Job and the Place of Understanding

This is the third and last intervention of Eliphaz, who is obviously the leader of the three “comforters.” His first speech was two chap[1]ters long. His second was thirty-six verses. This final dissertation will contain only thirty verses, and after that, Eliphaz will remain silent.

Job 22

22:1 Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said,

22:2 Can a man be profitable unto God? For he that is wise is profitable unto himself.

According to God, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). In the first verse of the book of Job, God declared that Job was one that feared God and departed from evil. In order to depart from evil, we must first rely on God to show us what is evil and what is good. This concept is completely foreign to Eliphaz, however. He thinks that a wise person is profitable unto himself. On the other hand, as we are beginning to see, Job’s role in this unprecedented episode is becoming extremely profitable unto God.

Over the centuries, many seemingly important thinkers and theologians have agreed with Eliphaz, and they have gradually refined his position into a dogma that states that since we are in a human condition, we cannot avoid sinning every day in word, thought, and deed, as well as by omission. Therefore these “wise” thinkers are profitable unto themselves, but they question how profitable man can be unto God because they believe that man sins compulsively; they have even redefined a Greek word for “sin” to make it fit their theology.⁶⁸

22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art justified? Or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect?

⁶⁸ Several Greek words are translated as “sin” in the New Testament, with the most predominant of these being hamartano and its derivative, hamartia. While it is definitely true that these words have to do with an offense, it is not true that they mean “to miss the mark.” The New Testament Greek word hamartano is an archery term and means to intentionally shoot at the wrong target (such as to target a friend instead of an enemy in the midst of a battle). The person aiming at the wrong target would be committing hamartano if they missed the mark (or target) but also if they struck it perfectly. The person aiming at the right target, however, would not commit hamartano if his arrow failed to hit the bull’s-eye, missed the mark altogether, or even, in the heat of the battle, struck someone he was not aiming at. This is why the apostle John wrote, Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (1 John 3:9). If we are born again from above, our motives and intentions will be to please God, and even though we may need some practice to consistently hit the mark, at least we will always aim at the right target. See Knowing God the Father, Russell Stendal, Ransom Press International, Hollywood, FL.

People like Eliphaz don’t even contemplate the possibility of making their ways perfect (and remember that the word for “perfect” is the same as the word for “mature,” in the original) because they consider it to be impossible. It never dawns on them that in God’s eyes, this is a matter of the heart, and God can put his heart (which is perfect) in us even while we live here upon the earth and are subject to human frailty.

Just as we can be content in God, he can also be content in us. In order for him to find contentment in us, however, there is one chief requirement: that we have a pure, clean heart. This might seem like a distant hope or even an impossibility, but in fact it is entirely possible because the Spirit of God can be with us wherever we are. God not only requires the purity that comes with maturity, he can use adversity to bring this about. Therefore the present circumstances of our life do not matter, and our needs, race, gender, financial status, vocation, work, or present situation are not the defining factors, because all things will help us unto good if we love God and his call is upon our life. Eliphaz the Temanite and his two friends don’t seem to understand any of this, however.

22:4 Will he reprove thee or will he enter with thee into judgment because he fears thee?

If we are like Job, God may reprove us or enter into judgment with us because he loves us, but he will certainly not do so because he fears us. What has God to fear from man? Rather, he desires for us to fear and respect him. It does, of course, give deep satisfaction to the Almighty when we are justified and when our ways are perfect (or mature), and he was greatly pleased to describe Job to Satan in these terms on two occasions (Job 1:8; 2:3). Furthermore, if we are justified and our ways are perfect, this is God’s doing, as he works in and through us by his grace.

22:5 Certainly thy wickedness is great and thine iniquities have no end.

In his search for a satisfactory explanation for why his children died, why he lost his estate and his health, and why he found himself in such a desperate and embarrassing situation, Job is determined to find God and discuss this. Eliphaz, however, thinks he already has the explanation, which is that Job is wicked and has no end of iniquities (known sin that he keeps hidden). He is convinced that Job must be hiding something truly abominable. But Eliphaz and his friends have unwittingly listened to Satan’s lies and then expressed those lies as if they were the truth. Remember that Satan means “accuser,” and he is indeed a relentless accuser of the brethren, collectively and (as in Job’s case) individually.

Eliphaz finds it unthinkable that despite his obvious and deplorable human condition, Job might really be justified and have a perfect heart. Therefore, even though he has no direct evidence of any wrongdoing on Job’s part, Eliphaz imputes great wickedness and no end of iniquities to him.

22:6 For thou didst take a pledge from thy brother without cause and stripped the naked of their clothing.

22:7 Thou didst not give water to drink to the weary, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.

22:8 But the man of means had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

22:9 Thou hast sent the widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

The conventional religious wisdom of the day suggests that Job must be guilty of all of the above, the sins of commission as well as the sins of omission. Eliphaz does not hold these accusations out as possibilities in an attempt to troubleshoot what he perceives as Job’s problem. He states them as if they are hard facts that have resulted in dire consequences.

22:10 Therefore, snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee

22:11 or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

Eliphaz thinks Job is completely sunk and that his only hope is to come clean and repent. It never even occurs to Eliphaz and his friends that Job may be innocent despite suffering great loss, in which case they should console him by sharing what they have with him (as he would have consoled them had the roles been reversed). Unaware that his beliefs have been contaminated by Satan’s lies, Eliphaz continues.

22:12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? Behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

22:13 And thou shalt say, What does God know? How can he judge through the darkness?

22:14 Thick clouds are his hiding place, and he does not see; and he walks in the circuit of heaven.

Eliphaz realizes that God can see and perceive everything, but his concept is that God is far away, up high in the heavens surrounded by thick dark clouds; God can see us as he walks in the circuit of heaven, but we cannot see him. Eliphaz argues that because it is so difficult, if not impossible, for Job to see God, Job must think he can get away with all manner of wickedness without God noticing.

22:15 Dost thou desire to keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

22:16 Who were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood.

Eliphaz is well aware of what happened in the universal flood, when those of the corrupt ancient world were destroyed by water.

22:17 Who said unto God, Depart from us; and what can the Almighty do unto us?

22:18 He had filled their houses with good things. Therefore, the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

22:19 The righteous shall see it and be glad; and the innocent laughs them to scorn.

22:20 Whereas our substance was not cut down, when the fire had consumed the rest of them.

Here we have Eliphaz, the son of Esau, confronting Job, the grandson of Jacob. It is even possible that their grandparents or great-grandparents could have met men such as Shem or Ham or Japheth and heard the story directly from the survivors of the ark. Shem would have died when Jacob and Esau were about forty years old. The ancestors of Eliphaz and Job just a few generations back would have certainly known Shem and possibly even known Noah.

These ancestors are likely what Eliphaz refers to when he says, Whereas our substance was not cut down, when the fire had consumed the rest of them.⁶⁹ While it is true that the patriarch ancestors of Eliphaz and Job were not cut down, the next part of the phrase is misleading because even today, the fire has not yet consumed the rest of the wicked. The flood (or any subsequent judgment, such as what happened to Sodom) did not eliminate Satan and his angels or even deter them. That day will come, however. Peter says that the heavens which are now, and the earth are conserved by the same word, kept unto the fire in the day of judgment and of perdition of ungodly men (2 Peter 3:7).

⁶⁹ Some think Eliphaz may have been referring to the fire that came down on Sodom and Gomorrah, which, along with the flood, is also an example of end time judgment. (See Luke 17:26-30.)

Eliphaz continues:

22:21 Make up thy friendship now with him, and thou shalt have peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.

22:22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

22:23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tent;

22:24 then thou shalt lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

22:25 And the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

Eliphaz is caught up in a prosperity gospel of temporal treasure on earth instead of incorruptible treasure in heaven. While he would be familiar with the prophesies of Enoch as part of his supposed ancient wisdom, he hasn’t really contemplated or understood those words that could possibly refer to people such as him and his two friends. Enoch is quoted by Jude, beginning in verse 14.

Jude 1

12 These are spots in your banquets of charity, feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever: clouds without water, carried to and fro of the winds; trees withered as in fall, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own abominations; erratic stars, to whom is reserved gross darkness eternally.

In spite of Job’s words of warning, Eliphaz and his two friends are feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever. They are clouds without water (they do not have the real word of the Lord) and trees withered as in fall without fruit (unable to provide either nourishment or restful shade). If they are not careful, and if they continue to spew double reproach against Job and against God, they are on a path to end up twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Fortunately God uses Job to extend mercy and restoration to them in the end.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints

15 to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have unfaithfully committed and of all the hard words which the unfaithful sinners have spoken against him.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have spoken some very hard words, not only against the good name and character of Job, but also against God. For this reason, Job is very concerned for them and keeps on attempting to warn them. Eventually, they shut their mouths and keep silent.

Continuing with the words of Enoch:

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own desires; and their mouth speaks arrogant things, admiring persons to take advantage.

We have already seen the role of flattery as the three friends puff up themselves at the expense of Job and God. As we will see later, however, a fourth member of the group, Elihu, will take flattery to a new level.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

18 how that they told you, That in the last time there would be mockers, who would walk after their own ungodly desires.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have already been identified as mockers. They have many modern counterparts now, in the last time.

19 These are those who make divisions, and are as animals, not having the Spirit.

The bottom line is that these men are definitely identified with those who make divisions, and are as animals, not having the Spirit. Instead of bearing good fruit of the Spirit, they make divisions.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Remember that if we are in Christ, it is faith, rather than our own “fat,” that is to be the girdle or covering for our “kidneys.” Then what we say will be good and pleasing to God.

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life,

22 And receive some with mercy, discerning;

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Job has treated his friends with mercy even though they have shown him none. In Job 22:20, Eliphaz speaks offhandedly of the fire that consumed the rest of them, happily oblivious to the fact that he and his friends are in the fire and that God will use Job to pull them out, even though Job hates their garment (or covering) that is defiled by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is powerful to keep you without sin and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

By the Spirit, Job knows him that is powerful to keep you without sin and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, but he wants to actually stand before his throne and present his case.

25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, do[1]minion and power, now and in all the ages. Amen.

It won’t be long before Job has a first-hand encounter with the glory and majesty, dominion and power of God.

In the meantime, he still has to put up with Eliphaz and his sanctimony:

Job 22

22:23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tent;

In fact, now we have enough evidence to question the identity of the particular “Almighty” to which Eliphaz is referring. Could it be that he is so blind as to mistakenly invoke the god of this world instead of God who created the heavens and the earth? The promised rewards that follow make this an open question:

22:24 then thou shalt lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

22:25 And the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

22:26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

22:27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

This is the first chronological reference in Scripture to the paying of vows, which Eliphaz seems to link to prayer. Jesus said:

Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not perjure thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communications be, Yes, yes; No, no; for whatsoever is more than this comes of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)

Look at the downhill progression: (1) Thou shalt make a prayer unto him, and (2) he shall hear thee, and (3) thou shalt pay thy vows. But Jesus cautions us against oaths or vows and tells us not to swear at all, because anything beyond a simple yes or no comes of evil. It apparently does not dawn on Eliphaz that an essential aspect of prayer is for us to hear from God, not just for God to hear our prayer.

22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

The path of the progression continues: (4) Thou shalt also decree a thing, and (5) it shall be established unto thee; and (6) the light shall shine upon thy ways.

In Eliphaz’s parallel universe, man can also decree a thing. Eliphaz thinks we don’t have to wait upon God and hear from him, but rather we can make up our own word of faith and it will be established unto us, and then the light will shine upon our ways. The progressive path that Eliphaz describes here does not lead into God’s ways; it leads into our ways. In fact, the entire concept of us decreeing things out of thin air and having them established is the foundation of the occult that pertains to the realm of Satan.

Satan knows it will be hard to get people to openly acknowledge him and follow his ways if they understand who he is and where those ways lead. His most subtle deception, therefore, lies in convincing us that following our own ways is the natural consequence of recon[1]ciliation with God in a process of give and take (whom we will then meet halfway between our “venial” and our “mortal” sins). The next thing you know, the impostor Satan has taken the place of God and promotes his ministers as angels of light.

Eliphaz finishes his message with some more sanctimonious humanistic boilerplate:

22:29 When others are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

22:30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent; and in the pureness of thine hands thou shalt be kept.

In the prophetic language of the Scriptures, “islands” represent private kingdoms. In God’s view, there is no safe and secure island of the innocent.

There are only seventeen references to islands in Scripture, and this is the first of them. A relevant vision of the apostle John indicates that on the day of the Lord, every mountain and island were moved out of their places (Revelation 6:14). The judgment of God continued until every island fled away, and the mountains were not found (Revelation 16:20).

Moreover, there is no truth in the statement that in the pureness of thine hands thou shalt be kept. Our own hands, no matter how pure, will not be enough to keep us. If we are to be kept, we must be in God’s hands, not man’s.

Job 23

23:1 Then Job answered and said,

This is Job’s eighth discourse.

23:2 Today I will also speak with bitterness; my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

The way of the cross is associated with myrrh, a bitter aromatic spice with a unique and penetrating odor. Myrrh is also one of the five special ingredients of the sacred anointing oil.

23:3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat!

Job knows in his heart and in his spirit that he is not in trouble with God. The problem is how to physically locate the throne (or seat) of God.

23:4 I would order judgment before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

23:5 I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me.

Job is sure that if he could manage to find God’s throne, God would understand him and he would understand God. He knows that he is compatible with God. There are many things he doesn’t understand here and now, but he is certain that if only he could stand before the throne of God, all his questions would quickly be resolved.

23:6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but rather he would put it in me.

23:7 There the righteous might dispute with him; and should I escape for ever from the one who condemns me.

Job cautiously wonders if God will plead against me with his great power and then promptly answers his own question. Of course God won’t do that! Instead, since Job is righteous, God will put his great power inside him to strengthen him so he can plead his case. This is an astounding revelation of a profound mystery in our relationship with God. The apostle Paul described it like this: even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery in the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27).

Job has realized now that he needs to escape for ever from the one who condemns him, a description that seems to be aimed at his “comforters.” He understands that despite his present circumstances, God is not his enemy. Job knows he is righteous and that the righteous have legal standing to take their case before the throne of God and prevail. His problem is, how does he discover the location of God’s throne? Today, after the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, we have a mediator of the new covenant, but in the time of Job, with no guide or intermediary, finding the throne of God was a major difficulty.

23:8 Behold, I shall go to the east and not find him; and to the west, but I cannot perceive him;

23:9 if he is working to the north, I shall not see him; to the south, he hides himself, that I shall not see him.

23:10 But he has known the way that I take; he has tried me, and I have come forth as gold.

Maybe the reason Job cannot see God’s throne in any direction on earth is because the kingdom of God is not of this world.

Even though Job cannot locate God precisely, he finds solace in the fact that God knows the exact way Job has taken. Job is aware he has been tried and has come forth as gold. Gold can symbolize at least two things: (1) Eliphaz, centered on earthly values, enthusiastically wanted to teach Job how to lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir⁷⁰ as the stones of the brooks. In this context, gold is nothing more than temporal treasure. (2) God, on the other hand, has tried Job and brought him forth as gold. In this context, gold symbolizes the nature of God.

⁷⁰ Ophir was a region famous for its fine gold and precious stones. The name, however, means “reduced to ashes” or “reducing to ashes,” and there is no doubt that from an eternal perspective, the gold of this world is worth nothing more than that.

23:11 My feet have held to his steps, I have kept his way, and have not departed.

23:12 Neither have I separated myself from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Having announced that he has come forth as gold, Job now declares, My feet have held to his steps. But how is it possible for him to walk in God’s footsteps? He continues, I have kept his way, and have not departed. What is his way? It is the way of the cross, and when we choose to follow that path, we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and thus of God. The way of the cross means death to the control of the flesh, death to sin, death to the very life and nature of the old, carnal man. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar do not understand this, nor would they believe it to be possible. The secret of Job’s success in holding to God’s steps, keeping his way, and not departing from it lies in his next words: Neither have I separated myself from the commandment of his lips. If we directly hear the voice of God and embrace his word with faith, then we will be granted sufficient grace to walk in his steps, keep his way, and not depart from it. Our priorities are also a factor, of course, and we can see where Job’s priorities lie: I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Bearing in mind Job’s difficulty locating the throne of God so that he can have a face-to-face encounter with him, how is it possible for him to stay connected to the commandment of his lips and to continue to give top priority to the words of his mouth?

Job’s relationship with God is internal. God is in his heart, which is why his heart is perfect; this is how he knows what God is saying. It is not a mind thing; it is a heart thing. Even while the mental battle raged and the fiery darts of the Enemy rained down upon Job, even when his thoughts became as a shadow, the presence of God never left his heart and spirit (and his conscience always remained clean). All through his ordeal, Job’s heart has remained one hundred percent centered on God, and he has given top priority to what God says (even though there has apparently been quite a bit of pain in his “kidneys”).

23:13 But if he determines something, who can turn him? His soul desired it, and he did it.

23:14 Therefore, he will finish that which is necessary for me; and there are many such things in him.

God will finish dealing with Job’s “kidneys” and will complete whatever else he desires to accomplish. When God determines something, Job knows that he will follow through. Job also knows that even though he does not yet have an explanation of why so many terrible things have happened to him, God must have a reason, and so he can say, Therefore he will finish that which is necessary for me. And if this were not sufficient, he adds, and there are many such things in him.

23:15 Therefore, I shall fear before his face; I shall consider, and I shall fear him.

23:16 For God has made my heart tender, and the Almighty has frightened me.

Job is aware that he is dealing directly with the awesome power that made the universe and holds it together, and he realizes how serious it is to come face to face with God with no mediator or veil between them. When God spoke to the children of Israel from Mount Sinai, they drew back in fear as the mountain thundered and smoked and quaked, and the trumpet blasts sent shivers up and down their spines. Those who stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts all died in the wilderness, and only two of those twenty years and older who had heard God’s voice made it into the promised land.

All that has happened to Job has not hardened his heart. To the contrary, he is able to say that God has made my heart tender, even while adding and the Almighty has frightened me. So Job has a soft, tender heart and is filled with the fear of the Lord.

23:17 Why was I not cut off before the darkness, neither has he covered my face with the darkness.

Job’s thoughts go back to that terrible day when he lost his children, most of his servants, and all of his livestock. He wonders, Why was I not cut off before the darkness? In such an all-out, ruthless enemy ambush (and Job pretty well knows now who the real Enemy is), he should have been killed first, and then his attacker should have gone after everything else. Why was he spared? The shadow of death closed in on him when Satan took away his health, yet God never allowed the darkness to cover Job’s face.

Job 24

24:1 Why, seeing that times are not hidden from the Almighty, do those that know him not see his days?

Job can tell that the kingdom of God is not of this world, and he lists many reasons to believe that the world is full of wickedness. However, the question remains: why do we not see his days? Why doesn’t God declare a day of judgment, invade this planet in force, and put a stop to all the dishonesty, injustice, and hypocrisy? Consider what the wicked have done and continue to do, in the spiritual realm as well as the natural.

24:2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed thereof.

The landmarks are the boundary markers, and they can be spiritual as well as natural. In our time as in Job’s, there are those who steal “sheep” and “goats” and feed thereof.

24:3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

The ass is a symbol of flesh (of the carnal man), and the fatherless signifies those who are not in a covenant relationship with Father God. A widow has no husband, and her ox is her only means of plowing ground and providing food for her family. If the desperate needs of a widow (who can also represent an entire congregation) force her to surrender her “ox” for a pledge, she will be at the mercy of those who violently take away flocks and feed thereof. Does any of this sound familiar?

Those who drive away the ass of the fatherless are not interested in reaching the lost. They prefer to take advantage of “widows” (congregations) instead.

24:4 They turn the needy out of the way; and all the poor of the earth hide themselves from them.

These merciless and mercenary people are not interested in helping the needy; the poor of the earth recognize this and wisely hide themselves from them lest what little they have is taken from them. Jesus said, Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:3).

24:5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, they go forth to their work, rising early for a prey; the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

Job compares these thieves to wild asses in the desert. In the kingdom of God, we are to care for widows and orphans, not take advantage of them, but “wild asses” (false ministers) do not live by the principles of the promised land. They operate in “the wilderness” (the untamed nature of the natural man) and use their gifts and abilities to obtain food for them and for their children. They and their spiritual offspring feed on what they have plundered.

24:6 In the field they reap their fodder, and the wicked gather the vintage that is not theirs.

In the field (of ministry) they reap their fodder (they feed on a dry, legalistic word that has no life). Fodder is food for beasts (that is, the natural man, who may be very gifted but does not have the Spirit of God). Wine, on the other hand, is a symbol of life, but there are two vintages – either the life of sour grapes of the natural man or the sweet wine of the life of Christ – and the wicked have no claim on the latter. They can only take advantage of the life of the natural man (which is not really theirs).

24:7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

They manipulate others to bring them under their “covering,” but since they do not have the Spirit of God, they cause the naked to lodge without clothing in their religious institutions. The result is that the naked have no covering in the cold. When God led his people through the wilderness, he spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light in the night (Psalm 105:39). The only effective covering is by the Spirit of God (Isaiah 30:1). Like the children of Israel when they were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, those who are under the covering (or authority) of man instead of the covering of God are not free to be led by the Spirit.

24:8 They are wet with the floods of the mountains and embrace the rock for want of a covering.

These mountains are symbols of strongholds or kingdoms. To be wet with the floods of the mountains is to be tainted by the dogmas and doctrines of the wrong type of “mountain.” The hapless and misguided congregations embrace the rock for want of a covering because they base their security on what seem to be solid doctrines, principles, and values, oblivious to the danger of trusting in anything other than a direct personal relationship with the Lord (Isaiah 28:20; Revelation 6:16).

24:9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge of the poor.

These false ministers wean the spiritual orphans (who are their proselytes) from the milk of the word and place these poor people in their debt even while they manipulate them with guilt.

24:10 They cause the naked to go without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

If they allow the “naked” to be led and covered by the Spirit, they will no longer be able to control them. Thus, if any member of their congregation somehow manages to glean any “sheaves” of the grain of the mature word of God, these so-called ministers do their best to take such nourishment away from those who are hungry for truth.

24:11 They press oil within their walls and tread their wine[1]presses and suffer thirst.

They think that the “oil” of the anointing is only available within the walls of their tightly contained group or institution. They press oil within their walls, but although this anointing or spirit may be supernatural, it is not holy. They tread their winepresses, but what they are treading is the “grapes” of the life of Adam, and the “wine” from such “grapes” will never satisfy the thirst of lost humanity.

24:12 Men groan from out of the city, and the souls of the dead cry out; yet God did not hinder them.

Those who are trapped inside the city of religion groan because there is no deliverance from the control of the flesh. The souls of those who are dead (in trespasses and sin) cry out, yet God did not hinder them (the false ministers). This situation continues today, and God has not yet hindered these so-called spiritual leaders. However, the day of the Lord is fast approaching, and things are about to change radically.

Can you see how Job, inspired by the Spirit, is turning the argument of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar on its head?

24:13 They are among those that rebel against the light; they have never known its ways nor abided in its paths.

In the highest sense, the Lord Jesus is the light. Those who rebel against the light rebel against him. Although he has held out his arms to them, they have never known his ways nor abided in his paths. There will soon be a day of reckoning, however. Jesus said, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22-23, emphasis added).

24:14 The murderer rises with the light, kills the poor and the needy, and in the night is as a thief.

Satan has been a murderer from the beginning of his rebellion, when by flattery and lies he brought sin and death upon the entire human race (Genesis 3; John 8:44). Then, in the ensuing spiritual night, he turned into a thief and usurped the authority that God had given Adam over the earth.

24:15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and disguises his face.

Satan and his ministers love to entice God’s people into spiritual adultery by pretending to have the anointing of God and thus beguiling people to have spiritual communion with them instead of with God. This is the spirit of antichrist. The eye of the adulterer (that is, Satan) waits for the twilight because he wants just enough light to be able to target his victims, the poor and needy (who desperately seek a miracle). He waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me, and disguises his face so his victims will not be able to discern who he really is. This is what Eliphaz may have experienced when he said that a ghost stood in front of me, whose face I did not recognize, and I heard it say … (Job 4:12-21).

24:16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime; they do not know the light.

In the dark they dig through houses (sometimes these ministers of Satan penetrate entire congregations or even denominations and institutions), which they had marked for themselves in the daytime. In the daytime, when God is working and moving, they spy out the houses (places of worship) where they plan to steal sheep or entire flocks (congregations of the people of God), although many times what they steal turns out to really be goats (that is, people who only pretend to believe in God, just as the so-called ministers only pre[1]tend to represent him). That they do not know the light seems to be a contradiction, but the meaning as earlier translated into Old English indicates that they do not have intimate communion with the light, even though they know how to use light to their advantage. All of their lies have a high component of what appears to be truth; otherwise no one would believe them.

24:17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death; if they are known, the terrors of the shadow of death come over them.⁷¹

⁷¹ This verse contains the sixth and seventh references in the book of Job (and overall in Scripture) to the shadow of death.

At first, Job was concerned that he would be pulled into the land of darkness and of the shadow of death (Job 10:21-22). Then he realized that God uncovers the depths of the darkness and brings out to light the shadow of death (Job 12:22). Now Job can see that the morning of God’s light is to the wicked even as the shadow of death. They commit their nefarious deeds under cover of darkness, and if they are discovered and found out by the light, they are known (recognized), and the terrors of the shadow of death come over them.

The wicked may fear the morning as they fear the shadow of death, but Job is starting to see the first faint rays of dawn on his horizon, and it brings him nothing but a sense of relief. Satan, who has been orchestrating Job’s troubles from behind the scenes, is starting to be found out. From a prophetic point of view, the totality of Satan’s antichrist conspiracies has not yet been fully revealed, but we are now at a time when the first faint rays of God’s new day are making our horizon glow. Satan is about to be completely exposed, and when this happens the tables will turn (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Up until now, he has troubled many of God’s people with the shadow of death. Now, however, those same terrors of the shadow of death are about to come over Satan and his sons and all of the wicked. I sense that they are running scared, increasingly aware of the fact that they are out of time.

I find it very interesting that after this intervention from Job, we do not hear another word out of Eliphaz, the Temanite. I think those he represents will find that the terrors of the shadow of death grip them more and more strongly as the morning light of God’s new day intensifies.

Job continues:

24:18 They are swift upon the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; they never come by the way of the vineyards.

The wicked are swift upon the waters of the sea of lost humanity, and their portion (or inheritance) is cursed in the earth (symbolic of the people of God, that is, Israel and the church).

Why do they never come by way of the vineyards?

In the vineyards of God, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. These grapes of that vineyard produce the wine of the life of Christ. Satan and his followers may not fear us much, since we are mere branches, but he is deathly afraid of the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are in Christ and if his life flows in and through us to produce the fruit of righteousness, then the Enemy can never come by the way of the vineyards.

24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol consume those who have sinned.

Sheol (the grave) is a real place linked to death and to the abyss or bottomless pit. It also symbolizes the insatiable appetites of the natural man that consume those who have sinned. We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), a penalty that was paid by the rich man described in Luke 16. Soon after this man arrived in Hades (Sheol), he was “tormented in this flame” and begged for water to cool his tongue, only to be reminded that “thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things.” The “good things” of the natural world are transient, like beautiful snow packs that gradually melt and are consumed in the midst of drought and heat. Sin and death, however, can be ongoing processes.

24:20 The Merciful One shall forget them; the worm shall feed sweetly on them; they shall never be remembered again; and iniquity shall be broken as a tree.⁷²

Who is the Merciful One?

This title is clearly messianic. It is used twice in Scripture, with an additional thirteen references being in the plural.⁷³ The Merciful One himself is a title of Christ, and his merciful ones (who reflect this aspect of his nature) are those who are in covenant with God by sacrifice (Psalm 50:5) and those who are members of the priesthood of all believers (Psalm 132:9, 16). God’s plan from the beginning has been, of course, to have a royal priesthood of all believers with Jesus Christ as our new high priest (Hebrews 6:20; Revelation 5:10). Job is a precursor to this, and God uses him as a priest in the restoration and redemption of his three friends (Job 42:7-9). This is the first mention of the title of Merciful One in the writings of Scripture, with the second being in Psalm 16:10.

Whom shall the Merciful One forget?

The wicked who have gone past the point of no return. Remember that when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death⁷⁴ (James 1:15). After the death of such wicked sinners, the worm shall feed sweetly on them and they shall never be remembered again. This is how iniquity shall be broken like a tree that has been so badly damaged it can never recover enough to thrust out new growth.

⁷² When a whirlwind (or a tornado or a hurricane) comes by, many trees are broken. When God comes on the scene at the end of this book, the first thing that everyone perceives is a whirlwind (Job 38:1).

⁷³ For the LORD loves uprightness and does not forsake his merciful ones; they are preserved for ever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off (Psalm 37:28). Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7). Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Job is one of God’s merciful ones.

⁷⁴ Remember that the death of the natural man is linked to Sheol (or Hades) and that those who remain in Hades will eventually be brought to the final judgment observed by John in which whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:11-15)

24:21 He afflicted the barren woman that did not conceive and never did good unto the widow.

He refers to the Wicked One, of course, but who is the barren woman that did not conceive?

Barren wives in Scripture were real women (for example, Abraham’s wife Sarah and Jacob’s wife Rachel) who were afflicted with a real and heartbreaking problem, but they are also symbolic of willing and dedicated people of God who know that they are expected to bear good fruit but who recognize that they are sterile and barren and will never fulfill God’s expectations unless he performs a miracle in them. Satan afflicts and taunts these barren people even while he flatters hypocrites who reproduce carnal proselytes. In order for spiritual sons of God to be born (again), God must perform a miracle of grace.

He never did good unto the widow.

Why is this?

The Wicked One and his followers attempt to take advantage of widows in a literal sense because they do not have a husband to defend or care for them, and therefore they are seen as easy prey.

Matters are a bit complex in the spiritual realm. For example, Paul refers to the earthly realm when he writes that the law has dominion over a man only as long as he lives … [and that] the woman who is subject to a husband is obligated to the law so long as the husband lives; but if the husband dies, she is free from the law of the husband (Romans 7:1-2). However, as individuals, if we follow the footsteps of Jesus along the way of the cross, this will lead to the death of our carnal selves, and we will become dead to sin (Romans 6:2; 1 Peter 2:24).

In spiritual terms, this death will free us from the compulsive bondage to sin and the flesh that coerced and controlled us like a domineering, manipulative husband. God will circumcise such compulsive desires right out of our hearts, and once we are spiritual “widows,” we are free to belong to a new husband, Jesus the Christ. Now we are free from the law of death in which we were held, that we might serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6). Satan hates this, and therefore he will never lift a finger to do good unto the widow because “widows” are free of the earthly lusts that would keep them his prisoner. Instead, they can enter a joyous spiritual union with Jesus.

24:22 He furthered the violent with his power; he did not lend to anyone in his life.

The Wicked One (again, note the singular pronoun “he”) furthered the violent with his power. He aided and abetted those who took the law into their own hands. He did not lend to anyone in his life. Not only does Satan never give anything to mankind, he doesn’t even lend anything to anyone, ever. On the other hand, Jesus freely died for us that we might partake of his life. What a contrast!

24:23 If he gave credit to some to take them over, his eyes were upon their ways.

Even though Satan never lends anyone anything, he does on occasion grant credit to some to take them over. If Satan gives credit, it is at usury, with the goal being to take them over. Anything Satan gives will have serious strings attached. If he invests in anyone, he only does so because his eyes were upon their ways, carefully observing their attitude and their conduct while calculating where to invest his limited resources for the greatest possible return.

24:24 They were exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the heads of grain.

If Satan gave credit to some to take them over, flattery would be one of the ways by which he would persuade his victim to accept this “loan,” puffing them up with pride at being selected, but unfortunately, They were exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low. Those in whom Satan invests will only be exalted for a little while, as their time here upon the earth will soon run out and then they will be virtually useless to him. As soon as they are dead and gone and brought low, awaiting final judgment in Sheol, it is clear that they are taken out of the way as all others and cut off as the tops of the heads of grain.

Those in whom God invests, on the other hand, will likely face humility and adversity and rejection, even in the midst of, or inter[1]twined with, blessing and prosperity. God will search their heart and their kidneys. Their faith will be tried by fire. Among them will be those who, like Job, are able to say that he has known the way that I take; he has tried me, and I have come forth as gold. My feet have held to his steps, I have kept his way, and have not departed (Job 23:10-11). These virtuous ones will enter a glorious future for all eternity, either when they come face to face with God on their death or when Jesus comes back.

24:25 And if it is not so now, who will make me a liar or reduce my speech to nothing?

Job 25

25:1 Then Bildad, the Shuhite, answered, and said,

This is Bildad’s third intervention. It is short and his words seem restrained, yet there are serious issues with what he affirms and what he questions.

25:2 Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high places.

It appears that Bildad is still not clear about the magnitude of the problem that Satan is causing and the extent of his infiltration, usurpation, and dominion upon the earth. Bildad thinks God makes peace in his high places, and while ultimately this will be true, meanwhile a huge conflict rages not only on earth but in heaven. The confrontation between God and Satan that triggered most of the events recorded in this book took place on high and continues.

Bildad glibly declares, Dominion and fear are with God, and therefore he makes peace in his high places. He seems to understand that God is sovereign, but he does not realize how God uses his power and dominion, and it is this lack of comprehension that created the fundamental flaw in his reasoning that seriously marred his two previous interventions. By immediately applying dominion and fear, God could simply overwhelm those who disagree with him, but he chooses not to do so. He is slow to anger and measured in his response. Having created us (and the angels) with free will, he allows the consequences to play out so that everyone in heaven and earth will not only fear him but will realize he is truly good and just and righteous. The peace he provides, which passes understanding, does not come from the arbitrary use of brute force.

25:3 Is there any number to his armies? And upon whom does his light not arise?

Like Bildad, many people seem to think there must be no limit to the armies of Almighty God, and indeed, there is no reason to think he cannot create as many angels and other creatures as he wishes. However, his goal is not simply to spawn a huge fighting force. God desires for those who are in his armies to love him and follow his orders out of profound respect and admiration (this is the true “fear of the Lord” that he seeks). He does not want to compel their obedience through horror or terror.⁷⁵

⁷⁵ We know that although most of the heavenly hosts appear to have sided with God, a significant portion sided with Satan. However, there are some hints in Scripture which suggest that throughout history, some of them may have still been making up their minds. When God sent a special envoy to answer the words of Daniel, the messenger said, I am come because of thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days: and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me (Daniel 10:12-13). Remarkably, it took a twenty-one day battle, which was only settled through Michael’s intervention, just for God to send Daniel an answer.

Bildad also wants to know, And upon whom does his light not arise?

The answer is that the entire kingdom of Satan is in spiritual darkness, and those who live in or under that kingdom walk in that darkness; likewise, anyone who hates his brother is in darkness (1 John 2:9-11). Of course the natural light of the sun shines upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous, but spiritual light is a different matter. Jesus wrote to the angel of the congregation of Ephesus, Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen and repent and do the first works, or else I will come and remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).

25:4 How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he that is born of a woman be clean?⁷⁶

The word “justified” is used eight times in the book of Job. The first usage in Scripture is when Job responded to Bildad’s first intervention with the words I know it is so of a truth, but how shall a man be justified with God? (Job 9:2)⁷⁷ Now Bildad asks the very same question.

How then can man be justified⁷⁸ with God?

People have struggled with this question throughout the ages. David, for example, pleaded with God to enter not into judgment with thy slave; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified (Psalm 143:2). If justification with God is so difficult – or even (in David’s view) impossible – to achieve, we must first understand what it is. The New Testament links justification to grace and faith.⁷⁹ Paul sums it up: he that is dead is justified from sin. In order to be fully justified we must not only be born again by the Spirit of God, but the “old man” with its affinity for sin must die, crucified with Christ (Romans 6:1-11).

⁷⁶ The only clean person ever born of a woman is Jesus Christ, and we can be clean if we are in him.

⁷⁷ Later, in response to Zophar, who had sneered, Should a man full of talk be justified? (Job 11:2), Job declared, Behold now, if I draw near unto the judgment; I know that I shall be justified (Job 13:18). Eliphaz’s take on the subject was, What is man that he should be clean and that he that is born of a woman should be justified? (Job 15:14).

⁷⁸ The root word, “justify,” in its different forms occurs seventy times in Scripture (a major theme).

⁷⁹ … being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom God purposed for reconciliation through faith in his blood for the manifestation of his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past, by the patience of God, manifesting in this time his righteousness that he only be the just one and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24-28).

Justification is an important legal requirement for salvation, which is why death was able to hold hostage in Sheol the unjustified souls of virtually everyone who had departed this life (even those considered to be righteous, like Abraham) until Jesus himself died and went down and overcame death and – led captivity captive (Ephesians 4:8-10; Acts 2:25-31). Jesus holds the keys to death and to Sheol (Revelation 1:18) and we are justified in his blood, reconciled to God by his death, and shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:9-10).

Various scriptural figures stress different aspects of justification at different times. Isaiah, for instance, ties the justification of all the generation of Israel to the coming of the messiah.⁸⁰ James, on the other hand, links justification to works of faith that only God can inspire us to do, as we trust in him (James 2:20-26).⁸¹ However, Jesus tells us, But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37). In this sense, God justified Job when he said to Eliphaz, My wrath has been kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken by me in uprightness, as my slave Job has (Job 42:7). Note that God’s judgment was based on what each one of them had said. In other words, God confirmed that Job really spoke by him (by the Spirit) in uprightness while the others had not.

⁸⁰ And unto me he [God] shall say, Surely in the LORD is the righteousness and the strength; until he shall come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the generation of Israel be justified and shall glory. (Isaiah 45:24-25)

⁸¹ … being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom God purposed for reconciliation through faith in his blood for the manifestation of his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past, by the patience of God, manifesting in this time his righteousness that he only be the just one and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24-28)

Bildad also wants to know:

How can he that is born of a woman be clean?

The answer is that he that is born of a woman can never be clean unless he is born again from above by the Spirit of God. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, who sneaked over by night to see him, Except a person be born again from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:1-3). Bildad was haunted by this question because he was still in the dark; like Nicodemus, he had not been born again spiritually into the light.

25:5 Behold, even the moon shall not shine, neither are the stars pure in his sight.

According to the creation account, God declared, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for appointed times and for days and years (Genesis 1:14). The Jewish calendar of the Bible is lunar based, with each new month starting on a new moon.

As he begins to make the case for the hopeless corruption and depravity of man, Bildad announces, Behold, even the moon shall not shine. He knows this to be true because the moon goes through a predictable twenty-nine-and-a-half-day cycle of waxing to a full moon and then waning to nothing. God designed it that way as part of his program for signs and for appointed times and for days and years.

On the spiritual side, however, the fact that the moon has a cycle of about the same duration as the menstrual cycle of most women has caused some to consider the moon to be a symbol of the people of God under law. In prophetic language, the congregation or people of God are frequently portrayed as a woman. Those under law instead of grace will always wax and wane and go from one extreme to the other. At the time of the end, the sun of this world will become black as sackcloth of hair and the moon as blood (Revelation 6:12) because keeping the law (or doing our own good works) will not be able to save anyone (Romans 3:10, 20). Salvation, like justification, is inextricably linked to grace and faith. In the new creation, however, the light of the sun and the moon will be different.⁸²

⁸² Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD binds up the breach of his people and heals the stroke of their wound. (Isaiah 30:26).

Neither are the stars pure in his sight.

The stars symbolize the heavenly hosts and also the spiritual descendants of Abraham by faith. Approximately one third of the heavenly angelic hosts seem to have joined Satan and thus are no longer pure (Revelation 12:3-4).

25:6 How much less man, who is as a worm, and the son of man, who is also a worm?

A worm is symbolic of corruption. If the son of man (human offspring) is also a worm, this indicates that man can only reproduce corruption and can never be clean. Bildad apparently has not observed the wonderful process of metamorphosis in which a lowly, drab, earth-bound worm or caterpillar is transformed into a glorious, colorful butterfly that can overcome gravity and fly.

It is clear that Bildad knows little or nothing about the prophecies regarding the Lord Jesus Christ (but he could obviously benefit greatly if he were more willing to hear and receive God’s prophet, Job – which fortunately he did in the end after God intervened). Bildad is completely unaware that Jesus (in his pre-incarnate, incarnate, and post-incarnate forms) is the light of the world and the supreme commander of the heavenly armies; similarly, he does not know that Jesus will be born of a woman as a man, delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25), and that he will never see corruption.

Let us pray

Lord, we thank you for this message, and we ask that we may always walk in your light. We ask for discernment so we will not invert or confuse things with our human reasoning. May we receive your word by faith, and may you infuse in us such love of the truth that we may follow in your footsteps wherever you lead until we are completely transformed. Amen.