God testing him every moment? How long will this go
on?
c. Why can't God just leave him alone?
d. How has he sinned? What has he done to become a target for
God?
e. If he has sinned, why doesn't God pardon his transgression?
f. As it is, he will just go ahead and die, and then God won't
have to bother with him anymore (the sort of foolish
statement for which Job later repents, 42:3,6)
II. BILDAD SPEAKS AND JOB RESPONDS (8:1-10:22)
A. THE COUNSEL OF BILDAD (8:1-22)
1. Introductory remarks (1-7)
a. He rebukes Job for his words
b. He maintains that God deals justly
c. If Job's sons sinned, they were killed for their
transgression
d. Restoration would occur if Job would only seek God and
repent
2. Bildad appeals to the wisdom of the ancients (8-18)
a. Heed what others have already learned, for our time is
short
b. The wicked are like the papyrus with no support, for they
soon wither
c. God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold
the evildoers (the implication is "Job, you are not
blameless")
d. God will yet restore Job (assuming he repents)
B. JOB'S REPLY (9:1-10:22)
1. He agrees with Bildad, but who can truly be righteous before
God? (9:1-13)
a. No one can contend with God, He is too wise and strong
b. Job provides numerous examples of God's power
2. Because of such power, Job's complains of God's inaccessibility
(9:14-20)
a. Even if he were righteous (perfect?), Job would be unable
to answer God
b. For even now God multiplies his wounds without cause
c. His own mouth would condemn him under the weight of God's
strength
3. Maintaining his claim to innocence, he concludes that God
destroys the blameless along with the wicked (9:21-24)
a. Job professes to be blameless, but has lost his will to
live
b. He knows of no other conclusion but that God looks lightly
at the plight of the innocent
4. Feeling hopeless, Job bemoans the lack of a mediator (9:25-35)
a. His days go by, with no good to be seen
b. Why even try, if God has chosen to condemn him?
c. He knows there is no way to reason with God, and there is
no one to mediate between them
d. If God would only take His rod from him, but such is not
the case
5. In pain, Job gives free course to his complaint (10:1-22)
a. God, why do You condemn Me? Tell me why!
b. Does it seem good for You to despise the work of Your
hands?
c. Are You having to search for my iniquity, like a mortal
man?
d. Have You made me, just to destroy me?
e. Whether I am wicked or righteous, Your indignation
increases toward me!
f. Why then did You let me be born? How I wish I had died at
birth!
g. Can't You leave me alone so I can have a little comfort
before I die and enter the "land of darkness"?
III. ZOPHAR SPEAKS AND JOB RESPONDS (11:1-14:22)
A. THE COUNSEL OF ZOPHAR (11:1-20)
1. Affirms that Job has received less than he deserves (11:1-6)
a. The multitude of Job's words call for refutation
b. Job claims innocence; if only God would speak and show his
true guilt
c. God has exacted less from Job than he deserves
2. Reproaches Job for desiring to search out God's hidden ways
(11:7-12)
a. Can Job find that which is beyond his ability to know?
b. God cannot be hindered, and considers the wickedness of man
c. A not-so-subtle rebuke of Job as a foolish empty-headed man
3. Promises restoration upon repentance and confession of sin
(11:13-20)
a. Seek the Lord and put away sin if you wish to be pure and
steadfast
b. You would forget your misery and abide in brightness,
security and hope
c. But the wicked will not escape, and their only hope is loss
of life
B. JOB'S REPLY (12:1-14:22)
1. He chides his accusers (12:1-12)
a. Mocking their wisdom, he also has wisdom
b. Though just and blameless, he has been mocked; meanwhile
the wicked prosper
c. Wisdom is not limited to Job's friends; all nature
testifies of wisdom and it comes with age
2. He affirms God's own wisdom and strength (12:13-25)
a. God can do what He wants, and none can stop Him
b. He can overpower the wise and mighty, even the nations
3. The advice of his friends has been no help (13:1-12)
a. He already knows what they know; he desires to reason with
God
b. They claim to speak for God, but they are worthless
physicians and forgers of lies
c. Their platitudes and defenses are worthless
4. Confident of his own integrity, Job again wishes to speak with
God (13:13-19)
a. Let him speak, for he is willing to take what comes
b. Even if God slays him, he will continue to trust Him
c. He desires to defend himself before God, he cannot remain
silent
5. Job appeals to God for an audience (13:20-28)
a. Upon the conditions of removing His hand and not
overwhelming him with dread, Job would speak with God
b. He desires to know where he has sinned, and why God regards
him as an enemy
c. Why has God so punished him?
6. He expresses hopelessness in this life (14:1-12)
a. Life is brief and troublesome, his days are numbered
b. Cut down a tree, and it will sprout again; but when man
dies, he is no longer here as long as the heavens last
7. He longs for death (14:13-22)
a. That God would so hide him from His wrath until it is past
b. Man's hope is slowly eroded as he goes through life, until
he knows no more of this life
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THIS SECTION
1) Which of his three friends first responded to Job? (4:1)
- Eliphaz the Temanite
2) What was his main argument? (4:7-8)
- Who ever perished being innocent?
- Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same
3) To what did he appeal in support of his argument? (4:12-13)
- A dream or vision
4) What does he encourage Job to do? (5:8)
- To seek God and commit his cause to Him
5) What does he encourage Job not to do? (5:17)
- Despise the chastening of the Almighty
6) How does Job justify his rash words? (6:2-3)
- They were prompted by his troubles and heavy grief
7) For what does Job long? (6:8-9)
- That God would go ahead and crush him (i.e., he longed for death)
8) How does Job describe his friends? (6:14-15)
- Like a deceitful brook
9) What challenge does Job give his friends? (6:24)
- Show him his error and he will be quiet
10) As Job resumes his complaint, what does he say has been given to
him? (7:3,5)
- Months of futility and wearisome nights
- Flesh caked with worms and dust, skin which cracks and breaks
afresh
11) How does he describe his days? (7:6)
- Swifter than a weaver's shuttle, spent without hope
12) In such anguish, what does Job say he will do? (7:11)
- Complain in the bitterness of his soul
13) What does he ask of God? (7:20-21)
- Have I sinned? What have I done to You?
- If so, why don't you pardon my transgression?
14) Who is the second person to respond to Job? (8:1)
- Bildad the Shuhite
15) For what does he rebuke Job? (8:2)
- His strong words
16) What does he counsel Job to do? (8:5-7)
- Earnestly seek God and be pure if he desires restoration
17) To what did he appeal in support of his argument? (8:8-10)
- Things discovered by their ancestors (i.e., the wisdom of the
ancients)
18) What does Bildad conclude concerning God? (8:20)
- God will not cast away the blameless, nor uphold the evildoers
19) How does Job initially respond to Bildad? (9:2)
- He basically agrees, but how can one be righteous before God?
20) What does Job bemoan? (9:32-33)
- The lack of a mediator between him and God
21) As Job gives continues his complaint, what does he ask of God?
(10:1-2,18,20)
- Show him why He contends with him
- Why did God bring him out of the womb?
- Why can't God just leave him alone and let him die?
22) Who is the third person to respond to Job? (11:1)
- Zophar the Naamathite
23) What does he affirm concerning Job? (11:6)
- He had received less than his iniquity deserved
24) For what does he reproach Job? (11:7)
- Trying to search out the deep things of God
25) What does Zophar say would be true of Job if he repented?
(11:13-16)
- He would be pure, steadfast, free of fear and misery
26) How does Job mock his friends? (12:2)
- By saying that wisdom will die with them
27) How did Job feel he was being treated by his friends? (12:4)
- That they were mocking him
28) How does Job describe his friends? (13:4)
- As forger of lies and worthless physicians
29) How does Job describe their speeches? (13:12)
- As proverbs of ashes, and defenses of clay
30) What two things does Job request if God should grant him an
audience? (13:20-21)
- For God to withdraw His hand far from him
- For God not to make him afraid
31) What does Job wish God would reveal to him? (13:23-24)
- How many are his iniquities and sins
- Why God hides His face and regards Job as an enemy
32) How does Job view the life of man? (14:1-2)
- Of few days and full of trouble
- Like a flower that soon fades away, as a fleeting shadow that is
quickly gone
33) From his earthly perspective, how does Job compare himself with a
tree? (14:7-12)
- There is more hope for a tree, for a tree cut down will rise again
34) What request does Job make again? (14:13)
- That God would go ahead and allow him to die