Job 4–5 begins the long conversation between Job and his friends.

For seven days, Job’s friends had done something wise.

They sat with him.

They cried with him.

They remained silent because they saw that his grief was very great.

Then Job finally spoke in chapter 3.

He poured out his pain.

He wished he had never been born.

He described his exhaustion, grief, fear, and confusion.

Now Eliphaz responds.

And this is where the conversation begins to go wrong.

Eliphaz says some things that are true.

God is just.

Human beings are weak.

People reap consequences from sinful choices.

God can correct His children.

We should seek God during trouble.

But Eliphaz makes a serious mistake:

He assumes that because Job is suffering greatly, Job must have don ...