15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
Round two of the intellectual battle begins. All three friends have spoken and Job has answered them. Now, Eliphaz the spiritualist begins his second discourse. Eliphaz claimed earlier that he had a vision from God. One needs to be careful of people who claim that they hear from God. The written Word of God is currently the only resource of divine information.
15:2 “Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge, or fill his belly with the east wind?
Eliphaz the spiritualist is saying that Job is not a very wise man, because Job has answered with empty knowledge. Job is filling his belly with hot air.
15:3 Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them?
Eliphaz the spiritualist is saying that Job is nothing but a hot wind bag. He is attempting to break Job down and make him confess. This is not the way to treat a godly man who experiences family loss, fatal disease, loss of job, and loss of property.
15:4 But you even break off piety, and hinder meditation before God.
Eliphaz the spiritualist is accusing Job of not exhibiting godly fear and righteous prayer.
15:5 Your sin inspires your mouth; you choose the language of the crafty.
Eliphaz the spiritualist is accusing Job of using deceitful language to hide his sin.
15:6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you.
Eliphaz the spiritualist is on the attack. He says that Job is his own accuser.
15:7 “Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Eliphaz was no longer Job’s consoler, but his prosecutor. He used sarcasm by asking Job if he thinks that he was the first man who was ever born. He was accusing Job of speaking as if he really knew something.
15:8 Do you listen in on God’s secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Eliphaz the spiritualist asked Job is he was receiving secret counsel from God. Does Job have some kind of secret wisdom that the others do not possess?
15:9 What do you know that we don’t know? What do you understand that we don’t understand?
Eliphaz the spiritualist asked Job what he knew that they did not know.
15:10 The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men far older than your father.
Eliphaz the spiritualist reminded Job that he and his two other friends have an advantage of maturity over him. Therefore, wisdom is on their side, because they were older. It is important to note that spiritual maturity comes not by age, but by the amount of Bible doctrine which is inhaled into the soul.
15:11 Are God’s consolations too trivial for you; or a word spoken in gentleness to you?
Eliphaz the spiritualist was claiming that God sent him to gently console Job. However, his consolation was not very gentle! Charismatics will often make this same claim. They will claim that God sent them to give another a message from God. Beware of people who make these kinds of claims. The only divine revelation to man is the written Word of God.
15:12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
Eliphaz the spiritualist was accusing Job of getting angry at his words of consolation.
15:13 when you turn your rage against God and allow such words to escape from your mouth?
Since Eliphaz claimed that his words were coming directly from God to Job, then Job was accused of actually getting angry at the very words of God Himself.
15:14 What is man that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
It is true that all men are sinners, but Eliphaz says this with the belief that Job had committed some kind of terrible sin which put him in this predicament.
15:15 If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
Eliphaz had knowledge of the angels who fell and lost their first estate.
15:16 how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water!
Eliphaz is saying that Job fell just as the fallen angels who fell.
15:17 “I will explain to you; listen to me, and what I have seen, I will declare,
Eliphaz the spiritualist has some secret, esoteric, and spiritual insight for Job.
15:18 what wise men declare, hiding nothing, from the tradition of their ancestors, 15:19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
Notice that Eliphaz is not using the written Word of God as his final authority. He is using the traditions of the ancestors. Most ancient cultures receive their religion from satanic tradition rather than the written Word of God. Most of the ancient traditions came from Nimrod’s Tower of Babel system.
15:20 All his days the wicked man suffers torment, throughout the number of the years that are stored up for the tyrant.
The wisdom of the ancients was that wicked men suffer torment, especially tyrants. This is not any new, esoteric knowledge which enlightened Job. He already had access to this knowledge. Eliphaz the spiritist was using the wisdom of the ancients to declare that Job was being punished for being a tyrant.
15:21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears; in a time of peace marauders attack him.
Eliphaz the spiritist continued to give his wisdom from the ancient traditions. He informed Job that terrifying sounds are heard by tyrants who terrify others. Marauders will also attack tyrants. Job was attacked by the Sabeans and the Chaldeans.
15:22 He does not expect to escape from darkness; he is marked for the sword;
Eliphaz is saying that Job is being punished because he is a tyrant. Job will not escape death by the sword.
15:23 he wanders about—food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
Those who are evil always have to worry about finding food. Eliphaz included Job in this group of evil men.
15:24 Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him like a king ready to launch an attack,
Distress and anguish hound evil men like a king who is ready to attack them. Eliphaz included Job in this group of evil men.
15:25 for he stretches out his hand against God, and vaunts himself against the Almighty, 15:26 defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield!
Eliphaz is saying that Job is an evil and defiant man who stretches out his hand and attacks God head-on. Job had earlier said that God was attacking him.
15:27 Because he covered his face with fat, and made his hips bulge with fat, 15:28 he lived in ruined towns and in houses where no one lives, where they are ready to crumble into heaps
Eliphaz is saying that Job is an evil man with a fat face and a fat midline. A chubby person represented luxury, wealth, and spiritual insensitivity.
The houses of the wicked will come to ruin. They will be forced to live in ghost towns where the houses are abandoned and crumbling. Eliphaz included Job in this evil group of men.
15:29 He will not grow rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land.
Eliphaz is saying that evil men will lose their wealth and their property. Since Job had lost all of his wealth, Eliphaz was including Job in this group.
15:30 He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots and he will depart by the breath of God’s mouth.
Eliphaz is saying that evil men will lose their crops and they will be blown away into nothing by God’s anger. Since Job lost his crops, Eliphaz was including Job in this group.
15:31 Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself;
for worthlessness will be his reward.
Eliphaz was saying that a wicked person who trusts in worthless possessions is actually deceiving himself, because he actually gains nothing. Eliphaz included Job in this group.
15:32 Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.
Eliphaz was saying that although the rich gain nothing materially, they will be paid in full. God will punish them for their sins. Eliphaz included Job in this group of evil men.
15:33 Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, and like an olive tree he will shed his blossoms.
Eliphaz was saying that Job was like a vine with sour grapes and a dying olive tree.
15:34 For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of those who accept bribes.
Eliphaz was saying that the godless will have no children. The godless who accept bribes will have their tents burned. Since Job lost his children and since his tents were burned, then Eliphaz was calling Job a godless man who deserved this punishment.
15:35 They conceive trouble and bring forth evil; their belly prepares deception.”
Eliphaz was saying that evil men cause trouble and bring the evil upon themselves. Eliphaz included Job in this group of evil men.
Eliphaz’s second discourse did not comfort Job. He did not add anything new. He played the same old record again. He became his accuser and not his comforter. He accused Job of many false charges, because he did not have all of the facts. He could not see into the spiritual world to know that the real conflict was between God and Satan, but God was also sanctifying Job to become even more righteous. Job was one of the few men in history who possessed enough righteousness to survive this type of satanic onslaught. Eliphaz failed to cause Job to repent.