Job 4:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Eliphaz was the great grandson of Abraham. That alone might lend some legitimacy to his words. He was the grandson of Isaac, this might increase his value in that he was not of the line of Ishmael. He was the son of Esau, OK so Jacob was his uncle. Uncles have influence in children’s lives. Maybe his words have some weight to them.

Did you know this of Eliphaz? No? Then you might not know that he came from a region named after his son Teman. We all want our children to do better than we do, so his son’s fame might indicate he was a good father who raised a good son, his reputation might be well earned. Perhaps his words are worthy of hearing.

V17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

There is wisdom, is it not? I can agree with this. Adding a little wisdom to his speech does give some weight unto his words.

V18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

Wow it didn’t take this Eliphaz long to go wrong. From all I know about scriptures about my God, this is error most foul. Now what am I to think of this character Eliphaz? If I were to tell you the meaning of his name up front, would you still have given anything he said any weight at all? Eliphaz means my god is fine gold.

We name our children without much thought as to what that name means. Some might, most do not. Here in the bible names have meaning. We do not look them up very often. We give more weight to a man’s words and actions but those too can belie the true intensions of a man’s heart.

The words of Eliphaz are poison to Job’s soul because Eliphaz’s first love is not Jehovah.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Now that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, He is the Way. I follow Him. In this I am an individual with a history and perspective. My witness is how the Lord works in my life. Because of my history and perspective the Lord gives me my directions in the manner in which He knows I will receive, understand and obey.

Each of us have a different history and perspective. It is not right for me to expect you to take instruction from our Lord in the same Way that I receive them. Yet I find in many of our conversations treat each other exactly like that, that we see a way that seems right. This is how I see it!

Not everyone sees it your way. Not because it isn’t right, but because it was given to you by the Lord for yourself to follow Him. That does not mean everyone else needs to get in line with you. That creates man followers, not Christ followers.

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

It is not a matter of right or wrong but rather believing Christ who gives light where it shines.