Sunday: Eliphaz Replies: Job 15:1-6
Job’s friends have so far been unsuccessful in their attempt to convince him that there must be unconfessed and therefore unforgiven sin in his life. Here begins the second cycle of speeches and the argument with more tenacity. Eliphaz begins by questioning Job’s wisdom. A wise man would not use meaningless language which might harm another’s faith. Eliphaz now denounces Job as a man in iniquity.
Monday: Eliphaz Continues: Job 15:7-16
Eliphaz maintains that traditional beliefs are surely more certain than Job’s individual ideas. Evidently Eliphaz considered his first speech to be God’s own words of consolation to a man who was exceedingly wicked. The devil is and always was the accuser of the brethren. Job’s three friends are certainly acting on behalf of the devil in their condemnation.
Tuesday: Job, The Wicked Man: Job 15:17-35
Eliphaz painted the picture of Job as a wicked man. All of us are born in sin, but some sinners are worse than others. Eliphaz described the fate of the wicked: pain, fear, dreadful noises, hunger, poverty, darkness, and then death. Eliphaz did not explain why the ungodly seem to prosper in this world while the Godly often suffer. His theology was cut and dried. He had an answer for everything, but no help for Job.
Wednesday: No Comfort for Job: Job 16:1-14
Job’s three friends were indeed miserable comforters. They only added to his pain. If the situation were reversed, Job would have spoken words of strength and help to them in their suffering. Their words wore him out and made him shrivel up, as when a desert wind blows. (Proverbs 15:4)
Thursday: Job’s Witness in Heaven: Job 16:15-22
In faith, Job rose above his doubts about God’s goodness, for he declared that God Himself would testify as a witness of his innocence. He longed for God to plead his cause in the heavenly court of justice. The desire for a mediator to speak to God in our defense became a reality in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:18; 1 John 2:1)
Friday: Job’s Broken Spirit: Job 17:1-9
As a broken man, Job firmly believed he would die soon. He saw himself as a man deserted by God and as the object of his companions’ scorn. Job could do nothing but persevere in his conviction about the rightness of his cause, maintaining confidence in God’s justice.
Saturday: Job Gives Up Hope: Job 17:10-16
Job had expressed hope that God would vindicate him even after death, but his hope was almost gone. All he saw in his future was a decaying body, death, and the grave. Once again, Job cried out for a representative before God.