Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Title: INTRODUCTION

The Ongoing Story

Well of course it isn't really a story so much as a series of speeches tied together. In this part there is no historical action like we found in Chapters 1 and 2 and which we will find in the last chapter of the book.

The Content of the Book

We noted in the first series that we consider this to be one of the harder books of the Bible to really take in and understand. There is a lot of argument and the themes seem to jump backwards and forwards so there appears some repetition. You would be advised to keep a note book and jot down the themes or arguments as they occur and you study them. We have sought to provide a synopisis of most of the speeches (except where there is only one study per speech) so that you can go back through each speech to catch what is being said. We have also collected all of those together at the end if you would like to go through them all together. Yet, even if you do that, we recommend you take notes and summarise each speech yourself. We believe it will be a very rewarding process.

The Structure of the whole Book

The Structure of these Studies

This set of 35 studies covers chapters 15 to 31 as follows:

You will note from this that the friends each speak three times, except Zophar who only speaks twice. Again we use a system where the number after the name indicates the number of times this speaker has spoken.

Part 1 – Ch. 15-17 : Eliphaz and Job

This part opens with Eliphaz deriding Job's words, for speaking as he has about God. He appeals to past generations, maintaining that man cannot be righteous and it is the wicked who suffer. Job, in return, chides his poor comforters and blames God for his misfortunes. He speaks of his terrible state, but then of a friend in heaven, an advocate. People are confused about him and it is God's fault. He chides his friends for failing to give him any hope in the face of death

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.1                  Passage: Job 15:1-15         

Title: Eliphaz 2 – why are you special?

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.2                  Passage: Job 15:16-35         

Title: Eliphaz 2 – the wicked suffer

 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!

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.                  Passage: Job 15:1-26         

Title: Synopsis of Eliphaz's Second Speech

Eliphaz 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 likes to bolster his arguments with appeals to others 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).

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.3                  Passage: Job 16:1-14         

Title: Job 5 – miserable comforters!

A. Find Out

1. How does Job describe his ‘friends'? v.2,3

2. How would he speak if he were in their shoes? v.4,5

3. Yet what is his state, however he speaks? v.6

4. What does he say the Lord has done? v.7-9

5. How do people respond to him – and why? v.10,11

6. How does he describe what has happened to him? v.12-14

B. Think:

1. Why does Job feel as he does about his friends?

2. How is Job right in what he says about what God has done?

3. How is he wrong in what he says about it?

C. Comment:

Job has found what his so-called friends have said, totally dispiriting. He calls them miserable comforters (v.2) using long winded speeches (v.3). If their positions were reversed he could speak like that (v.4) but wouldn't! He would encourage them (v.5) and that's what he needs (implied). Whether he speaks or stays silent he is stuck with his pain (v.6) so speaking does no good for him (implied).

Then he turns to address the Lord. It is God who has devastated his household (v.7) and has bound him (with suffering) so his awful appearance speaks against him (v.8). It is God's anger that has done this (v.9) so that when people see him they mock him and unite against him in their condemnation (v.10). It is God who has turned him over to such people (v.11). It had been all right until He acted (v.12) but then it was like arrows of pain struck him (v.13), not just once but many times (v.14). This is all God's fault!

Now in this outpouring there is both truth and falseness. Yes, it is true that this has all happened because of God. We saw in the opening two chapters that this was all instigated by God and so ultimately He IS responsible for all this, using Satan as His agent. But God HASN'T done this out of anger (v.9), He's not gnashing His teeth at Job. It's happening because He trusts Job and is pleased with him!

D. Application:

1. God sometimes allows suffering for specific purposes.

2. Sometimes suffering comes through man's free will in a Fallen World.

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.4                  Passage: Job 16:15-22       

Title: Job 5 – I have an advocate

A. Find Out:

1. How does Job describe his physical & moral state? v.15-17

2. What does he ask? v.18

3. Yet of whom does he testify? How does he describe them? v.19

4. How also does he describe them? v.20

5. What does this one do? v.21

6. And what does he conclude? v.22

B. Think:

1. What is Job's activity described in these verses?

2. What remarkable revelation and statement of faith is given?

C. Comment:

  It is intriguing that so often when a person appears at their lowest they receive the greatest revelation. In the first half of this chapter Job has bemoaned his terrible state and he continues that in these verses. Yet following that comes amazing revelation!

  He speaks first of his terrible physical state, in sackcloth covering his awful sores that have caused him to bow down and cry out to God (v.15). This has not been a casual prayer but an intensive pouring out of his soul (v.16), yet he has sought to remain free of sin (v.17). He cries out that the earth will not take him, but that he may live to continue to plead his case (implied, v.18).

Then comes this amazing revelation. He speaks of someone in heaven (v.19) who he describes as a witness (who has seen what has happened to him), his advocate (who speaks out for him), his intercessor (v.20, who cries to God for him – also v.21a), his friend. He faces death at some unknown time in the not-distant future (v.22) – but he has a friend in heaven.

This is a true statement of faith. Centuries later the apostle John would write, “If anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.” (1 Jn 2:1). Somehow in the depths of his anguish as he cries out to God, Job senses this wonderful truth – God is for us and has provided an advocate for us!

D. Application:

1. Jesus speaks for us because he has taken our sin and punishment.

2. He simply reminds the Father of what they have done for us!

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.5                  Passage: Job 17:1-9       

Title: Job 5 – God's confusion

A. Find Out:

1. What does Job feel about his state and why? v.1,2

2. What does he feel is needed, from whom & why? v.3

3. What has God done with others? v.4

4. What principle does he declare in his argument? v.5

5. What has God done and with what result? v.6,7

6. What outcomes does Job see around him? v.8,9

B. Think:

1. Why, according to Job, do people think badly of him?

2. How is this worked out?

C. Comment:

This is a difficult passage. It starts by reiterating what Job said in v.22 of the previous chapter, that he only expects death (v.1) and because of that he feels broken. He is just conscious of those around him who mock him and are hostile to him (v.2), a person on the lips of everyone (v.6) who think badly of him. He puts this down to the fact that, in his eyes, God has closed the minds of such people (v.4a)

He feels that for his life to be redeemed from this awful situation God wants something from him (a pledge like a pawnbroker demands) yet he himself is incapable of providing it (implied) and no one else seems to be able to help, so it is going to have to be God Himself who will provide whatever is needed (v.3). This is quite remarkable for this has to be the first awareness that precedes salvation – that we are helpless! God has shut people's minds to him (v.4) but because He is for Job (implied) he will not let such people's words prevail and triumph over him (v.4b). He will not think of denouncing his friends (v.5a) because that would be unrighteous and would bring a curse on any future generation (v.5b). Yet he feels so bad about himself (v.7). He is aware that those who are upright feel differently about him – that they feel annoyed at the way the ungodly speak about him (v.8) and yet those who are righteous will hold on to that and grow stronger (v.9)

D. Application:

1. When we see one suffering do we blame them or seek to understand

    them with compassion?

2. How we respond to others reveals a lot about us.

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.6                  Passage: Job 17:10-16      

Title: Job 5 – give me some hope!

A. Find Out:

1. What does he challenge his friends to do? v.10

2. How does he summarise what has happened to him? v.11

3. How have they been seeking to bring hope to him? v.12

4. Yet what only is it that he sees before him? v.13,14

5. What does he conclude? v.15,16

B. Think:

1. What is Job's complaint against his friends in these verses?

2. Why does he feel hopeless?

C. Comment:

The first half of this chapter is almost philosophical but the second half is a direct challenge to his friends. He challenges his friends; come on try again (v.10a) there appears to be not a wise man among you (v.10b). My life is shattered and (implied) you haven't been able to help me at all (v.11). Almost in an aside he chides them for saying there is hope, there is light, when all he can see is darkness (v.12).

Look, says, what sort of hope have I got? If all I have before me is the grave (v.13), if all I can expect is the body to rot (v.14) what hope is that for me? (v.15) Is that all I'm going down to death with (v.16) the awareness of this and nothing else (implied)?

We may not be very excited at first sight by such a negative passage of Scripture but it is a very real plea. Essentially Job is saying, is there any one of you who can offer me genuine hope? All I can see before me is impending death. My body is in a terrible state and I can only see it getting worse in the future; death and the corruption or rotting of the body is all that I have before me. Can't you say something that will give me a better vision of the future than this?

It is at this point that the Christian faith brings real hope. Hope for us is ‘a confident assurance' of what WILL be. Because Jesus has come, revealed himself, died and risen from the dead and ascended back to heaven, we can be assured that we too have a future with him in heaven – because he has said so!

D. Application:

1. We have a confident assurance through Scripture for our future.

2. Jesus has guaranteed our future with him in heaven. Hallelujah!

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Study No.                  Passage: Job 16 & 17      

Title:    Synopsis of Job's Fifth Speech

  Job has found what his so-called friends have said, totally dispiriting. He calls them miserable comforters (v.2) using long winded speeches (v.3). If their positions were reversed he could speak like that (v.4) but wouldn't! He would encourage them (v.5) and that's what he needs (implied). Whether he speaks or stays silent he is stuck with his pain (v.6) so speaking does no good for him (implied).

  Then he turns to address the Lord . It is God who has devastated his household (v.7) and has bound him (with suffering) so his awful appearance speaks against him (v.8). It is God's anger that has done this (v.9) so that when people see him they mock him and unite against him in their condemnation (v.10). It is God who has turned him over to such people (v.11). It had been all right until He acted (v.12) but then in was like arrows of pain struck him (v.13), not just once but many times (v.14). This is all God's fault!

  He then speaks of his terrible physical state , in sackcloth covering his awful sores that have caused him to bow down and cry out to God (v.15). This has not been a casual prayer but an intensive pouring out of his soul (v.16) yet he has sought to remain free of sin (v.17). He cries out that the earth will not take him, but that he may live to continue to plead his case (implied, v.18). Then comes this amazing revelation . He speaks of someone in heaven (v.19) who he describes as a witness (who has seen what has happened to him), his advocate (who speaks out for him), his intercessor (v.20, who cries to God for him – also v.21a), his friend . He faces death at some unknown time in the not-distant future (v.22) – but he has a friend in heaven.

Job 17:1-16

  He only expects death (v.1) and because of that he feels broken. He is just conscious of those around him who mock him and are hostile to him (v.2), a person on the lips of everyone (v.6) who think badly of him. He puts this down to the fact that, in his eyes, God has closed the minds of such people (v.4a). He feels that for his life to be redeemed from this awful situation God wants something from him (a pledge like a pawnbroker demands) yet he himself is incapable of providing it (implied) and no one else seems to be able to help, so it is going to have to be God Himself who will provide whatever is needed (v.3). God has shut people's minds to him (v.4) but because He is for Job (implied) he will not let such people's words prevail and triumph over him (v.4b). He will not think of denouncing his friends (v.5a) because that would be unrighteous and would bring a curse on any future generation (v.5b). Yet he feels so bad about himself (v.7). He is aware that those who are upright feel differently about him – that they feel annoyed at the way the ungodly speak about him (v.8) and yet those who are righteous will hold on to that and grow stronger (v.9)

He challenges his friends ; come on try again (v.10a) there appears to be not a wise man among you (v.10b). My life is shattered and (implied) you haven't been able to help me at all (v.11). Almost in an aside he chides them for saying there is hope, there is light, when all he can see is darkness (v.12).

Look, says, what sort of hope have I got ? If all I have before me is the grave (v.13), if all I can expect is the body to rot (v.14), what hope is that for me? (v.15) Is that all I'm going down to death with (v.16) the awareness of this and nothing else (implied).

Book: The Questions of Job (Job, chapters 15-31)

Series 2 of 3 in Job: Part 1 of 5: Chapters 15-17   

Title: RECAP 1: "Eliphaz & Job" Chapters 15-17

SUMMARY :  

In this first group of 6 studies we have seen :

a) Eliphaz (2)

- condemning what Job has been saying

- challenging him as if to say, who do you think you are?

- referring to past generations

- asking how can a human be pure or righteous

- saying he will tell what he has learnt

- speaking about the wicked who suffer torment

b) Job (5)

- calling his friends miserable comforters

- addressing the Lord as the cause of his suffering

- speaking of his terrible physical state

- speaking of someone in heaven who is there for him

- conscious of those around him who mock him

- feeling God wants something from him

- feeling God Himself will have to provide

- challenging his friends to provide hope

COMMENT :

These have been chapters of highs and lows. The lows continue to be the expressions of anguish that Job feels – physical and spiritual. The highs include talk of an advocated in heaven. Amazing revelation!

LESSONS?

1. God delights in honesty in His children

2. Beware of making generalisations

3. Suffering comes for a variety of reasons

4. Jesus is our advocated in heaven

5. We have a strong assurance of an eternal future in heaven.

PRAY :

Thank the Lord for the certainty of your salvation, that He is for you and has a place for you with Him in heaven.

PART 2 : "Bildad, Job & Zophar"

In this next Part we see these three men struggling with the realities of suffering, and the apparent causes of it.