For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Job 15:1-13

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 ‘Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?
3 Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?
4 But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.
5 Your sin prompts your mouth;
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.

7 ‘Are you the first man ever born?
    Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on God’s council?
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?
9 What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?
10 The grey-haired and the aged are on our side,
    men even older than your father.
11 Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
    words spoken gently to you?
12 Why has your heart carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you vent your rage against God
    and pour out such words from your mouth?

A. Find Out

1. Note what Eliphaz says to describe what Job has been saying. v.2,3
2. What does he say Job has been doing? v.4-6
3. What does he demand of Job? v.7-9
4. Whose authority does he call on? v.10
5. What does he say wasn’t good enough for Job? v.11
6. What does he say Job has done? v.12,13

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise these verses?
2. What is the thing that has stung Eliphaz?

C. Comment:

Eliphaz speaks for a second time (v.1).  He is highly condemning of what Job has been saying with derogatory language – empty notions, hot wind (v.2), useless words, no value (v.3) – and says what he says takes away any sense of godliness that he might have had (v.4), so clearly it is his sin that has prompted such words (v.5) and so his own words have condemned him.

He challenges him as if to say, who do you think you are? Are you the first man (v.7), do you uniquely have God’s ear (v.8), so what do you know that we don’t (v.9)? What’s so special about you??? We’re simply speaking from the knowledge that our wise elders have passed down (implied v.10). Are the words of consolation and comfort that God will have spoken into your spirit not enough to help you? (v.11) Why have you allowed yourself to be carried away in a fit of anger (v.12) so that you speak to God so disrespectfully? (v.13)

Eliphaz speaks from the position of traditional religion that holds God in awe (rightfully so) and he is amazed that this man can dare to pour out such questions at God in such a disrespectful manner. Eliphaz has not come to the place of revelation that knows that we are God’s children and that He delights in our honesty in coming to Him with all our woes. Such is the New Testament revelation and of course Eliphaz doesn’t have that!

D. Application:

1. We are God’s children and he delights in total honesty in us.
2. Dare to share with him all your doubts and qualms.

Passage: Job 15:14-26

14 ‘What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,
    who drink up evil like water!

17 ‘Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors
19 (to whom alone the land was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
20 all his days the wicked man suffers torment,
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;
    he is marked for the sword.
23 He wanders about for food like a vulture;
    he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24 Distress and anguish fill him with terror;
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack,
25 because he shakes his fist at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.

A. Find Out

1. What does Eliphaz say about man? v.14-16
2. To whom does he refer for his authority? v.17-19
3. List the things he says about the wicked? v.20-24
4. Why does he say this happens? v.25,26

B. Think:

1. What point does he make in verses 14-16?
2. How truthful do you think his description of the wicked is?
3. What does that suggest about the authority he claims?

C. Comment:

Eliphaz likes to bolster his arguments with appeals to other sources. Previously it was to a special revelation from a ‘spirit’. Now he refers to past generations (v.17-19). He generally has a bad view of mankind and is really just repeating what he said in his first speech.

How can a human be pure or righteous, he asks (v.14) because if God doesn’t even trust His angels (v.15), how is mere mankind going to be able to claim to be righteous? (v.16). Then he says he will tell what he has learnt through the years (v.17) from previous generations (v.18) who stretch right back to the first men in the land (v.19).

Then he speaks about the wicked (v.20) who, he says, suffers torment throughout his life, finding himself under attack just when he felt secure (v.21). He can’t escape the darkness of terror for he will suffer violence (v.22). He is a wanderer seeking food and security (v.23) but distress and anguish are all he knows (v.24). The reason for all this is because he opposes God (v.25,26).

Now Eliphaz has moved from mankind in general, who he says generally cannot be righteous, to the wicked. The assumption almost would seem to be that that includes everyone but he would deny that of himself surely. No, Eliphaz does not speak truth. This may be true of some wicked people but many live in peace and affluence and appear to get away with it, hence some of Jesus’ kingdom parables.

D. Application:

1. The declaration of Scripture may be that all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but God still loves us and sent Jesus to die for us.
2. Beware making generalisations!