Podcasts about Eliphaz

In this fifth episode of Rick and Elaine Discuss the Book of Job it quickly becomes one of those conversations that invites you to slow down and sit with the text rather than rush past it. As we work through Job chapters 4 through 7, the discussion moves naturally between Scripture, lived experience, and honest wrestling with suffering. What stands out most is the care taken to distinguish between speaking about God and actually speaking with Him, especially as Eliphaz's well-reasoned but misapplied theology collides with Job's raw honesty. The extended Scripture readings, particularly from the Complete Jewish Bible by Elaine, allow us all to hear the emotional weight of the text and feel the tension that wisdom literature is meant to create.This conversation highlights how suffering is often misunderstood, how "some" correct theology can still wound when wrongly applied, and why Job's posture toward God ultimately matters more than perfect explanations. We are so humbled by all of you that are listening and commenting. It means so much to us! We hope you are encouraged and uplifted in this study!If you'd like to see the video, hop on over to our Patreon page at:https://www.patreon.com/posts/147410098?collection=1984098Thanks for listening!

Pastor Jeff preaches from Job 4 & 5, where Job's friend Eliphaz speaks up after Job's lament.

Send a textEver been “comforted” by someone who only made the pain sharper? We open Job 16 and step straight into that moment: three confident friends, a pile of correct-sounding doctrine, and a wounded man who refuses to accept a lie about his life. Eliphaz wraps accusation in pious language, turning prosperity into proof of wickedness and Job's losses into a verdict. We walk through why that tidy formula fails and how truth, in the wrong hands, can become a club.As we read Job's reply—“miserable comforters”—we explore what real care sounds like when someone is raw and searching. Silence is not weakness, but silence that lets falsehood harden is its own kind of harm. Job waits his turn, then speaks with resolve: he is battered, he feels the ache of God's silence, yet his mind and faith stay intact. That tension matters. It's the space where honest lament and stubborn trust meet, and it shows us how to resist spiritual clichés without growing bitter. Along the way, we name a common trap: consensus masquerading as clarity. Three voices agree and are still wrong. Agreement is not authority; wisdom demands context, patience, and humility.We also reframe humility itself. Soft tone is not the same as a humble heart, and loud words do not prove pride. Humility shows when we speak as if God is watching—careful with timing, careful with application, and careful to love before we lecture. Expect sharp insights on applying Scripture without wounding, practical guidance on comforting those in grief, and a bracing challenge to examine our own counsel. If you've ever wondered how to stand firm when friends misread your story, or how to offer help that actually heals, this conversation will serve you.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs better comfort, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what does real comfort look like to you?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the life that looks like winning is quietly starving at the core? We walk through Job 15 to confront the seduction of visible success and the deeper hunger that wealth and power can never satisfy. The text refuses easy answers: trouble and anguish are personified as a king prepared for war, fear overtakes the proud, and the conscience that once whispered returns to roar. Along the way, we explore why affliction can be a channel of grace and how God's blessing often arrives through losses we would never choose.We grapple with Eliphaz's speech—rich with truth about the end of the wicked, yet unfairly aimed at Job—and we draw a sharper lesson: truth without discernment can wound. The portrait of the wicked strengthening themselves against the Almighty exposes our age's idol of autonomy. There is no plebiscite on sovereignty; God is King. Real freedom isn't rebellion; it's the capacity to love, show mercy, and live under righteous authority. We tie this to the bread of life, the only sustenance that quiets the restless heart and steadies a fearful conscience.You'll also hear candid moments from our community—voices from healthcare and daily life—naming the pressure to ignore people for process, and the choice to care anyway. We connect the dots between pure religion and public faith: guarding the tongue, helping the vulnerable, and letting mercy prove doctrine. If you've ever wondered why success feels empty, why fear grows louder near the edge, or how to live faithfully when many mock the good news, this study will meet you with clarity and hope. If it resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the comfort you're chasing is the very thing dulling your heart? We dive into the hard edge of Job's wisdom and the modern anxieties of money, aging, and healthcare to ask whether prosperity can become a veil. The image of “fatness” isn't about appearance; it's a stark spiritual diagnosis—abundance that congeals over the eyes until gratitude shrinks and discernment goes quiet.From the daily grind of solving Medicare problems to the ache of rising costs, we trace how good intentions collide with systems that rarely feel humane. But we also sit with a tender moment: a kid, hands shaking, sharing the gospel with a guest he recognizes from the TV in his living room. That scene reframes influence. Platform doesn't change hearts; presence does. Faithfulness in small rooms can outlast the grandest estates.We walk through Eliphaz's half-truths and show how Christ overturns their weaponized logic. Where the wicked build in desolate cities, Jesus builds people into living temples. Where wealth aims to shield us from loss, the cross exposes false securities and offers a sturdier hope. We talk about sanctification as demolition and rebuilding, why even pyramids won't survive a remade world, and how true riches belong to those who belong to Christ. If your foundations feel sandy, this conversation invites you to trade numb comfort for clear sight and to invest in what storms can't erase.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find conversations that rebuild the heart from the ground up.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

February 6, 2026Today's Reading: Job 3:11-26Daily Lectionary: John 1:35-51“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” (Job 3:26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Everyone has a bad day. Some days are worse than others. In fact, some are downright terrible. Job had one of these terrible times. He was robbed of his children, his possessions, even his health. The book of Job is often hard to read. He is utterly miserable, even longing for death. This is not easy stuff for us to hear or think about. And while preachers and teachers often hold up Job as a model of steadfast faith amid hardship, we should not overlook the depth of his despair.Statistically speaking, many today feel just like Job. Anxiety and depression, even to the point of wishing for death, are increasingly common. Chances are, everyone reading this either knows someone who suffers from these afflictions or has struggled with them personally. What makes this kind of suffering so difficult is that it is not visible like a physical wound. There is no easy bandage or quick remedy for the grief of the heart and the anguish of the soul.But the book of Job does not leave him wallowing in the dust. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to sit with him. They did not get everything right; they even made some things worse with their advice. But they came. They showed up. They sat in silence for seven days. And even in their imperfection, they remind us what Christian compassion can look like. We may not be able to fix a given situation or explain it, but we can show up.Most importantly, God did not abandon Job. Though Job struggled, he never cursed God, because he knew, somehow, that God was still his Redeemer. And Job was right. In chapter 19, Job makes a bold confession: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.” He believed in the resurrection. He trusted in a Deliverer.God does not promise us a life without suffering. In fact, He prepares us to expect it. But He does give us something even greater: Jesus Christ, who suffered in our place, endured the cross, and rose again. He meets us in our darkest days and leads us through death and despair to resurrection and life everlasting.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid; when days and nights of anxious thought no help or counsel yet have brought, then is our comfort this alone that we may meet before Your throne; to You, O faithful God, we cry for rescue in our misery. For You have promised, Lord, to heed Your children's cries in time of need through Him whose name alone is great, our Savior and our advocate. Amen. (LSB 615:1-3)Rev. Christopher Brademeyer, St. John's Lutheran Church in Oakes, NDAudio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.

Today's Scripture passage is Job 15 - Job 17.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Send us a textEver been cornered by “old wisdom” that doesn't fit your real life? We dive into Job 15, where Eliphaz stacks tradition, lineage, and supposedly pure teaching against a suffering friend, then slides into a sweeping portrait of the “wicked man” that feels more like a veiled accusation than careful counsel. The tension is palpable: if the ancients all agree and the pattern is clear, what space is left for Job's agony or God's hidden purposes?We walk through Eliphaz's appeal to authority, the claim that truth stays untainted within the fathers' circle, and the rhetorical shift that uses broad theology to make a narrow judgment. Along the way, we ask hard questions. When do doctrines that are generally true become damaging in personal cases? How do we keep discernment tethered to love so our counsel doesn't turn into a courtroom? And what do we do when the tidy system says “guilty” but the Spirit says “wait”?This study doesn't just parse ancient speeches; it probes the heart. We contrast the anxious restlessness of life without God with the quiet courage of hope in Christ. We reflect on Job's patience under pressure, the friends' certainty that misfires, and the larger comfort of God's sovereignty—Satan can't move an inch beyond permission, and suffering is never wasted for those who belong to the Lord. If you've ever watched truth used like a hammer when a hand was needed, this conversation offers a better path: listen longer, judge slower, hold to Scripture, and let mercy guide the application.Join us as we trace the fault lines between tradition and truth, accusation and aid, despair and assurance. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs thoughtful encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the study. How have you learned to pair sound doctrine with gentle wisdom? We'd love to hear your story.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the loudest sound in a successful life is a troubled conscience? We dive into Job's debates and find a mirror for our own moment: brilliant arguments that miss the mark, confident opinions that drown out wisdom, and a culture that calls greed ambition while the heart keeps asking harder questions.We walk through Eliphaz's portrait of the wicked and the “dreadful sound” that follows them into prosperity, connecting it to modern leaders and celebrities who can buy anything except peace. Along the way, we challenge a popular myth: that knowledge alone guarantees truth. It doesn't. Without wisdom, humility, and love, even accurate doctrines become arrows aimed at the wrong target. We talk about why study matters, how to ask God for wisdom that tempers learning, and how to keep counsel from turning into cruelty.From Psalm 73 to Proverbs, we trace how Scripture reframes success, suffering, and the restless chase for “just a little more.” Wealth isn't evil, but the love of it distorts our vision and hollows our desires. True inheritance doesn't pad an account; it anchors a soul. Streets of gold are pavement because presence is the treasure. That's why legacies fade while life in Christ endures. If your reward is now, it ends. If your reward is Christ, it begins now and it doesn't end.Listen for a grounded, honest conversation that trades performance for wisdom and noise for clarity. If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show. What are you chasing, and does it finally bring you peace?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the story that moved you most isn't the truth that will sustain you? We open a hard, honest conversation with a listener's grief and a claimed vision, then walk through how to test experiences without crushing the soul that shares them. Using Job as our map, we watch Eliphaz reach for tradition, accumulated sayings, and personal insight—only to misapply wisdom when he needed scripture most. That same mistake is alive today: confident claims, thin texts, and pressure to submit to “a word” no one can find in the Bible.We dig into the difference between the Spirit illuminating scripture and the idea of the Spirit delivering new doctrine. Illumination deepens understanding of what God has already said; novelty competes with it. From Galatians' stern warning about “another gospel” to the historical rise of movements built on private revelations, we stack the evidence for why the canon is enough and why the clearest love is the one that insists, kindly but firmly, on chapter and verse. Tradition still has a place, but only when it carries the same melody as the text. When customs add burdens or smuggle in new beliefs, Jesus' own confrontations with religious leaders show the way back.We close with a pastoral charge: open the Bible with prayerful expectation and let God's voice steady your steps. Experiences can inspire, mentors can guide, and emotions can be real, but only scripture can bind the conscience and anchor hope. If you've wrestled with a powerful “God told me” moment—your own or someone else's—this conversation gives you a gentle framework and a firm foundation. If it isn't in the Word, it isn't binding. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review to tell us how you test truth.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textStart with Job 15 and something familiar happens: Eliphaz anchors his counsel in what he has “seen,” then insists Job accept it as authority. That move—experience elevated over revelation—feels uncomfortably modern. We pressed into that tension and traced how the same pattern fuels claims of oneness, modalism, tongues as a test of salvation, and the endless refrain of “God told me to tell you.” The through line is simple and urgent: experience can confirm truth, but it must never define it.We open the text in verses 17 to 19 and watch how Eliphaz frames credibility without exegesis. From there, we connect his approach to our moment, where recycled doctrines return under new names. History matters here, not as trivia, but as a map that shows where false turns lead. Along the way, we talk about the royal priesthood—every believer indwelled by the same Spirit, standing on equal ground. Teachers serve the church, but no one has a special hotline that outranks Scripture. If it cannot be shown in the text and in context, it cannot bind the conscience.Listeners share vulnerable stories of confusion, pressure, and being told that without tongues they lack the Spirit. We walk through why that standard fails the biblical test, how emotion can masquerade as authority, and why Hebrews anchors God's speech now in the Son and the inscripturated Word. Personal guidance is real, but it guides application, not revelation. We end with a call to courage and humility: become a student of the Word, test every claim, welcome correction, and speak with clarity and mercy. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs ballast, and leave a review telling us one belief you've recently tested against Scripture.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textA tremor runs through the opening: if Christ's voice shakes the earth, tone and tact won't matter—truth will. That image sets our path through Job 15, where Eliphaz leans on the “wise men” and their fathers to corner Job with consensus. We press on the danger of mistaking tradition for revelation and show why Job, for all his anguish, keeps aiming at God rather than borrowing authority from the past.From there we wrestle with experience. Can a powerful vision be real yet misread? We share a candid story of hoped-for healing tied to a long-held tradition, and we talk about how the mind, especially under stress, can assign spiritual weight to impressions. The point isn't to dismiss experience; it's to interpret it by Scripture. God will not contradict his word, and discernment grows when we love the Bible more than we love the crowd's approval or our own expectations.We also dismantle the nostalgia trap. Eliphaz romanticizes a time “when no stranger passed among them,” as if moral purity comes from insulation. We argue that every generation forgets its shadows. Moral clarity flows from grace and obedience, not from closed circles or majority votes. That brings us to a preview of Job 38, where God's questions humble Job and heal him at once. A divine rebuke can be a gift when it resets our view of God and ourselves.Join us as we trace the line from consensus to conviction: measure every claim by Scripture, beware the seduction of the “moral majority,” and cultivate a steady appetite for truth that can weather criticism, confusion, and disappointment. If this conversation strengthens your love for God's word, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful studies, and leave a review to help others find the show. What voices are you trusting this week, and how are you testing them?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if your best qualities are more like moonlight than sunlight—real, beautiful, yet entirely borrowed? We lean into that humbling image to explore why God doesn't place His trust in creatures, even righteous ones, and how that clarifies the difference between holiness that shines and holiness that originates. The conversation threads through Job's story, Eliphaz's hard words, and the subtle ways sincere doctrine can be twisted into a weapon when a friend is in pain.Together we unpack strong biblical language about human depravity—unclean, abominable, filthy—and show how a truthful diagnosis amplifies, not diminishes, the glory of grace. The more clearly we see sin's depth, the more clearly we see Christ's sufficiency. That realism reshapes discipleship: resident sin remains, so we practice daily vigilance, keep our minds renewed, and resist the myth of spiritual autopilot. A listener question opens a careful distinction about heaven being “not pure” in God's sight: it's a contrast of dependence, not a flaw in glory. Even angels stand by grace, not independent moral credit.We also address the pastoral heart of the matter: what it means to bring Scripture as a balm rather than a bludgeon. Eliphaz states true things but misapplies them to accuse Job of “drinking iniquity like water.” We talk about how sin can feel like false refreshment, why living water in Christ displaces those cravings, and how real comfort looks like presence, patience, and prayer—not drive-by proof texts. The episode closes with reflections, gratitude, and a call to keep drawing from the Word and the Spirit as our sustaining stream.If this conversation stirred something in you—about humility, compassion, or a fresh thirst for living water—follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so others can find it. Your reflections help us keep these deep, honest dialogues going.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat happens when a true doctrine is used the wrong way? We dive into Job 15:14–16 and wrestle with Eliphaz's stark claims about human sinfulness, the purity of God, and why no one “born of a woman” can declare themselves righteous. The passage is theologically rich—touching on total depravity, moral inability, and the inevitability of sin—yet the conversation shows how truth can wound when it's misapplied to a suffering friend.Together we unpack the universal scope of “What is man” and the piercing image of “drinking iniquity like water.” If even the heavens are not clean in God's sight, human self-approval crumbles. We trace how this standard exposes a deeper problem than bad behavior: a fallen nature that cannot produce righteousness. That's where grace becomes more than comfort language; it's the only way anyone can stand. We talk candidly about why salvation requires an external initiative from God, how faith is awakened rather than engineered, and why Christ deals not only with our actions but with our nature at the cross.Along the way, we also challenge the subtle errors of Job's friends—equating consensus and age with truth, calling accusation “consolation,” and reading suffering as proof of secret sin. Our goal isn't to soften Scripture but to apply it wisely: to hold firm to God's holiness while extending patience to the afflicted. If you've ever wondered whether doctrine can be both sharp and healing, this conversation offers a map for conviction and compassion to coexist.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves the book of Job, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep these deep dives coming.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textEver been “helped” by friends who seem more eager to win a debate than bind a wound? We walk through Job 15 and watch Eliphaz turn from counsel to sarcasm, challenging Job's integrity with cutting lines about secret wisdom and ancient tradition. That pivot exposes a timeless trap: confusing humility with conformity, and mistaking tidy theology for true care.I unpack why the friends' confidence feels compelling yet harms Job. Their orthodoxy is intact, but the application is off, driven by pride and a need to be right. We talk about how real wisdom makes space for God to teach through trial, not just through inherited formulas. Affliction, received in humility, can reveal facets of God comfort never will; prosperity, when unexamined, can dull dependence and scatter attention. It's a hard word: success can become the bigger snare, while suffering often clarifies the soul.Our panel adds vivid, modern echoes—being called unspiritual for using your mind, told your learning makes you mad, or dismissed as arrogant when you hold to Scripture. We examine how a compromised heart can weaponize correct doctrine, why motives matter as much as arguments, and how to shepherd one another with tenderness. The aim isn't to glorify pain but to recognize how God refines, purges impurities and strengthens resolve when comforts fail us.If you've ever felt misread in your struggle or pressured to confess to fit someone's system, this conversation offers language, courage and comfort. Lean in to a faith that listens, keeps a low heart before God, and lets truth heal rather than harm. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the conversation.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the most faithful thing you can say to God sounds raw, unfinished, and unpolished? We open the door to Job's ash heap and find a hard, hopeful truth: honest lament is not rebellion. It's the sound of trust when answers feel out of reach. From there, we draw a straight line to today's church—where some try to control consciences, claim special authority, or treat emotion as a threat. We push back, anchoring everything in the sufficiency of Scripture and the conviction that the Bible in your hands is the same Bible in the pulpit.Together, we walk through the misreadings of Eliphaz and friends, who confuse grief with defiance and composure with holiness. We talk about the danger of dishonest silence—the pious hush that keeps us from praying when we most need to—and we offer a better path: speak to God as you are, with a sincere heart that refuses to fake it. We also get practical about church life. Correction is not a performance; it's a shared commitment to truth. Real unity survives scrutiny. It does not demand silence to protect egos.Then we widen the lens. We sit with the unsettling power of God's silence and how it reveals what words often hide. We trace the arc from the ascension to Acts and early persecution, and we reflect on why Scripture remembers saints not for their wealth or status but for victories in suffering. The throughline is simple and strong: revelation is closed, the Word is enough, and God meets honest people who bring him their real selves.If this conversation strengthens your courage to pray honestly, to welcome correction, and to hold to Scripture when God seems quiet, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review telling us where silence has shaped your faith.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat happens when the people who should comfort you bring the sharpest knives? We step into Job 15 and watch Eliphaz return with a blistering verdict, branding Job's words as “east wind” and dismissing his theology as destructive heat. The clash isn't just about doctrine; it's about how doctrine is used. Are we building up the hurting with truth, or brandishing truth to build our own standing?We walk through the assumptions that fueled Job's friends: the tidy equation of prosperity with righteousness and suffering with secret sin. That formula is seductive because it flatters our need for control. But it collapses under the weight of real life and the witness of Scripture. Job's lament is not rebellion; it is reverent faith under pressure. He clings to God's sovereignty, atonement, and wisdom while his community reads his pain as proof of guilt. Along the way we surface hard questions: Why are some bolder correcting brothers than confronting the world? How does jealousy hide beneath piety? What does compassion look like when the facts are unclear and the wounds are fresh?You'll hear a candid roundtable where we name church hurt without flinching and still call the church to better love. We unpack why misapplied orthodoxy harms, how to discern motives when counsel feels cold, and why true courage comforts first and corrects with care. And we trace the arc toward vindication: God will later affirm Job's words and require his friends to seek his intercession, a sobering reminder that the Lord weighs hearts, not optics.If you've ever been misunderstood while clinging to God, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and comfort. Listen, share it with someone who needs a gentle word today, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so others can find it too.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 28 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/16/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we concluded our catch-up crash course. After reviewing our mission and Iyov's exchange with Eliphaz, we covered Bildad's speech and Iyov's thorough response, then wrapped things up with Tzofar's speech and an even briefer summary of Iyov's response. While I would have loved to spend many more weeks taking up each of these speeches in-depth, and then conducting an equally in-depth analysis on Rounds 2 and 3, I'm afraid that's not in the cards. The plan now is to return to the beginning of the book to decode the allegory of the satan, then learn through the relevant chapters in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim as preparation for The Answer towards the end of Sefer Iyov. But first, a brief interlude: tune in next week for gam zu l'tovah! -----מקורות:מלבי"ם - איוב פרקים ח-ידאיוב מב:זתרגום אונקלוס - בראשית ב:זתרגום אונקלוס - שמות כ:דרש"י - בראשית ה:כב-כד-----The Torah content for the month of January is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz in memory of her father, Dovid Yitzchok ben Chaim Yeruchum Fishel z”l, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching Torah to countless students b'simcha. His first yahrtzeit is the 23rd of Teves.-----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

Send us a textEXPECTATION VS. REALITYDisappointment with Life | Part 2Senior Pastor Keith StewartJanuary 11, 2026This Sunday we're going to talk honestly about the unfairness of life, the pain that shatters our assumptions, and the hope we find when we stop confusing God with our circumstances. Through the story of Job, we'll confront the shallow answers that often wound the hurting, and we'll discover the deeper comfort Job found—not in explanations, but in encountering God Himself. If you're weary, disappointed, or carrying questions you can't resolve, join us in person or online.Discussion Questions 1. Jesus told us “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Related to that is Scott Peck's summation, “Life is difficult.” What kinds of “trouble” are you facing right now—external circumstances, internal struggles, or relational conflict? How does accepting that reality change the way you interpret hardship—especially when you're tired, afraid, or disappointed? 2. “Don't confuse life with God.” Where have you seen yourself (or others) blame God for what may be “life in a broken world”? What's the difference between “life is unfair” and “God is unfair”? How do you tell the difference in real time? 3. Job is described as blameless and upright (Job 1:1), yet suffering still came. What assumptions do we tend to carry that Job's story challenges? (Examples: “If I do right, nothing bad will happen,” “God owes me protection,” etc.) 4. Job's friends tried to explain pain with certainty and clichés. What are some common “Christian phrases” people say that can unintentionally harm someone who's suffering? 5. Which of Job's friends do you most relate to at times—and why? Eliphaz (fear-based explanations)Bildad (judgment / “holier-than-thou”)Zophar (shaming to shut people down)Elihu (talking a lot without real understanding) God eventually says Job's friends “have not spoken the truth” about Him (Job 42:7).What does that teach us about the danger of speaking for God too quickly? 6. Job's suffering produced unexpected spiritual insight (hope of resurrection, redeemer, advocate). What “gift” has pain left in your life—greater compassion, deeper dependence, clearer priorities, humility, etc.? 7. The message challenges us to be careful with judgment—especially with public failures or tragedies. What does it look like to respond with truth and humility when someone else falls or suffers? Practical next step: Think of someone you know who is hurting. What's one thing you can do this week to “comfort without explaining”—to be present without preaching?

When we last left Job, he complained that there was no mediator between God and man, and bemoaned the Almighty's ever-watching eye. Zophar chimes in with similar heartless rebukes as those spoken by the rest of his crew, emphasizing that Job shouldn't challenge God. Job, in reply, tells his friends that he is well-aware of all the things that his friends are telling him. Job tells God that he wishes he were dead, contending if that were the case, at least then God would leave him alone. Finally, Eliphaz begins round two of the speeches, scolding Job and declaring that wicked people are the ones who writhe in pain and have no peace, insinuating that Job must be wicked.Job 11 - 1:02 . Job 12 - 3:35 . Job 13 - 6:51 . Job 14 - 10:27 . Job 15 - 14:40 . Psalm 6 - 19:13 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 8 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/9/26), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we changed course. I explain my reasons at the beginning of shiur and justify them based on how the meforshim approach Iyov, but the upshot is that we're going to switch into high gear and cover "Round 1" of the debate between Iyov and his three friends in a broad overview fashion instead of analyzing the pesukim in-depth. After going over the new plan, we did a brief review of what we covered last time (Iyov Chapter 3), then proceeded to go over Eliphaz's speech and Iyov's refutation, as explained by the Malbim. Next time (בג"ה) we'll cover Bildad and Tzofar in the same overview fashion, at which point we'll transition to our original pace as we take up the chapters in the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim which pave the way for his understanding of Sefer Iyov.-----מקורות:מלבי"ם - איוב פרקים ד-זאיוב מב:ז-----The Torah content for the month of January is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz in memory of her father, Dovid Yitzchok ben Chaim Yeruchum Fishel z”l, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching Torah to countless students b'simcha. His first yahrtzeit is the 23rd of Teves.-----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

6:1-13 Job gives a defense of HimselfSeveral writers on Job say that the various speakers say little about the previous speech or speakers. A strong point of Habel's commentary is that he points out connections between the various speakers. First, there are several vocabulary connections between Eliphaz in Job 4-5 and Job's speech in Job 6. The word ‘anguish' in 6:2 is the same word translated ‘anger' in 5:2. The word ‘hope' in 6:8 was used by Eliphaz in 4:6; 5:16. The word ‘crush' in 6:9 was used in 4:19; 5:4. ‘Fear' in 6:14, 21 is from the same root at 4:6. The word ‘perish' in 4:7, 9,11, 20 is used by Job in 6:18. Second, it may be that 6:1-7 is a specific response to Eliphaz in 5:1-7 where he spoke of the foolish man and Job's words in 6:8-13 are a response to 4:2-6 that Eliphaz uttered about Job's hope.6:14-23 Job expresses his disappointment with his friends.The friend's behavior was exemplary in Job 2:11-13. They came from distances, they wept over Job's condition, and they sat with him in silence. Now, Job feels betrayed by them. 6:14 For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend- There are three words in the Hebrew text that lead to the translation here. The word kindness is the word hesed. The word usually describes God's love for man and loyalty to His people (Deut. 7:9; Neh. 1:5; Ps. 25:10). It also describes man's love for one another (I Sam. 18:1; 20:14-16; Prov. 17:17; 18:24; Hos. 4:1) and in a couple of cases man's love for God (Jer. 2:2). He speaks of his relationship with these three as being a relationship among friends and one in which he could expect lovingkindness.  So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty- Job uses the term Shaddai as Eliphaz did in Job 5:17. This verse is translated differently in various versions. The NIV has the that the man's friends should stick by him even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. The NAB and NEB have similar translations. This translation line up with Biblical teaching (Deut. 13:6-11; I Sam. 2:29; Matt. 10:34-37). While the idea of the NIV does not fit Bible teaching does not necessarily mean that Job did not say it. Remember he too said some things that he should not say. However, it does make up think about other possibilities. Other translations have the idea that man should be encouraged that he might not forsake the fear of God (NASB).  Some translations convey the idea that the friend who withholds encouragement forsakes the fear of God (ESV, RSV, JB). I John 4:7-8. Eliphaz wants to know why Job's fear of God does not sustain him in his trial in Job 4:6. Job here wants to know why Eliphaz, and his friends do not encourage him more because of their fear of God.

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

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 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.

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!

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 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 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 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 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 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!

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...