Job 22:21-30 | KingComments | STEP | After his harsh accusations, Eliphaz calls Job to repent, with associated promises of blessing ( ). We still hear the same accusation in the exhortations that he is resisting God. To him Job remains an evil man. But, he promises Job, if he ceases his resistance and submits to God, he will be richly blessed. Apart from the context in which these words are spoken, we can apply them to our personal life of faith. They contain valuable exhortations and motivating blessings for us. The starting point is the call to submit to God and not to oppose Him. As a result, we will receive rich blessings. Therefore, let us listen carefully to this wonderful message in itself and take it to heart and work it out in our life. Eliphaz begins by telling Job to yield ( ). If Job simply submits to God’s dealings with him, he will once again have a confidential relationship with God and thus experience peace. Also good – in a material and spiritual sense – will come to him. From the mouth of Eliphaz it is a cold call addressed to someone who wrestles with God and is not yet out of it. Eliphaz interprets this wrestling with God as opposition to God. According to Eliphaz, this is why all these disasters have come over Job. The word of Eliphaz is an important word, not to tell others, but to ourselves. Getting used to God means getting used to God through daily contact with Him. Then we don’t get upside down when things go differently than we thought, but accept that He has the best for us, even though we can’t always understand why He acts this way with us. It has to do with knowing God, with His way of acting. The result is that we have peace in our hearts. There is no peace if we live in a state of war with God. But when we are accustomed to Him, to His way of acting, peace descends in our life. That peace is a benefit for our mind, for our thinking, for our conscience, for our body. As long as we criticize Him and want to dictate to Him how He should act, we do not know this peace. Job must open himself to receiving instruction from the mouth of God, whatever that instruction may be ( ). The words he hears from God’s mouth must then be established in his heart. It means embracing the truth of God and not forgetting it. This is also an important word for us. Are we open to the teaching of God’s Word and do we want to take it into our hearts? Only then it is able to control our deepest feelings and all our actions, for from the heart flow “the springs of life” ( ). Eliphaz still presupposes that Job is an unrepentant sinner. Therefore, he must first return to the Almighty ( ). After that, everything that has been broken down can be “restored” again. He will then become healthy again, live in prosperity and enjoy a happy family life. He can show the authenticity of his conversion by removing the unrighteousness far away from his tent. As long as he banishes sin from his life, the way to restoration is open for him. Job is advised by Eliphaz to place the gold “in the dust”, yea, the pure gold of Ophir (cf. ) among the stones of the brooks ( ). This means that from now on Job must no longer put his trust in his riches, but in God alone. Then God the Almighty will be his gold and his treasures of silver, yea, He will be his true treasure ( ). We too may search for those treasures which are “above, where Christ is” ( ), “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” ( ).

‏ Job 22:21-30

Last Call to Repentance

After his harsh accusations, Eliphaz calls Job to repent, with associated promises of blessing (Job 22:21-30). We still hear the same accusation in the exhortations that he is resisting God. To him Job remains an evil man. But, he promises Job, if he ceases his resistance and submits to God, he will be richly blessed.

Apart from the context in which these words are spoken, we can apply them to our personal life of faith. They contain valuable exhortations and motivating blessings for us. The starting point is the call to submit to God and not to oppose Him. As a result, we will receive rich blessings. Therefore, let us listen carefully to this wonderful message in itself and take it to heart and work it out in our life.

Eliphaz begins by telling Job to yield (Job 22:21). If Job simply submits to God’s dealings with him, he will once again have a confidential relationship with God and thus experience peace. Also good – in a material and spiritual sense – will come to him. From the mouth of Eliphaz it is a cold call addressed to someone who wrestles with God and is not yet out of it. Eliphaz interprets this wrestling with God as opposition to God. According to Eliphaz, this is why all these disasters have come over Job.

The word of Eliphaz is an important word, not to tell others, but to ourselves. Getting used to God means getting used to God through daily contact with Him. Then we don’t get upside down when things go differently than we thought, but accept that He has the best for us, even though we can’t always understand why He acts this way with us. It has to do with knowing God, with His way of acting.

The result is that we have peace in our hearts. There is no peace if we live in a state of war with God. But when we are accustomed to Him, to His way of acting, peace descends in our life. That peace is a benefit for our mind, for our thinking, for our conscience, for our body. As long as we criticize Him and want to dictate to Him how He should act, we do not know this peace.

Job must open himself to receiving instruction from the mouth of God, whatever that instruction may be (Job 22:22). The words he hears from God’s mouth must then be established in his heart. It means embracing the truth of God and not forgetting it. This is also an important word for us. Are we open to the teaching of God’s Word and do we want to take it into our hearts? Only then it is able to control our deepest feelings and all our actions, for from the heart flow “the springs of life” (Pro 4:23).

Eliphaz still presupposes that Job is an unrepentant sinner. Therefore, he must first return to the Almighty (Job 22:23). After that, everything that has been broken down can be “restored” again. He will then become healthy again, live in prosperity and enjoy a happy family life. He can show the authenticity of his conversion by removing the unrighteousness far away from his tent. As long as he banishes sin from his life, the way to restoration is open for him.

Job is advised by Eliphaz to place the gold “in the dust”, yea, the pure gold of Ophir (cf. 1Kgs 9:28) among the stones of the brooks (Job 22:24). This means that from now on Job must no longer put his trust in his riches, but in God alone. Then God the Almighty will be his gold and his treasures of silver, yea, He will be his true treasure (Job 22:25).

We too may search for those treasures which are “above, where Christ is” (Col 3:1), “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3).

Prediction of a Beautiful Future

Eliphaz promises Job wonderful things, if only he would acknowledge that his accusers are right and follow their advice. He would then no longer complain about God, but delight in the Almighty (Job 22:26). The bowed head as a sign of guilt (Lk 18:13) he would then raise up again to God to look Him in the face again.

For us the encouragement is that we, when Christ is everything to us, have fellowship with Him. That fellowship gives joy (1Jn 1:1-4). We then know that we are fully accepted by the almighty God Who is our Father and feel at home in His presence, especially when there are difficulties in our lives (Rom 5:1-3).

When Job’s relationship with God is in order again, he can approach God again in prayer (Job 22:27), which is not the case now, according to Eliphaz. These prayers are then heard by God, for they come from the mouth of a righteous person with a sincere heart. He will also be able to keep the vows he made during his prayers. As a result, God gives him the blessings for which he has made vows.

It is one of the blessings of living in fellowship with God that we can tell Him all that is in our heart (1Jn 3:21-22). We can be sure that He listens to us and hears us in His time and in His way. Making vows is not part of the New Testament believer’s relationship to God. Making vows means that we want to do something for God with the purpose that He will give us what we ask for. That doesn’t suit those of us who know God as a Father and trust Him completely, that He knows what is good for us.

Eliphaz also promises Job the blessing of prosperity in his activities (Job 22:28). If he decides and does something, failure is out of the question. What he intends to do will succeed (Pro 16:3). In all his ways the light will shine instead of the deep darkness that now reigns. Then nothing more is uncertain and dark. He will continue his way with joy and prosperity, because he is walking in the light of God’s favor.

We may know that we are walking in the light, as God is in the light (1Jn 1:7). We are “Light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8a). Our command or responsibility is that we behave in conformity with the light and walk as “children of Light” (Eph 5:8b).

When Job is restored to fellowship with God, he can also be a blessing and help for others, Eliphaz says to him. He can help others with the experiences he has had. He can encourage someone who has been cast down, who is down, to come up (Job 22:29). He helps others to get back up. God will join him. He will lift up from his misery the one who has lowered his eyes and does not dare to look up at Him.

All the bitter experiences or setbacks in life make us capable of understanding and helping others. In any case, this is one of God’s goals with the disasters that affect us. God doesn’t want us to succumb to them, but to go through them with Him in order to come out of them purified. With the experience we have gained, we can serve others who have to go through similar situations (2Cor 1:3-4).

Job will even be able to deliver people who are not innocent, Eliphaz predicts (Job 22:30). This thought is a law. Someone who has returned to God and is seen by Him as His friend can pray for others and thus deliver them from the punishment they deserve.

What Eliphaz says here, Job, ironically, will do for him and his friends. Indeed, by the cleanness of his hands – for he has not sinned – Job will deliver the not innocent Eliphaz and his friends from the wrath of God by praying for them (Job 42:8-9). Job is a righteous one whose prayer has much power (Jam 5:16b).