CCI - Job Chapters 15 -21 - Conversation Turns Argumentative

{The reading of this book of Job might seem difficult.  One reason for that might be that Job goes in and out of prayer.  He speaks directly to each of his friends individually, then shifts his words to all of them in general, then abruptly turns his words to address God.  So to follow him in his speeches takes concentration.  I think what is more important is the flavor of his speeches and the downward direction of his attitude while speaking.}

Job has heard all three of his visitors make their speeches concerning Job and his afflictions.  Job is disappointed with how little their help has been to him.  In fact they have made his attitude worse.  In response to each of them, he has increasingly vented his frustration with them.  In their first round of speeches, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar focused on the general nature of God.  In this second round of speeches they seem to concentrate on their perceptions of the fate of sinful people which seem to point fingers at Job.

Chapter 15  -  Eliphaz’ Second Speech

In his first speech Eliphaz opened politely.  Not so in this second one.  He is accusatory against Job.  He is actually suggesting that Job was being blasphemous in his words.  In vs 5 he accuses Job of adopting the tongue of the crafty.  {This is an insult.  A crafty person was considered a trickster that no one could trust.}  Eliphaz goes on in vs 10 to suggest that older and wiser men “are on our side”.  {This speech is damaging to Job because it casts Job in the category of wicked sinners.}

Chapters 16-17  -  Job’s Response

Job has now resorted to returning insults.  Chapter 16 begins with him telling all of them that they are “miserable comforters”.  They were all too long-winded and full of empty words.  Then in chapter 17 he returns to self-loathing and wishes to die.  {As I read chapter 16, I am even more convinced that all Job wanted from his friends was for them to feel sorry for him.  This is not unusual.  We all find ourselves in this state of mind on occasion and we just want a moment of pity rather than correction or a sermon centered around our own short-comings.}

Chapter 18  -  Bildad’s Second Speech

Bildad is starting to voice frustration with Job because Job is not listening to any of this great advice.  After reading the previous two chapters, Bildad seems to be “kicking a man while he’s down”, as he is turning Job’s own words against him.

Chapter 19  -  Job’s Reply to Bildad’s Second Speech

Look at verse 2.  Job has become in direct contention with these three men.  He asks, “How long will you torment me?”  He now considers them not only foolish, but cruel.  He accuses them of placing themselves beside God and condemning Job, when none of them has any real knowledge of what had brought on this calamity in Job’s life.  He lists some of the tragic events that has happened to him, then in verse 21 he directly asks them to have pity on him.  This should have made these men adjust their thoughts and attitudes.

Chapter 20  -  Zophar’s Second Speech

It seems Zophar actually interrupts Job.  Zophar is beyond frustration with this whole visit.  He suggests that there is a wide gap between the thoughts of Job and the thoughts of the three men.  He repeats his earlier thoughts that God punishes wicked men, suggesting that Job is guilty, thus deserving of all that has befallen him.

Chapter 21  -  Job’s Response to Zophar

{I realize this seems to be getting monotonous as this conversation has turned argumentative and the two sides have grown further apart with each speech.}  Job tells them they can go ahead and laugh at him if they want to, but he has not changed his mind.  Interesting are verses 7-13, as Job again waxes philosophical, still confused why God seems to reward the wicked and punish the righteous.  This weighs heavily on Job’s mind and consumes his thoughts.  To add to this are verses 14-16 as Job tells how the wicked go so far as to mock God, but seem to be blessed anyway.  Verse 34 tells us that Job’s attitude toward his visitors has now deteriorated to calling their words lies (falsehood).

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