This Sunday, we looked at Job 4 & 5, where Job's friend Eliphaz speaks up after Job's lament. Eliphaz seems to be the oldest of the three friends and is seen as a representative of the group (Job 42:7). His message is meant to be kind and comforting, but since his underlying premise is ultimately faulty, he falls short of his goal. He does speak the truth in places and is even quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:19, but his overall message is one of piety and not a personal relationship with God. Although his call to humility and submission to God is not wrong in and of itself, it falls short of addressing the depths of Job's suffering, especially given his blamelessness. Only the cross can make sense of Job's suffering, and without a deep knowledge of God himself, Eliphaz does not go below the surface of his tidy worldview. May we not repeat his error, but instead seek to honour God through unjust suffering, as our Saviour did for us, that others may know Him as a result.

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