The story of Job is the most interesting one in the Bible that I have read. I am only going to discuss the conflicting personalities of Job and his friend Eliphaz in this article.

Eliphaz was the son of Esau and Adah, and the father of Teman and He was called "the Temanite." Eliphaz, being the oldest of the three friends, spoke first.

Job was considered the most important individual of Uz with many friends, and he acted as a ruler and judge, esteemed by all. After having lost everything he valued, and covered in sores, he sat with his friends for seven days in silence and then spoke. He said: "May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!' That day – may it turn to darkness; may no light shine upon it; may blackness overwhelm its light … May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan. " (A great sea monster) "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?" Much more was said by Job in Chapter 3, to express his great suffering.

In Chapters four and five, Eliphaz criticizes Job's impatience and accuses Him of some great sin that he should appeal to God and goes on to explain how God would restore Job if only he applied it to himself. "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty." Job 5:17 (NIV) Good advice, but Eliphaz is assuming Job needs correction!

Job replies at length and asks that they, "Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong." Job 6:24 (NIV)

Eliphaz could not prove or give any examples of where Job had failed God. But he was not convinced, He could not believe that a loving God would allow such a calamity to fall on a righteous man. Satan felt sure that he could break Job and turn him against God, just as he felt he could temp Jesus after his trial in the desert for forty days. Satan failed both times. If we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust God, he will fail to sway us also. Remember what Job said:

Job 19: 25-26 New International Version (NIV)

25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

From this short exchange we see the personality exposed of both Job and friend Eliphaz. Job's faith in God was for what was to come after this life here on earth, and he was ready to go meet his maker. Eliphaz, on the other hand, could not believe he was not guilty of some great sin and was being corrected by God.