Category: Teaching

Part two of Job’s response to Eliphaz’s second speech.

Job is continuing his outspoken yet internal dialogue with God, speaking about his friends not to them.

v.4 Job accuses God of hiding their hearts from understanding.

v.6 Job says that he has become a byword. This means that people are using his name as a threat or insult: “If you don’t change your ways you will end up like Job!” Whereas his name used be be like music.

v.8-9 Job warns that innocent men will take this situation as a confirmation of their righteousness and be emboldened against the ungodly. A very bad situation because they can have their lives taken away in an instant, regardless of how good they think  they are.

v.10 “I cannot find one wise man among you – y’all are totally clueless.

v.13 & v.16 Job refers to Sheol.

1. In v.13 “the grave is mine house,” grave is a translation of sheol.
2. In v.16 “they sahall go down to the bars of the pit,” pit is a translation of sheol.

This is a reference to hell, or, more accurately, the place we refer to as Abraham’s bosom. This was also described by Jonah:

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Hell is a translation of sheol. Jonah saw bars.

These are references to the pillars of the earth.

Job’s response to Eliphaz’s second speech.

Job seems more contrite – at first. After his previous speeches in which he dug his way ever deeper into an understanding of the mind of Christ, now he is having a pity party.

After his deep soliloquy he is jarred back to reality by Eliphaz’s idiotic repetition of his former words.

• Soliloquy – an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. (Ecclesiastes 10:12)

A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. (Proverbs 18:6)

He begins by telling his friends that if the situation were reversed he would say nice thing to them and try to help them. v. 4-5

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. (Proverbs 20:5)

In v. 7-15 He goes on to severely criticize his friends.

v. 9 mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23)

He seems to be talking about them not to them. He is continuing his conversation directly with God.

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. (Psalms 4:4)

v. 16-22 he defends himself once again and boldly claims that he didn’t do anything to deserve this v. 17 he appeals to heaven v. 19

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. (Job 9:15-16)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you might not sin. And if anyone should sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.  (1 John 2:1)

Brief synopsis of Job chapters so far:

1. Satan accuses job 1
2. Satan accuses Job 2
3. Job : I wish I had never been born
4. Eliphaz: your worst fear has come upon you
5. Eliphaz: you need to get right with God, this is your own fault
6. Job: My grief is so great that I wish God would kill me
7. Job: I’m going to say what needs to be said; what’s the point of life?
8. Bildad: grass don’t grow without mud Job, you’re a sinner and this is your own fault
9. Job: I wish I could reason with God, but if he answered me I wouldn’t know what to say
10. Job: I wish I could ask God why he did this to me
11. Zophar: you’re lying and you didn’t even get all that you deserved
12. Job: It’s not as simple as you think: the wicked prosper and the righteous are taken away
13. Job: you guys are lying about God: he is my salvation
14. Job: will man live again? when God’s wrath is over, he will remember me
15. Eliphaz: Have you lost your mind?

Last week we saw that Job was starting to talk about and look forward to a new life in Christ. Eliphaz is outraged that Job could even think such a thing and asks Job:

• Should you really be talking a bunch of junk?
• Have you no fear of God at all?
• You’re condemming yourself out of your own mouth.

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? (Job 15:8)

It seems that perhaps Job has:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? (Romans 11:33-34)

For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? (Jeremiah 23:18)

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)

All Eliphaz has to say to Job is

• What do you know that we don’t?
• I’m older than you, you think you’re wiser than me?
• How could you even let these words go out of your mouth?