Adult Class
Job
Lesson 5
Job 22-27
The first two cycles of speeches by Job's friends tried to pressure Job to admit his sin and submit to God. In response, Job refused to admit that the friends understood his situation correctly. The third cycle continues in much the same vein with one interesting change: there is no third speech by Zophar. It is as if he had nothing to add and wanted to give Job no opportunity for further dispute.
Eliphaz speaks:
Eliphaz began with a series of rhetorical questions-each with an assumed answer. In Job 22:3, he mirrored Job's question in 7:20. Job had asked what injury it caused God if Job had, indeed, sinned. Here, Eliphaz asked what good it would provide God if Job were, indeed, innocent. These are two sides to the same question: what is the relationship between God's favor and our moral conduct? Then Eliphaz asked another, equally pointed question: Are people punished for their righteous and pious conduct?
In a stunning reversal of his earlier confidence in Job's basic goodness (4:3-4), Eliphaz offered a list of specific and grievous sins which he lays to Job's charge. The sins of callous heartlessness, greed, refusal of hospitality and arrogance were especially abhorred in the ancient world and were specifically condemned in the law of God. All of these Job had been guilty of, in Eliphaz' estimation-and without a single bit of evidence. He confidently declared that Job suffered because of these sins. Then he repeated his slogan "if you will repent, God will respond."
He even amplified his comments to claim that Job's subsequent righteousness would allow him to intervene and save others! Perhaps Eliphaz saw himself in that role here-a righteous man trying to save a stubborn sinner.
Job speaks:
It is misleading to consider Job's words to be a reply to Eliphaz-in fact, he never addressed Eliphaz' repeated assertions. Instead, Job launched an impassioned lament over his inability to meet with God. He was sure that in any confrontation with God, he would be vindicated. Even though Job can't find God, he is certain that God has found him! Job desired a good reputation based on his fidelity to God's commandments. He insisted on his own innocence, and admitted that God is all-powerful and can do anything He wishes. That was why Job, although innocent, still feared God.
Job's thoughts turned to the sorry state of the world and the need for judgment by God since great injustice exists in our world. Yet in the face of severe provocation and tremendous wickedness, God seems to sit high above it all and refuse to be involved. Job surveyed the world and declared that there are truly evil people. He listed specific, universal violations-offenses that are everywhere condemned, regardless of God's law. He pointed out the despair of the poor; they are denied the three staples of life: grain, oil and wine (24:10-11), although they must process and provide those to the powerful who live in perpetual wickedness. He proceeded to virtually agree with the three friends as he declared such evil people are vaporous and will be lost and forgotten at their death.
Bildad speaks:
Job 25 is a very short chapter that really consists of a tightly-constructed hymn of praise to God. It is as if Bildad considered that his final rebuttal to Job could be summed up with these poetic words. The point of the hymn is that God has all power and authority and therefore it is impossible for man to be righteous before Him. Then Bildad declared that if even the celestial bodies are imperfect in all their glory, it is inevitable that man, who is clearly related to the most despised animal life on the planet, can never be perfect.
In this, Bildad is using a very common Hebrew argument often called "light and heavy." It is a comparison of two events or conditions in which the same principle applies. One case is not very strong while the other is extremely strong. The idea is, "If this principle holds true in the one case, it very certainly will hold true in the other!" An excellent example of this argument is found in Hebrews 2:1-3 (Hebrews uses the argument often, but it also is found in other places, such as 1 Peter 4:17). Bildad's point was obvious: in spite of Job's protestations, he absolutely could not be righteous.
Job responds:
Job's reply to Bildad began with biting and pointed sarcasm. To this point, whenever Job addressed his friends, he used the plural form of "you," seeming not to single out the particular person who had recently spoken. Here, Job switched to the singular form, directly addressing Bildad alone. His words sound harsh to us, but we must remember that Job was still in great pain and was even tormented by the "consolation" of these friends.
Job began with an announcement of the power of God. Nothing is concealed from God's sight and His power is immense. There is no possibility that God is unaware of the injustice and evil in the world. He is responsible for the most fantastic deeds: he has suspended the earth in space (an astonishing insight in an ancient world where nobody else suspected such a thing!), and He has overwhelmed the forces of chaos (represented as a mythological sea serpent called Rahab) to bring order and regularity to the universe. Job continued to declare that these immense deeds are the smallest demonstration of God's power!
Chapter 27 begins with a unique statement, ascribing the next words to Job. This is probably in place because this cycle of speeches includes nothing by Zophar. Job took the strongest possible oath to declare that he would stick to the truth for all his life. Without knowing it, he echoed God's estimate of Job reported in 2:3! Job pronounced a curse on his enemies, with the specific plea that God would refuse to hear their prayer. Then, as now, although people may live in self-directed contempt for God and His ways, when they get into trouble, they begin to pray for His intervention! Job pleaded that God would refuse to hear them.
Then Job did an astonishing thing: he practically agreed with his friends that the wicked are under a curse and that in spite of his temporary gains, he will wither and vanish. One verse sounds like Job's own experience (27:19). Yet we must not forget that Job's assertion was not that "bad things never happen to bad people." His assertion was that these things don't only happen to bad people and such disasters are not proof of evil conduct in the world.