Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Job 22: Judging Job

Eliphaz is up again in Job 22.  The gentle proddings and implied pretenses are gone; there are now direct attacks (slanders) upon Job's character.  Even though there is no evidence of his wrongdoing - apart from his sufferings - Eliphaz offers up a lengthy list of what he is certain are Job's errors.

Starting off with a "Who do you think you are?" moment in vs. 2-3, Eliphaz attempts to put Job in his place by arguing out that Job is really irrelevant to God.  Job should just face up to the fact that he is insignificant.  It's not as if Job's righteousness or purity would mean anything to the Almighty, Eliphaz says.

However, the fact of Job's suffering reveals that he must be a dastardly sinner.  There is just no other explanation.  So Eliphaz accuses Job of  abusing the poor, taking advantage of his own family, withholding water from the thirsty and food from the hungry, and ignoring the needs of widows and orphans. "There is no end to your iniquities" (vs. 5).

Job's character has been effectively assassinated by his one-time friend.  We know, however, that what Eliphaz alleges is not true; God has specifically pointed to Job in chapters 1 and 2 as an example of a righteous and blameless man.

Even in spite of the awful man that he feels Job is, Eliphaz holds out hope for restoration if Job will just admit it!  He wants the satisfaction of hearing an admission of guilt from Job's own lips.  That will make his own words right and put Job in the wrong.

For Job to plead guilty to these charges, however, wouldn't be an act of righteousness.  It would be a lie.


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