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2/5 Reading Portions: Genesis 38; Mark 8; Job 4; Romans 8
Job 4:7
“Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?”
PRESUMPTION
I love the book of Job. The details contained in this poetic tome provide us tremendous insights into the gospel of God in Jesus Christ. Job is God’s suffering prophet. Although he “did not sin with his lips” because of his calamities and physical pain (Job 2:10), he was not sinless. Job did sin, however, when he opened his mouth to attempt to justify himself before his friends (Job 6:2). Man cannot justify himself. Only God can justify (Rom 8:33). Job will be reminded of this at the end of the book (Job 38-42).
Elihu, a young man, is also an interesting character. Appearing at the end from seemingly out of nowhere, he had been listening to the conversations the entire time (Job 32:11). Elihu is a prophetic type of Jesus Christ. His name means “he is my God.” He speaks the truth of God to Job and Job’s friends.
As for Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, these three possess some poor theology at times. Sometimes their statements are heretical and akin to the manipulative tomfoolery uttered by false prophets and antichrists. Throughout their conversations, however, Job’s three friends are presumptuous, drawing ridiculous conclusions and applying them to Job. Today’s statements by Eliphaz are examples. Eliphaz presents a statement which, by itself, could and should cause the Christian believer to think of Christ; for Christ is the Innocent who perished on a cross and was the Upright cut off for His people. Yet Eliphaz says this presumptuously about Job, suggesting he must have done something to deserve his predicament (Job 4:8-11). Like modern faith-healers and prosperity rascals, Eliphaz claims revelation from a spirit and supernatural experience (Job 4:15). They will sometimes speak truth which points to Christ (Job 4:7, 17); nevertheless, a broken clock is always right for a second twice daily.
These false prophets will rarely exalt Christ, will often give a false impression of God’s character and attributes, and never be consistent with the Word of God.
Be on your toes, O, child of God,
For scoundrels do abound;
They speak their minds from fleshly lusts,
Their gospel is unsound.