Reflection and Discussion
Read through the complete passage for this study, Job 15–21. Then review the questions below concerning this section of Job and write your notes on them. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 892–902; available online at www.esv.org.)
Eliphaz’s Second Speech (ch. 15)
Eliphaz makes a revealing slip in 15:4. At one level, Eliphaz is obviously worried that Job’s portrayal of God as a cosmic bully (as in 12:13–25) will discourage people from fearing and trusting such a God. But what does Eliphaz seem to fear would be the case if piety had no reward? Do you think Eliphaz would have passed Satan test?
Reflect on 15:14–16 in light of 1:1, 8. Is it true that no one can be right with God? Why might Eliphaz be so determined to portray God as displeased with everyone? Consider also Eliphaz’s restatement of his understanding of retributive justice in 15:17–35. Is Eliphaz’s description of God’s moral governance realistic or plausible? Why might he be so concerned to insist that sin is always punished quickly and obviously? Why is he so intent on making Job out to be a sinner?
Job’s Second Speech (chs. 16–17)
In 16:7–14, Job gives a terrifying description of what he perceives to be God’s vicious assault on him. Then, in verses 15–17, he describes the tragic results of this imagined assault. By the end of the book, Job will understand that the Lord is actually a mighty warrior on his side; God is not his enemy. But this chapter represents one stage in Job’s journey. It may be that, even when there is no outstanding sin in our lives, we feel we are under attack from God. Remembering that this passage is not the final word on the subject, restate, in your own words, Job’s experience in these verses.
In 16:18–22, Job makes a remarkable statement of faith in a heavenly friend and advocate, even when no one else supports him (v. 20). How certain is Job of this advocate? How can you tell that it is no mere human being filling this role? How will Job benefit from his advocate’s speech on his behalf?
Job began his speeches in chapter 3 by wishing he could rest in death in Sheol. By 17:10–16, however, this has changed. What is keeping Job from longing for Sheol? How does this show the change occurring in his heart?
Bildad’s Second Speech (ch. 18)
In verse 4, Bildad implies that, when Job complains about God’s injustice, Job is asking that an exception be made for him to the laws of the moral governance of the universe. What assumption is Bildad making that would cause him to misunderstand Job’s speech in this way?
Job’s Second Speech (ch. 19)
In chapter 19, Job again rebukes his friends (vv. 2–6) and complains of God’s attack on him (vv. 7–12) and Job’s resulting social isolation (vv. 13–19). But then he speaks wondrously of his Redeemer (vv. 23–27). Each verse is very significant. In verse 25, the phrase translated “stand on the earth” is more literally “rise above the dust.” Although “dust” can be a poetic way of referring to the earth (Job 5:6), it is more often in Job a way of referring to the grave (Job 7:21; 17:16; 20:11; 21:26; see also Ps. 22:16; Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2). If this is the correct way to read the verse, what is Job saying in his expectation that his Redeemer—who lives—will rise above or triumph over the “dust”? Remember as well that Job is terribly sick and expecting to die soon; this is why he desires that there would be a permanent record of his words (Job 19:23–24). How does this help us understand “at the last” in verse 25 and “after” in verse 26?
The reference to Job’s skin (19:26) probably represents Job’s whole body (see the same idea in Job 2:4; 10:11; 18:13). As a result, his skin’s being “destroyed” is probably a way of speaking of death. What hope does Job have for what will happen after his physical death? How does this hope connect with the action of his Redeemer in verse 25? And what does this hope imply about any change in the relationship between Job and God?
Job gives a serious warning to his friends in the final two verses of this chapter. Is Job speaking rightly here? Can you think of other passages containing warnings about harsh, hasty, reckless, or damaging speech? How does this help us to reevaluate how we must speak to the “Jobs” we will meet in our lives?
Zophar’s Second Speech (ch. 20)
What does Zophar speak of in this chapter? Is this different from his earlier speech in chapter 11 or from the other friends’ speeches? Is there a sense in which what he says is true? Is this relevant or helpful to Job?
How many references to God can you find in Zophar’s account of retribution? Go back and skim Eliphaz’s and Bildad’s descriptions of retribution in their second speeches (15:17–35; 18:5–21). How often do they mention God? In contrast, even when he has negative things to say, how often will Job talk of God? How does this difference reflect their differing priorities?
Job’s Third Speech (ch. 21)
Job will spend this chapter saying the same thing from different angles. Focus on verses 7–13: in contrast to Zophar’s too-tidy account of God’s judgment, how does Job portray God’s governance of the world? Is he right?
Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to consider the Personal Implications these sections may have for you.
Theological Soundings
BLAMING THE VICTIM. Job seems suspicious in 19:4 of his friends’ insistence that he has sinned. His suspicions are justified. Why do the friends spend chapter after chapter assuring Job that he has merited God’s anger, despite Job’s publicly pious life (see ch. 31)? One possibility is that Job’s friends are threatened by Job’s suffering because, if Job really has done nothing to deserve his suffering, the same suffering might come on them. They may, in fact, be offended by that possibility: if God responds to obedience by sometimes allowing pain, is their obedience “for nothing” (remember 1:9)? As hinted at above, the friends do not give much evidence of loving God for his own sake. Nor do they give us much hope that they would have passed Satan’s test. As a result, they are driven to accuse and condemn a man whom God speaks extraordinarily highly of (1:8), one with whom not even Satan can find fault.
THE SUBTLETY AND CERTAINTY OF RETRIBUTION. It is comforting to believe (as Job’s friends do) that we live in a universe in which pain occurs only when it is deserved. But sometimes, when faced with the apparent randomness of suffering, we might be tempted to deny (as Job does in ch. 21) that faithfulness ever makes any practical difference in this life. The Bible clearly and frequently affirms that God rewards his children in both this life and the next, while showing much more latitude and openness to when and exactly how each individual reaps what he sows. For instance, many proverbs assure us that, contrary to Job’s protest, God does uphold the moral order of his creation—but they are also noticeably vague regarding how and when that judgment will come (see, e.g., Prov. 10:24; 11:21; 12:14; 13:9). God’s Word teaches us to be certain that God will render to each according to his work (Ps. 62:12) but also calls for trust as God works out his own judgment, in his own time and way.