Eliphaz accuses and Job responds

The Book of Job Chapter 22 & 23

In Chapter 22, Eliphaz is still giving his reason to Job as to why Job is suffering. He says: Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it gain him if you were perfect? Is it because of your reverence for him that he accuses and judges you? Not at all! It is because of your wickedness and guilt.

He tells an example of lending money to a friend and keeping his clothing as a pledge. Or refusing water to the thirsty or food to the hungry. He tells Job that certainly he saw these thing and did nothing to help them, so this is the reason Job cannot see in the darkness. He says that God is higher than the heavens but can't see what Job is doing. So how can he judge through the thick darkness? He asks that Job not walk the old paths where evil people walked, for these kinds of people forgot God filled their homes with good. He asks Job to quit quarreling with God and then peace would be his at last. He asks Job to clean up his life and give away what treasures he has left, then God would hear Job and light would shine on his road ahead.

In chapter 23, Job replies to Eliphaz and says he tries not to groan aloud and if only he knew where to find God, he would go and talk with him there and listen to his reply and understand what God is trying to tell him. He thinks God would give him a fair hearing. God knows where I am going, says Job, and he tests me like gold in a fire. But I will be found innocent because I have stayed in God's path and followed his ways. God controls my destiny and I am terrified in his presence. He has made my heart faint and darkness is all around me.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Chapter 22 is Eliphaz's final speech to Job. Earlier he had suggested that Job needed to repent from sin. In this speech he gets more specific, and suggests possible sins that might be responsible for Job's suffering.
In Chapter 23 Job says his suffering might be more bearable if only he knew why it was happening. Job is trying to make his friends see that questions about God, life and justice are not as simple as they assume.

HOW DO THESE CHAPTERS RELATE TO US TODAY? Eliphaz criticized Job for thinking God was too far from earth to care about him. Many people in today's world take sin lightly because they think God is far away and doesn't notice all we do, but this did not apply to Job. God still knows all, his power is almighty.
Job declares his confidence in God's integrity and justice in Chapter 23. Today, we are likely to have hidden sin in our lives, sin we don't even know about because God's standards are so high and our performance so imperfect. If we are true believers, all our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross. The Holy Spirit in us is our proof that we are forgiven in God's eyes, even though we may feel guilty. Praise be to God!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is out of rehab after many months for a crushed leg and doing well and being cared for by her ex. Pray for Gabe and Wanda. Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.