Job 15-20
Eliphaz steps back to the plate to begin chapter 15. He again accuses Job of sin, in fact accusing him of admitting it. Eliphaz is repeating the wisdom of old, and claims that the elders agree with him. Indeed the Temanite is truly repeating the things he was taught growing up. However, he doesn't stop to consider whether or not they are true. He seems to confuse Job's plea of righteousness with the righteousness of God. While Job only confesses that he is not guilty of enough to warrant this punishment, Eliphaz assumes that Job is claiming to be perfect.
Eliphaz paints an interesting picture of the evil man who is constantly tormented by God and by all kinds of suffering. While it is true that everything for the evil man is not as well as he lets on, even the evil man is usually unaware of any torment going on until disaster actually does strike. He is not haunted by horrible sounds in his ears, as Eliphaz would have us think.
Job retorts in chapter 16, "Will your long-winded speeches never end?" I begin to wonder the same thing, realizing that we're not halfway through this book yet! But Job has tired of the argument. Even if he wins the argument, he is still in misery. He goes into detail how God is attacking him at every turn. Then in 16:19 Job cries,
In chapter 18, Bildad resumes the conversation. He also calls for an end to the long speeches, of which Job keeps lapsing into. Mostly it's because Job is not listening to (or agreeing with) their long-winded speeches! But again Job's condition is compared to the fabled condition of evil people of old. Since they were evil and suffered such a fate, then Job must also be evil.
At the start of Job's reply in 19:5-6, he continues a hypothetical that if the three friends were actually better than Job, then God has indeed wronged Job. It's an odd argument, which almost looks like Job is accusing God of wrongdoing (which we know isn't the case from God's speech at the end). He continues his lament of his condition detailing everything down to his bad breath in 19:17. It is interesting that intimate friends and family would turn away from a man
in such a desperate condition.
Finally, Job declares again of his Redeemer and that He will eventually triumph over all the earth. Job is looking forward to the time when he will see God face to face, assumedly to ask for an explanation of why this has happened to him.
When Zophar speaks again, he regurgitates (pun intended) the same tale of the evil eating up the property of others, but God not letting him enjoy if before making him vomit it back again. It's a different twist to the same argument each friend has been trying to make. They are making Job seem like an incredibly evil person, which just brings Job all the more further down in spirit.
Eliphaz paints an interesting picture of the evil man who is constantly tormented by God and by all kinds of suffering. While it is true that everything for the evil man is not as well as he lets on, even the evil man is usually unaware of any torment going on until disaster actually does strike. He is not haunted by horrible sounds in his ears, as Eliphaz would have us think.
Job retorts in chapter 16, "Will your long-winded speeches never end?" I begin to wonder the same thing, realizing that we're not halfway through this book yet! But Job has tired of the argument. Even if he wins the argument, he is still in misery. He goes into detail how God is attacking him at every turn. Then in 16:19 Job cries,
"Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high, My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pout out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend."
In chapter 18, Bildad resumes the conversation. He also calls for an end to the long speeches, of which Job keeps lapsing into. Mostly it's because Job is not listening to (or agreeing with) their long-winded speeches! But again Job's condition is compared to the fabled condition of evil people of old. Since they were evil and suffered such a fate, then Job must also be evil.
At the start of Job's reply in 19:5-6, he continues a hypothetical that if the three friends were actually better than Job, then God has indeed wronged Job. It's an odd argument, which almost looks like Job is accusing God of wrongdoing (which we know isn't the case from God's speech at the end). He continues his lament of his condition detailing everything down to his bad breath in 19:17. It is interesting that intimate friends and family would turn away from a man
in such a desperate condition.
Finally, Job declares again of his Redeemer and that He will eventually triumph over all the earth. Job is looking forward to the time when he will see God face to face, assumedly to ask for an explanation of why this has happened to him.
When Zophar speaks again, he regurgitates (pun intended) the same tale of the evil eating up the property of others, but God not letting him enjoy if before making him vomit it back again. It's a different twist to the same argument each friend has been trying to make. They are making Job seem like an incredibly evil person, which just brings Job all the more further down in spirit.
posted by rev-ed @ 5:20 PM
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