Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—June 2023

East Tallassee Church of Christ

June 17, Job 22

”Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.” - Eliphaz, Job 22:3-5

The defendant sat in the witness box, head bowed, hands folded in his lap. He was on trial, charged with crimes he did not commit. The prosecuting attorneys were brutal and relentless. They paid no attention to his attempts to defend himself against the false charges. He had been very sick just before the trial began, and he was feeling even worse now.

It had been a strange trial. The defendant was the only witness, and he had no defense attorney. There was no visible judge. Three men he thought were his friends were the prosecutors. Their tenacious prosecution had not been moderated by any friendship between the men. They described the well-deserved fate that comes to wicked lawbreakers. They presumed their friend was guilty and spoke according to their presumption. The defendant was dismayed by their cruel tactic.

Late in the trial, the prosecutor no longer veiled his accusations in generalities. He flatly declared the defendant's guilt. He thundered, "You have..." over and over again, and listed the crimes that brought the defendant to this miserable spot in his life. He didn't ask the poor man if he had done the wicked deeds he listed. He simply announced his guilt as a matter of fact.

That little courtroom drama is just about where Job found himself as the third round of speeches by his friends began. Eliphaz slandered both Job and God Himself in his hateful words. He told Job that no human being, good or bad, was of any profit to God. God was not pleased or enriched in any way by Job's righteousness. He mocked Job and asked if

God was so angry with him because he feared God. Was God judging Job because he was righteous? Eliphaz didn’t wait for Job’s answer. He presumed the answer was “no.”

Eliphaz then launched his most vicious attack yet. He told Job his evil was abundant and his iniquities were endless. He said Job was guilty of the terrible crimes that God's law always forbade. He had taken advantage of the poor, and given no relief to the needy. He showed favoritism to some, and crushed widows and orphans.

Eliphaz was lying about Job and God. He imagined himself to be a righteous champion and defender of godliness. But his speech and attitudes pointed to his real master. His lies and hateful spirit were from Satan, not God.

When Eliphaz said that God was not profited by anyone’s righteousness, he ignored (or was ignorant of the fact) that God is heartbroken over sin that destroys his creatures and breaks their relationship with him. Maybe he didn't know that there was joy in heaven over a sinner who repents. He must not have known that it pleases God to bless his trusting, dependent children.

All the charges against Job were false. He presented no evidence to convict Job of ruthless greed and cruelty. What he had implied before, he now personalized. This time he did not say the wicked in general did these things; he insisted that Job did them. He said Job thought God couldn't see him. He reminded Job of the flood when God washed the wicked away, implying that would be his fate as well.

He exposed his own dark heart when he said the righteous were glad to see the wicked writhe in agony, suffering the wrath of God. Such an attitude separated Eliphaz from the mind of God, who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

His final words were a cascade of false charges and mischaracterizations of poor Job. He said Job didn't know God or respect his law. He

claimed Job loved gold more than he loved God. He maintained that Job had departed from God. He told Job he could get his prayers answered and his blessings restored if he would repent of all the things he had done.

If it wearies us to read such an assault, imagine how terrible Eliphaz’ hateful charges sounded and felt to Job. We need to remember (if we don't already know from bitter experience) how much it hurts to be falsely charged. We need to see the dark heart that imagines and pronounces such charges. Let's resolve to never ruin a well-meant appeal to repentance by saying it with an accusing, judgmental attitude. And let's resolve to never be a tool in Satan's hand to discourage and dishearten anyone. When our speech is like these awful words from Eliphaz, we’re the ones who need to repent.

Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.