This lesson teaches children that Job’s friend Eliphaz talked a lot but did not speak the truth about God, so we should listen carefully and think before we speak. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Words matter, especially words we say about God. We should speak truthfully, kindly, and humbly, and we should never pretend to know more than we do.
Memory Verse
Job 15:2
“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
(WEB)
Have the children cup their hands in front of their mouths, then open them slowly like a little bird flying away. Each time they say the verse, they should cup and release their hands, reminding them that words leave our mouths and cannot be taken back.
The Story: Job 15 for Kids
Job had been through a very hard time. He lost his animals, his house, and his children, and he was sick with painful sores. Three of his friends came to sit with him, and at first they were quiet and kind. Then they started to talk, and they did not stop.
Eliphaz was the first friend to speak in this chapter. He said that Job was full of empty words, like a hot wind blowing dust around. He told Job that his own mouth was condemning him, because he was saying things that did not sound wise. Eliphaz thought he knew exactly why Job was suffering, and he was sure Job had done something very bad.
Eliphaz asked Job a question that sounded almost like a scolding. He wanted to know if Job thought he was the first person ever born, or if he had heard God’s secret plans. He said the older men knew more than Job did, and that God’s comfort should be enough for him. Eliphaz was not gentle with his friend.
Then Eliphaz described a wicked man who lives in fear all his days. This man thinks he is safe, but trouble keeps coming, and he is afraid of the dark. Eliphaz was saying that bad people always end up suffering, and that Job must be one of them. Remember that Eliphaz was wrong about Job, because God later said that Job had spoken what was right about Him.
The chapter ends with Eliphaz saying that those who plan evil and tell lies will be unable to grow and will be destroyed. He was very certain, but he was certain about the wrong things.
Read It Together
Job 15:4-6
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God. 5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
(WEB)
Point out that Eliphaz says words can hold back the fear of God and hurt the people who hear them. Ask the children to notice that he says his own mouth condemns him, which shows that our words can reveal what is inside our hearts.
Job 15:11
Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
(WEB)
Show the children that Eliphaz asks a question about God’s comfort. Explain that God’s comfort is real and gentle, and that Eliphaz was wrong to think it was too small for Job, even though he was right that God’s comfort is meant to be shared.
Job 15:14-16
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight; 16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
(WEB)
Help the children see that Eliphaz is talking about how no person is perfect before God. Remind them that this is true, and that we all need God’s help, but Eliphaz used this truth in a harsh way against his friend.
Talk About It
- What is one thing Eliphaz said to Job that you think might have made Job feel sad?
- How can we tell the difference between words that help someone and words that hurt someone?
- Why do you think it is important to be honest when we talk about God?
- What is one way you can show kindness when a friend is going through something hard?
- What do you think we should do when we are not sure what God is doing?
Activity Ideas
Word Bird Drawing
You will need paper, crayons, and scissors. Have each child draw a bird on the paper and cut it out. On one wing, they write or draw a kind word, and on the other wing, they draw a picture of a word that could hurt. Talk together about how we want to let kind words fly out of our mouths.
Careful Words Game
You will need a small soft ball or a rolled-up sock. Stand the children in a circle. Toss the ball to one child and ask them to say something kind about God or about a friend. Then they toss the ball to someone else. If a child says something unkind or untrue, the group gently says “Let’s try again” and the child gets another turn.
Take-Home Word Jar
You will need a clear jar and some slips of paper. Ask each child to write or draw one kind thing they said or could say this week. Put the slips in the jar at home. At the end of the week, read the slips together and thank God for the good words.
Teacher Notes
Job 15 is part of a long argument in which Eliphaz and the other friends wrongly assume that Job’s suffering must be a punishment for sin. The chapter shows that speaking about God and other people carelessly can cause real harm, even when the speaker sounds confident. God later corrects these friends, so adults should read the whole book to understand the larger picture.
With children, avoid suggesting that suffering always means someone did something wrong. Job’s story teaches that God’s ways are bigger than our easy answers, and that we should be humble when we do not understand what is happening to someone else.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, help us to use our words to build up others and to speak the truth about You. Teach us to listen carefully and to be humble when we do not understand. Help us to be kind to our friends when they are sad. We trust that You are good and that You are always with us. Amen.
