Reflections on Job 15

 Job 15 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Eliphaz from Teman said:
2. Job, if you had any sense,
3. you would stop spreading all of this hot air.
4. Your words are enough to make others turn from God and lead them to doubt.
5. And your sinful, scheming mind is the source of all you say.
6. I am not here as your judge; your own words are witnesses against you.
7. Were you the first human? Are you older than the hills?
8. Have you ever been present when God's council meets? Do you alone have wisdom?
9. Do you know and understand something we don't?
10. We have the benefit of wisdom older than your father.
11. And you have been offered comforting words from God. Isn't this enough?
12. Your emotions are out of control, making you look fierce;
13. that's why you attack God with everything you say.
14. No human is pure and innocent,
15. and neither are angels-- not in the sight of God. If God doesn't trust his angels,
16. what chance do humans have? We are so terribly evil that we thirst for sin.
17. Just listen to what I know, and you will learn
18. wisdom known by others since ancient times.
19. Those who gained such insights also gained the land, and they were not influenced by foreign teachings.
20. But suffering is in store each day for those who sin.
21. Even in times of success, they constantly hear the threat of doom.
22. Darkness, despair, and death are their destiny.
23. They scrounge around for food, all the while dreading the approaching darkness.
24. They are overcome with despair, like a terrified king about to go into battle.
25. This is because they rebelled against God All-Powerful
26. and have attacked him with their weapons.
27. They may be rich and fat,
28. but they will live in the ruins of deserted towns.
29. Their property and wealth will shrink and disappear.
30. They won't escape the darkness, and the blazing breath of God will set their future aflame.
31. They have put their trust in something worthless; now they will become worthless
32. like a date palm tree without a leaf.
33. Or like vineyards or orchards whose blossoms and unripe fruit drop to the ground.
34. Yes, the godless and the greedy will have nothing but flames feasting on their homes,
35. because they are the parents of trouble and vicious lies.

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Eliphaz took another turn to speak, beginning the second round of speeches. This time he increased the vehmenence with which he spoke immediately accusing Job of being filled with the hot east wind and giving empty counsel. Job's arguments, he said, were filled with words that serve no good purpose. Furthermore, he said, Job "undermine(d) the fear of God" (15:4) with words that were informed by iniquity. It was Job's own words that condemned him, not those of Eliphaz.

Not only were Job's words informed by iniquity and of no value, according to Eliphaz, he further accused Job of thinking himself to be wiser than any other as if he were "the first person ever born." (15:7) With this Eliphaz added a second faulty assumption to his first. His first faulty assumption was that suffering equals sin. This second one is that age equals wisdom. He used this as his trump card over Job's wisdom. Not only was Job not the first person born, among the three friends was one older than Job's father. Obviously, according to Eliphaz' thinking, this man was wiser than Job by mere claim of age.

Now Eliphaz asked in verse 11 if God's consolations delivered through the three friends were not enough for Job? Why did he have to turn his anger on God with such vile words? Of all Eliphaz had to say, this might be the most puzzling. When were their any words of consolation that came from these three antagonists? Probably the most consolation they offered was when they sat with Job in silence for seven days before anyone spoke. Job had reason to be angry, particularly with the friends. And while he may not have had reason to be angry with God, his anger was certainly understandable. Having lost everything, including his health, while God stood by we can understand Job's anger, and yet are we not to receive both gain and loss from God with thankfulness? Particularly when all we have is His anyway? Is it not God, Himself, who is the source of our joy and not the things He provides? Certainly these are words more easily accepted intellectually than emotionally.

Job has been asserting his innocence before God, but Eliphaz rebuked this saying that not even the angels are pure, so how could a mere man make such a claim? But even worse, such claims of innocence were coming from one "who is revolting and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water." This is what he thought of Job. And because Job was so corrupt, Eliphaz drew on the authority of their ancestors to inform Job of what awaited him. Starting with the statement, "A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; few years are stored up for the ruthless." Eliphaz listed numerous repercussions the wicked could expect to suffer. Obviously, Job fell in this category. But Eliphaz must have lost all sense of Job's circumstances in the heat of his anger with Job. What threat did any of his list of repercussions pose to Job after what he had already suffered?

In his ignorance Eliphaz was indirectly making an even greater claim of innocence than Job. How else could he stand in judgment of Job with his words of condemnation as if he were better than Job? What would be his argument if he were in Job's place?