When God Becomes My Satan (Job 16:1-22)

“Job, you’re a wicked windbag! “
“And a hypocritical wicked windbag to boot!”
That’s Eliphaz’s chapter 15 sermon-of-encouragement in a nutshell.

Charles Swindoll says, “People who are graceless and insulting don’t get a clue unless you are equally strong in return…truth hurts is a familiar saying…there are times its unvarnished direct blows are needed.” Job decided to strike the Comforters with some direct and unvarnished blows of his own.

16:1 Then Job answered, 2 “I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all. 3 Is there {no} limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?”

In a paradoxical statement, “Comforters who bring (increase) misery” is how Job characterizes his friends. They simply cannot fathom how an emaciated and scab encrusted person like Job could be innocent. It doesn’t fit their theology. So Job just throws their own words back at them. In Job 15:35 Eliphaz says, “The wicked (that’s you Job) conceive misery and give birth to emptiness..." But Job erupts, “You are comforters whose theology produces misery!" (The word “sorry” in 16:2 is the same as “misery” in 15:35). Hartley writes, “But in his present plight, pious platitudes serve only to increase his misery.” Pious platitudes. The word “platitude” is defined as “a flat, dull, commonplace, or trite remark; especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound.” When friends ask us for wisdom or guidance or encouragement, have we ever been guilty of tossing out “pious platitudes” or superficial Scripture that doesn’t really help at all?

“Is there no limit to windy words?” In Job 15:2 eloquent Eliphaz counseled, "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?” But again, Job just throws Eliphaz’s own words back at him: “Your sermon is just a bunch of windy words.” Job also wonders why Eliphaz is so irritated with him: “What plagues you that you answers this way?”

16:4 “I too could speak like you, if I were in your place. I could compose words against you, and shake my head at you. 5 I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips could lessen {your pain.} 6 If I speak, my pain is not lessened, and if I hold back, what has left me?”

The middle part of verse 4 is literally, “…if only your soul were in my soul…” That is such a cool statement. I may be changing it just a bit, but Job’s desperate cry to his friends is this, “If only you were in my shoes! If only you were in my soul and could see my heart! You wouldn’t treat me like this!!!” It is a wonderful thing that today the Holy Spirit can give us insight into people’s problems and can help us “get into their soul.” It is also incredibly helpful (and healing) to know that we have a High Priest (Jesus) Who knows us even better than we know ourselves! (Hebrews 4:12-16).

Both my wife and I love watching NCIS. But I always turn away when Ducky, the medical examiner, does his autopsy thing. I can’t watch that graphic stuff so Kay will just let me know when it’s ok to look again.

You may want to turn your head away from the next few verses, because in them Job describes God’s attack in a very graphic way (Job’s reaction to his trial may turn your theological stomach). It’s simply Job’s heart laid bare…but God can take it! And He continues to love His servant through this barrage or raw emotions. And by the way, God can take it from us when we are tried to our very core and face our own “dark night of the soul.”

16:7 “O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family.” (NLT) There is nothing but a smoking crater where my family once stood.

16:8 “And Thou hast shriveled me up, it has become a witness; and my leanness rises up against me, it testifies to my face.” (NASV) “Both my wrinkled raisin appearance and my skinny emaciated body testify that I am a sinner.” Hartley pens, “His body has become a painful cage.” Job’s friends and family and members of his community won’t believe his verbal testimony because all the while his skin is testifying that he is wicked!

16:9 “He tears me in His wrath, Who hates me: He gnashes upon me with His teeth; mine enemy sharpens His eyes upon me.” God sharpens both His teeth and His eyes! He rips me apart with His teeth and burns holes in me with His eyes. (Not really the “His eye is on the sparrow” sentiment.) And notice the word “hate.” It means to “pursue with animosity.” The Hebrew is “satam” and is very similar to the Hebrew word “Satan” (Adversary) of chapter one. Job is saying this: God has become my Satan!

16:10 “People take one look at me and gasp. Contemptuous, they slap me around and gang up against me.” (MSG) Hartley writes, “Since a person gets much of his identity and personal worth from his society, this loss of dignity is just as agonizing for Job as the excruciating physical pain.”

16:11 "God hands me over to ruffians, and tosses me into the hands of the wicked.” And they give me a blanket party!

16:12 “I was contentedly minding my business when God beat me up. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me around. He set me up as his target.” (MSG) “I was at ease.” Probably a reference to the pre-disaster days of chapter 1.

16:13 “And now His archers surround me. His arrows pierce me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood.” God’s sharpshooters had apparently hit one of Job’s vital organs: death seemed very close for Job

16:14 "He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.” Job pictures his disease as an army with a mighty warrior as its General. And this “disease army” attacks one member of Job’s body after another.

16:15 "I have sewed sackcloth over my skin, and thrust my horn in the dust.” In his commentary, Delitzsch surmises that Job’s clothes had to be resown because he was so hideously distorted through the disease of elephantiasis!

16:16 "My face is flushed from weeping, and deep darkness is on my eyelids…” Not only is Job’s pain intense, so are his emotions. Note the term “deep darkness – it’s used 17 times in the Old Testament, but 9 of those are in Job. And it’s used in a very familiar verse in Psalm 23, “Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil…” Job seems to be saying essentially this, “How can I walk through the valley of the shadow of death? I AM the shadow of death!"

16:17 “Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.” Job holds tenaciously to the fact that he is guilty of no grave fault; while his friends hold stubbornly to their position that Job must be a sinner. Francis I Anderson writes, “It is infinitely painful to Job that God is now inexplicably acting like an enemy. Eliphaz’s words do not even begin to touch on this awful fact.”

16:18 "O earth, do not cover my blood, and let there be no {resting} place for my cry.” Job expects that very soon his friends and wife will be attending his funeral. But his hope is that his cry will not be given a funeral!

16:19 “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high. 20 My friends are my scoffers; my eye weeps to God. 21 O that a man might plead with God as a man with his neighbor! 22 For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.”

There is an awful chronic pain that accompanies Job’s disease; and there is a raw and intense emotion to Job’s speeches. But there is also a depth to his faith that few people have matched. Note the two words, “Even now...” Hartley writes, “Since Job’s earthly friends have failed him, God will take their place by defending his accused friend, even before Himself. No wonder these great thoughts cause Job’s eyes to flow with tears!”

“My eyes pour out tears to God…” This was almost the lowest of lows for Job. And it didn’t seem that God cared about him. But God did! And God was paying special attention to Job’s tears. Revelation 7:17 reminds us, “…for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their Shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes." There was a time coming for Job when God would wipe away all of his tears. And if you are going through “a dark night of the soul,” know that God cares for you and is paying attention to your tears!

You Ain't Nothin' But A Windbag, Lyin' All The Time (15:1-35)

Most of us have heard the song, “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley. The first line goes, "You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time.” But did you know that Elvis just adapted that song from one written by his ancestor Eliphaz Presley? Archeologists just recently discovered some lyrics written by Eliphaz to his friend Job. They went this way, “You ain’t nothin' but a windbag, lyin' all the time!”

Ok…so maybe I stretched that just a little. But that lyric does exactly express what Eliphaz was feeling toward Job.

15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, 2 “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge and fill himself with the east wind? 3 Should he argue with useless talk, or with words which are not profitable?”

FI Anderson writes, “As Job becomes more vehement, his friends become more severe.” You get the feeling that Eliphaz’s pride was just a little wounded. He probably thought that after his first speech (chapters 4-5) and those of the other two comforters that Job would have buckled under their eloquence, “Yep you guys are right – I am wicked and that’s why I’m going through all of this maggot misery.” Notice the words “windy knowledge” and “east wind” and “useless talk” and “words which are not profitable.” He is calling Job an empty suit, a lightweight (the wind has no weight). The searing east wind of Uz was dreaded – the stifling heat brought days of irritability and listlessness. And so did the words of Job. But Eliphaz actually gets a little vulgar and hints that Job’s theology is nothing more than the passing of gas!

15:4 “Indeed, you do away with reverence and hinder meditation before God. 5 For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose the language (tongue) of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; And your own lips testify against you.”

“You are on a dangerous road Job, you are gonna lose your salvation if you keep this up!” writes Eliphaz. Note the word “crafty” – it’s the same word that describes Satan in Genesis 3.

To paraphrase Eliphaz, “We can’t pinpoint exactly what you’ve done, but you certainly are guilty! And your words prove it!” Note that “mouth” and “tongue” and “lips” – all the organs of speech – are used to describe the craftiness and guilt of Job. Eliphaz expressly contradicts the tribute to Job in 2:10, “In all of this Job did not sin with his lips.”

15:7 “Were you the first man to be born, Or were you brought forth before the hills? 8 Do you hear the secret counsel of God, and limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we do not? 10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Older than your father.”

FI Anderson points out that the comforters cling to two sources of knowledge: antiquity (the knowledge of the ancients) and the secret council of God (remember Eliphaz’s spooky encounter with a spirit in chapter 4?). And Job had neither – both the graybeards and the supernatural revelations were on the side of Comforters Incorporated.

15:11 "Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word spoken gently with you? 12 Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash, 13 that you should turn your spirit against God And allow such words to go out of your mouth?”

Do you see those words, “…the word spoken gently with you…”? The comforters have accused Job’s kids of getting what they deserved and have hinted more than once that “Job, somewhere there has to be sin in your life!” Their theology oozed harshness. And they call their counsel “words spoken gently”?!?! Unfortunately we can use the Word as a club to try to win a political or theological argument rather than an instrument to bring hope and healing.

15:14 “What is man, that he should be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15 Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in His sight; 16 How much less one who is detestable (abominable) and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water!"

Eliphaz is reiterating some of the words from his middle of the night spirit-encounter (chapter 4). He adamantly states that it is impossible for a virtuous man or woman to exist (contradicting God’s summary of Job’s character in chapters 1 and 2). Job has never claimed to be sinless and Eliphaz simply goes to far when he calls Job the “The Abominable Sinner Man.”

As a pastor there was only one guest speaker that I ever regretted inviting to speak to our church. He made this statement, “There are some people so far from God that I wouldn’t let them sleep in my doghouse.” Really? I think Eliphaz would have said the same thing. But you know what? Even though my guest speaker may not have allowed them in his doghouse, Jesus sure would have! In fact the Son of Man would have welcomed them into his house and given them the master bedroom!

Hartley writes, “Eliphaz evaluates Job’s claim of innocence to be a strong delusion. In fact, he sees in Job’s bearing the very reasons why God is punishing Job and will continue to punish him until his attitude changes.” In a nutshell – Job, your attitude stinks!

15:17 "I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare; 18 What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers, 19 To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.”

When Eliphaz states, “…no alien passed among them…” he is implying that there hasn’t been any foreign influence in their theology. He is perhaps also implying that Job’s theology has been watered down through his extensive world-wide travels.

15:20 “The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, and numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless. 21 Sounds of terror are in his ears; while at peace the destroyer comes upon him. 22 He does not believe that he will return from darkness, and he is destined for the sword. 23 He wanders about for food, saying, ’Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand. 24 Distress and anguish terrify him; they overpower him like a king ready for the attack, 25 because he has stretched out his hand against God and conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty. 26 He rushes headlong at Him with his massive shield. 27 For he has covered his face with his fat and made his thighs heavy with flesh.”

Eliphaz’s gentle words continue…

"The wicked man writhes”…that’s you Job!

"Numbered are the years of the ruthless”…that’s you Job!

“He is destined for the sword”…that’s you Job!

“Distress and anguish terrify him”…that’s you Job!

“While at peace the destroyer comes”…that’s you also Job!

Think about this one for a moment: Eliphaz and his friends attribute the horrors of that day of destruction TOTALLY TO SOME HIDDEN SIN IN JOB’S LIFE. No wonder Job’s eyes flash! [vs. 12]. How cruel “religious” people can be.

15:28 “He has lived in desolate cities, in houses no one would inhabit, which are destined to become ruins. 29 He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; and his grain will not bend down to the ground. 30 He will not escape from darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and by the breath of His mouth he will go away. 31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness will be his reward. 32 It will be accomplished before his time, and his palm branch will not be green. 33 He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine, and will cast off his flower like the olive tree. 34 For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. 35 They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their mind prepares deception."

Eliphaz began this chapter by reproving Job for his “wind-bagginess.” But Eliphaz himself doesn’t lack for verboseness. Notice all of the metaphors crammed into this portion: grain, flame, shoots, palm branches, unripe grapes, vines, fire, flowers, olive trees, tents, and the natural process of conception and birth. Eliphaz goes overboard in emphasizing his “You, Job, are only reaping what you’ve sown” theology.

Hartley states, “Job’s blessings were ephemeral (momentary and fleeting), a disguise that concealed his profane (blasphemous) behavior.” “INFLEXIBILITY” could be the title to Eliphaz’s systematic theology. In these first 15 chapters, there has never been a hint from the three of, “Job, we simply don’t know why you are going through this.” Compassion was needed – not an eloquent sermon. They not only jumped to conclusions, they pounced! If they are in heaven, perhaps Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar have taken time to read I Corinthians 13:4, “Love is patient…and love is kind…”