Job 22:5–9

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).

Such a conclusive answer to his argument provoked him, so now he plainly charges Job with hidden evil. A man who suspects on appearances will soon do without even appearances. "Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing." It was the very reverse of Job's real character! "You have given no water to the weary to drink" — Job gave more than Eliphaz ever did — "and you have withheld bread from the hungry." What could be less true?

He has refused water to those who were fainting and bread to the starving! By sheer power he has taken the lands of others and dwelt there himself as a great and honourable man! Widows and orphans have been driven away by this heartless monster! Proofs? Witnesses? Why does he need them, when the theory proves it all so well without the trouble of establishing facts!

How did Eliphaz know this? He would have to know Job's whole life to have any such knowledge. Of course God knew what Job had done and what he had not done, and evidently Eliphaz thought that he shared God's knowledge!

They assumed that the way the world looks now is a fair expression of His judgment on people's ways. We find this assumption running through the speeches of the three friends. At first they voice it fairly calmly, but in the end it ripens into severity... Here was a man suffering one trouble after another, beyond anything ever seen.

Eliphaz plunged into a series of accusations against Job. In the light of the testimony God bore to him at the start of the story, they must have been completely unfounded. These accusations fill verses 5-9. Eliphaz did not deal in vague hints. He stated plainly that Job had done wrong to the needy, the naked, the weary, the hungry, the widow and the fatherless. In Job 29, Job answers these charges and is just as clear in declaring how well he had treated these very people.

There is no reason to doubt what Job said in chapter 29:11-17 about his genuine care for the poor, the fatherless, those perishing, the widow and the lame. So he was not greedy for gain at all. He used his wealth in kindness toward those in need.

But even now, is not suspicion of others all too common? A man's business fails, illness comes into his family, he loses loved ones. People quickly conclude that God is chastening him for faults they have imagined. How cruel this is! It goes against the plain direction, "Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established." Let us be slow to suspect, and slower still to charge unknown evil, leaving that to the Searcher of hearts.

Now, just read chapters 29-31, and you will say that if any man could have justified himself by good works, Job was the man... As to his kindness to the poor, he was the very opposite of the lying charges brought against him. So he lets his memory go back over every good act of his life, but none of it gives rest to his troubled spirit.

Eliphaz is just imagining what he thinks Job must have done to account for the troubles he was passing through. "The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it" — Job was the man with power — "You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are all around you." You see all the reasoning is quite mistaken.

His life had really been a mixture: power on the one hand, and favour on the other. He was arrogant, yet fawning, so that he could settle himself in the land he wanted — whatever he might claim to the contrary.

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! By sheer force he has taken the lands of others and lived there himself as a great and honorable man! He has driven widows and orphans away, this heartless monster! Proofs? Witnesses? Why would he need them, when the theory proves it all so neatly without the trouble of establishing facts!

He first reasons backward from Job's sufferings, seeing this trouble as the result of Job's wickedness. Then he reasons forward, telling Job that this trouble has come on him because he has been so wicked. Many people do the same. They argue with no basis in actual fact, but from their own guesses. Only established fact can be a true basis for discussion.

After those wise words, Eliphaz launched into a series of accusations against Job. God Himself had testified to Job's character at the start of the story, so these charges must have been completely groundless. These accusations fill verses 5 to 9. Read them, and we can see what provoked Job to sing his own praises, as he does in Job 29. Eliphaz did not deal in vague hints. He stated plainly that Job had wronged the needy, the naked, the weary, the hungry, the widow and the fatherless. In Job 29, Job answers these charges and is just as plain about how well he had treated these very people.

It is indeed a beautiful picture, but spoiled by the pride of telling it himself. "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth." Job had won the respect and affection of all. He had been a helper of the helpless, a friend of the orphan and the widow.

But even now, is not suspicion of others all too common? A man fails in business, has illness in his family, or loses loved ones. People jump to the conclusion that he is being chastened for some imagined fault. How cruel this is, and against the plain rule that two or three witnesses must establish every charge. Let us be slow to suspect, and slower to charge evil we have not seen, leaving that to the Searcher of hearts.

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! Widows and orphans have been driven away by this heartless monster! Proofs? Witnesses? What need of these, when the theory proves it all so satisfactorily without the trouble of establishing facts!

How did Eliphaz know this? He would have to be acquainted with all Job's life to have any such knowledge. Of course God knew what Job had done and what he had not done. Evidently Eliphaz thought that he shared God's knowledge!

He first reasons backward from the fact of Job's sufferings, seeing this trouble as the result of Job's wickedness. Then he reasons forward, telling Job that because he has been so wicked this trouble has come upon him. This is true of many people: they argue with no basis of actual fact, but from the viewpoint of their own suppositions. Only established fact can rightly be a true basis of discussion.

Provoked by such a clinching answer to his argument, he now clearly charges Job with hidden evil. A man who suspects on the strength of appearances will soon stop needing even appearances.

Eliphaz plunged into a series of accusations against Job. In the light of the testimony God bore to him at the start of the story, they must have been completely unfounded. Eliphaz did not deal in vague insinuations. He asserted Job's wrongdoing towards the needy, the naked, the weary, the hungry, the widow and the fatherless. In Job 29 Job answers these things, and is just as explicit in declaring how well he had acted towards these very people.

And was not Job the deliverer of the poor, the orphan, the perishing, and the widow? Indeed this field of his kind and righteous activity was large. As he put on justice, so did it fit Job, and judgement suited him like a robe and turban. He was eyes to the man who had none, and feet to the lame, and a father to the needy. He refused no trouble to search out a case he did not know.

Of all the helpless ones who appeal to our compassion, the widow and the fatherless have the first claim. God surrounds them with the powerful defence of His own arm... Throughout the whole of Scripture these two groups are always marked out as the special object of God's care. So they should be the objects of our compassionate concern. James says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

But even now, is suspicion of others not all too common? A man is unsuccessful in business, has illness in his family, loses loved ones. The hasty conclusion is that God is chastening him for some imagined faults. How cruel this is, and how contrary to the plain direction that two or three witnesses must establish every charge. Let us be slow to suspect, and slower still to charge unknown evil, leaving that to the Searcher of hearts.