In the movie The Sound of Music, when the handsome Captain von Trapp declares his love for Maria, the young heroine sings a song that perfectly expresses the worldview of Job's comforters. Trying to work out why something so good should have happened to her, she sings, ″Somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good.″

I am experiencing blessing, so I must have done something good to deserve it–Job's comforters would agree with this statement, and they apply this same logic to his situation, in reverse: ″You are experiencing suffering, so you must have done something bad.″

From chapter 4 through to 26, Job and his three comforters take turns to make speeches, with Eliphaz starting in chapter 4. It is clear from chapter 3 that Job is deeply distressed, and Eliphaz begins fairly gently (Job 4:2-6). He reminds Job that he has been a wise counsellor to others and encourages him to take his own medicine now.

″Job,″ he says, ″you know the moral framework of the universe. You know that bad things happen only to bad people and good things to good people. So, you need to think about your own life.″

Verses 7 to 11 are important. In verse 7, Eliphaz reminds Job that they all know that innocent people never perish. Never! When people behave like aggressive lions, God punishes them (vv. 10-11).

In verses 12-21, Eliphaz describes a strange, mystical dream or vision. The content of this vision is that mortal human beings cannot expect to be righteous in the presence of God. We need to remember our frail mortality and not get ideas above our station as mortals. This is an implicit rebuke to Job.

The rebuke becomes more explicit in 5:1-7. ″What's the point,″ says Eliphaz, ″of all your resentful crying out (vv. 1-2)? It's just how fools behave (v. 3), and you have seen what happens to fools (vv. 3-7)!″ Eliphaz is not impressed with Job's misery. He thinks Job needs to ″man up″, face the facts, and not get so agitated about his sufferings. After all, he must have done something to deserve it.

In 42:7, the Lord's headline verdict on Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar is that they have not spoken rightly about Him. So, we need to ask where Eliphaz goes wrong. Much of what he says is true. But, he makes at least one big mistake. Job 4:7 sums it up: There is such a thing as undeserved suffering, and the cross of Christ is the supreme example!

Job himself is a true believer. His sins are covered by the sacrifice of Christ, even though that sacrifice will not happen till many centuries later. Job does not deserve what he is suffering, and Eliphaz is wrong to imply that he does.