Looking for Comfort (Job #11)

Text: Job 15-17

Eliphaz is too proud to be a comforter (chapter 15

  • Eliphaz is going to accuse Job based on his own experiences, or what he perceives to be his own experiences.  Look at Job 15:17-19. This is the basis of Eliphaz’s argument against Job.
  • Eliphaz argues that Job’s confusion is proof he’s condemned (vss 1-6)
    • Eliphaz says a wise man would understand what to do, but since Job doesn’t know what to do, that reveals that Job is under God’s judgment as a fool.
    • In other words, Job’s confusion is an evident token of his condemnation.
    • Unreasonable accusation that if Job has questions about what God is doing then Job is wicked.
    • Having questions about what God is doing is fine.
    • But blaming God and indicting God because of your questions is another thing.  Job doesn’t use his questions to accuse God of anything or to curse God.
  • Eliphaz despises Job’s inexperienced youth (vss 7-16)
    • 7-13 your youth and inexperience makes you a fool
    • 15:7 “old as the hills”
    • 15:9-10 Eliphaz is older than Job’s dad.  Remember Eliphaz is a generation older than Job.  Isaac is Eliphaz’s grandfather and Isaac is Job’s great grandfather.
    • Says Job is an arrogant young brat
    • 14-16 man is unclean especially man who loves filth
  • Eliphaz gives a series of observations that aren’t true (vss 17-35)
    • 17-19 Eliphaz says his experience in life and the experience of all past generations has always been what’s about to follow: wicked people suffer and die young, good people have joy live to be old.
    • Vs 20 – wicked people live short painful lives.  Well, that’s not true.
    • God calls this being deceived.  You’re completely convinced of a lie.  You think you saw something you didn’t see.  You think you heard something you didn’t hear.  You think you felt something you didn’t feel.

Job would be a comforter (16:1-5)

  • Job says he could say the same things about Eliphaz if Eliphaz lost family and property, but he wouldn’t.
  • Do unto others…

Job has no comforter (16:6-10)

  • Nothing is comfortable in verse 6.
  • All the friends that came over to empathize with Job are accusers.
  • Compare to the crucifixion in verses 9-11.  God the Father would have to turn his face from Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ would have no comforter.

Job’s misery is authored by God (16:11-14)

  • God is authoring patience in Job.
  • This will also be for others to see.
  • 1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Effects of Job’s discomfort (16:15-16)

Looking for a comforter (16:17-22)

  • Job is an innocent party here just as he says in verse 17.
  • Injustice prevails on the earth, so the righteous look to heaven for help.
  • The Comforter will come.  John 14