Counsel Based on Human Experience

Counsel Based on Human Experience
By Theodore Epp

Job 4:1-7

Eliphaz was possibly the eldest of the group and supposedly the wisest also. However, superior age does not mean superior wisdom.

The philosophy of Eliphaz was based on what we will call general observations and spiritual illumination. He claimed to have some kind of vision, on which he laid a great deal of stress. Several times in Job 4 he stressed what he had seen and experienced.

Eliphaz used what is today called the psychological approach--he commended Job before he condemned him.

Eliphaz then leaned heavily on his observations, which were all related to his experience. No one, as far as he had seen, had ever perished if he was innocent.

Suffering, according to his experience, was always the result of God's judgment of sin. His conclusion was that Job was no exception to this rule and was being punished for some sin he had committed.

Some people have this idea today. They believe that if a person or a family is going through severe trials, such trials are deserved and are the result of sin.

If this were true, why did David suffer as he did before he became king? He had to run for his life, not because he had done wrong but because Saul was jealous of him.

And what about our Saviour Himself? He did not sin. In fact, He could not sin. And yet He suffered.

It is easy to see that the argument of Eliphaz was not correct.

"For I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute" (Luke 21:15, NASB).

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Counsel Based on Tradition
By Theodore Epp

Job 8:1-10


Bildad made no appeal to the revealed will of God but only to whatever wisdom the fathers may have taught.

He asked if God perverted justice. The answer, of course, is no. Then Bildad used this premise to argue that Job must have lost his children because of some transgression on their part. He also charged Job with lack of purity and uprightness.

This was little help to a man who, according to Job 1, had offered sacrifices to God just in case his children had offended God in something they had said or done. Then to have them accused of some sin that was so great that they all died because of it was a terrible charge to make.

The arguments of Bildad were all from appearance and based on suppositions. He used many "ifs." He did not really know, but he supposed many things. This was the way he interpreted the situation, but his interpretation was wrong.

Christians need to learn to distinguish between facts and how the facts are interpreted. Just because we read something does not mean we may assume that something else is also true.

Just because one person interprets a set of facts a certain way does not mean that his interpretation is correct. All the facts may not be given. And often the withholding of one essential fact can change the interpretation.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8).

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Counsel Based on Logic Alone

By Theodore Epp


Job 11:1-7

Zophar is the most dogmatic of the three. He assumes many things, based on his own intuition, or common sense, and then states his conclusion with a finality that permits no opposition.

For Job to differ with Zophar's conclusions is proof, in Zophar's eyes, that Job is a sinner.

Some people are like that today. They are so sure of what they say that anyone who disagrees with them calls forth their scorn or anger.

Zophar was a legalist and a formalist. He did not understand God's character at all. He knew a certain amount of truth, but it was distorted because it was not complete.

When men like Zophar assume what is untrue and call for repentance on the basis of their false assumptions, they only stir up anger.

God, of course, allowed these men to use their arguments against Job. The Lord wanted to help him see that though his calamities were not the result of sin, his character needed to be refined.

Job needed to be made humble, for he was proud. But we cannot force people to see this by sheer dogmatism on our part.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." (Isa. 55:8).