Tuesday, September 1, 2026 ▫ Read Job 15
Questions from the Scripture text: Who answers Job (v1)? What does he say that Job is not, based upon what assessment of Job’s speech (v2)? What does he say that Job can expect to come from his speech (v3)? What is his opinion of Job’s address to God (v4)? What is his explanation for such an address (v5)? What does he conclude (v6)? What further accusations does he make/imply in v7–10? What does he call the friends’ legalistic approach of doing better to earn better (v11)? How does he describe Job’s desire for eternal blessedness in God’s grace (v11–13)? How does he make part of the same point as Job, but without the same hope as Job (v14–16, cf. 13:15–23, 14:4)? What status/ability does Eliphaz claim for himself (v17–19)? What does he suggest is the explanation for Job’s troubles (v20–21)? What hope does he suggest that Job has (v22)? What does he say that Job can expect in this life (v23–24, 28–30)? How does he interpret Job’s clinging to the gospel (v25–26, 31–33)? Why (v34–35)? What is his explanation of Job’s prior prosperity (v27)?How do legalists respond to the gospel? Job 15 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we find that legalists respond to the gospel with accusations and arrogance.
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have been presenting Job with a legalistic “gospel”: come clean about the unrepented wickedness that your troubles obviously expose you as covering up. Do better, in order to receive better. Job has responded by acknowledging that he has sin of which he does not know but needs God to show him (cf. 13:23–24), and that God is his hope of salvation even (and especially) after death (cf. 13:15–16), and that if anything clean is going to come out of him it would only be because God’s grace has made him into a clean thing from which clean things can come (cf. 14:1–4). Now we see how adherents to the gospel of “earn better” respond to the those who, like Job, believe and proclaim the gospel of grace. What we find is that like the Pharisees of Jesus’s day, or the Judaizer’s of Paul’s day, or the Papists in their response to the reformation, Eliphaz responds to Job’s gospel hope with arrogant accusations that Job is demeaning God.
Eliphaz says that Job’s speech is empty and wicked, v1–6. Like the papists who call justification of the ungodly “a legal fiction,” or legalists who call living by the gospel “pietism,” Eliphaz dismisses Job’s tortured, but true, expressions of gospel hope as empty expressions (v1–3). He is so sure that Job is dishonoring God (v4a) and failing to meditate carefully upon what he says to God (v4b), that he announces that Job is self-condemned by his speech (v5–6). Truly, there is a scandal to the gospel, that the Lord God would stoop down in grace, makes us right with Himself through faith, and give us to be able to draw near and plead His own gospel with Him.
Eliphaz says that Job’s speech is arrogant, v7–19. Legalists often appeal to tradition. Those who hold to meritorious and effectual human works are often the same ones who overvalue the tradition of men in their teaching. Ironically, the questions “were you made before the hills? Have you heard the counsel of God?” (v7–8) get straight to the point. Job’s doctrine does come from the God Who, before the hills ever came to be, is from everlasting (cf. Ps 90:2).
Eliphaz takes the ancient character of his own doctrine (v9–10, 17–19) as an indication that it is “the consolations of God” Himself (v11–13). He does not seem to consider that the devil is a murderer and a liar from the beginning (cf. Jn 8:44, Rom 1:25). There are lies that are very old, and held by many people. But we may have more understanding than all teachers and the ancients, by meditating upon and holding to the Word of God (cf. Ps 119:99–100).
But if you cling to God’s Word over-against the traditions of men, be prepared for those who are more humanistic to consider you both ignorant and arrogant. Yet, how little hope there is in their man-emphasizing doctrine! Amazingly, Eliphaz seems to hold to Job’s doctrine of total depravity (v14–16, cf. 14:4) without the hope in God’s gracious work of regeneration to make the man a clean thing by grace (cf. 13:15–16). You who would have your great hope in God, for life and godliness, be prepared that those who see merit and power in the works of men will consider you both arrogant and ignorant.
Eliphaz repeats that Job’s troubles condemn him, v20–28. As Job writhes in pain next to him, Eliphaz declares that this is an indication of wickedness (v20). He even suggests that Job’s fears are further proof of his unrepentant wickedness (v21–24) in which he has opposed God and knows it (v25–26). v27–28 are another zinger directly at Job. He implies that Job’s previous prosperity (v27) was a false front, and that his present circumstances, bereaved of his family and robbed of his home (v28) is indicative of his true, spiritual condition. He does not know what we do—that as he lays into the godly man in agony before him, Eliphaz does so before the face of the God Who has called Job “blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil” (cf. 1:1, 1:8, 2:3).
Eliphaz assures Job that (apart from improved performance) there can be no hope for him in this life or the next, v29–35. Now Eliphaz directly attacks Job’s hope in God. Job has not hoped for a return to prosperity in this life, hoping instead to be hidden in the grave until his redemption (cf. 14:4–17). But Eliphaz attacks both any hope for return to prosperity in this life (v29, probably because these are the things that are greater, in Eliphaz’s values), and Job’s hope for the wrath of God to pass at the resurrection (v30). He now tells Job, directly, that trusting in resurrection hope and eternal hope is a futile self-deception (v31) (!), because it is so “obvious” that Job is already suffering for his wickedness (v34–35) and will most certainly continue to do so (v32–33).
Sometimes, the legalistic and humanistic will say the same about those who live in gospel hope when they sneeringly call them “pietists” who hope in “pie in the sky, by and by.” Do not heed such theological and spiritual cousins of Eliphaz. By eternal, resurrection hope in Christ, cling to God, and persist in loving Him Who first loved you. In this love, obey all His commandments not because you are earning or achieving blessing, but because the God Who has counted you righteous in Christ has given you such obedience and service as the path to walk in, within which He blesses you by grace (even though He slay you!).
What are some ways in which you are clinging to Scripture over-against the traditions of men? What place does eternal, resurrection hope have in your heart and mind in daily life? Why isn’t it empty words to pray to God in gospel hope? Why isn’t it a useless “pietism” to do your works not to earn better or achieve better but merely trusting that God is gracious and will perfect your blessedness at the last?Sample prayer: Oh Lord, how we thank You for the gospel of Your grace, that gives us the same hope as Job had of resurrection and eternal blessedness. Indeed, You have made us to know Christ as our resurrection and life, so that it is not arrogance to draw near to You through Him, but faith and hope. In and of ourselves, we who are born of woman are abominable and filthy and drink iniquity like water. But we do hope in You as our salvation. Forgive us our sins by Your grace, and make us to walk in righteousness and holiness by that grace. So receive us, as we come, through Christ, to Your throne of grace to receive grace and obtain mercy to help us in our time of need, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace!”