Important Bible reading especially nowadays

Most people know the story of Job. It’s very important to read the advice of his wise friends, especially Eliphaz from Theman. He was viewed as being particularly wise, because he was a Themanite from Edomite, who culturally had a great reputation for wisdom at that time. Eliphaz describes a night when he felt dread and fear, and then received speech from an angel.

Job 4: 12-21, 5: 1-16
For a word was stealthily brought to me, and my ear caught a whisper of it. In my thoughts during visions of the night, when their deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and shuddering, that terrified me to the bones. Then a spirit passed before me, and the hair of my flesh stood up. It paused, but its likeness I could not discern; a figure was before my eyes, and I heard a still voice:

“Can a man be righteous as against God? Can a mortal be blameless against his Maker? Lo, he puts no trust in his servants, and with his angels he can find fault. How much more with those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed more easily than the moth! Morning or evening they may be shattered; with no heed paid to it, they perish forever. The pegs of their tent are plucked up; they die without knowing wisdom.”

[Eliphaz had received a message from an angel during the night, during a time when he felt great foreboding. In fact, he not only received a message from an angel, it was a direct quote, as you can read above. In this quote the angel explains there is never a right by humans to set themselves up as more virtuous than God himself. Likewise, humans cannot find fault with the true servants of God or his angels. The angel reminds humans that unlike God, God’s servants, and God’s angels, humans can be crushed into dust and forgotten. This is not just a physical threat but one against sinners and accusers salvation, because they “perish forever,” meaning that they are not saved from hell. The next passages are continuations of Eliphaz’s speech.]

Call now! Will anyone respond to you? To which of the holy ones will you appeal? Nay, impatience kills the food and indignation slays the simpleton. I have seen a fool spreading his roots, but his household suddenly decayed. His children shall be far from safety; they shall be crushed at the gate without a rescuer. What they have reaped the hungry shall eat up; [or God shall take it away by blight;] and the thirsty shall swallow their substance.

For mischief comes not out of the earth, nor does trouble spring out of the ground; but man himself begets mischief, as sparks fly upward. In your place, I would appeal to God, and to God I would state my plea. [He does great things and inscrutable, marvelous things without number;] he gives rain upon the earth and sends water upon the fields; he sets up on high the lowly, and those who mourn he exalts to safety.

He frustrates the plans of the cunning, so that their hands achieve no success; he catches the wise in their own ruses, and the designs of the crafty are routed. They meet with darkness in the daytime, and at noonday they grope as though it were night. But the poor from the edge of the sword and from the hand of the mighty he saves. Thus the unfortunate have hope, and iniquity closes her mouth.