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Job's reply to Eliphaz' accusations is found in chapters 23 and 24, where Job asks, "Where is God when the righteous need Him?". Job remains downcast because of his health and the constant carping criticism of his friends. These verbal attacks have, Job says, become unbearable. If only I could talk with God and find some answers. Job seeks for a mediator who could take his cause to the Almighty. Job saw himself in an impossible position and needing the "goel" (near kinsman to be his 'daysman'). Job knew that in being tried he would eventually emerge as purified gold (see Malachi 3verses3). Job was confident that he had lived an upright life before his Maker. The righteousness and rectitude of God was awesome to Job. Let us show the same profound respect to the Almighty. Zechariah was, together with Haggai, the prophet Yahweh had stirred up in 519-517 BC to encourage the returned exiles to resume the rebuilding of the Temple. Zechariah's name means "Yahweh has remembered" i.e. His covenant with His people the seed of Abraham. The fathers of the exiled had been chastised for turning away from their Sovereign. The theme is similar to that of Haggai, which is "Consider (or set your heart to thinking of) your ways (experiences). Learn from what you have experienced. Zechariah's message is expressed in 1verses3-6, "Return to me ... be not like your fathers". The first vision of the prophet is found in chapter 1 verses 7-17 and is, "The vision of the Horseman". The first horseman was on a red horse, since he had executed Yahweh's judgments in the earth; just like the second horseman in Revelation 6 was red as he had copiously shed blood. There were in Zechariah's opening vision white- and sorrel-coloured horses. The man among the myrtle trees, which trees commonly bloomed at the Feast of Booths - Tabernacles - and were used during the feast - was the angel of the LORD (verse 11). This festival was held in the 7th month. The first vision began on the 8th month so the myrtles were in full bloom and the feast had recently been kept. The man, who is the subject of the prophecy, is the Lord Jesus Christ and his saints - fellow believers. The vision is of the kingdom age of which Isaiah declares, "When Thy judgments are in the earth, then will the inhabitants learn righteousness" (26verses9). This is why the earth in the vision is said to be at rest and quiet. For 70 years the nation of Judah had experienced the chastising hand of God. Zion, Jerusalem, had been her Husband's bride. Yahweh had shown great zeal (jealousy) for His bride just as Christ is for his bride - we believers. 2 Corinthians 11verses1-6, which verses tell us the same message. The prophet Zechariah says that the nations who had brought God's punishment on Judah had been overzealous in performing this recompense. So, the Almighty would punish those nations, such as Babylon, which had fallen to the Persian power a mere 20 years earlier. But now Judah's God had shown His people mercy, favour and compassion. The LORD has begun to do in our time (Psalm 102verses13-16). The measuring line of restoration and rebuilding will in the near future be stretched over Jerusalem, as it was in the prophet's days. Chapter 1verses18-21 outlines the second vision of the 4 horns and the 4 craftsmen - once again the use of cherubic symbols speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ and those believing in him. The horns speak of a destroying power that will be unleashed against the enemies of the LORD. These horns will wreak judgement upon the evils of this world (see Acts 17verses30-31), Israel's king will through these craftsmen rebuild this earth and fashion it to the honour and glory of the Lord God Almighty. In a 3-volume exposition of the book of Revelation a Christadelphian author, by the name of John Thomas, showed in volume 1 that the symbolism of Revelation can only be understood by a consistent application of those symbols in the Old Testament. He also said that the prophecy of Zechariah contains more of these symbols than any other OT writing. 2nd and 3rd John are short personal letters written fairly close to each other, around 95-96 AD. The first of these letters being to a beloved friend termed "the elect (or chosen by God) lady". The aged Apostle had a deep love for this sister because of her hospitality and faithfulness. His salutations of, "Grace, mercy and peace" come from a mature faith and are the same as those of the Apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus; the so called "Pastoral letters". Verses 4-11 express John's great joy that this wonderful sister's children had chosen to walk in the Truth. John reiterates the new command, "to walk in love"; frequently spoken of in his gospel account and first letter. He also warns of the false teachers (antichrists) mentioned at length in his first letter. The woman and her faithful family - the ecclesia - must abide in the true teaching of the Father and His Beloved Son. Anyone walking contrary to that Truth, in behaviour or doctrine, was to be forbidden the fellowship of the saints. John's final greetings, of verses 12-13, express his hope of catching up with the elect lady face to face, rather than through a letter. 3rd John was written to a friend who had often been the old Apostle's host - Gaius - who was deeply "loved in the Lord". This brother was a Thessalonian, who had been converted to the Truth by the Apostle Paul. Verses 5-12 speak of the supporters of ecclesial work and others who were the opponents - the enemies of the Faith. Gaius and those like him had shown great hospitality to visitors, who have preached the Gospel. Support for such workers was commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ when he sent forth the 72 in Luke 10. Those of us who cannot personally go into the mission fields have a responsibility to support both in prayer and financially those who undertake the Great Commission i.e. the taking the Gospel to the world (Matthew 28). John says that those who do so have become fellow helpers of the Truth. The Apostle warns his readers of being a puffed up, self-important errorist, who not only dragged down the faithful, but would take an aggressive stand against all who, like the Apostle John, would take a stand for truth and moral uprightness. Don't be imitators of the evil, but only of the true (see Ephesians 5verses1-21). In his final greetings the Apostle speaks of his desire to spend time with the faithful ecclesia with Gaius in a face-to- face context, rather than via letter. Peace will be with the faithful. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Job chapter 22 resumes with the third round of debate which is commenced by Eliphaz. His contention is that Job's wickedness is great. Eliphaz says that humans are not able to do anything that profits God, but at least they should show respect by admitting their wicked ways. He says, "Are you, Job? Job why aren't you fearful to enter a contest with the Almighty?" Eliphaz next lays a series of accusations against Jobverses including not sustaining the starving; sending widows away with any help. This is why you now suffer. Consider Yahweh's greatness and capacity to behold all your evil ways. Return to the just ways Eliphaz counsels. By reaching agreement with your Maker, you will have peace and your former prosperity will be restored (of course Eliphaz' reasoning is unsound and based on the false teaching of exact retribution). Humble yourself, he argues, and submit to your Creator. Though Eliphaz's accusations against Job are wrong we must humble ourselves before the Almightyverses James 4verses8-10; 1 Peter 5verses5-7. We come to the short prophecy of Haggai, whose name means "the festive one". Haggai together with Zechariah prophesied over a short period of 27 months (in the second to the fourth years of Darius) encouraging the returned Exiles to resume the rebuilding of the Temple, which had ceased about BC 521 when the Persian king Artaxerxes had been stirred up by Samaritan and Arabian opposition to the rebuilding project. The background to this time can be found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The two prophets were themselves energised by the LORD to turn the minds of the people from concentrating on building their own homes to refocusing on Yahweh's house. Haggai prophesied over a 5 month and 3-day period around BC 519. The prophet was the son of the Governor - Zerubbabel, whose name means "a shoot out of Babylon". Zerubbabel typifies the Lord Jesus Christ who is described in Isaiah 11verses1 as "a shoot from the stump of Jesse"; and in Revelation 22verses16 as "the root and the offspring of David". In verse 4 the prophet upbraids the nation for their self-interest and preoccupation with their own houses. The theme of the book is stated in chapter 1verses5verses "Consider - Hebrew 'set your mind' - on your ways" (repeated in 1verses15; 2verses7, 18). Rotherham translates this phrase asverses "Apply your heart to your own experience". We would say in modern English, "think very carefully about what you are doing. It was to be for them, as it ought always needs to be so for us, a time for self-examination. They had sown much seed in expectation of a large harvest, but since their attitude was wrong God had greatly diminished their harvest. The clothing which they wore could not keep them warm. It was a time of rampant inflation described poetically by the metaphor of the worker placing his money in a bag with holes. As soon as the money went into the bag it was gone (how much is this like our experiences now). Don't worry about your houses, says the prophet, just go to the mountains with an axe to cut wood for My house (speaking of Yahweh's Temple). Whatever house you build will give Me pleasure and I will glorify it. I will not cease chastising you until you learn my ways, says your God. And so, a drought came on the whole land affecting both people and animals. Verses 12-15 record that the nation responded to the rebuke with actions which brought blessings. In chapter 2verses1-9 we have the coming glory of this Temple, which they were now building, as emblematic of the glorious Temple to be built in Jerusalem by our Lord Jesus Christ soon. We are told in Ezra that when the Temple of the returned exiles was completed there were two different reactionsverses 1) the young rejoiced to see a Temple for the first time in their life; 2) the old cried seeing the new Temple as a pitiful shadow of Solomon's. Comparisons are always odious and we must rejoice in whatever blessings our Sovereign gives to His children. It was, said by the prophet Zechariah that now is "A day of small things" - Zechariah 4verses8-10. Our God, through the prophet, speaks of the brilliance of the glory of the coming Age of Messiah. Haggai says that God's acceptance and glorification of this house, which was now built, would exceed that of Solomon's Temple and prefigures that of the kingdom to come (compare Hebrews 12verses25-27). The shaking and removal of the Mosaic heavens was to occur at the hands of Rome in 70 AD (Hebrews 1verses10-12). The shaken sea speaks of the Gentile nations and the dry land of eretz Israel. The result of this great geopolitical earthquake will be the establishment of Messiah's kingdom and a blessed earth at last at peace. Verses 10-19 speak of blessings to a humble and repentant nation. Mosaic Law defilement was transmitted and so we must act carefully and choose wisely in our associations with others since the Proverbs sayverses "Bad company corrupts good morals". For the same reason, although holiness is not transferable, we need to meet together with those who encourage us in God's Word and ways (Hebrews 10verses23-25). We all need to take heed and "Consider our ways". Zerubbabel in his faithfulness to his LORD is compared to a signet ring, whose engravings show the character of its owner (verses 20-23; see also Zechariah 3verses5-10). And in this the Governor - Zerubbabel - typifies the Lord Jesus Christ and his great work for the LORD's people (Hebrews 1verses1-4). In 1 John 5verses1-5 we are told the source of overcoming the world - by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And by that faith I live. An early Christadelphian writer, John Thomas said, that this was by a faith, which works by love and purifiers the soul (life). John Thomas was alluding to the early verses of Galatians 5. The Apostle John tells us that such a belief is evidence of our divine begetting. And, for us, it is the assurance ("by this we know") that God is with us. We can be more than conquerors through Him who loves us (Romans 8). The work, spoken of in chapter 2, is not about our love, but we do love the Father with all of our heart. And this love of the Father which impels us was the motive force of the life of the Son of God. Read Romans 8verses31-39 slowly and pause and ponder. Verses 6-12 provide testimony concerning the Son of God. Our Lord Jesus who came by water and blood - the water in which he was immersed at his baptism and the water of the Word of God with which his mind was saturated; and the blood of his sacrificial offering of himself. This offering was sanctified by the Word of God and prayer and pleased his Father. John is alluding to his witnessing of the crucifixion (John 19verses34-37). Verse 7 from the ESV reads, and I quote in full, "For there are three that testifyverses". Most of the better translations recognise the insertion into the text of additional words which aren't found in most of the older manuscripts. The additional words used in the KJV (and some other versions are admitted by most modern translations to be spurious and added by a Jesuit monk, Immanuel Tapsensis). Verse 8 identifies the three witnesses to our Lord's divine Sonship as - the Spirit, the water and the blood. Under the law at least two corroborating witnesses were needed to determine truth. John affirms total agreement among these witnesses. Additionally, God bore testimony, Matthew 3verses15-17, to His Son. And only in His Son, and through His Son's work, we have life. From verses 13-21 the beloved disciple John has written these things for our assurance ("that we may know"). We have known and believed upon the name above every name (Philippians 2verses9-11), and the only name in which there is salvation (Acts 4verses12). And through continuance in this Name salvation is assured. John repeats that the Father's ear is ever open to His children's pleas. Verses 16-17 reiterates that when we love the brethren we will help them (as they will likewise help us) when we stumble (Galatians 6verses1-5). Such advice and correction will prevent rejection at the coming judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, for the habitual and lawless sinner, who has abandoned any attempt to continue walking in the light there remains "no offering for sin" (Hebrews 10verses26-39). Being begotten by God, through His Word (1 Peter 1verses22-25), we overcome in faith and walk in the way of His commandments. The world and its ways allure, but cannot conquer us. Finally, says John, "Keep yourself from idols" - a specific allusion to the Ten Commandments (especially numbers 1 and 10 which bookend all the others). Keeping ourselves from idols is about the tendency within our human nature to always look after ourselves before applying ourselves to living according to the ways of our Almighty Father. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
The second round of arguments is led by Eliphaz in Job 15. He accuses Job of not fearing God. Job, he says, your sayings are just straws in the wind - you don't know what you are talking about. Have respect before you when you open your mouth, says Eliphaz. Your sins have affected your thinking and speech. Ponder the counsel of the Almighty which we are putting to you. Man cannot be pure, says Eliphaz, even the angels of God cannot be trusted (this that he says is so wrong). Man, says his friend, is one of the worst and most abominable creatures that the LORD created; and man above every other creature stubbornly defies his Creator. But this rebellion will be repaid by his Sovereign in due time.Habakkuk 2 is one of the greatest and most pivotal chapters in the Old Testament. The chapter begins with the prophet standing upon his watchtower awaiting the LORD's response to his two challenges in chapter 1. The fourth verse states the essence of Yahweh's redemptive method, "The just shall live by faith". The phrase becomes central to God's plan for redemption as explained in the letters of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews. The emphasis in Romans is, "The JUST shall live by faith"; in Galatians it is, "The just shall LIVE by faith; and in Hebrews it is, "The just shall live by FAITH". Verse 2 tells us that the message was so vitally important that it should be written in such massive letters that a running man would be able to read it. Paul alludes to this in Galatians 3verses1 (note the context through to verse 9). It was like thisverses
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 21 minutesSynopsis: This morning (12/12/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we analyzed Iyov's "post-breakdown monologue" in Chapter 3 through the eyes of the Malbim and the Rambam, comparing and contrasting their approaches. Although we answered all the questions we initially asked, there are some outstanding difficulties that remain to be solved. Next on the agenda is Eliphaz's first speech, in which he attempts to prove Iyov wrong.-----מקורות:איוב א:יג - סוף פרק גמלבי"ם - הקדמה לפרק ג; ג:כדרמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:טז Lenn E. Goodman, "The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation" (2024)-----This week's Torah content is sponsored by Rifka Kaplan-Peck in memory of her grandpa, Izrail Kaplan (a”h), who never forgot to look up above and appreciate another day.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
The second round of arguments is led by Eliphaz in Job 15. He accuses Job of not fearing God. Job, he says, your sayings are just straws in the wind - you don't know what you are talking about. Have respect before you when you open your mouth, says Eliphaz. Your sins have affected your thinking and speech. Ponder the counsel of the Almighty which we are putting to you. Man cannot be pure, says Eliphaz, even the angels of God cannot be trusted (this that he says is so wrong). Man, says his friend, is one of the worst and most abominable creatures that the LORD created; and man above every other creature stubbornly defies his Creator. But this rebellion will be repaid by his Sovereign in due time. Habakkuk 2 is one of the greatest and most pivotal chapters in the Old Testament. The chapter begins with the prophet standing upon his watchtower awaiting the LORD's response to his two challenges in chapter 1. The fourth verse states the essence of Yahweh's redemptive method, "The just shall live by faith". The phrase becomes central to God's plan for redemption as explained in the letters of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews. The emphasis in Romans is, "The JUST shall live by faith"; in Galatians it is, "The just shall LIVE by faith; and in Hebrews it is, "The just shall live by FAITH". Verse 2 tells us that the message was so vitally important that it should be written in such massive letters that a running man would be able to read it. Paul alludes to this in Galatians 3verses1 (note the context through to verse 9). It was like thisverses "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH". When the time came for God's judgments the only survivors would be those who were living by their faith (or 'belief'). Wait, says his Sovereign to the prophet, for the fulfilment of this message. The ones whom God had raised up to chastise His people were proud, boastful, covetous drunkards - i.e. the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar accumulated nations in abundance. Verses 6-20 pronounce a woe upon the Chaldeans (i.e. Babylonians). Verse 6 describes the pledges, or guarantees, or advances made by other countries to the Babylonians. But, eventually, all human systems will destroy themselves; just as did the Babylonians. The prophet describes their doom with the expression, "The stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork will give its response" (verse 8). Such as these peoples are only guilty of "feathering their own nests". Whether we live under Capitalism, or under a Socialist system, both systems are a veil of weariness for those who pursue them. (Further thoughts on the relevance of these verses to modern Communism are to be found in the footnote below). Yahweh has determined that this be so. Rather the righteous ones who live by trust in the Almighty will wait and hope for the time when, "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, as the waters cover the deep" (v14; cp Numbers 14verses21; Psalm 72verses17-20). These waters cover the deep totally - see also Revelation 21. The woes and denunciations against the evil idol worshippers continue in verses 15-19. The chapter concludes on a high note to reverence and awe the Omnipotent Creator. Slowly read aloud and ponder verse 20. The first 7 verses of 1 Peter 3 outline the principles governing the relationship between wives and husbands. This relationship exists to assist one another to graciously receive an inheritance in the kingdom. Mutual submission - the one to the other is key to a balanced spiritual marriage (compare Ephesians 5verses22-33). Outward adornment is to be sparse - the true focus is to be on modesty and a heart centred on our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham and Sarah provide the model for all time (compare Isaiah 51verses1-5). The faithful example of a spouse may in time win her unbelieving husband to Christ's way. The Word of God and prayer are the cement for a successful marriage. And husbands must not lord it over their wives, but rather be prepared, as Christ showed us, to sacrifice themselves for their wives. Verses 8-22 speak of suffering for righteousness' sake. Listen to and contemplate the words of verse 8, "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind" (ESV). We do not repay evil with evil, but rather by blessing. Verses 10-12 are a protracted quote from Psalm 34 (one of the most frequently quoted Psalms in the New Testament). This is because the course of life is advised for a believer to follow. Once again prayer is stressed as a guiding force. Christ's disciples' lives are to be exemplary in manifesting the holiness of their Father's calling (Leviticus 19verses13). In suffering for righteousness' sake faithful believers pattern themselves on Christ their head. These disciples become one with our Lord Jesus through belief and baptism; and their identification is a response to a conscience desiring to be reconciled to God. The same attitude was shown by Noah, as he likewise believed the LORD when he built the ark and proclaimed the Almighty's power to save those who trust in the salvation God provides. Our Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth bringing us the longed-for deliverance in his coming kingdom. The fourth chapter in commencing with the word 'for' shows us that it is a linked to the behaviour at the end of chapter 3. The first 11 verses tell us that we are stewards of God's grace. In knowing the extent to which Christ Jesus suffered for the upholding of the righteousness of his Father we too cannot continue in sin as the heedless world does. Without the gospel we are dead, as dead as this wicked world is now. But we have been made alive in Christ. Let our sober minds never forget this. Believers must strive on the behalf of others and with the love of God, outworked in Christ, to extend our Father's graciousness to any and all. Faithful speech must not be self-focussed, but we need speak with God's Words. From verses 12-19 Peter explains that the believer's lot is one of suffering for Christ's sake. The sufferings that the faithful of the diaspora were experiencing was not in any way unexpected - it was because they are living as had their Master and would not be deflected from patterning themselves on him. Like what was seen with our Lord glory and exaltation would follow rejection and persecution. The Scriptures have always shown this to the path of the righteous - see Ezekiel 8verses18 to 9verses12. Chapter 5 of 1 Peter pursues the theme of humility and of our suffering preceding exaltation and glory. The focus, as always, rightly remains upon our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the chief shepherd, as he had taught Peter both by word and example (compare John 21). Peter embraced and accepted that responsibility with fervour. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the good shepherd (John 10). He is also the chief shepherd (1 Peter 5). And Jesus is the great shepherd (Hebrews 13). Our responsibility, like Peter's (who learned it first from his Lord), is to feed God's flock (Psalms 23; 100). This is done out of a love that reciprocates that of the Father and His Son, not out of compulsion and certainly not for any pay. Those who like their Master clothe themselves with true humility (John 15 and Philippians 2;1-11), shall in God's good time be honoured and exalted. Verses 13-14 end the letter with final greetings. Footnote Interestingly the invasion of Israel by a northern confederacy will soon happen. And it was Krushchev, a Russian leader of the 1950's, who declared, "Promises are like pie crusts, made to be broken". Other characteristics of a totalitarian state include the exploitation of workers. Ironically the communist dictum says that this is what happens under capitalism. Look at the developments that have occurred in the two great communist systems - in China and in Russia (the class in power amass great wealth). Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
5:8-16 The doxology of EliphazThere are similar doxologies in Job 9:4-12 and 12:13-25.5:8 But as for me, I would seek God- (Amos 5:4, 6) The Hebrew text actually says but I seek God. Is seeking God in this passage to inquire of the LORD as the word sometimes means in Gen. 25:22; Ex. 18:15; I Kings 14:5; 22:8; II Kings 1:3, 6,16; II Kings 22:18; II Chron. 32:31; Ezek. 14:7; 20:1. 5:9 Who does great and unsearchable things- 9:10; Ps. 136:4. God's glory is beyond our ability to search or understand (Job 9:10; 11:7; 36:26; Isa. 40:28). Bildad will use the same word for searched in Job 8:8 in which he will say that former generations have searched out this problem of suffering and come to the same conclusions where he and his friends arrived. 5:10 He gives rain on the earth- Ancient people would have attributed the rain to the blessings of their God or gods. Modern man tends to view rain as a natural phenomenon and just as illustration of how the world works. The Bible does not attribute rain to Baal (the contest between Baal and Yahweh in I Kings 17-18). The Bible does not make rain simply a natural law that God built into the world. The Bible speaks of it as a blessing from God's hand, both in Job 36:27-28; 38:25-26. God sending rain on the just and unjust is a continual illustration of him doing good to those who are His enemies in Matt. 5:45.5:11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly- The word translated lowly, shakal, is translated humble in Prov. 16:19; 29:23. God often dramatically reverses a person's situation (I Sam. 2:7-8; Ps. 113:5-8; 147:6; Luke 1:46-56). God exalts the lowly (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). 5:12 He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd- God used the counsel of Hushai to thwart (same word translated frustrates here) the good counsel of Ahithophel (II Sam. 17:14).This word shrewd can be used in a positive sense (Prov. 1:4; 8:5; 12:16, 23; 13:16; 14:8, 15, 18; 15:5; 19:25; 22:3; 27:12) or in a negative one (Gen. 3:1; Job 5:12; 15:5). 5:13 He captures the wise by their own shrewdness- The idea is the wise man falling in his own trap he has set for others- Job 18:7-10; 36:8-10; Ps. 7:15; 35:7-8; 57:6; Prov. 26:27; 28:10; Esther 7:10. This verse is quoted by Paul in I Cor. 3:19 and introduced by the wording “For it is written." Does the fact that I Cor. 3:19 shows us that Eliphaz spoke truth demand that he used these words in a proper way? His words are truth, but he seems to place Job among the shrewd who will be brought down. 5:14 By day they meet with darkness- Job 12:24-25; Deut.28:29; Isa. 59:10. And grope at noon as in the night- In the brightest times of the day they will encounter complete darkness (Amos 8:9). 5:15 But He saves from the sword of the mouth- For the tongue as a weapon- Ps. 52:2,4; 64:3; Isa. 54:17; Jer. 18:18; Ps. 12:3-5; 31:21; James 3:5-6. 5:16 So the helpless has hope- 8:13; 11:18; 14:7; Jer. 31:17; Ezek. 37:11; Prov. 19:8; Ruth 1:12; Lam.3:29 The fact that God does these things is a reason for help for the broken. God will catch the world's expectations by surprise. And unrighteousness must shut its mouth- Ps.107:42. Is Eliphaz placing Job among those who are lowly who will be lifted up or among those who are shrewd who will be brought down? The fact that he emphasizes more about the shrewd who are brought down (vs. 12-14) suggests to me that this is Eliphaz's emphasis here.
November 30, 2025 The post Eliphaz Salik | Advent- Hope, Peace, Joy, Love appeared first on Encounter Church.
In Job 8 Bildad, the next youngest in age, of Job's friends speaks. He together with Eliphaz contends that Job suffers because he has sinned. What is needed from Job is repentance. God will not allow you to suffer if you are upright. The fact that your suffering persists is proof of your guilt. Don't question the Almighty about your suffering - our experience is too limited to rightly judge - just acknowledge your guilt. He, like Eliphaz, musters his arguments from his understanding of nature. Job you must relent, change your way, confess to God and you will be restored.In Micah 3 the rulers and prophets are denounced for their corruption, contempt for God's people, callousness to the poor and total self-interest. Yahweh's face would be hidden from these godless religious leaders. These leaders prophesied of a peace that was not possible given the deplorable state they had brought upon their nation. The consequence of the nation's refusal to receive the Word of God would, verse 6, be a withdrawal of the inspired prophetic guidance - "the sun would go down over the prophets". We notice the parallels of Hebrew poetry - the expression is repeated to be reinforced in different words to say the same thing, "I am filled with power, with the spirit of Yahweh and with justice and might" (v 6 ESV). In this verse, the spirit of Yahweh is power, and is also the same as might. I This occurred from about BC 444 until the ministry of John the Baptist around 21 AD. There would be for them (verse 7) "no answer from God". By way of contrast to this the prophet Micah was "the inspired Word of Yahweh" to the kingdom of Judah (verse 8). And Micah would forthrightly denounce their transgressions, in order that God may save a remnant of them. The prophet's message was that their violence had filled up the cup of LORD's patience. God's exhausted patience the reason "Zion would be ploughed as a field" (verse 15). This message shook king Hezekiah to the core (see Jeremiah 26verses18-19). The prophecy was fulfilled by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD. Chapter 4 says that, nonetheless, Zion (meaning "conspicuous"), Jerusalem's aspirational future glorious state would be realised at Christ's coming kingdom. Read verses 1-5 aloud, and pause and ponder - compare with Isaiah 2verses1-4. Verses 6-13 tell us that at that future time Yahweh will restore Zion (Jerusalem). The prophet calls the nation Jacob, after the father of the nation. Micah shows us that Jacob's personal life finds echoes in the nation's history - "her that halters" loops back to when Jacob's thigh was dislocated to teach him dependence on his God (Genesis 32). Likewise, the Almighty's affliction of the nation was designed to bring her finally in faith to her Maker. And through restored Zion Yahweh will bring all nations of the earth into subjection to Zion's glorious king.
In Job 8 Bildad, the next youngest in age, of Job's friends speaks. He together with Eliphaz contends that Job suffers because he has sinned. What is needed from Job is repentance. God will not allow you to suffer if you are upright. The fact that your suffering persists is proof of your guilt. Don't question the Almighty about your suffering - our experience is too limited to rightly judge - just acknowledge your guilt. He, like Eliphaz, musters his arguments from his understanding of nature. Job you must relent, change your way, confess to God and you will be restored. In Micah 3 the rulers and prophets are denounced for their corruption, contempt for God's people, callousness to the poor and total self-interest. Yahweh's face would be hidden from these godless religious leaders. These leaders prophesied of a peace that was not possible given the deplorable state they had brought upon their nation. The consequence of the nation's refusal to receive the Word of God would, verse 6, be a withdrawal of the inspired prophetic guidance - "the sun would go down over the prophets". We notice the parallels of Hebrew poetry - the expression is repeated to be reinforced in different words to say the same thing, "I am filled with power, with the spirit of Yahweh and with justice and might" (v 6 ESV). In this verse, the spirit of Yahweh is power, and is also the same as might. I This occurred from about BC 444 until the ministry of John the Baptist around 21 AD. There would be for them (verse 7) "no answer from God". By way of contrast to this the prophet Micah was "the inspired Word of Yahweh" to the kingdom of Judah (verse 8). And Micah would forthrightly denounce their transgressions, in order that God may save a remnant of them. The prophet's message was that their violence had filled up the cup of LORD's patience. God's exhausted patience the reason "Zion would be ploughed as a field" (verse 15). This message shook king Hezekiah to the core (see Jeremiah 26verses18-19). The prophecy was fulfilled by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD. Chapter 4 says that, nonetheless, Zion (meaning "conspicuous"), Jerusalem's aspirational future glorious state would be realised at Christ's coming kingdom. Read verses 1-5 aloud, and pause and ponder - compare with Isaiah 2verses1-4. Verses 6-13 tell us that at that future time Yahweh will restore Zion (Jerusalem). The prophet calls the nation Jacob, after the father of the nation. Micah shows us that Jacob's personal life finds echoes in the nation's history - "her that halters" loops back to when Jacob's thigh was dislocated to teach him dependence on his God (Genesis 32). Likewise, the Almighty's affliction of the nation was designed to bring her finally in faith to her Maker. And through restored Zion Yahweh will bring all nations of the earth into subjection to Zion's glorious king. Hebrews 13 begins, "Let brotherly love (Greek "philadelphus" the love among brothers) continue". And this is the message of the first nineteen verses. There are many ways to show brotherly love and in verse 2 the writer shows that hospitality is one of the ways. Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them; and who knows whether the unknown person to whom you show kindness might even be an angel. In Genesis 18 3 strangers came to Abraham's tent bringing great blessings. Verse 3 focuses on supporting the afflicted and counsels visits to encouraged. This has often been done by Christadelphians resulting in people becoming believers, but without this you will be blessed in your care being shown to another). Verse 4 tells of the honourable and elevated state of marriage among believers; and states that sexual relationships outside marriage are unacceptable to God. Verse 5 tells of the dangers of coveting and explains that knowing God is the best way to counter this. Be content (see 1 Timothy 6verses5-10). The literal Greek of this verse is - "I will never, no not ever, leave you, nor forsake you". How incredibly encouraging are these thoughts - so that whatever is before us can be overcome v6. One person and God is always an overwhelming majority (see 2 Kings 6verses16). Always (v7) show respect for those who guide you to understand the Word and counsel of God. Imitate their faith, for it is sustained by an unchanging Lord Jesus Christ (v8). Grace must lead us (v9). We ought not be focused on the present - this includes foods, which are all too important a part of today's transient world. Verse 10 we live lives sacrificing everything upon our altar, Christ, who gave all to bring us to God. The Law of Moses taught the same in the code of offerings. It was leading us to Christ as the writer was reminding the Hebrew believers. As a consequence of doing this our Lord was crucified and we must take up our cross They were citizens of the coming Zion and not the present Jerusalem which was awaiting destruction. Our sacrifice is of praise - an attitude of gratitude (v15). Show submission to your guides in the Word, because it is not for their benefit that they give counsel. Those leaders, too, will be called to give account for their words. Pray for the writer, indeed for all who labour in the Word to magnify our Sovereign and His incomparable Son. Verses 20-21 give us the closing benediction. ESV "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Pause and ponder. Final greetings follow and finish with a request for God's grace to be with them. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
In chapters 6 and 7 Job replied to Eliphaz. He says in chapter 6, "My complaint is just". To get the full impact of the Hebrew poetry reading from a modern version such as the ESV is recommended. Metaphor after metaphor is added by Job in an attempt to explain that nature's lessons do not agree with Eliphaz's contentions. In verses 8-9 Job asks the LORD to take away his life. From verses 24-30 he declares, if you can teach me and show me my faults I am ready to receive instruction. In chapter 7 Job says, that his life now is without hope. The truth of the words of verse 7 are echoed by James in chapter 4verses14-15. Verses 9- 10 of Job 7 tell us of an often-repeated truth in the Bible - that the dead are unconscious and incapable of thought. The rest of the chapter outlines the misery of Job's present life; and that death would be a better option.
In chapters 6 and 7 Job replied to Eliphaz. He says in chapter 6, "My complaint is just". To get the full impact of the Hebrew poetry reading from a modern version such as the ESV is recommended. Metaphor after metaphor is added by Job in an attempt to explain that nature's lessons do not agree with Eliphaz's contentions. In verses 8-9 Job asks the LORD to take away his life. From verses 24-30 he declares, if you can teach me and show me my faults I am ready to receive instruction. In chapter 7 Job says, that his life now is without hope. The truth of the words of verse 7 are echoed by James in chapter 4verses14-15. Verses 9- 10 of Job 7 tell us of an often-repeated truth in the Bible - that the dead are unconscious and incapable of thought. The rest of the chapter outlines the misery of Job's present life; and that death would be a better option.
In chapter 5 Eliphaz continues his first talk. He says that, although the fool appears to prosper this is only for a time. As verse 7 indicates, the trouble for which that type of person was born will soon come upon them. This is not the case for the upright, contends Eliphaz. In verse 17 the words of Eliphaz are directed at Job - "Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore, despise not the discipline of the Almighty" (Hebrews 12verses5-11). The supposed friend is saying, since you are suffering greatly your secret sin must be great; so be grateful for the chastisement that has come from God. And when you repent you will find lasting peace. The prophecy of Micah related to the period BC 787 to BC 721. Chapter 1 tells of the kings whose reign the prophecy spanned; and include an allusion to the earthquake of BC 786 - once more establishing Micah's authority as Yahweh's prophet (cp Deuteronomy 18). The prophet Micah was from a rural area - Moresheth. Verses 2-16 tell of the coming destruction, and like the pattern in Amos, the following chapter outlines the reasons for this judgment. The prophet Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Amos. Both prophets extensively use the device of ascending numeration - i.e. if (x) is sufficient, then (x+1) will be more than enough. Our God is beyond "sufficient", He is super abundant - Exodus 34verses6-7 “Abounding in steadfast love (chesed) and faithfulness (eduth) .. keeping steadfast love (chesed) for thousands" ESV; compare also the thoughts of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Verse 2 echoes Isaiah 1verses2, and once again we are dealing with two contemporary prophets - Micah to the northern kingdom of Israel; and Isaiah the southern kingdom of Judah. By contrast to Micah Isaiah was the prophet in Jerusalem who was constantly able to advise the king. The language of Yahweh coming out of His place to judge is prominent among the prophets of this era. Micah declared that Yahweh will roar out of His place against the idols in showing His wrath. Israel's wounds were incurable and so God was left with no alternative, but to execute justice. From verses 10 to the chapter's end is an itinerary of the path the Assyrians took on their March through the Land. It is also a great play on words, i.e. tell it not in tell town; then, in the house of dust, roll yourselves in dust... v16 make yourselves bald like the bald eagle etc. After the conqueror had taken the prophesied route the foe would then take the population of the northern kingdom to exile in Assyria. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is about "by faith"verses what can be accomplished; chapter 12 "with hope”verses patiently enduring; chapter 13 "in love" the abiding overarching necessity for believers - these 3 (compare 1 Corinthians 13verses13; Galatians 5verses5-6)). The writer completed the book on the great and lofty themes of God's Word. All good translations convey the sense of Hebrews 11 verses 1-3, that faith tells us that the framing, or adjusting, of this world's ages has been done with our Lord Jesus Christ in mind. Faith is the reality, substance, of the things being hoped for. Without faith, hope and love we would find ourselves living in a meaningless world. The chapter could also be called "Faith's family". From verses 4-7 the writer takes us to the roots of this family and looks at what was done by faith before the flood. Abel commences the list, and his name means "futility" - that is the human position apart from God (but with God all things are possible). Abel offered what God asked i.e. what God wanted. It cost Abel his life (as it had, and would still, cost the lives of the faithful readers of this book should they stand firm for their faith). But faith gave Abel an abiding and eternal life guaranteed by God. Similarly, Enoch's life was threatened by Lamech, whose power could not match that of our Almighty Sovereign. Verse 6 should be read slowly and pondered, "Without faith it is not possible to please God; for the ones who come to Him must wholeheartedly believe two things - God is; and He becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". Noah was warned of God about a coming flood, when as yet it had not even rained on earth. The readers were likewise being threatened to be overwhelmed by an impending and tumultuous unstoppable Roman tide, and if they were without God's provided ark (Christ) they could not survive. By faith Noah built the ark to save his family, commencing this labour 20 years before having any family. Consider Abraham and Sarah (Vv8-12). They, says the prophet Isaiah, were the human founding source of faith's family (51verses1-2). Both of them left a life of luxury to faithfully follow He who had promised them a land and city with foundations (verses 9-16; cp also Hebrews 6verses13-20). The writer shows that all the Father's family died in faith awaiting their future reward at Christ's coming. The book's readers, likewise, had in Jerusalem no continuing city; but were seeking the one which their God was building; and by faith they would constitute that city (Psalm 87). It was by faith (verses 17-19) that Abraham was able to offer, as a sacrifice, the heir of the promises. Abraham was fully and firmly convinced that Isaac would be resurrected. The members of the patriarchal family demonstrated their faith, often in small and simple ways - faith is frequently shown in the little things (verses 20-22). Moses' faith was evident when God used Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt. Faith gave Moses the capacity to endure suffering. Moses looked, not on what seemed to be, but believed what the Omnipotent had promised (so must the readers' faith sustain them in their trials). Faith brought Israel through the Red Sea (and it sustained would see them rewarded in the Promised Land). The writer says time was insufficient to keep naming the members of faith's family (verses 32-38); but consider the power of faith to sustain enduring trust in God to live faithfully in a godless world. And all of these together with us will receive the reward of the faithful when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to set up his kingdom on earth (verse 39). Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 3rd (Job 3, 4; Jonah 4; Hebrews 10)The initial suffering of Job is intensified in chapters 3-41 as we are told of his education. Following the drift of the conversations and the unfolding drama in Job can be complex. Recommended reading to assist the above is available from CSSS -"The Education of Job" by David Baird. In chapter 3 Job is in such despair that he mourns his birth. Surely many of us have been there at some time in our life, but we should never lose hope - when we cannot help ourselves, God can and is willing and waiting for us to commit ourselves to Him in continual prayer. If it wasn't for the pathetic situation Job found himself in, the imagery and poetry is magnificent. One after another the metaphors of his tragedy are multiplied. Job 3verses13-19 tell us that in death people are unconscious and are as though they had never existed. From verses 20-26 the question is asked, "Would it have been better to have never existed, than to be enlightened and find oneself in the condition that Job now found himself?" Job 4 is about the response of Eliphaz who most likely was the eldest of Job's friends. The great error of his discourse that was widely believed at this time was, that God pays back people swiftly for their actions - right, or wrong. It is known as the doctrine of exact retribution. So, the argument of Eliphaz is that the innocent never suffer. And since you, Job, are suffering you must be guilty. Verse 7 is the key to Eliphaz's discourse. From verse 8 to the chapter's end Eliphaz says, this is what I have found in my experience. The record of the book of Job is not an endorsement of the beliefs of any of the friends. It is simply a record of what was said among them. In chapter 4 several of Eliphaz's views supposed spiritual views on the spiritual world are found to be false.Jonah 4 concludes the book with the mission, which God gave him, being accomplished. Yet Yahweh must still teach the prophet some important lessons. In those lessons we find a great contrast between our God's compassion and the prophet's anger. Jonah, still the great patriot who knew what God would bring upon guilty Israel through the Assyrians, said to his Sovereign, I should not have done what you asked, since You are true to Your revealed character. God now will re-educate His prophet. Jonah left the city in a bad mood brooding on what would follow. The temperature intensely rose and Jonah's misery increased. And so, Yahweh in His kindness caused a gourd grow to rapidly and shade the prophet. Jonah was thankful for this. But then, just as quickly a grub destroyed the gourd. Jonah was outraged and complained to God, who told the prophet that the Almighty had worked two miracles, as was His right, to teach Jonah that Assyria was God's and did not belong to the prophet. Even the animals of Nineveh were under God's care. Today, the modern city of Mosul is built on the site of ancient Nineveh. The Taliban constructed massive tunnels beneath the city. And though there is no record of where Jonah went, or what he did, after the book's end, archaeologists have found beneath the city of Nineveh a tomb with the inscription, "Nabi Yonas" (i.e. the prophet Jonah). So, it appears the lessons were learnt and the prophet continued to labour preaching God's Word to the Assyrians.
Send us a textWhat if “fairness” isn't the lens that makes sense of suffering? We dive into Job 6 with a hard but hopeful look at grief, sovereignty, and the surprising failure of well-meaning counsel. From the opening moments, we name the tension most of us feel but rarely admit: pain can be undeserved and still be held by a just and holy God. That tension doesn't shrink faith; it matures it.We walk through Job's first response to Eliphaz and surface the patterns that still shape our churches and friendships today. Job refuses to suppress his grief, and that honesty becomes a model for faithful lament. He does not indict God; he names sorrow. Along the way, we examine why his friends' theology went wrong—not because doctrine doesn't matter, but because compassion must come before conclusions. Using the Good Samaritan as our guide, we explore what compassion presupposes: a real need, a refusal to interrogate pain before we tend to it, and the courage to show up when we can't fix everything.One of the most arresting insights is Job's willingness to prefer death over regaining lost comforts. It isn't cynicism; it's clarity. “Stuff” never had the power to steady his soul. That realization invites us to reorder our loves, to anchor hope in God rather than outcomes, and to meet the suffering with presence before prescriptions. We also extend grace to Job's friends: they started well by sitting in silence, then veered into judgment when discomfort demanded control. The lesson is simple and demanding—stay soft, stay near, and let truth arrive on the back of empathy.If this conversation helps you see pain, people, and God more clearly, follow the show, share it with someone who needs gentle company, and leave a review so others can find these reflections. Your voice helps us keep leading with compassion.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 3rd (Job 3, 4; Jonah 4; Hebrews 10) The initial suffering of Job is intensified in chapters 3-41 as we are told of his education. Following the drift of the conversations and the unfolding drama in Job can be complex. Recommended reading to assist the above is available from CSSS -"The Education of Job" by David Baird. In chapter 3 Job is in such despair that he mourns his birth. Surely many of us have been there at some time in our life, but we should never lose hope - when we cannot help ourselves, God can and is willing and waiting for us to commit ourselves to Him in continual prayer. If it wasn't for the pathetic situation Job found himself in, the imagery and poetry is magnificent. One after another the metaphors of his tragedy are multiplied. Job 3verses13-19 tell us that in death people are unconscious and are as though they had never existed. From verses 20-26 the question is asked, "Would it have been better to have never existed, than to be enlightened and find oneself in the condition that Job now found himself?" Job 4 is about the response of Eliphaz who most likely was the eldest of Job's friends. The great error of his discourse that was widely believed at this time was, that God pays back people swiftly for their actions - right, or wrong. It is known as the doctrine of exact retribution. So, the argument of Eliphaz is that the innocent never suffer. And since you, Job, are suffering you must be guilty. Verse 7 is the key to Eliphaz's discourse. From verse 8 to the chapter's end Eliphaz says, this is what I have found in my experience. The record of the book of Job is not an endorsement of the beliefs of any of the friends. It is simply a record of what was said among them. In chapter 4 several of Eliphaz's views supposed spiritual views on the spiritual world are found to be false. Jonah 4 concludes the book with the mission, which God gave him, being accomplished. Yet Yahweh must still teach the prophet some important lessons. In those lessons we find a great contrast between our God's compassion and the prophet's anger. Jonah, still the great patriot who knew what God would bring upon guilty Israel through the Assyrians, said to his Sovereign, I should not have done what you asked, since You are true to Your revealed character. God now will re-educate His prophet. Jonah left the city in a bad mood brooding on what would follow. The temperature intensely rose and Jonah's misery increased. And so, Yahweh in His kindness caused a gourd grow to rapidly and shade the prophet. Jonah was thankful for this. But then, just as quickly a grub destroyed the gourd. Jonah was outraged and complained to God, who told the prophet that the Almighty had worked two miracles, as was His right, to teach Jonah that Assyria was God's and did not belong to the prophet. Even the animals of Nineveh were under God's care. Today, the modern city of Mosul is built on the site of ancient Nineveh. The Taliban constructed massive tunnels beneath the city. And though there is no record of where Jonah went, or what he did, after the book's end, archaeologists have found beneath the city of Nineveh a tomb with the inscription, "Nabi Yonas" (i.e. the prophet Jonah). So, it appears the lessons were learnt and the prophet continued to labour preaching God's Word to the Assyrians.
4:1-6 Introduction to Eliphaz' first speech to Job4:7-11 Eliphaz: We reap what we sow4:12-16 Eliphaz' dream vision 4:17-21 The content of the visionWhat is wrong with what Eliphaz says?The statements of Job 4:7-8 seem to be the basis of the argument of Eliphaz against Job. The idea that we reap what we sow is a fundamental Biblical truth uttered often in Scripture (Hos. 8:7; 10:12; Prov. 11:18; 22:8; Gal. 6:7-9). Matt. 26:52 makes the same point as a general principle Why is Eliphaz stating the same truths as Jesus and inspired writers and yet something seems wrong with his comment? How does these other statements about reaping what we sow differ from his statement in 4:8? How does Psalm 37 fit into this argument? The heading of Psalm 37 mentions it as a psalm of David. Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” He appeals to his experiences as Eliphaz did. David makes the same kind of observation that Eliphaz does in Job 4:8. Psalm 37:25 asserts the same type of thing that Eliphaz and Job's other friends argue. Job's friends believe that his intense suffering must be because he has done something terribly wrong to deserve it. The reader knows on the basis of the prologue of Job that this is not true, and that Job is not suffering because of his sin (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). How did they misinterpret Scripture and Job's experience? Passages like Psalm 37 were not given for the purpose of stating that the life of the righteous is always easy and the life of the wicked will always be hard. The intent was to stress that righteousness is the path of blessing and wickedness is the road to disaster. The world of Psalm 37 was a world (like ours) where the wicked often prospered (vss. 1, 7-8, 35) and the righteous were often their main targets of hatred (vss. 12, 14, 32). One sometimes had to choose between being righteous and having little and being wicked and having much (vs. 16). The righteous were sometimes “hurled headlong” (vs. 24) and faced troubles (vs. 39). As already mentioned in the paragraph the righteous experienced the hatred and opposition of the wicked. Yet In spite of appearances of the moment, the Psalm stresses that the wicked would be cut off (vs. 9, 22, 28, 34, 38) and the righteous would inherit the land (vs.9, 11, 22, 29, 34). The prosperity of the wicked though it may be real at the moment was going to be short lived (vs. 1-2, 10, 20, 35-38). The purpose of the writer is to show that the ultimate path to blessing is righteousness, and that wickedness and evil is going to fail regardless of how attractive it will look in the short term. Psalm 37 was not given for the purpose of helping us to distinguish the righteous from the wicked. Psalm 37:25 is not a statement that everyone who finds themselves in financial need is giving clear evidence of their sin. That is not the purpose of Psalm 37. Job's friends use the same kind of statement as Psalm 37:25 but for the purpose of saying that Job has sinned.
Send us a textWhat happens when good theology lands on a hurting heart with the wrong aim? We walk through Job 5:18–27 and watch Eliphaz speak true things about God—His power to wound and heal, His deliverance in “six troubles, yes in seven”—while misdiagnosing Job's pain as proof of hidden sin. The result is a masterclass in how truth, severed from compassion and context, can crush the very person it's meant to comfort.We unpack the sovereignty of God in suffering without shrinking from the hard questions it raises. Affliction and restoration come from the same Lord, yet that doesn't license guesswork about another's guilt. Instead, we trace the contours of faithful care: listening before labeling, honoring lament, and refusing to weaponize Scripture as a quick fix. The promises of protection in famine, sword, slander, and fear are not levers to pull but anchors to hold when explanations go quiet.From here, we draw a surprising line from Job to Jesus. The afflicted becomes the teacher, just as Christ corrected His critics while bearing reproach. Israel longed for a conquering king and overlooked the suffering servant who conquers death. That same impulse fuels a modern myth: success equals God's favor. We challenge that narrative and recover a cruciform lens—strength perfected in weakness, victory revealed at the cross, hope that binds rather than blames. Join us as we reimagine comfort that is doctrinally rich, emotionally wise, and shaped by the humility of Christ. If this conversation stirred you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more deep dives, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textPain has a way of drawing out our deepest assumptions. When Job loses everything, his friend Eliphaz rushes in with a familiar formula: fix your sin and your life will snap back into shape. We walk through that logic and hold it up to the light, asking whether prosperity promises and neat moral equations can hold the weight of real suffering. Along the way, we explore how affliction can coexist with God's favor, and why maturing faith often grows in the places our metrics call failure.We also confront projection and hypocrisy—the human habit of condemning others with the very standards we ignore in ourselves. Drawing on Paul's counsel in Galatians 6, we unpack what it means to correct with a gentle spirit, to begin with self-examination, and to carry burdens instead of throwing stones. That shift in posture transforms debates into discipleship. It changes the room from a courtroom to a clinic, where the goal isn't to win but to heal.Job's restraint becomes a quiet masterclass. Proverbs praises the wisdom of measured silence, and we apply that to charged questions where Scripture speaks softly—like the destiny of infants who die. Rather than filling the gaps with bluster, we choose humility, compassion, and confident hope in God's character. We contrast Eliphaz's promise of worldly alignment—stones and beasts at peace—with the reality of a fallen creation and a cross-shaped path of growth. True comfort refuses to sell certainty we do not have; it offers presence, patience, and a bigger vision of God.If you're weary of hot takes and hungry for deeper wisdom, this conversation will steady your steps. Listen, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and if it resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and tell us: where have you seen grace interrupt judgment?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textA friend's comfort can heal—or it can cut. We walk through the tension with Eliphaz, who speaks many right things about God while wounding Job with timing, tone, and misapplied promises. The loss is fresh, the grief is real, and “your seed will be great” lands like sand in an open wound. That's our starting point for a bigger question: what happens when knowledge shows up without wisdom?We trace the arc of Job's story to a surprising turn. God's rebuke doesn't target a hidden sin before the storm; it addresses how Job responds after the suffering starts—when self-defense begins to eclipse defending God. That pivot exposes a temptation we all face: protect our reputation, win the argument, prove we're right. But Jesus in the wilderness shows another way. He doesn't debate the tempter. He answers with Scripture, steady and sure. We explore how that pattern guards the heart and serves the person in front of us.Along the way, we name the sludge of debate culture: clever put-downs, public “wins,” and spiritual pride dressed as certainty. Eliphaz's “We have searched it, and it is true—apply it to yourself” becomes a case study in condescension. The alternative is harder, holier, and far more fruitful: humility that listens, truth delivered with care, and a community that chooses edification over ego. We talk about knowledge versus wisdom, how to apply theology without crushing souls, and why repetition in Scripture study forms instincts that hold under pressure.If you're hungry for conversations that build people rather than platforms, this one's for you. We pray, reflect, and commit to passing living faith from person to person and generation to generation—anchored in God's Word and animated by His grace. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs wise comfort, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. What's one place you'll choose edification over winning today?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textPain does not automatically mean punishment, and Job's story exposes how easily we confuse the two. We walk through Eliphaz's polished but misguided counsel and trace how the same logic shows up today—when Christians turn baptism, tongues, or tithing into salvation checkpoints and treat God like a cosmic scorekeeper. The heart of our conversation is simple but demanding: grace is not a transaction, and promises are not prizes you unlock. They are gifts anchored in Christ and applied by the Spirit, especially when life hurts.We explore the difference between punishment and chastisement, showing how the Father's correction aims at restoration, not retribution. Think of the shepherd who breaks the lamb's leg to save it, then carries it until it heals—hard to receive, but rich in love. From Job's integrity to the blind man in John 9 and Paul's thorn, Scripture reframes suffering as a stage for God's glory rather than a scoreboard of hidden sins. Along the way, we name the quiet harm of “truth” without compassion: friends who quote verses but won't listen, counselors who turn comfort into conditions, and teachers who preach prosperity logic while undermining grace.If you've ever been judged for your pain or tempted to measure God's favor by outcomes, this conversation offers a better way. We talk about how to approach a struggling friend with humility, why orthodoxy must be warm to be faithful, and how the gospel frees us to count trials as joy—not because pain is good, but because Christ is near and his righteousness is already ours. Listen, share with someone who needs gentle truth today, and if this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and tell us how grace has reframed your view of suffering.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textWhat if the trial you're facing isn't the enemy derailing your life, but the Father reshaping your heart? We open a hard but liberating claim: for Christians, affliction sits under God's providence and moves us toward deeper dependence, not despair. That shift changes how we pray, how we wait, and how we talk about spiritual warfare.We walk through Scripture to ground this view. John 17 frames life as sent ones in a hostile world, kept and sanctified in truth. James points to the prophets and Job to highlight endurance and God's compassionate outcomes. Hebrews 12 delivers the core: discipline marks out sons and yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Along the way, Pilgrim's Progress offers a lived picture of endurance, contrasting shallow starts with steady souls who push through the Slough of Despond. And in Job, Eliphaz reminds us that true doctrine can be misapplied; providence is real, but it is not always immediate or visible.The heart of the conversation is chastening: not punishment, but love that guarantees growth. We challenge the habit of crediting the devil for disruptions God uses to sanctify us, and we explore why divine correction never fails its purpose. Jonah's course correction, Jesus' call to relinquish anxiety in Matthew 6, and Paul's reminder in Romans 2 that kindness leads to repentance all converge on one path—training that hurts for a moment and heals for a lifetime. Expect pruning. Expect fruit. Expect joy on the far side of obedience.If this reframes your current storm, lean into it with hope. Subscribe for more conversations on theology lived, share this with someone who needs courage today, and leave a review telling us where God's discipline has grown you. Your story might be the lifeline someone else needs.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textSharp words can sound holy and still cut the wrong way. We dive into Job 5 and the rhetoric of Eliphaz, tracing how a true principle—God humbling the proud—gets twisted into a personal indictment that piles pain on a grieving friend. From there, we draw a straight line to our own habits: debates that chase victory, counsel that confuses authority with love, and the subtle pride that wants to be seen as right more than helpful.Together we unpack how theology becomes a weapon when motive outruns mercy. We talk about the difference between teaching truth and trying to force belief, why ignoring bait can be a discipline of peace, and how unity suffers when every disagreement becomes a stage. You'll hear candid stories of blind zeal, moments when Scripture was quoted accurately but applied recklessly, and what it took to turn from winning arguments to serving hearts. Along the way, we revisit Paul's warning about worldly wisdom and the trap of craftiness, showing how timeless words can be misused when aimed at the wounded.We also reframe suffering through a pastoral lens. Not every trial exposes secret sin; often, affliction refines dependence on God. One reliable sign of grace is simple and human: we cry out. That cry for help, correction, and comfort is not condemnation—it's formation. As we meditate on Job's restraint and Jesus' silence under accusation, we ask what it means to carry truth with tenderness, to correct without crushing, and to let love govern tone, timing, and target. If you're weary of hot takes and hungry for wisdom that heals, this conversation offers a steadier way to speak, listen, and live. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs gentler counsel, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep the dialogue growing.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textEver been handed “biblical” advice that felt like a rebuke wrapped in a compliment? We dive into Job 5 and Eliphaz's counsel to uncover how true statements about God can land as false comfort when applied without wisdom. We talk about God's unsearchable works, rain on the earth, and the lifting of the lowly—and why those beautiful truths don't grant us permission to diagnose a friend's pain as punishment.As we move through the text, we name the danger of transactional theology: the reflex to read suffering as a simple cause-and-effect verdict. Several voices share how that mindset shows up today—suggesting blessings prove righteousness and loss proves guilt—and why it distorts God's sovereignty and pastoral care. We highlight a better way shaped by the Psalms and by Job's own honesty: faith that doesn't silence questions. God welcomes lament. Confession becomes relational, not performative. If Christ carried our sins, daily repentance isn't re-earning mercy but living in the truth of it.We also explore the craftiness in Eliphaz's tone—praise to God used to conceal a rebuke—and offer practical guidance for spiritual conversations under pressure. Listen deeply before labeling. Refuse quick moral math. Match doctrine to context like tools to tasks. Offer presence instead of suspicion. Suffering people don't need a courtroom; they need companions who can hold paradox and wait with them for light. By the end, you'll have a sharper lens for reading Job, and a kinder posture for your next hard conversation.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who's navigating a hard season, and leave a review to help more listeners find thoughtful, scripture-rich conversations.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textEver been on the receiving end of “I've seen this before, so here's what God is doing to you”? We walk through Job 5 and watch Eliphaz turn general truths into sharp weapons, calling Job a fool, questioning his past prosperity, and even using the death of his children as supposed proof of hidden sin. The result isn't comfort. It's a clinic on how religious certainty can wound when it breaks free from humility and Scripture.We pull apart the logic: appeals to experience, spiritualized stories, and cherry-picked principles like sowing and reaping. Then we contrast that with what God actually reveals in Job's prologue and with the heart of wise counsel. Along the way, we tackle a hot-button issue—if forgiveness is finished at the cross, why confess sin? Because confession is not re-earning pardon; it is agreeing with God, hating what Christ bore, and growing by the Spirit. That growth looks like patience under provocation, restraint with our tongues, and a fierce refusal to diagnose someone's soul from their circumstances.You'll hear practical guardrails for real conversations: slow down your certainty, measure every claim by Scripture, beware “God told me” as a trump card, and refuse to weaponize general truths against specific people. Pain is not automatically punishment. Prosperity is not automatically pride. Comfort listens, clarifies, and speaks gently. If you want a richer, more biblical reflex when friends suffer—and a sturdier theology for your own dark days—this one will sharpen your heart.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs wise comfort, and leave a review with one insight you're taking into your next hard conversation.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textPain doesn't always point to hidden sin, and quick answers often make wounds deeper. We walk through the tense exchange between Eliphaz and Job to show how well-meaning comfort can turn into accusation when we rush to explain suffering. Along the way we name the reflex many of us share: reading tragedy like karma, then baptizing it with spiritual language. That lens fails the heart of the sufferer and misses the heart of God.We ground the conversation in Scripture. From Mark 9, a father's honest cry — “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” — reveals how Jesus meets imperfect faith with compassion and power. From John 9, we see suffering that exists so the works of God may be displayed. And through Job's lament, we learn the difference between honest grief and sinful murmuring. These passages untangle a common confusion: faith is not a performance metric God waits to grade; it is a dependent trust in Christ, even when our knees shake.We also tackle salvation and spiritual optics. Baptism, circumcision, giving, and denominational badges don't save; they testify to grace already received. From Abraham to David to now, the way God saves has been the same: by grace through faith. That truth frees weary souls from spiritual ladder-climbing and invites us to rest in a Savior who sees the heart. Still, the conversation leaves room for nuance: we call for self-examination where habitual sin persists, without turning every hardship into retribution. Wise comfort listens first, guards the vulnerable, and speaks truth with tenderness.If this resonated with you, share it with a friend who's walking through a storm. Subscribe for more thoughtful, Scripture-rich conversations, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your stories and questions shape where we go next — what did this spark for you?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textEver been handed “biblical” advice that felt more like a verdict than comfort? We open Job 5 and sit with Eliphaz's polished speech to see why true statements can still wound when they're aimed at the wrong heart. As we read his lines about God humbling the crafty and lifting the lowly, we also hold fast to what God has already said about Job—perfect, upright, God-fearing, and turning from evil—and let that testimony guide our discernment.We talk about the stubborn pull of retribution theology, the reflex to tie every hardship to hidden sin, and why the gospel disrupts that equation. If Christ absorbed condemnation, then a believer's trials are not penalties but refining fires. That shift matters in hospital rooms, at gravesides, and across kitchen tables. It shapes how we speak to the weary: less lecturing, more listening; less courtroom, more care. The panel points out how Job's patience includes enduring misguided counsel without returning evil for evil, modeling a holiness that holds its ground without hardening its heart.This conversation doubles as a field guide for wise comfort. Context is everything—both for Scripture and for souls. Knowing doctrine is only half the task; applying it with humility completes it. We trace Eliphaz's challenge—“Call now”—and contrast it with heaven's record, reminding ourselves that God's verdict stands louder than human suspicion. Along the way we highlight how sanctification refines like silver, why humility is the doorway to wisdom, and how careless certainty can compound pain.If you're hungry for a sturdier theology of suffering and a gentler practice of comfort, press play and study with us. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs thoughtful encouragement, and leave a review with one takeaway that will change how you walk with someone in pain.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
The Suffering of Job Job's suffering began abruptly, without warning and without explanation, when God permitted Satan to test his integrity. Though Job was “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:1), divine sovereignty allowed undeserved suffering as a means of glorifying God and refining Job's soul. Zuck wisely states, “The Book of Job addresses the mystery of unmerited misery, showing that in adversity God may have other purposes besides retribution for wrongdoing.”[1] Satan challenged Job's motives, accusing him of serving God only because of prosperity (Job 1:9–11). To silence the accusation, God removed the hedge of protection and permitted adversity to strip Job of his possessions, children, and health. Job's wealth, family, and comfort were gone in a day, and his body was reduced to pain and decay. Yet even in shock and sorrow, Job responded with doctrinal stability: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). His reaction reveals that spiritual maturity is measured not by prosperity but by the capacity to think divine viewpoint under pressure. Zuck states: "It is truly remarkable that Job followed adversity with adoration, woe with worship. Unlike so many people, he did not give in to bitterness; he refused to blame God for wrongdoing (cf. Job 2:10). Job's amazing response showed Satan was utterly wrong in predicting that Job would curse God. Devotion is possible without dollars received in return; people can be godly apart from material gain. Job's saintly worship at the moment of extreme loss and intense grief verified God's words about Job's godly character."[2] As the suffering prolonged, Job's emotional and physical agony intensified. The silence of heaven pressed upon him, and his so-called friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) added psychological torment through their false theology of retribution. They insisted that Job's suffering was punishment for secret sin, reflecting human viewpoint reasoning divorced from grace. Job defended his innocence, yet his soul wavered between confusion and faith. His lamentations revealed an inner struggle between human viewpoint self-pity and divine viewpoint trust. The conflict of the soul is where doctrine must move from theory to reality. Job learned that faith must rest on who and what God is, not on temporal blessings or human understanding. Suffering exposed the inadequacy of human rationalization and forced Job to focus on the immutable character of God. It was a suffering for purification. When God finally answered from the whirlwind, He did not explain the reasons for Job's suffering; He revealed His own infinite wisdom and sovereign control. Confronted with God's majesty, Job recognized the smallness of his finite perspective and confessed, “I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me” (Job 42:3). This was a display of humility. Job's faith had matured from knowledge about God to experiential confidence in Him. Job said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). According to Zuck, “This thrilling view of God, probably spiritual insight, not physical vision, deepened his perspective and appreciation of God. What Job now knew of God was incomparable to his former ideas, which were really ignorant.”[3] God restored Job's fortunes, but the true reward was not material, but spiritual transformation. Through suffering, Job became a trophy of grace, proving that mature faith endures not because of what it receives, but because of whom it knows. Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div. [1] Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 714–715. [2] Ibid., 721. [3] Ibid., 774.
Send us a textSuffering has a way of exposing our theology, and nowhere is that more vivid than when Eliphaz steps up to answer Job. We walk through Job 4 with open Bibles and open eyes, tracing how a polished, confident friend leans on retribution logic—if you suffer, you must have sinned—and why that neat formula collapses under the weight of a righteous man's pain. The conversation threads together Job's imagery of light and darkness, the “hedge” that feels like a prison, and the uneasy truth that affliction can be a severe mercy that keeps us near to God.We don't stop at the ancient scene. We hold up a mirror to modern counsel: the quick claims of “the Holy Spirit told me,” the appeal to study hours as authority, and the soft-spoken rebukes that hit like hammers. Knowledge matters, but wisdom knows when to speak, how to apply truth, and when to sit in faithful silence. Together we examine three core errors in Eliphaz's approach—assuming the innocent never suffer, that suffering always signals past sin, and that Job's pain proves guilt—and we offer a better path shaped by humility, compassion, and reverence for mystery.If you've ever been wounded by well-meaning “comfort,” this deep dive offers language and tools to do better. Learn how to anchor counsel in Scripture without playing the Holy Spirit, how to avoid legalistic cause-and-effect assumptions, and how to serve a grieving friend with presence, patience, and hope. Press play to rethink certainty, recover tenderness, and remember that God's purposes are larger than our tidy equations. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs gentler counsel, and leave a review to help others find the show.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textA compliment can feel like a hug—until it becomes a runway for a rebuke. We walk through Eliphaz's opening to Job: the soft words, the strategic praise, and the swift pivot to “practice what you preach.” It's a move many of us have felt in moments of pain, when someone seems to care yet uses that care to justify a verdict. We dig into why this approach wounds, why it often sounds wise, and how to spot it when it shows up in our own counsel.Together we unpack the harmful equation that visible suffering equals hidden sin. That tidy formula promises control but collapses under the weight of real life and honest Scripture. Job's grief, his talk of darkness and despair, isn't a confession of hypocrisy; it's the language of a heart still turning Godward while everything else falls apart. We reflect on God's sovereignty and goodness when affliction strikes, how comfort received becomes comfort given, and why tears aren't evidence against faith but expressions within it.We also get practical. What helps a friend in ashes? Presence over answers. Charity over certainty. Truth carried on a gentle voice rather than a gavel. We explore how knowledge without love becomes noise, how tactical praise manipulates, and how to hold hope without silencing lament. By tracing Eliphaz's errors, we learn a better way to walk with those who suffer: lift before you lecture, and if you must choose, choose to lift.If this conversation helped you rethink comfort, share it with someone who needs gentleness today. Subscribe for more thoughtful, Scripture‑rooted episodes, and leave a review to tell us what challenged you most.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textA friend's words can steady you or break you, and Job's story shows how quickly counsel can turn into a verdict. We dive into the sharp edge of Eliphaz's reasoning—truths about judgment, sown and reaped—but ask the harder question: what happens when a true statement lands on the wrong person at the wrong time? Our conversation walks through courage as restraint, the confusion of composure with faith, and the subtle power of rhetorical traps that push sufferers to confess what they do not owe.We explore how respect for elders could have shaped Job's silence, why oral tradition mattered, and how even with a complete Bible today we still fall for the same easy math: pain equals guilt, prosperity equals blessing. Abel's name punctures Eliphaz's claim about the innocent, and that moment becomes a mirror for us. The problem is not only doctrine; it's aim and application. A right verse can wound if it ignores context, character, and the God who sees the heart. Job's losses expose an old mistake we keep making—equating circumstances with standing before God—and they call us back to humility.Along the way, we push back on prosperity thinking and the search for tidy causes. Suffering may be a crucible for faith rather than a spotlight on failure. Satan misread the heart of a faithful man; Job's friends did too. That's why we advocate for biblical precision over pride, patience over gotcha moments, and counsel that serves rather than shames. If you've ever been on the receiving end of shallow answers in a deep night, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and a better way to walk with people in pain.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs careful counsel, and leave a review to help more listeners find thoughtful conversations like this.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Send us a textWhat if the problem isn't what you believe, but how you use what you believe? We walk through Job's exchange with Eliphaz to expose a common trap in modern church life: right doctrine delivered in the wrong way. The insights are both theological and pastoral—clear enough to challenge our assumptions, practical enough to reshape how we teach, correct, and comfort.We start by confronting the myth of the “plain reading” badge. Quoting more Scripture isn't the same as applying it well. Eliphaz said many true things yet misread Job's condition and God's heart. From there we press into sovereignty, election, and God's attributes. If God is omniscient, omnipotent, and unchanging, He doesn't suspend those traits when salvation is at stake. That conviction reframes persistent objections about justice and hell, and it anchors our prayers: Your will be done is not a platitude; it's a confession of reality.We also talk about maturity in the trenches—how to handle disagreement without rushing to “false teacher,” when to step away from fruitless debates, and why asking “What do you think about Christ?” beats comparing church labels. Along the way we name the blind spots that keep hurting people: mistimed truth, condescending tone, and tradition elevated above Scripture. The call is to invite challenge, be ready to unlearn, and bring orthodoxy with gentleness to those with “feeble hands and weak knees.”If you've ever wondered why your accurate answers still fall flat, this study will help you pair conviction with compassion and doctrine with discernment. Listen, reflect, and share your takeaway. And if it sharpened you, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it to a friend who loves the Bible and wants to love people better.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
A new MP3 sermon from The Bible Provocateur is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: LIVE DISCUSSION: Job 4:1-9 Eliphaz Speaks (Part 4 of 4) Speaker: Jonathan Eubanks Broadcaster: The Bible Provocateur Event: Debate Date: 11/20/2025 Length: 35 min.
A new MP3 sermon from The Bible Provocateur is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: LIVE DISCUSSION: Job 4:1-9 Eliphaz Speaks (Part 3 of 4) Speaker: Jonathan Eubanks Broadcaster: The Bible Provocateur Event: Debate Date: 11/20/2025 Length: 35 min.
A new MP3 sermon from The Bible Provocateur is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: LIVE DISCUSSION: Job 4:1-9 Eliphaz Speaks (Part 2 of 4) Speaker: Jonathan Eubanks Broadcaster: The Bible Provocateur Event: Debate Date: 11/20/2025 Length: 35 min.
A new MP3 sermon from The Bible Provocateur is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: LIVE DISCUSSION: Job 4:1-9 Eliphaz Speaks (Part 1 of 4) Speaker: Jonathan Eubanks Broadcaster: The Bible Provocateur Event: Debate Date: 11/20/2025 Length: 35 min.
The Bible is God's message, God's word (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21). However, in the Bible there are speakers that say things that are incorrect or particularly designed to deceive. For example, the words of the serpent, the devil in Gen. 3:4-5; Matt. 4:1-11. The words of false prophets are recorded in I Kings 22:9-12 or Jer. 28:1-4 and false accusations against John and Jesus are recorded in Matt. 11:18-19 and Luke 7:33-34. When the Bible reports something happening it is true but there are those in its pages who do not speak on God's behalf. Job is the most difficult book of the Bible to determine whether the spokesman is from God or not. In the epilogue the LORD says that Eliphaz and his two friends have not spoken of Him what is right (Job 42:7). The LORD plainly says it, these men do not speak for Him. Does that mean that everything they say is wrong? In Job 5:13 Eliphaz says, “He captures the wise by their shrewdness.” Paul quotes these words in I Cor. 3:19 and introduces them with “For it is written.” The only time that Job is specifically quoted in the New Testament it is the words of Eliphaz. Obviously, not everything that Eliphaz and his friends said was wrong. On the other hand, Job was said to speak of God what was right in Job 42:7. While Job spoke what was right, does that mean that all he spoke was correct? The LORD said that Job, “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2) and Job repeats these words confessing his sin of speaking of the things “which I did not understand” in 42:3. After this confession, he retracts and repents in 42:6. Clearly, Job says things that are not right. Also, how do we take the words of Elihu? Elihu is not mentioned at all by God at the end of the book. Does that mean that he said nothing different from the friends or does it mean that God approves of his words? The question is how do we know what the various speakers say that is from God and what is not? These factors make Job an extremely difficult book.
Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Job 15; Acts 19;-20 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode for October 24th, 2025, your host Hunter takes us through another inspiring day in our journey through the Bible. We begin with the story of Job—hearing Eliphaz's second response and wrestling with the questions of suffering, justice, and the nature of God. Then, we move into the Book of Acts, chapters 19 and 20, where we follow Paul's powerful ministry in Ephesus, witness miracles, confrontations with false teachers, public upheaval, and ultimately Paul's heartfelt farewell to church leaders he loves deeply. Hunter reflects on Paul's last message to the Ephesians—a message centered on God's grace, encouraging us to trust not in our own efforts, but in Christ alone. In the midst of life's chaos and busyness, Hunter invites us to ground ourselves in the peace and love of God, joining together in prayer and finding strength in the truth that we are deeply loved. Whether you're starting your day or looking for a moment of quiet, today's episode is all about embracing God's comfort, direction, and unfailing grace. Let's dive in together and draw closer to the heart of God. TODAY'S DEVOTION: I'm going to trust you. We hear Paul in Acts 20 saying farewell to a church that was dear to him, to people he had spent years with, nurturing, living among, pouring out his life for. He tells them this is his final message, entrusting them not to rules or traditions or a complicated system of religious effort, but to the message of God's grace—grace that builds us up and gives us what we need. “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those who have been set apart for himself.” This isn't just any message. It's the only message Paul gives. It's the good news that what we need most—life, forgiveness, inheritance, a way forward—comes to us through Christ alone. We so easily twist this message, turning our attention away from Jesus and onto ourselves—our striving, our trying, our religious observance—as if we could earn or construct what has already been given. But grace is not about trying harder, hoping we measure up or wondering if we've done enough. Grace is about resting, trusting, and participating in the life of Christ, knowing that he is enough to make us new, equip us for all of life, and bring us into the fullness of God's love. Paul's final charge is simple: build your life on this message. Trust that the work is done, that Christ is enough. Step into his grace, the only ground safe enough and strong enough for our joy, our hope, and our peace. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God, you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. O Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home. Heal the wounds of division and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And our Lord make my hands ready And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation. Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL
Job was a blameless man caught in a contest between the divine and diabolical that he knew nothing about. He lost his wealth, his health, and all ten of his children. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort him but end up accusing him. Job defends his integrity in a series of poetic debates that lasts for 27 chapters. Then Elihu enters the story...
SummaryJob's suffering reveals deep insights into faith, the nature of God, and the misunderstandings of his friends regarding divine justice.HighlightsJob's physical and emotional suffering is immense, having lost everything, including his children.
Today, we'll hear Job's response to Eliphaz. We'll also see Bildad the Shuhite get irritated at Job. Job also response Bildad. Zophar and Job exchange arguments. "I know that my Redeemer Liveth," Lynne Dawson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtU1c5JZf0k Job 17:1-16, 18:1-2, 19:1-29, 20:1-29, 21:1-34 #everydaychristians
Today, we'll hear Eliphaz give Job even more advice. Job admits his awe for God and Bildad answers only to shame Job for his expression. Job 22:1-30, 23:1-17, 24:1-25, 25:1-6, 26:1-14, 27:1-23, 28:1-28 #everydaychristians
In this podcast, Job responds to Eliphaz, and now Bildad the Shuhite gives Job advice. We'll see Job ask for forgiveness for some unknown sin of his. Job 6:24-30; 7:1-21; 8;1-22; 9;1-35; 10:1-20 #everydaychristians
Today, we'll see Job get even more advice. This time, it will be from Zophar. Job starts to think that God is doing all of this and Job wishes to lay out his case before God. We'll find that Eliphaz is not a comforter for Job. Job 11:1-20; 12:1-15; 13:1-5, 6-28; 19:1-22; 15:1-35: 16:1-22 #everdaychristians
The post Eliphaz: God Is Like a Formula appeared first on Blue Ridge Bible Church.
Today, we're discussing Eliphaz's advice given to Job. However, Job doesn't agree with the advice. Job 4:1-21; 5:1-16, 17-27; 6:1-23. #everydaychristians
Bad Theology, 1 of 4 from October 5, 2025 “All suffering comes from sin but God's purpose is greater than our pain.” Job 4-5, 22, 42; 1 Peter 2 by Michael Lockstampfor (@miklocks)SUMMARYThis sermon explores the relationship between suffering and our beliefs about God through the story of Job, challenging the idea that suffering always results from personal sin. Pastor Michael discusses the flawed belief that "if you do good, you get good," and highlights Jesus' example of suffering without sin. The message emphasizes that God's purposes are greater than our pain, urging trust in God's perfect justice and compassion amidst trials.REFLECTION & DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Pastor John Ryan Cantu brings this week's message, “Making Sense." Job 2.11-13 ESV: “Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org. Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 03:03 - Job 2.11–13 ESV 03:50 - Making Sense
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