Speaking Both Right and Wrong

Plenty of us speak of right things and wrong things regarding God. Eliphaz was no different.

There are things which Eliphaz spoke correctly toward Job which was ‘fulfilled in Job’s life’ agreeing to ‘other Scriptures’ too such as:

“Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

“For He inflicts pain, and gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.

“From six troubles He will deliver you,
Even in seven evil will not touch you.” (Job 5:17 – 19)

*Even the wonderful verse below is spoken by Eliphaz ‘giving glory to God’:

“But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;

Who does great and unsearchable things,
Wonders without number.” (Job 5:8 – 9)

P/S: However

God was ‘angry’ with Eliphaz for the things which he ‘spoke wrongly’ regarding Him:

“It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” (Job 42:7)

Example of Eliphaz’s ‘wrong words’ (his false accusation toward Job):

“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.

“To the weary you have given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

“You have sent widows away empty,
And the strength of the orphans has been crushed.

“You say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?” – Eliphaz (Job 22:6, 7, 9, 13)

And then based on this ‘false accusations’, Eliphaz (in a typical way) takes ‘God’s Name in vain’ by ‘falsely claiming’ that due to all these, God is ‘punishing Job’ as it’s written:

“Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies you,

Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an abundance of water covers you.” – Eliphaz (Job 22:10, 11)

Eliphaz even goes as far as to ‘claim prosperity or return of blessings’ toward Job if Job would ‘return’ to God (as found in many ‘typical sermons’ in some churches today too ascribing a ‘return to God’ based on a ‘false accusation’):

““Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.

“Please receive instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.

“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

Then the Almighty will be your gold
And choice silver to you.

“For then you will delight in the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.

“You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.” – Eliphaz (Job 22:21 – 27)

Truth is Job ‘never’ did such evil as the ‘false accusations’ laid by Eliphaz (‘who thinks that he was defending God’ by saying so) as the verses below reveal ‘truth’ revealing ‘why God was angry toward Eliphaz’s false accusations toward Job’ when understood correctly:

“If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.” (Job 31:5 – 6)

“If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it

(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from infancy I guided her),

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,

If his loins have not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,

Let my shoulder fall from the socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.” (Job 31:16 – 22)

Conclusion:

In short, God didn’t approve ‘fake defense of Him’ by pointing out ‘false accusations’ toward others. Speaking rightly is also important as acting rightly too.