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Why do good things happen to bad people? Why do we endure suffering in our lives, even as we put our trust in God to protect and guide us? Why is there suffering in the world at all? These are questions that have been haunting people since the beginning of time, or at least since Job was written. Job had everything a man could ever want. Job was also blameless and upright (1:1). Then for reasons unknown to Job he lost it all, he went through all of the things that the average man would dread. Job didn’t know why, but his friends seemed to think they had an answer. The following will explore the theology of suffering from the point of view of Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends. His reasons for Job’s loss will be examined and then reflected upon. Eliphaz, along with the rest of Job’s friends, all tried to help him as they stayed with him for seven nights. They gave him their reasons for his suffering and tried to tell him what he had to do in order to regain a normal life with God. Eliphaz believed that the main reason for Job’s suffering was that he had sinned and was being punished for his sins by God. “Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (4:7). Eliphaz believed that the innocent live lives that are free of suffering and that sin results in suffering. Those who sin are punished, “Those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it” (4:8). This means that all of those people who sin against God suffer accordingly. In other words, the sins we commit against the Lord appropriately lead to suffering in ones life. We do not suffer unless we have committed a sin, or multiple sins, that preceded this suffering. Also those who constantly sin are constantly enduring loss in their lives. Eliphaz said, “All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless through all the years stored up for him” (15:20). This shows the belief that as long as you sin, you “suffer torment.” Even when one thinks that he is living a life free from pain, the suffering is inevitable and will catch up to him, punishing him for the wrongdoings he has performed against God.
Approximate Word count = 1480
Approximate Pages = 5.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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