Podcast 29, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 15”

Podcast 29, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 15”

As we learned previously Job spoke frankly to Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zohar. The primary theme of Job is Christ and the Resurrection. His friends believe in God, but they do not believe in Christ or the Resurrection. Job has seen Christ in vision. He speaks of the “visitation.” Eliphaz’s disbelief accounts for his harsh answer.

Job 15:1-3

“Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?”

These are desert people and the east wind never brings good. Eliphaz accuses Job of speaking nonsense. Then he again attacks Job, calling him a sinner before God. Eliphaz thinks that Job speaks blasphemy against God.

Job 15:4-6

“Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.”

Job is of the House of Israel. His friends are not. To his friends God is a mystery, and Job is claiming to know God personally. Eliphaz said,

Job 15:7-10

“Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.”

That is the difference between Job and his friends. His friends are led by men of wisdom; Job is led by prophets of God. His friends learn from mortal resources; Job learns from spiritual resources such as revelation and prophecies of divinely called prophets. They think Job is carried away by fantasy. Eliphaz continues.

Job 15:11-13

“Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?”

Christ is fundamental to the prophets of the Old Testament as he is to the apostles of the New Testament. A central teaching of Christ is that we are children of God, what Peter refers to as our “divine nature.” 

2 Peter 1:1-4

“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

The friends of Job do not share that concept. They do not appear to understand our personal relationship with God. Eliphaz said.

Job 15:14-16

“What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”