Chapter 22
Is not God in the height of heaven?
and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Job 22:12
Eliphaz’s last speech
God gains nothing from a man’s behavior
v1 Eliphaz, who belonged to the people called Temanites, answered. He said:
v2 Nobody can assist God. Even a wise man cannot advise God. v3 God does not benefit if you are a good man. God does not gain anything if you are perfect.
Verses 1-3
In Job 21:14-15, Job spoke about the attitudes of wicked people. Such people will not serve God because there is no benefit for them. But Job would not behave like them.
Even when Job lost all his possessions, he praised God (Job 1:21).
But Eliphaz had made a list of many benefits that God gives (Job 5:20-26). And Eliphaz believed that prayer has real value (Job 15:4).
They were both right. God gives many good things to us (Matthew 5:3-9). But we should not serve God merely for the benefits that we receive (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Whatever happens, we should still trust God (Matthew 5:10-12).
v4 God does not accuse a holy man. v5 God accuses you, Job, because you are very evil. You have done so many evil deeds.
· v6 When you lent even a small loan, you forced your brothers to hand over their property. You even took their clothes, so that they were naked.
· v7 You did not provide water for people who were weak. You did not provide food for hungry people. v8 But you were a powerful man, who owned much land. You were a man whom people respected.
· v9 You gave nothing to widows.
· You caused children to suffer. And those children had no fathers to protect them.
v10 This is why you have so many troubles. This is why you are suddenly afraid. v11 You are like a man who cannot see in the darkness. Then a flood drowns that man. v12 But God is in the highest heavens. His home is even higher than the stars. v13 But you say, ‘God does not know about me. He cannot see me because of the darkness. v14 Thick clouds surround God, so that he does not see us. He belongs in heaven.’
v15 These are ancient ideas, but they are the ideas of evil men. v16 Such men died when they were still young. The flood killed them. v17 They said to God, ‘Go away! God does nothing that affects us.’ v18 But God filled their houses with good things. This is why I refuse to obey a wicked man’s advice.
v19 A good man is glad when evil men suffer. An innocent man laughs. v20 He says, ‘God has punished our enemies. So, fire burns their possessions.’
v21 Learn from God! Do not oppose him! Then you will be successful again. v22 Allow God to teach
you! Learn his words! v23 Trust God again! He will help you. Stop your evil behaviour!
Keith Simons
v24 Do not trust in money! Return your gold to the rocks where you found it! v25 If you do this, God will defend you. And he is better than gold or fine silver.
v26 Then you will be pleased with God. You will be glad that God sees you. v27 When you pray, God will hear you. And you will give the gifts that you promised to God. v28 You will achieve the things that you decide to do. You will be successful.
v29 When someone is sad, you will pray, ‘God, help that person!’ And God will help that person. v30 You will even pray for someone who is guilty. And God will rescue that person. God will answer your prayer because you will be innocent.
Verses 4-5
At last, Eliphaz accused Job clearly. He said that God was punishing Job for his evil deeds.
Verses 6-9
Eliphaz began his list of Job’s evil deeds. Job did not really do any such things. Eliphaz had no evidence, so he was guessing.
Verses 10-11
Job’s friends thought that such behaviour was the reason for Job’s troubles.
Verse 12
God is in heaven, so he sees all our actions (Psalm 139). And his knowledge is perfect. So he knows our errors.
Verses 13-14
Evil people imagine that God cannot see their evil deeds (Psalm 14:1).
Verse 15
The three friends told Job to learn from ancient advice (Job 8:8-9; Job 15:10; Job 20:4). But Eliphaz knew that some ancient advice is wrong.
Verses 16-17
Perhaps this refers to Noah’s flood (Genesis chapters 6-8). God destroyed the ancient world by a flood, because its people were very evil.
Verse 18
Eliphaz agreed that God gave good things to these evil people. But they would not serve God, so God punished them.
In the second line, Eliphaz repeated Job’s words in Job 21:16. Eliphaz refused to obey the advice of wicked men because they do not appreciate God’s good gifts. But Job refused to obey their advice because he respected God.
Verses 19-20
Job was afraid when he thought about the lives of wicked people (Job 21:6). But Eliphaz was glad to think about their troubles. He was sure that God would soon punish them.
Verses 21-23
Eliphaz did not accuse Job in order to upset him. Eliphaz wanted to help his friend. So Eliphaz hoped that Job would confess his evil deeds to God.
Verses 24-25
These are good words. Eliphaz realised that real success is not money. Nobody should trust their wealth. We should trust God. Eliphaz emphasised his ideas with humor. Men used to find gold in the rocks (Job 28:6; Job 28:10). So Eliphaz told Job that his gold belonged in the rocks. Job should return his gold and trust God instead.
Verses 26-28
Job wished that God did not watch him (Job 7:19). But Job hoped for the day when he could speak with God (Job 14:15).
Verses 29-30
Eliphaz’s words were sincere. But they had a meaning that Eliphaz did not expect. Job was already a good man (Job 1:8). And Job’s prayers mattered to God (Job 40:1-5), although Job did not yet realise this.
