Reading through Job is extremely insightful for a number of reasons. What is very stark is the fact that Job’s three friends were wrong on just about everything, yet were convinced that they were correct. Admittedly, while they offered a mix of truth and falsehoods, we must conclude that truth mixed with lies is not really truth and it is one of Satan’s favorite methods to deceive all people; Christians and non. The general idea from Job’s friends is that he must have been guilty of some huge sin and was unrepentant. This is their only explanation for the reason God had sent misery on top of misery Job’s way.
Overall, we learn that God was not at all pleased with the three men and their words to Job. In fact, God required that Job himself would need to pray that God would forgive his three friends before He would do so. Job does and all is forgiven, hopefully with the new knowledge that the three had been very quick to judge and they judged wrongly.
But what I find very interesting is what the Bible records for us in Job 4. Here, Eliphaz speaks and attempts to instruct Job. I find it fascinating that the dialogue here is much like what I experienced when I was involved in the Charismatic Movement in the 1970’s. Eliphaz doesn’t simply just offer advice or what he would’ve termed “wisdom.” He supports his words by saying he actually heard from a “spirit” whom, he says, imparted specific knowledge to him about God and how God works. This he says starting in verse 12 of Job 4.
12 “Now a word was brought to mestealthily; my ear received the whisper of it. 13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. 15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: (ESV; emphasis added)
Fascinating, isn’t it? Eliphaz says a “word” was given to him “stealthily.” It was a whisper to his ears. He experienced “dread” in the middle of the night, then he began “trembling,” because he clearly became afraid. His hair stood on end and even though this “spirit” stood still, Eliphaz says he could not make out its appearance. He says a “form” was before his eyes, followed by silence, then a voice speaks to him.
What a build-up! My goodness, with this sort of introduction, who would dare say that Eliphaz wasn’t speaking on “good” authority. Before we get into what Eliphaz claims to have seen and heard, let’s look at this for a moment. Eliphaz is either 1) lying or 2) telling the truth of an experience he had. Nowhere does Eliphaz actually claim that this vision was from God, though I think it’s safe to assume that he wanted Job and the other two men to think that this was from God. Without saying it directly, Eliphaz was implying God spoke.
When God normally provided a vision or a word of knowledge to prophets of old, He usually identified Himself either directly, or through the messenger He sent who was to relay His message. This is not the case here. However, that does not mean that if Eliphaz had said the vision was from God, that it automatically would’ve been either.
When I was involved in the Charismatic Movement, this was normal as an experience professed by many. It still is today even though much of the Charismatic Movement has morphed into its latest and more extreme version as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Everything within the Charismatic Movement to the NAR movement of today is bolstered and undergirded...
Please note: this article contains political commentary Anyone who is paying attention to the geo-political scene in the USA and throughout the world is aware of certain things that have been happening and are ramping up. It cannot be ignored,...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Evil continues to grow throughout society, propagating lies as well as things that have long been hidden in the darkness. It’s not only unfortunate, but extremely sickening what we are learning about what some individuals involve themselves...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
I have to say it’s a bit off-putting that so many within Christendom seem so unconcerned about the massive push by many of today’s religious leaders toward a one-world religious system. There are so many who deny what is occurring...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Wanted to give all of our readers and listeners a heads up regarding a change that's coming down the pipes from Apple. We received notification yesterday that Apple will no longer be supporting individual iPhone/Android apps from individual...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
On January 1st, I began reading the Bible all over again, starting with Genesis. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. The more you read and study His Word, the more your eyes are open to the valuable truths found within His Word....[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Hebrews 4 is an interesting passage. There are no less than 5 interpretations of the "rest" mentioned here in this chapter. Dr. Thomas Constable, in his "notes" on Hebrews, summarizes these interpretations concisely (see image). As can be seen,...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV) This morning, my Bible reading was Micah chapters 5, 6, and 7, as we continue...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
I find it fascinating when I talk with Preterists or Covenant/Reformed theologians who generally interpret Scripture literally (not literalistically), until they come to prophetic portions of Scripture. For some reason, they choose to allegorize...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
I think anyone who is authentically saved comes to understand that living the Christian life is not an easy road. The only “easy” part of becoming or being a Christian is at the very beginning when a person’s eyes are often...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
