Job 5-6
In this passage we find another example of bad spiritual warfare. The entire book of Job, in fact, is a demonstration of how our beliefs, as our weapons, can be effective or not.
We begin with one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, trying to persuade Job that the suffering he is enduring is clearly nothing more than the hand of God in direct response to the sin of his life. This, of course is nowhere near the truth but is still a common belief today. There is a piece of good advise when Eliphaz urges his friend to “appeal to God,” and to lay his cause before Him as He “performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”
Eliphaz continues with the misguided theology saying that “He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal,” and urging Job to listen because “we have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.” There is a nugget of wisdom from his speech, reminding Job that “blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” We can find the same advise from the book of Proverbs here, here and in Hebrews here.
But Job refuses to listen to his friend. He wishes that the suffering would end but still never blames God for what He endures. His hope is that God “would be willing to crush” him and to cut off his life. Then, even in his pain and suffering, he had never
Job is angry for the lack of good advise given to him but allows another chance for them to prove their case saying, if it is my sinful life that has cause God to punish me so, “teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.” Surely, we all sin, we all fall short and what we earn from our sinful lives is death.
But no man, neither Job, nor Noah, nor Moses, nor Abraham, nor David, nor Peter, nor Paul, nor me, nor you, can earn salvation. Good doctrine does not save. Good warfare does not save. Only the grace of God can save.
We begin with one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, trying to persuade Job that the suffering he is enduring is clearly nothing more than the hand of God in direct response to the sin of his life. This, of course is nowhere near the truth but is still a common belief today. There is a piece of good advise when Eliphaz urges his friend to “appeal to God,” and to lay his cause before Him as He “performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”
Eliphaz continues with the misguided theology saying that “He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal,” and urging Job to listen because “we have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.” There is a nugget of wisdom from his speech, reminding Job that “blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” We can find the same advise from the book of Proverbs here, here and in Hebrews here.
But Job refuses to listen to his friend. He wishes that the suffering would end but still never blames God for what He endures. His hope is that God “would be willing to crush” him and to cut off his life. Then, even in his pain and suffering, he had never
Job is angry for the lack of good advise given to him but allows another chance for them to prove their case saying, if it is my sinful life that has cause God to punish me so, “teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.” Surely, we all sin, we all fall short and what we earn from our sinful lives is death.
But no man, neither Job, nor Noah, nor Moses, nor Abraham, nor David, nor Peter, nor Paul, nor me, nor you, can earn salvation. Good doctrine does not save. Good warfare does not save. Only the grace of God can save.