41. Discredit (2)

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Hymns: RHC 263 Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken; 264 I Am Coming to the Cross; 267 Only Trust Him        

Job 15:1-16

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? 3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. 5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. 6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 11Arethe consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. 16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? (Job 15:2-16 KJV)

Discredit (2)

OUTLINE

  • No Fear of God (v1-6)
  • Disrespectful (v7-10)
  • Unrepentant Sinners (v11-16)

INTRODUCTION

This is the “2ndDuel of Discourses” as Eliphaz speaks for the second time, not to be true comforters. The words uttered were not prayerful, sanctified utterances with humility, patience and love. He sought to discredit the testimony of Job through false accusation.

He sought not encourage but to destroy his ailing friend. Circle after circle, round after round of afflictions by torrent of unsanctified words, imagine if you are in this predicament. It is indeed a mental torture. 

Some called Job’s friends the terrible triac, self-hired attorney and the lawless lawyers. May the Lord help us to be true comforters and encouragers that we might reflect our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Counselor we can turn for helper…

  • No Fear of God (v1-6)

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? 3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. 5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. 6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 

Job’s speech is denounced as “vain knowledge” by Eliphaz. In 15:2, the east wind was not only tempestuous and vehement, but sultry, and destructive to vegetation. It passed over vast deserts, and was characterized by great dryness and heat. It is used here to denote a manner of discourse that had in it nothing profitable. (Barnes)

Not only is Job accused of speaking vainly, he is charged of not fearing God. This is stark contrast with God’s assessment of him Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”

1 Corinthians 2 “…and with all thy getting, get understanding.”

Job’s life was not unto Godliness but ungodliness according to Eliphaz. A false accusation.

You recall we studied in the book of Proverbs concerning godliness by Denis Gibson. It is worth recounting.

Here is a summary statement of the purpose of Proverbs. The opening verses contain words of wisdom unmatched in any other literature. The word wisdom gathers up the whole teaching of Proverbs. The facets of wisdom “all shade into one another, and any one of them can be used to represent the whole” (Kidner). Wisdom is instruction, equity, understanding, and judgment. It gives subtilty to the simple. Meaning, knowledge, and discretion are perceived, where to hear is to obey. Wise practice is true wisdom! “The most intensely practical thing in life is godliness.” The one who does not practice godliness is the real fool. Here is the perfection of sanctified sense (Ps. 19:10-11).

  1. Something to Appreciate: A wise man will hear with open ears and attentive mind. Words of instruction or correction are not popular today, but how needed! Perceive (bin) and understand are from the same root as between! One who sees between things or reads between the lines is wise (Phil. 1:10). Moral qualities blend with mental. Proverbs leads to conduct. Those who act with justice (or righteousness), judgment and equity (v.3) are wise. Wise ones are righteous. The understanding ones are godly! Get your “heart” in accord with your “head”! The wicked who use their intellect for evil ends are described as wily but not wise. This Book of Proverbs is the opposite of how man’s wisdom evaluates things!
  2. Something to Appropriate: Will increase learning (taking), and those who do, shall attain wisdom by taking wise counsels, and nautical term for steering. Note the contrast in vs.4-5 between inexperiencedyouth and wise and mature adults. A simple person is not mentally slow, but who is open to either good or bad. Folly results from lack of experience as much as arrogance or pride. Let the simple expect to meet subtilty (Gen. 3:1) that tempts to the wrong way, but also possess subtilty in response to tempters (Matt. 10:16). Obeying wise counsels augments learning, and helps simple ones to steer the right course on the rough seas of life. These proverbs are for all, regardless of age or experience.
  3. Something to Appreciate: Understand a proverb, and the interpretation (satire, enigma); the words of the wise and their dark sayings (riddles). They represent the riddle of life itself and require more wisdom than we generally have. “The great thoughts of great men are luminous in themselves, but dark to the thoughtless because their eyes are closed” (Thomas). They are often put in such a way as to need special interpretation (Hab. 2:6, 1 Kings 10:1, Dan. 8:23). If the young can understand the words of “wise men,” they will have the key to all the proverbs (Mk. 4:13). John Milton believed, “The end of learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love him, and to imitate him as we may, the nearest, by possessing our souls of true virtue.” This true knowledge of God is never a burden, but one of life’s richest blessings.
  • Disrespectful (v7-10)

 7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 

Job is charged with presumptuous speech, talking down to his elderly friends – Job 15:10 “With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.”

Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

He outlines six things that should exemplify a man of God that Timothy should seek. He says “stop letting anyone despise thy youth. To despise means “to contemn, despise, disdain, think little or nothing of.” This was what the people in Ephesus were doing. It means “do not even begin to let anyone despise thy youth.” He was obviously younger than some or many of those in his church. He was exhorted to be an example in 6 areas of his life. 

  • In Word – Careful in his words what he says to others, speech be right and proper
  • In Conversation – conduct, behaviour, deportment
  • In Charity – brotherly affection, good will, benevolence
  • In Spirit – being led by the Holy Spirit, being lively (spiritually speaking) yet governed and controlled
  • In Faith – having confidence and conviction in the promises of God
  • In Purity – live characterized by holiness [DA Waite]
  • Unrepentant Sinner (v11-16)

11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. 16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Job is charged with gross sin – one who drinks iniquity with water! Eliphaz claims he is right in his assessment of Job’s predicament. 

Arethe consolations of God small with thee? Meaning either those which Eliphaz and his friends had administered, when, upon his repentance and reformation, they promised him great and good things that should befall him and his family, and that his latter end should be greater than his beginning; which Job slighted, took no notice of, nor entertained any hope concerning it; and these they called the consolations of God, not only because great, as things excellent have the name of God added to them, to express their excellency, but because they were administered in the name of God, and were according to the word and will of God, at least as they thought.

2 Corinthians 1:4-5 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

God is the great Comforter, it is he only can speak and apply comfort to purpose; and his consolations are not to be accounted “small”, if it be considered from whence they come, from the great God, the Creator, to creatures, dust and ashes, sinful ones, on whom they are bestowed, such as are undeserving of them, yea, deserving of the wrath of God, and the curses of his law; and also the nature of these comforts, as that they are strong consolations, and effectual through the power and grace of God, and are everlasting, the matter and foundation of them being so; and though they may be refused through unbelief, as being too great in the view of a sinful creature for himself yet they can never be accounted small, or slighted and despised by a gracious soul; nor can it be though they were by Job, since he was so distressed with the arrows of the Almighty, a sense of divine wrath, and was so desirous of the divine Presence, and even begged he might take comfort a little. [Gill]