In the final chapter of the Book of Job, the Lord addresses his rebuke to the friends, especially Eliphaz, the wisest of the three. They had defended the oral tradition that had come down to them from generation to generation. This tradition was held by the ancients and incorporated what they believed about God (cp. Job 8:8-9). However, no thought was given to the idea that such a tradition had become corrupted over the centuries (cp. Romans 1:18-25). They held that God is just, and he judges men, according to their deeds, and during their lifetime spent on earth. “What a man sows is what he reaps” (cp. Galatians 6:7) was a doctrine, which they held to absolutely and without question, even when Job proved the doctrine was obviously in error. Yet, not only wouldn’t they admit error, but they used a false doctrine to accuse Job of wickedness. Read the rest of this entry »
When the dialogue between Job and the friends began, Job expressed his ignorance over what the Lord was doing in his life, as well as his depression over the fact that his worldview had disintegrated before his very eyes, vis-à-vis for all intents and purposes, he faced nothing but chaos for the remainder of his life. Nothing made any sense anymore. How should Job live? In other words, Job felt lost, because everything that he built his life upon was like a foundation of sand that the great storm had taken away (cp. Matthew 7:26-27). Read the rest of this entry »
Nowhere in the Lord’s first discourse in the previous two chapters of the Book of Job does he accuse Job of sinning or rebelling against him, as did the friends and Elihu. Moreover, neither has the Lord explained why he had caused Job’s calamities to fall upon him. Instead, the Lord approached Job and answered him out of the whirlwind, and in doing so he used judicial terms, which recalls Job’s desire that the Lord would justify him. In other words, the Lord answered Job according to his request to appear before the Lord, as though he were in a courtroom. Read the rest of this entry »
Previously, the Lord spoke of his divine power and wisdom in creating a world for man and beast to live in, but now he speaks out of irony, asking Job if all these things operate at his command or according to his wisdom. He begins by mentioning daybreak. Does the sun come up and go down over the earth’s horizons by Job’s command, and are the works of the wicked held in check, because he (Job) commands light to shine over the earth (Job 38:12-13)? Previously, Job claimed the works of the wicked were by and large done in darkness (Job 24:15-17). So, the Lord asks Job if the wicked cease their evil deeds because he, Job, had shed light upon them? Throughout his discussion with the friends, Job guarded his integrity at the expense of implying that the Lord wasn’t fair in his dealings with mankind. While he never literally accused the Lord of such things, Job left much unsaid that could be and, in fact, was misinterpreted by the friends. Read the rest of this entry »
Elihu’s discourses are coming to an end, as we find him describing the approaching storm, out of which the Lord would thunder out his response to Job and the friends. However, Elihu used the phenomenon for the purpose of getting Job to understand his discourse. Nevertheless, regardless of the reason behind the approaching storm, Elihu does do a good job of describing the greatness and majesty of God, by describing the atmospheric conditions required to create the storm. Indeed, the same process occurs to bring the gentle rain, the snow and the great storms, like the hurricane, which probably was the type of storm that had been approaching the small group of debaters. Elihu’s point is that, just as the same process brings the gentle rain, and the snow, and the great storm, so the same Lord and God of the universe blesses and judges mankind, according to the purposes he has in mind, which may or may not be understood by those affected by his blessings and judgments (Job 37:7, 15-16). Read the rest of this entry »
Those of us who are familiar with the game of chess understand there is a great difference between a pawn (the weakest piece) and a queen (the most powerful piece). The difference in power is also felt, but not as great, between the pawn and the other powerful pieces: the rook, the bishop and the knight. Yet, a well-placed pawn may mean the difference between loosing and victory. A well-placed pawn may allow the greater pieces to exalt their power over their opponent, while keeping the opponent’s powerful pieces from obtaining a winning position. Therefore, it would be unwise to devalue the importance of pawns. One could say that they permit other pieces to exalt their power, while keeping the opponents powerful pieces at bay and, in effect, take away a possible winning strategy. Read the rest of this entry »
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At this point in Elihu’s discourses (Job 35:14), he seems to point to Job’s argument that he was unable to perceive God’s purpose. There, Job claimed that no matter which direction he took in his dilemma, forward, backward or to the right or to the left, he was unable to perceive God’s design in treating him as he did (Job 23:8-9), and his question: “Why God, why?” points to his confusion. However, once again Elihu misrepresents what Job has said. Elihu says: “Although you say you will not see him, yet judgment is before him. Therefore, trust in him” (Job 35:14). In other words, Elihu accuses Job of despairing, because he was unable to understand what God was doing. So, he advises Job to wait upon the Lord. Be patient, because God is just, and he will come through eventually. You may not see his purpose today, but you will, because God is trustworthy! Read the rest of this entry »
In chapter 32 of Job, a new player is introduced into the discussion. His name is Elihu, but who is he, really? He continues to speak for six chapters (32 to 37). His is the longest, uninterrupted discourse of the Book of Job. We know very little about him, only that he is the son of Barachel, the Buzite, who was of the family of Ram (Job 32:2). But, how does this identify him? It puts Elihu as a descendant of Nahor, Abraham’s brother (cp. Genesis 22:20-21),[1] which would probably make him a contemporary of Abraham and Isaac and perhaps Jacob. This conclusion gains some support in the fact that the text shows Job was allied with the Sabeans and the Chaldeans in the East, vis-à-vis of Mesopotamia, which would put the alliance prior to the Sabeans migrating to Africa (cp. Isaiah 43:3; cp. Genesis 11:9). Thus, the timeline agrees with Elihu living near the time of Abraham. Read the rest of this entry »
It would appear at this point (Job 27:1) that Job paused and waited for Zophar to reply, but when he didn’t, Job continued (H5375). That is, he added to his argument the support that he offers in verses 2-6. The friends had ceased their replies against him, which became apparent in Zophar’s silence. Job now victoriously sums up and strengthens his argument that the Lord had not brought all those catastrophic events upon him in judgment of his sins. That was the friends’ conclusion, for they had concluded that the wrath of God, which they assumed was poured out upon Job, was the only possibility to account for Job’s present circumstances. Nevertheless, Job’s replies had silenced them, and they were unable to add to their argument any proof that their claims were true. Read the rest of this entry »
In the fourth chapter of the Book of Job Eliphaz admitted that Job had helped many people who were in distress (Job 4:3-4), saying he had helped “…him who was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees.” Nevertheless, the friends had not uttered a single word of encouragement for Job, who had been suffering unspeakable emotional and physical pain. In fact, his form was so marred that the friends didn’t even recognize him, when they first saw him (Job 2:12). Yet, not a single word of encouragement on their part was forthcoming! All they did was judge him according to their religious beliefs, and that without any evidence to show Job was a wicked man. Yet, they claimed the Lord was treating him better than he deserved (cp. Job 11:6). Truly, they had showed themselves to be miserable comforters to the very end (Job 16:2, cp. 13:4), choosing, rather, to defend their traditions than to help their friend, whose suffering proved their religious traditions were wrong, because Job was truly a righteous man, according to God (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3)! Read the rest of this entry »
Some modern believers try to maintain that there is only one Day of the Lord, and it is yet future. However, they have no proof that there is only one.[1] The fact remains that Job referred to those days as his days (plural; Job 24:1), vis-à-vis the Lord’s days. If the Day of the Lord is a time of God’s judgment upon mankind, how would one refer to the Noahic Flood? How would one refer to the Lord’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah? How would one refer to his judgment upon Israel or the nations, prior to the coming of Christ, or his judgment upon Jerusalem in 70 AD? Are not these days clearly the Days of the Lord? Are they not HIS days, as mentioned by Job in chapter 24:1? If not, why not? Read the rest of this entry »
Finally, Job mentions a special kind of wealthy criminal, one who is swift upon the face of the waters of affliction or oppression. His way or portion is cursed, and he doesn’t make his living as other wealthy men do, namely, by harvesting the natural fruit of the land (Job 24:18). He oppresses those who are unable to produce what they need, as well as those who are without protection (Job 24:21). Not only so, but even the mighty are unable to contend with him. They scatter and run, for no one is safe; all live in fear for their lives, because of this group of evil men (Job 24:22). Read the rest of this entry »
Job continues his reply to Eliphaz, describing three types of wicked men. First, he mentions those who are often not considered wicked, but they oppress the people. Secondly, he describes those who live in fear over the evil deeds the wicked do, and, finally, he describes those who are so wicked that they need no cover for their crimes, because they are so strong that the legitimate authorities in society find it difficult to challenge them, and even they live in fear of them. Job’s case against the friends seems to become stronger and stronger, yet they still hold him to be wicked, which is the problem of religious folk, even today, vis-à-vis those who believe in doctrines they are unable to prove. They cling to false doctrine, even when such things are proved to be totally wrong, and as they cling to these unprovable traditions, they call it faith. However, what good is your faith, if it is founded upon something that is proved wrong? Read the rest of this entry »
Most scholars translate the text in verse-13 to say: “he (God) is one…” vis-à-vis of one mind or purpose (Job23:13), then going on to say that the Lord is unchangeable. However, I think the better rendering is, according to the minority reading, “he is alone…” (so the Vulgate) and even, “it is he, himself, alone” (so Coverdale). The idea seems to be that no one is with God! That is to say, he has no partner, who would be powerful enough to disagree with him and thereby influence his will or purpose for mankind. Certainly, man is unable to change the Lord’s mind or will, but more to the point, neither is there anyone with God who would be able to do so. Thus, the Lord is unchangeable! Whatsoever he proposes to do is what he does, and no one is able to prevent that from occurring (Job 23:13-14; cp. Isaiah 55:8-11). Read the rest of this entry »
Job has endured the judgment of his friends throughout this debate. From the very beginning, they accounted him a wicked man who was in rebellion against God. Yet, seldom has he replied directly to the friends, indirectly, yes. However, he has not singled any one of them out in an effort to personally demean or defeat their argument. Instead, he has either complained about his present calamity, perhaps in an effort to offer them a better understanding of what has happened to him, or he has directed his complaint to God, which may be interpreted to mean he was offering them a picture of the difference between their own judgment of him and the Lord’s judgment of the wicked. Even in his present state of suffering, Job has treated the friends far better than they had been treating him. Read the rest of this entry »
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