Job 15 Commentary
Eliphaz speaks again. He accuses Job of lacking seriousness, arguing with empty words. It is the result of Job’s sinfulness.
“What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?” During this debate’s first round, Eliphaz presented the same argument: “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?”
Probably because of Eliphaz’s argument Job stated, “Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble.”
Even in the context of this book, we fail to understand Eliphaz. The LORD Himself declared Job “blameless and an upright man”. What is Eliphaz talking about?
In the context of the entire written word of God, God sent His Son to “heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind”. Eliphaz’s argument would make God’s mission fruitless where none recovers sight, and none is healed!
Of course, the same scripture declares, “none is righteous, not even one”. But we know Eliphaz isn’t thinking from this angle! He is “happy” that Job has suffered the punishment of the wicked because he is one.
Eliphaz views God as a loveless “rigid natural law”.
Regardless, in the context of the entire scripture, a connection exists between Eliphaz’s statement and Job’s observed sad state of mortals, being of few days and full of trouble. It should be the case for mortals coming from Eve’s womb. In Eden, humanity messed with the factory. Consequently, everything down the production line is faulty and is subject to suffering.
Eliphaz’s lack of any reference to grace makes his argument bad.
So, can those born of a woman be pure? The LORD, God Almighty, answers this very question here by presenting Job. He is one born of a woman, living and walking among men, who the LORD declares righteous.
Again, the reader is reminded that the characters in this book are fictitious. But the scripture is projecting the picture of a real man called Jesus, whom the LORD would declare righteous, in whom the LORD is well pleased.
He is the second Adam. The LORD is boasting about him and claims he is perfection itself. He won’t fall like the first Adam. The role of Job’s wife can roughly be contrasted with the role of Adam’s wife. In this Book, the scripture is saying more than we can see.
In the second section of this chapter, Eliphaz argues that whoever invests in lies gets lies for interest. No one should be cheated; you reap what you sow. Job must have invested in lies, hence the heavy hand of the LORD over his life. But we know better. Let the saint know better.
When suffering is not a result of Eliphaz’s equation, let the saint stay happy knowing that the LORD is sovereign.
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