Job 15:1-21:34--The Second Series of Speeches

Text:  Job 15:1-21:34 CSB - Second Series of Speeches Eliphaz - Bible Gateway
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The debate continues with the oldest going first and Job responding, then the next oldest, and Job responding, then the youngest of Job's three friends speaking, and Job responding, often speaking two or three times as much as his friends so he can both reply and rebut.

Job calls them "worthless comforters," which is a great description.  His "friends" are no different than his enemies now, and he is ready to count the LORD as one who is counted as an enemy.  They proclaim themselves to be wise, but in doing so, they show themselves to be fools.  They assume that what has happened to Job is evidence that he is under the judgment of God for being wicked.

Job knows that this is temporary and that because his Redeemer lives, he will see God face-to-face and will be with the LORD in what they would have called Paradise.  Job no longer has any hope for this life, but knows that God will not break His covenant and will deliver Job unto all the good things that have been promised to him, even if those good things don't come in this life.  Job's friends think that this is crazy talk and that the trials that Job is going through are signs of an even greater judgment to come upon Job after he dies.  Their logic is that God does not treat His children this way, therefore, Job cannot be one of God's children.  It's not good logic, and God will call them out for it later.

It is ironic that these men think they are something and think they are saved, but it certainly sounds in the end like the LORD says that they are not his people and they need to listen to Job and go to Job so that Job can make atonement for them and pray for them that they might be saved.  Perhaps they were saved and they will be in the presence of the LORD also and they will receive true wisdom from Him.

This book is a great argument against the prosperity gospel or the idea of "karma" where good things come to good people and evil things to evil people.  Everyone faces the same end--they die and are forgotten.  Yet, the righteous man is saved from the ultimate disaster of hell by the LORD.  There is nothing that Job's friends can look to in this life that is really going to cheer him up, because everything this world has to offer is temporary and fleeting.  He would rather live for rewards and treasures that he is storing up in heaven.  He just wishes that he could understand why the LORD had seemed to turn on him because he does not understand the first scene that we saw in this book where Satan came to God and God brought up Job to Satan and Satan asked permission to test Job (and God) to see if Job was really as faithful as God said he was.