Job 4:1-21
4:1-2 Eliphaz attempted to insert his opinion over Job's situation, but Eliphaz was not present in the conversation between the Lord and Satan. Each of Job's friends lob their advice and interpretation over Job's situation but none of it is constructive or true. From Job's friends' intervention we learn that well-meaning advice is not always good or accurate advice. It is from God that we must seek answers to the questions within us.
4:3-6 Eliphaz recognized that Job was a strong man rendered weak. The friend thought that Job should have improved his countenance as a testimony to his faith in God. It's true that when we handle situations with faith, we encourage others to do so, too. But Job was in deep despair; there was hardly anyone around him anymore to even witness his situation.
And honestly, Job had a right to be confused. The circumstance of his life did not reflect his faith or righteous lifestyle. Satan had been allowed that one time to change the game for a great purpose.
4:7-9 Eliphaz assumed that Job must have been guilty and therefore deserving of the punishment. Typically that was the formula: that a guilty person would have to endure a season of discipline, if not punishment.
4:10-11 Job's friend (wrongly) thought that God was extremely angry with Job.
4:12-17 Eliphaz claimed that he experienced a supernatural dream. If he had, it was not from God. If it was from God, he interpreted it wrong. Eliphaz tried to get Job to admit or realize a sin. He told Job that nobody was perfect; even if he had been a great person, it was unlikely that he had not made a single mistake.
4:18-19 Eliphaz continued: even angels make errors. By stating that, he meant to Job was responsible for the loss of everything and everyone in his life. The serious mistake here is that God does not require perfection from us. God expects that we will fall short of his standards and still accepts us.
Know God well enough to dismiss comments from others about Him that are simply not true.
4:20-21 Eliphaz' advice ended on a really low note. He believed that people were irrelevant, easily broken and then gone forever. But such are not the characteristics of children of God. Never lend yourself to such depressing, untrue thoughts. Job was the opposite of irrelevant; he was God's example of steadfast faith and righteous on the earth.
