A friend of mine was reading the latest book by atheist Richard Dawkins, which is aimed at teenagers. Dawkins writes with great confidence. He sounds impressive and gives the impression that he knows a lot. But my friend, a scholar in an ancient field called Assyriology, realised that a section of the book was chock-full of factual mistakes. It sounded impressive, but it was actually plain wrong, again and again!

Eliphaz ends his first speech with a very confident assertion: ″We″ –Eliphaz and his friends–″have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself″ (Job 5:27). Eliphaz brings the weight of his and his friends' shared conviction to what he says. We have ″examined″ it; we know it is ″true″. But is it?

In this closing section of Eliphaz's first speech, Eliphaz tells Job what he would do if he were in Job's place. He says Job should ″appeal to God″–so far so good!–because God helps humble people (vv. 8-16). So, if you are humble, you may have a chance of God helping you. But–and here is another rebuke from Eliphaz to Job–God ″thwarts the plans of the crafty . . . catches the wise in their craftiness″ (vv. 12-13). You are trying to be too clever, Job, by puzzling out these big questions about your suffering. Just lie down before God and be humble.

Now the strange thing about this is that Paul actually quotes something Eliphaz says–″He catches the wise in their craftiness″–in 1 Corinthians 3:19. It's true: God does catch the wise in their craftiness. So, what's the problem? The problem is that Job is not being crafty; he is being honest. He is a deeply humble believer.

But then Eliphaz goes on (Job 5:17-26) with a beautiful appeal to ″the discipline of the Almighty″ (v. 17). The passage sounds quite like Hebrews 12:4-13. It has lovely imagery and reads as an attractive appeal. Accept this discipline, Job, and you may expect God to restore you and bless you. God is correcting you (v. 17), and I am sure you need correction!

What's wrong with Eliphaz's statements? We need to be reminded of what we have been told three times, once by the writer and twice by God, that Job is already a blameless, upright, God-fearing, and repentant believer (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). Eliphaz is speaking to the wrong man.

Ultimately, we can see the mistake of Eliphaz most clearly if we imagine him saying these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, accusing Him of being ″crafty″, exhorting Him to humble himself under God's discipline, and so on. Eliphaz is confident, but wrong.