Job 5:17

Some of the things Eliphaz says in this chapter are completely true. For example, "Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward," in this world of sin. It is also true that God "takes the wise in their own craftiness," and that "Happy is the man whom God corrects." But we can see that he put all these facts forward in a way that turned them against poor Job.

Every word may be true in itself. He says it all with great dignity and force. Yet he applies it wrongly and one-sidedly, so in effect the whole thing is wrong. Eliphaz assumes that God is displaying His government right now, and that He measures prosperity or hardship exactly to what people deserve. This is false ground. It spoils the application, especially to someone like Job, who had been handed over to Satan's attacks.

"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects" (ver. 17). He never thought that this was true of Job. He knew that Job was very unhappy, and so he did not count him as one of these at all... Eliphaz never imagined that it would come true in Job's own case. It was a vague sort of sermon; and although he called Job to apply it, he had no idea that God would apply it.

Again, he voices an excellent principle, "Happy is the man whom God corrects" (v.17). But Job did not feel happy. Of course, God was only beginning His correcting work with Job, and Job did not discern it... If Eliphaz had spoken this to Job in a kind and encouraging way, it might have helped him. Instead he blamed Job for not gaining that blessing by confessing he was guilty of secret sin.

We have the word musahr, meaning instruction, warning, advice; it covers chastisement too; Prov. 1:3; Job 5:17.

God does not only govern the world for outward blessing. He also governs each person directly and personally — a most gracious and precious truth... The Word draws two conclusions from this truth, that it is God's love. It will not be without a cause in me. It will never be without love in God. So I am not to despise it, because there is a cause in me that makes the Holy God of love act this way. I am not to lose heart, because it is His love that does it. It is the correcting of a son in whom his Father delights.

The principle is this: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (v. 19) Hardly anyone would question that this principle applies to those in relationship with Christ (compare Job 5:17-18; Proverbs 3:11-12; Amos 3:2; Hebrews 12:5-8). It lies at the very foundation of the way God governs His people in this world... So this warning comes out of the tenderness and the love of His own heart.

No matter how great the afflictions are, or how often they come, deliverance will arrive in due time... We are led to look past every apparent cause, every human instrument, and even Satan himself. We are led to see that Hand which "will never cause His child a needless tear." So our blessed Lord took that great affliction at the hands of God: "The cup which my Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"