Job 4:16

16 It stood still [`amad], but I could not discern [nakar] the form [mar'eh] thereof: an image [tamuwnah] was before mine eyes [`ayin], there was silence [damamah], and I heard [shama`] a voice [qowl], saying, KJV-Interlinear

16 'It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice: NASB

Eliphaz continues with his vision. The figure, which moved around before his eyes, was difficult to determine exactly what it was. It was a blur, a haze, a vague impression. Eliphaz saw it, but could not distinguish what or who it was.

He did hear the source and will repeat the content of the message, but he could not make out its source.

Remember that Eliphaz's name carries the connotation of worldly wisdom, or street wisdom. Things that you learn in life, from life. This blurriness tells us a great deal.

First, Eliphaz is a student of the scriptures. He learned and studied, to the extent that the Word of God was available to him in his day. However, his emphasis in knowledge was not in the teaching of principles, but their application from real world experiences. Eliphaz's thinking begins with life's experiences and then he connects the dots back to Gods Word.

The correct way of learning wisdom, is to learn Bible doctrine, then connect the dots back to the real world. Doctrine first.

Eliphaz's method will lead to errors in thinking, and thus errors in life's standards.

For example, a person may believe that following the Sabbath is important, which it is of course. So they get it in their head that on the Sabbath nothing should be done. Of course then they have to determine which day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday. Which day do you think it is?

Where do they get such an idea? From the practices common out there in the world. Some folks recognize the Sabbath on Saturday, while others believe that Sunday is the true Sabbath.

Then from that basic standard, other practices are developed. No chewing gum on the Sabbath, no work, no dancing, no activities, and so forth. Then when someone violates these basic principles, which are man made by the way, punishments are developed, and you can see how the whole concept begins to spiral out of control.

And of course you, being so well versed in the Bible, know that the Sabbath concept is merely a functional worldly reminder of the spiritual principle of rest, or perpetual rest. That rest comes to the mature believer, and is a moment by moment Sabbath in the soul. The Sabbath is not a day of the week but a mental attitude of soul.

So, Eliphaz has a vision. Its source is not clear because his understanding and application is confused. This is not an unusual result for many believers. They just do not pay enough attention in their studies, if they even pursue a study, so their understanding is compromised, and therefore their application of Biblical standards result in error.

The result of all of this? The development of many standards of life that people deem acceptable out there in the world. And of course, all claim the Bible as their source.

The message that Eliphaz heard is true doctrine. He understands the words, too. His application is the problem. He heard the words, and understood them. But then he looked at life and applied them in error. Why? Because he lacked a solid foundation of spiritual understanding within his soul.

Inside your soul exists two simultaneous bodies of understanding. There is academic understanding and spiritual understanding.

In the New Testament, they are described as 'gnosis' and 'epignosis.' When we get to our study of Ephesians and James, we will go over these terms in greater detail. But basically, gnosis stands for understanding of knowledge, while epignosis stands for possession of that knowledge.

In this world, an unbeliever can read and even memorize the entire Bible, but he will have only gnosis. He reads and understands the words, 'In the beginning God ,' but he has no spiritual clue as to their meaning. People can learn math, and science, and music, and cooking, and so forth. These are all academic learning processes. Academic learning goes directly into ones soul through the five senses.

However, in the spiritual realm, learning is processed by the Holy Spirit, through ones human spirit, and from there into the soul. Remember that unbelievers do not have a human spirit, so they are incapable of assimilating spiritual information.

Academic information goes into the soul's worldly architecture. Spiritual information is funneled into a new structure within the soul. Typical terms for this new structure are ones palace, ones temple, ones edification complex, ones home or house. There are a couple of charts on the web site that diagram the soul of the believer and unbeliever.

The correct processing of spiritual information results in the transformation of your soul.

Spiritual information contained in the academic side of the soul, get lost in the fog of world opinion.

Spiritual information contained in the spiritual components of the soul put all academic information in its correct perspective.

The image, which Eliphaz saw, came to a stop and then there was silence. When total silence occurs, immediately after activity, then that usually gets our attention. We tend to look up from whatever it is we are doing, to see what the cause of the silence is.

The image had Eliphaz's undivided attention. Eliphaz was shaking in fright. Even in the fog of the world, Bible doctrine carries more power, than anything within the world.

What Eliphaz saw was not important. The message is the important thing here. If he had seen an angel or a creature or anything, then he probably would not have heard the words, but would have been distracted by the image. When ones spiritual life does not have a solid foundation in doctrine, then distractions come easily.

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