Now the majority of the book of Job is taken up with this conversation which he had with his three friends who had come to sympathize with him in his great grief. The discussion really begins with Job's opening words in chapter 3. And that chapter is really Job's complaint Job's great anguish of soul, his trouble of heart, and as he expresses his grief, his friends begin to respond to it. And so this conversation develops, which begins in chapter 3 and it runs all the way through to chapter 31. And that is when the three friends end. their conversation. It's a fascinating discussion. A discussion that focuses upon the subject of Job's suffering and the reasons for it, or maybe it would be better to say their theories as to the reasons for Job's suffering and Job's grief. We've already observed how God has spoken of these three men. God's verdict upon the opinions of these men, given at the end of the book, in which the Lord said the thing that they said, the thing that they had spoken, was not right. And that ought to guard us, it ought to prepare us, it ought to instruct us as to how we should approach what these men have said. We've got to approach these comments With great caution we should not ignore them. I believe the Lord has included this lengthy conversation. He's recorded the comments of these men that we might be instructed when we take up what these men said. We know that they said them so many, many years ago, at least three and a half thousand years ago. They were their theories on suffering. their own philosophies as to the righteous and the wicked. And yet, whilst those theories were spoken all those years ago, you will find they are the very same beliefs that men and women have today in this generation. The very same beliefs, the very same refuge that men build in order to prepare for eternity. What the Lord is doing here is to take three men and show us how they were preparing for eternity. How they were building a refuge in which to hide themselves for eternity. And yet it was a false refuge. It was a refuge that God spoke of and said that it was wrong. And when you look out over the world tonight, you'll find that men are using the very same reasons, the very same arguments, the very same philosophies, the very same theories. The passing of years hasn't changed the thinking of fallen man. And therefore, the Lord has put this into the book of Job, the record of Job's life, as a warning. Lest we should fall into the same snare. So we've got to come with great caution, bearing in mind what God has said concerning these men. Now I've wrestled in my mind as to the best way to approach this lengthy conversation. It's not my aim to embark upon a detailed or an in-depth study, but rather just to give a general understanding, to bring it all together and try and and create and piece it all together to give us a bird's eye view of what these men were saying. Now to do that, I think there are two possible approaches. The first is to look at the individual rounds or cycles of conversation. This conversation falls into three rounds. The first round, all three of the men speak and Job responds. And then you come to the second cycle and they all speak again and Job responds individually to them. And then in the last cycle only two of the men speak and Job responds to both of them. And his response really brings a silence upon Sopar who fails to speak at all in the last round. And so I think if we were to study this one possible method would be to look at each individual round and to look at it in three messages. But the other way, the other method is to take the three men themselves and just to look at them individually and piece together, bring together what they were saying and try and build up the general theory that they were holding to. And that's the method that I have opted to follow. I don't know whether it will be the most successful, You will be the judge of that, but I do think that if we take each of these men, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Sophar, and if we take each of them and look at them and bring their statements together and try and get an overall picture of what they were saying, I think it will be of great benefit to us. So that's what I want to do tonight, and I want to come to the first of these men. Eliphaz the Temanite. I want you to notice some pointers that I think need to be made. First of all, I want you to notice the identification that he made. He is the first of the three friends to speak. For seven days they had sat silent, observing Job's great sorrow and great grief. And eventually that silence was broken by Job's utterance in chapter 3. It's evident when you read that chapter that Job's mind had become greatly clouded by the things that had happened to him. In chapter 1 and 2 he gives a tremendous testimony, a tremendous example of godliness and trust in God. In the midst of all his sorrows he worshipped the Lord. But now, during this seven-day period, his mind begins to dwell on all that has happened, and he begins to sink into great despondency. He begins to ask why he had ever been born, and he wishes he had never been born. But, of course, that couldn't avail any, and so he decides, he wishes, he longs that he could die. And he requests God to take away his life, to cut him off. And as Job expresses this complaint, the heart of Eliphaz is stirred up to respond. Notice how he introduces himself in verse 2 of chapter 4. If we essay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? In other words, he's saying, I can't hold back any longer. I've listened to Job long enough, and I must respond. I must respond to what he's saying. There he is, sinking down in this pit of despair and despondency, wishing he had never been born, longing for the day of death. And Eliphaz says, I've just simply got to speak. I've got to say something. And so he begins to speak. He begins to reason that although Job was outwardly upright, he must have been guilty of some great sin for which all his present calamities were now the punishment. He broke a silence to urge upon Job a more patient and penitential spirit. And as you follow through this man's speeches, you will find that he identifies two main positions that he holds on to, two basic principles which govern his entire outlook upon life. The first you will find in verse 7 of this chapter. He says to Job, Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off, And what he's saying there is, the innocent do not suffer. This is his belief. This is his theory. This is his philosophy. The innocent do not suffer. And where there is suffering, where there is calamity, where there is pain, where there is grief and sorrow, it is because of sin. The innocent, the righteous, never suffer. That is his first position. And then secondly, as you read through chapter 5 and verse 2, he says, For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation. His children are far from safety, and they are crouched in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance." What is he saying? He is saying the wicked never prosper. The innocent never suffer, and the wicked never prosper. If you turn over to chapter 15, and the second time that this man spoke in verse 20, this is what he says, this is his philosophy, this is his theory, his outlook on life. Chapter 15 and verse 20, The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears, In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he has waited far of the sword. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at hand. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid. They shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. Here he is saying that the wicked never prosper. And it is all coming back to this belief that all suffering is because of sin. And if a man is righteous and a man is innocent, then he will never suffer. That is how you will know that he is righteous and that he is innocent. He will have no great calamities. He will have no None of those extraordinary greats, apart from the common sorrows of life such as death and bereavement, he will not have, he will not be characterized by great calamity, great suffering, great trouble. The innocent never suffer, but the wicked never prosper. And the wicked man will always be identified by the trouble in his life. He will have pain all the days of his life. This is the philosophy, this is the theory that Eliphaz held to. The righteous never suffer, the wicked never prosper. The identification he made. But notice secondly the insinuation that he made. You see, what Eliphaz believed affected his whole outlook, his whole perspective. As he looked at Job, he did so in light of what he believed. There is Job. All these terrible things have happened to him. All his possessions taken, his servants slain, his children have been killed, his health has been taken from him. Here he is. And he's sinking down in despair, and he's wondering why he had ever been born. He's longing for death. And as Eliphaz looks on, he says, Job, I have the answer. My theory, my philosophy is that all suffering is because of sin, and the righteous never suffer, and the wicked never prosper. And therefore, Job, there must be sin in your life. that is the cause for this punishment. Look at the insinuation that he makes in chapter 5. He's speaking about the foolish man. And he says in verse 4 of chapter 5, the wicked man's children are far from safety. And they are crushed in the gate. That's the very thing that happened to Job's children. They were crushed when the wind toppled the house in which they were dwelling. Neither is there any to deliver them, whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance. Remember the reports that had come about the Sabaeans and the Chaldeans coming and stealing the livestock. The robber had come and swallowed it up. You see what he's saying here? He's not putting Job's name into this particular reference, but what he is saying is this Job, my philosophy teaches that all suffering is because of sin. The innocent never suffer and the wicked never prosper. The wicked man's children are not safe. And all that he has is taken from him. It's robbed from him. If you turn over to the chapter 15 and verse 34. He uses the reference to fire. Remember how the fire had fallen and consumed the camels? Chapter 15 and verse 34, he says, For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. the very thing that had happened to Job, the fire had fallen and consumed the substance. So he's bringing this all together and he's making this insinuation that all these things that happened because the wicked never prosper. It's an indication of the wickedness of Job, that Job is guilty of some great evil. Eliphaz becomes harder and harsher in his statements. And he moves from insinuation to direct accusation. Chapter 22 and verse 5. How forthright he is here. Chapter 22 and verse 5. Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite? For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry." Verse 10, Therefore, because of this, because of your actions, snares are round about thee, and sudden fear trouble thee. Your suffering is because of your sin, Job. The innocent never suffer. The wicked never prosper. You see how his belief governed his outlook, his whole perspective? And it not only governed his perspective on Job, it governed his perspective on himself. Look at verse 20 of chapter 22. He's talking about the wicked and what happens to them. And he mentions those who live before the flood. Verse 16. Now verse 15, he says, Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden, which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood, which said unto God, Depart from us, and what can the Almighty do for them? He's saying, there you are, Job. There's the evidence of it. Look at the great flood in Noah's day. The wicked never prosper. But look what he says in verse 20, Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes." You see what he's doing now? You see how his belief governs his perspective not only on Job, but on himself? He's saying, Job, all this happens because men are sinful. But in relation to ourselves, our lack of suffering, our lack of calamity, my lack of suffering, my lack of calamity, is evidence of my righteousness. Whereas our substance is not cut down. You see the opinion that he has of himself, and it's governed by this theory, this philosophy, the insinuation that he makes. But notice thirdly the inconsistency that he manifested As you read through the speeches of Eliphaz, you will find a glaring inconsistency. He believed the innocent did not suffer, the righteous did not prosper, and yet in the case of Job he was faced with a problem. Look at chapter 4 again, and notice how he introduces himself in speaking to Job. He says in verse 3, chapter 4, Thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it has come upon thee and thy faintest." You see what he says about Job? He says, Job, you've been a help to people in their time of trouble. You've instructed them. You've guided them. You've led them. You've strengthened them. And now this has come upon you. And yet later in chapter 22, he makes that outright accusation and he says, you haven't fed the hungry and you haven't helped the poor and you haven't taken care of the widow. You see the inconsistency in what he's saying. He's faced with a problem. And the reason why he is faced with that problem was because his whole assumption was wrong. His foundation was false. This belief that all suffering is due to sin and ever only to sin. He was resting on a false foundation. Therefore, he was faced with this inconsistency. But notice, fourthly, the inspiration that he claimed. Why did he hold to this? What was the reason for holding to this belief? Well, if you study carefully, you'll find three grounds or three bases upon which he rested his belief. Come back to chapter 4 and verse 8. Notice this. This is a tell-tale sign. You want to know why a man is inconsistent in his belief? Why his belief is wrong? then you've got to go back to his starting point. And what he bases his beliefs upon, the foundation that he rests upon. And here he is, he said to Job, whoever suffered being innocent, the innocent do not suffer, the wicked do not prosper. And now he brings in his basis, his foundation, verse 8, even as I have seen. Even as I have seen. Personal observation. He says the same thing again in chapter 15 and verse 17. Even as I have seen, this is what I have observed. He's resting now on his own reason. Remember, this book was written to show us that all things are not as they seem. There's more to life than meets the eye. Job hadn't seen what had taken place in heaven between God and Satan, the great challenge there, neither had Eliphaz. And yet here he is and he's saying, I have seen, this is what I have observed. And he's revealing to us the basis on which his belief is founded, his own personal observation, his own reasoning, his own understanding. You know, the Bible makes it clear that if we rest upon our own understanding, we will always be sure to err. Lean not upon thine own understanding. Then, if you come down to verse 12, he mentions this private oracle. He had seen a vision. Verse 12, Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof in thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on me. Verse 15, A spirit passed before me. He is saying to Job, I have seen a vision. This spirit passed before me, and this is what it said. And you can see how that he's moving from his own reasoning, his own understanding now, to the claim of a private oracle, seeing a vision. And when he said this, it terrified Job. You look at chapter 7, for instance, in verse 14. He says, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint. Then thou skirtest me with dreams and terrifies me through visions. This is what Eliphaz was doing. A private oracle. Let me tell you, tonight there's many who will go about in this world and say, I have had a vision. I've had a dream. God has revealed this to me. And yet, what they believe and what they teach is inconsistent. And then you see how he brings in popular opinion in verse 1 of chapter 5. He says, Call now, Job, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the saints will thou turn? He's saying, Job, you don't have popular opinion on your side. I've got the opinion of the saints, and they're all backing me. They're all with me in this, in my theory. He's resting on his own understanding. He's resting on this claim to a divine revelation. And he's resting on popular opinion. And yet, his theory was wrong. His philosophy was wrong and God said it was wrong. Because the only foundation for faith is the Word of God. The Word of God. And we will never err. We will never go wrong if we are based upon this book. Not our understanding. Not an alleged vision or divine revelation, not popular opinion, but the word of the living God. That's the only foundation for faith, and it's the only foundation that will avail us in the day of judgment. The inspiration that he claimed, but notice finally the inaccuracy that he followed. You see, Eliphaz fell into the snare of what we might call as the prosperity gospel. The doctrine which judges a man's condition of heart by his outward circumstances. It's that doctrine that says that prosperity is the sign of righteousness and the sign of God's favor, while suffering is the sign of sin and the sign of God's displeasure. Turn over to chapter 22 again. It's the last time that Eliphaz speaks. And yet, this is a passage that is so often quoted from, so often used, even in gospel preaching. And yet, in the context of it, it is really the setting forth of error. The setting forth of a gospel that is not true. Verse 20, 21. He says to Job, Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace, thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brook. Notice what he's saying here. He's saying, Job, if you listen to what I'm saying, if you listen to what I'm saying. In fact, back in chapter 5 and the verse 27, he says, Lo this we have searched it, so it is. Hear it and know thy it for thy good. He's saying, Job, if you listen to what I'm saying, it'll be for your advantage. It'll be for your good. Listen to what I'm saying. All suffering comes because of sin. The innocent never suffer, the wicked never prosper, and Job, as I look at your circumstances and as I look at mine, I am not suffering like you are. That's a sign of God's favor upon my righteousness. But your suffering, Job, is a sign of your sin and God's displeasure with you. Therefore, Job, if you will repent, And acquaint now yourself with God. Good will come to you. Prosperity will return to you. And you will lay up gold, the gold of Ophir, in great abundance. You will begin to prosper again. You see what this man is saying? It's the prosperity doctrine. It's that doctrine that connects A man's outward circumstances with his inward condition of heart. And if everything is going well in his life, it's a sign that he's in favour with God. But if things are hard and troublesome, then it's a sign that God is displeased with him. But how wrong he was, as proved in the case of Job. Has thou considered my servant Job? There's none like him. Was God displeased with Job? God said there's none like him in all the earth. And yet he allowed these things to happen. His outward circumstances was not a reflection of his condition of heart. Often the wicked prosper whilst the righteous suffer. You remember how the Lord Jesus made it abundantly clear? In Luke chapter 16, if you turn to that passage, there he mentions two men, one by name and the other by his outward description in life. The rich man and Lazarus, Luke chapter 16. Verse 19 tells us there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen. and fared sumptuously every day. According to Eliphaz, that was a sign of God's pleasure, God's favor, a sign that this man was right with God. Yet, when he died, verse 23 tells us, he left up his eyes in hell, being in torment. And in contrast to that, verse 20, there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was led at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. The very opposite of the circumstances. Poverty, ill health, great adversity, And yet when this man died, we are told, he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, into heaven itself. The Lord was teaching that outward circumstances do not determine or reflect the inward condition of a man's heart. Very often the wicked prosper. Nothing seems to go wrong with them in this life. whereas the righteous, those that are right with God, very often suffer great adversity. For not to take from this that circumstances, adverse circumstances, are the cause of a man's acceptance with God. Lazarus did not go to heaven because he suffered in this life, because he was poor, And had so many troubles? No. Think of Abraham. He was taken into Abraham's bosom. And Abraham was a rich man. A wealthy man. And there you have them side by side. A man who was rich in this life. A man who was poor. Both of them in God's heaven. The reason is not because of what they suffered in life. The reason is because of the grace of God. The grace of God. The only way that we can stand before God righteous is not because of anything in us. It is because of divine unmerited favor, the grace of God alone. And that grace comes to us through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. If you turn over to John chapter 9, you will learn in that chapter of a man whose suffering was not due to his sin, or due to sin. A man who had been born blind. And the disciples asked the Lord in verse 2, Who did sin, Master, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? There they are relating outward circumstances to inward condition. And Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. This blindness, this Infernity, this ailment, is not because of sin. It has been permitted in the sovereign, providential purpose of God. Therefore, we should always be cautious when we look upon a man's outward circumstances. And yet, when you go back to John chapter 5, you will find a man who did suffer because of sin. John chapter 5. And here we find a man who was or had an infirmity. In verse 5, a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. He was lame. Thirty-eight years. And the Lord healed the man. And later on in verse 14, Jesus findeth him in the temple and said unto him, Behold, Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." There are things, there are circumstances, there are troubles and adversities and sufferings that do come because of sin. This man had been made lame because of sin. And the Lord healed him, and the Lord said to him, Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing So we've got to be cautious when we look at circumstances, the outward circumstances of a man's life upon this earth. Not all suffering, not all adversity is due to personal sin in the life. We must never judge a man's condition of heart by the circumstances of his life. You see, Eliphaz had really been presumptuous. And he took this belief and he applied it to this life instead of the life that is to come. It is an eternity that the wicked will never prosper and the righteous will never suffer. Only there will it apply. Only there. The wicked will receive the due reward of their sin and they will suffer for all eternity. The righteous will receive the blessings of life eternal, merited for them and purchased for them by the Lord Jesus Christ. We've got to be careful that we do not follow the snare that this man Eliphaz fell into. He looked at the circumstances and reasoned that they were a sign of God's displeasure upon Job. And how far off the mark he was. He looked at his own circumstances, his own prosperity, and he said, God is blessing me. I'm righteous, I'm right with God. And yet God said, my wrath is kindled against thee. My wrath is kindled against thee. He was trusting in a false refuge, the refuge of his own righteousness. And he had failed to grasp the gospel of the grace of God. Our sins have forfeited God's favor, but Christ's merit regained it. And it is only through Him, and it's only by Him, that we can be accepted by God. Could it be tonight there may be one person in this meeting that has been hiding in the refuge that Eliphaz had built? Could it be? I challenge you tonight, for the heart of man is deceitful, so deceitful. How many have gone through life religious, thinking They're not like other men, thinking that they are righteous because of what they've done. Yet all the time separated from God. All the time the object of God's wrath and God's anger. The only way that we can be accepted by God and stand before Him in the presence of His favor is through the merits of Jesus Christ, the righteousness, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And only then, only then will we be sure of that eternal dwelling place, though our life upon this earth may be characterized by suffering and adversities. Only then, make sure tonight you're in the true refuge. Make sure tonight you're trusting in Jesus Christ and His righteousness alone. For that is the only acceptable ground before God. The only ground of acceptance before a holy God.