Job 22:1–5

With this series we reach the end of the controversy so far as the friends were concerned. They repeat their former arguments, if you can call them arguments, and it is tiresome. They bring forward nothing of importance. Eliphaz opens this third section of the controversy. He keeps to his original claim. He speaks with dignity and much poetic beauty, and with some slight return to graciousness. But a painful spirit of gross unfairness spoils his speech. Bildad, the second speaker, closes feebly and briefly. Zophar stays silent. So this last attempt of theirs is only a fragment, and it is fair to call it a failure.

Job's friends came from districts noted for men of wisdom: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?" (Jer. 49:7)... Some explain the name Eliphaz as "God is strength," and others as "God is fine gold." Both meanings suggest at least the greatness and supremacy of God. His country, Teman, means "the south," the land lying under the sun, open to the light. But we have learned that while the south country is open to the light, it tends to be dry and barren, as Arabia indeed was. It needs... "springs of water." Light without life can never help.

The third series in the discussion opens with a speech from Eliphaz. He sets out the superiority of God to anything that comes from the service of man, however noble that man may be in his own eyes. Job's stubborn denial of hidden sin provokes him. He launches out first into questions, then into direct charges. These betrayed his conviction that Job was really hard, selfish, unfeeling and unjust, and not the righteous man he claimed to be.

Eliphaz believed he was speaking for God, and exposing what he imagined were the sins of Job. He first asks a question that is well worth considering: "Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?" (v.2). Certainly it is folly for anyone to think he is doing God a favour by his righteousness. To be perfectly right is nothing more than he should be. But when Eliphaz said this to Job, it was beside the point, for he considered Job wicked, not righteous.

Yes, Eliphaz, but cannot a man please God? A godly man does not submit to God and obey His word for profit, but to please Him — and why? Because he loves Him. That is not working for profit... "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?" Yes, it was. He was quite wrong about it. God was pleased with Job — the very man they attacked so slyly, hinting at all kinds of evil about him.

We get only a cold view of God as Eliphaz describes Him. The word of God shows the opposite. It presents Him as deeply concerned in all our affairs, and closely bound up with His creation. There would be no room for the gospel in the partial statements of Eliphaz. God is not simply holding the scales of justice like an observer with no interest in the case. He is not there only to measure out punishment to the one who falls short.

Eliphaz is greatly taken aback by such a complete answer to his argument. He tries to reply, for the last time, in this chapter. No wonder he fails. A man who suspects on appearances will soon do without even appearances. "Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities infinite? For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing." It was the very opposite of Job's real character! "You have not given water to the weary to drink" — Job gave more than Eliphaz ever did.

In this first part Eliphaz dwells on God's infinite greatness and on how He is complete in Himself. Is man profitable to God? Does he add anything to the infinite fullness of the Creator? A wise man is profitable to himself, but God does not depend on him in any way. A man's righteousness brings God no special profit — the word is "profit," not "pleasure," for He does take pleasure in His saints. As the One who emptied Himself says, "My goodness does not extend to You" (Ps. 16:2).

Certainly it is folly for anyone to think that he is doing God a favour by his righteousness, for to be perfectly right is nothing more than he should be. But in Eliphaz speaking to Job, this was beside the point, for he considered that Job was wicked, not righteous.

He starts by reminding Job of God's majesty. Can then a man be profitable to God? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty when you are righteous? Or does He gain anything by it if you are perfect in your ways? So God has no interest in man's righteousness, and He cannot punish Job for his righteousness. From this he concludes that Job is a great sinner.

Yes, Eliphaz, but cannot a man please God? It is not for profit that a pious man submits to God, and obeys the word of God, but it is to please Him, and why? Because he loves Him. That is not working for profit… "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?" Yes, it was. He was quite wrong about it. God was pleased with Job — that very man that they were so insidious against, and against whom they insinuated all kinds of evil.

Has not God suffered, not in His blessed nature, but in what should have displayed it — righteousness in His creature? God created everything for His glory and pleasure. So God is the loser when man fails… We get only a cold view of God in Eliphaz's description of Him. The word of God shows the opposite. It presents Him as deeply concerned in all our affairs, and closely bound up with His creation. Eliphaz's one-sided statements leave no room for the gospel. God is not just holding the scales of justice as an uninvolved onlooker.

So he shows that the question is not whether man profits God, but how God profits man. God is owed our will, our love, and our glory. And beyond that, no one can walk in His ways without the richest reward of blessing. In every possible sense it is God who gives the increase… So the wickedness of man does not lower the majesty of God. It ruins the man who walks in it. In the same way, the obedience of man brings no profit to God. But it makes sure of very real and rich blessing for the man who is led that way.

Eliphaz takes it up. He says, "Can a man be profitable to God, as he who is wise may be profitable to himself?" Yes, Eliphaz, but cannot a man please God? It is not for profit that a godly man submits to God and obeys the word of God, but to please Him, and why? Because he loves Him. That is not working for profit.

Is man profitable to God? Does he add anything to the infinite fullness of the Creator? A wise man is profitable to himself, but in no sense is God dependent on him. His righteousness brings God no special profit. But "pleasure" is the wrong word, for He does take pleasure in His saints.

He first asks a question well worth considering: "Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?" It is folly for anyone to think that he is doing God a favour by his righteousness. To be perfectly right is nothing more than he should be. But in Eliphaz speaking to Job, this was beside the point. He considered that Job was wicked, not righteous.

He starts out by reminding Job of the majesty of God. Can a man then be profitable to God? ... God has no interest in man's righteousness, and He cannot punish Job for his righteousness. So he draws the conclusion that Job is a great sinner. Is not your wickedness great? Neither is there an end to your iniquities.

"Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right?" Yes, it was. He was quite wrong about it. God was pleased with Job — the very man they were so underhanded toward, hinting all kinds of evil about him. At the beginning of the book, God pointed out that there was no man on earth like His servant Job in every way.

Has not God suffered? Not in His blessed nature, but in what should have displayed it — righteousness in His creature. All has been created for His glory and pleasure. God is therefore a loser by the failure of man to show in his life what displays the wisdom and goodness of his Creator... We get only a cold view of God as Eliphaz describes Him. The word of God shows the opposite. It presents Him as deeply concerned in all our affairs, and closely bound up with His creation. There would be no room for the gospel in the partial statements of Eliphaz. God is not just holding the scales of justice as an uninvolved onlooker, handing out punishment to the one who falls short.

Eliphaz asks, "Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, and enters into judgment with you?" Eliphaz considered this impossible, and therefore that Job did not fear God at all. But in fact it was true: because Job feared God, God was correcting him. What Eliphaz considered God's judgment against Job was not judgment at all. It was discipline and correction.

Surely an easy way, in a world of suffering, to prove man a sinner. But it proves too much, for it includes every sufferer — the righteous as well as the wicked.

Eliphaz considered this impossible, and therefore that Job did not fear God at all. But it was actually true that, because of Job's fear of God, God was correcting him. What Eliphaz took for God's judgment against Job was not judgment at all. It was discipline and correction.

He resents the idea as absurd and insolent — that God could be influenced to turn aside from His unbending uprightness. So from the extreme dealings of God's hand he concludes that Job's wickedness is extreme. Was it not monstrous for Job to challenge Him to a court case? And it was unthinkable that God would argue with Job because He was afraid of him. There was only one reasonable conclusion. Job was suffering greatly because his wickedness was great, and his iniquities had no end.

Eliphaz asks Job, does not his chastisement prove his sin? For would God rebuke a man for piety — his godly fear? Therefore Job's sin is proven! Surely an easy way, in a world of suffering, to prove a man a sinner. But it proves too much, for it includes every sufferer — the righteous as well as the wicked.

Job had certainly been defending his own character. But did he give any profit or benefit to the Almighty by the righteousness and perfection that he claimed? And would God enter into judgment with him as though he were His equal? There could be only one answer to these questions, and it would be good for Job to realize what it was. As our Lord told His disciples, the confession of us all has to be, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty" (Luke 17:10).

Has God not suffered? Not in His blessed nature, but in what should have displayed it — righteousness in His creature. Everything was created for His glory and pleasure. So God is a loser when man fails to show in his life what displays the wisdom and goodness of his Creator. We get a cold view of God in the way Eliphaz describes Him. The word of God shows the opposite. He is deeply concerned in all our affairs, and closely bound up with His creation. There would be no room for the gospel in the partial statements of Eliphaz. God is not simply holding the scales of justice like a bystander with no stake, handing out punishment to the one who falls short.

Then Eliphaz comes out with his strong accusation against Job, without the slightest proof of it: "Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities" (v.5). Eliphaz probably thought that Job's claim to fear God was total hypocrisy, and that Job therefore deserved the strongest rebuke. Eliphaz was just the man to give that censure, for he was sure he was speaking for God. How sad was the delusion he was labouring under! How carefully we must watch ourselves here! We must not jump to conclusions about how another believer is doing, or about anything in their life that we suspect may be questionable.

He starts out by reminding Job of the majesty of God. Can a man then be profitable to God? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty when you are righteous? Or does He gain anything by it if you are perfect in your ways? Since God has no interest in man's righteousness, and cannot punish Job for it, he concludes that Job is a great sinner. Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

Eliphaz asks Job, does not his chastisement prove his sin? For would God rebuke a man for piety — his godly fear? Therefore Job's sin is proven! Surely an easy way, in a world of suffering, to prove man a sinner. But it proves too much, for it includes every sufferer — the righteous as well as the wicked.

en qets, 'no end.' Eliphaz, quite unintelligent as to Job's case, said there was 'no end' of his iniquities.

Job has taken away his brother's goods on a false claim! He has stripped the poor of his last covering! He has refused water to the fainting and bread to the starving!… Proofs? Witnesses? Why bother with them, when the theory proves it all so well without the trouble of establishing facts! So the grave and grey-haired Eliphaz produces conclusive proof out of his own "inner consciousness." The suffering friend and patriarch in front of him is a monster of evil.

The astonishing thing is that every word of what Eliphaz says is a lying invention. Job later gives the most positive proof that it was all a concoction of falsehoods. The Word of the Lord about Job shows Eliphaz up as a miserable liar. The Lord had said of Job, "there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man." Would the Lord have said this if Job had trampled on all human decency, withheld water and bread from the destitute, or stripped the naked of their clothing?

He does not hesitate to brand Job's defence of his integrity against their accusations as wickedness… Job's answer to his argument was decisive, and it provoked him. Now he charges Job outright with hidden evil. A man who suspects people on the strength of appearances will soon stop needing even appearances.

But even now, is not suspicion of others all too common? One person's business does not do well. Illness comes into his family. He loses loved ones. And people quickly decide that God is chastening him for faults they have imagined. How cruel this is! It goes against the plain direction, "Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses." Let us be slow to suspect, and slower still to charge unknown evil. Leave that to the Searcher of hearts.

Eliphaz probably thought Job's claim to fear God was pure hypocrisy. In that case Job deserved the strongest rebuke. And Eliphaz was just the man to give it, for he was sure he was speaking for God. What a sad delusion he was living under! We must watch ourselves closely, in case we too jump to conclusions about how another believer is doing… "Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:7).