Eliphaz sees God only as a God of justice. He sees nothing of the love, compassion, forgiveness, and patience of God. Because of his unbalanced and incomplete theology, the limited truth about the nature of man is used to perpetuate a lie about the nature of God. Regardless of the cause of our suffering, we know that God loves us and is preparing and perfectly preserving a place for those who believe in His Son, Jesus.

Reflection
Never underestimate the power of words to encourage people in the battles of life. How have your prior experiences been used to speak truth into the lives of others? Do you find it helpful for others to speak truth to you or are you resentful? We need to be careful because our words can nourish those who are weak and encourage those who are defeated. But they can also hurt those who are broken and only add to their burdens, so we must be careful with what we say and how we say it. Eliphaz seemed to be a great deal of emphasis on God as an inflexible lawgiver. How is this approach similar to the way the Pharisees related to Jesus? What does this approach misunderstand about God?