Job Begins to Sum Up: The Danger of Opposing the Gospel: Job: The Wisdom of the Cross [Job 27]

{Pray}

Speaking against a man or a women whom God has justified is not a wise thing to do. There is, as Job begins to illustrate in this chapter, a danger in opposing the gospel.

To illustrate this with a very inadequate example, imagine a bully taking it out on a boy on the school playground. Then a huge hulk of an older boy appears, rippling with muscles and nearly seven feet tall. As he picks up the bully by the scruff of the neck and the bully cowers before him, the older boy says to him, “How dare you treat my kid brother like that!” In an awful shock of realization the bully grasps that he has made a big mistake. He has spoken and acted against a boy with a strong protector, and now he is in big trouble.

When God sets a man or woman in right relationship with himself, he commits himself to him or her and guarantees that on the last day he will publicly vindicate him or her before the universe and will say, “This man (or this woman) is mine.” How terrible it is to speak and act against such a man or woman. To do so is to line ourselves up with the one called “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10), Satan who speaks against the people of God, accusing justified people of having unforgiven sin, challenging the verdict of God that they stand clean in his sight.

Ultimately this invites the frightening words, “You killed him, but God raised him.” That message was given by the apostles about those who killed Jesus the Messiah (e.g., Acts 2:23, 24). But similar words will be spoken on the judgment day to all who have hated the people of Christ: “You hated them, you opposed them, you vilified them; but God has raised them with Christ.”

For twenty-three chapters now Job has been in bitter controversy with his so-called friends. They have, perhaps unwittingly but with increasing confidence, lined up their judgments with that of Satan. They have been the accusers of Job. In chapter 27 Job addresses them in the plural. He is no longer speaking just to Bildad, as he was in chapter 26; the “you” in verse 11 is plural, and also the “all of you” in verse 12.

Job shows us how the believer ought to respond to such accusers. This is something we as Christians should take and consider carefully as many Christians today and in the days to come, I believe will face more and more such accusers of the brethren speaking against them…we should know how to respond appropriately and biblically. Job’s speech/response consists of a boast, a prayer, and a warning.

Boasting??? Where is boasting?

The Believer Boasts in His Right Status with God (vv. 1–6)

And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,

and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

as long as my breath is in me,

and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

my lips will not speak falsehood,

and my tongue will not utter deceit.

Far be it from me to say that you are right;

till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;

my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.” (vv. 1–6)

With the formal words, “As God lives …” Job introduces what is in effect an oath. He swears by the God who is the author of his sufferings (v. 2), for there can be no higher authority for his oath. And he swears this with every breath in his lungs (v. 3a); this is his consistent testimony. The expression translated “the spirit of God” (v. 3b) could also be translated “the breath of God,” which may indeed catch the sense more clearly. The word ruach here clearly refers to his breath, the physical and natural life given to him by God (as in Genesis 2:7). The point of verses 2, 3 is that what Job is about to say he testifies on the authority of God and with all his being. This is going to be no light boast! Verse 4 stresses the absolute truthfulness of this boast.

So what is the boast? It begins “Far be it from me …” (v. 5a), a form of words that implies calling down God’s judgment upon him if he is not telling the truth. It’s similar to what some might say today “So help me God” gets the meaning of it, although Job uses it with deep seriousness and not the shallow blasphemous manner in which it is usually used in our culture.

Verses 5, 6 spell out Job’s boast, negatively (v. 5a) and then three times positively (vv. 5b, 6a, 6b). Negatively, they are wrong in their accusations and assessment of him. They accuse him of being an impenitent and unforgiven sinner, but they are wrong.

Positively Job hugs tightly to his “integrity” (v. 5b), his “righteousness” (v. 6a), and the testimony of a clear conscience (v. 6b). His “integrity” is closely tied to being “blameless,” a man who is genuine, who is on the inside what his piety proclaims him to be on the outside (1:1, 8; 2:3) similar to what James talks about in his epistle Job is a doer of the word as well as a speaker of the word. His “righteousness” or innocence is his right standing before God. He holds tightly to these; they are all he has to hold on to in his desperate suffering. “I know I am right with God.” All this is backed up by a “heart” that does not “reproach” him (v. 6b); in this context “heart” means his “conscience” (NET). He knows the assurance of a clear conscience.

Job is not being arrogant in clinging to this boast. He is not glad about what he is in himself, but he is deeply joyful about what God has made him. In the midst of the most terrible grief and suffering he clings to this. Did not the Lord Jesus in his suffering hold on by faith to the fact that he was the beloved Son of God in whom his Father was well pleased? And have not countless believers since, when they have nothing in this world to hold on to, held tightly to the only thing the world cannot take from them, their righteousness in Christ?

As Christians are boast has nothing to do with anything within ourselves but we boast in Christ Jesus, in what He has done for us undeserving sinners. So when a believer stands accused they can boast not in what they have done but in what Christ has done.

Here’s how you boast in Christ, you tell someone who thinks Christians are holier than thou, you tell them… “I couldn’t make myself right with God, I have fallen short of the glory of God, but God, who is rich in kindness, mercy, and grace justified me by His Son. Christ called me out of the darkness of sin and death into His marvelous light. So you see I don’t boast in anything I’ve done I boast in what Christ has done for me.”

This is the first part of Job’s response. But he cannot rest while his accusers continue to direct their accusations toward him. So he prays for judgment.

The Believer Prays for God to Judge His Accusers (vv. 7–10)

Many assign part or all of verses 7–23 to one of the comforters (perhaps Bildad or Zophar), in spite of the fact that “There is no version of Job extant, in Hebrew or any other language, that locates 27:7–23 in any other place.” There is no objective reason to relocate this passage. Besides, while it is true that the spine-chilling description of the fate of the wicked has a striking number of points of contact with similar descriptions in the speeches of the comforters, the context is different.

They described the torments of the wicked because these sufferings parallel Job’s sufferings, and they thus implied that Job is wicked. Job describes them because this terrible fate is what will befall his friends if they continue to accuse and malign him. i.e. the dangers of opposing the gospel.

Let my enemy be as the wicked,

and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,

when God takes away his life?

Will God hear his cry

when distress comes upon him?

Will he take delight in the Almighty?

Will he call upon God at all times? (vv. 7–10)

Job prays, “Let my enemy be as the wicked” (v. 7a). He is praying very specifically against those who “rise up against” him (v. 7b). He is praying against his accusing friend, and ultimately against Satan who inspires their accusations. We hear the Psalmist say similar things throughout the Psalms, “Let not my enemy triumph over me.”

Wonderfully, those friends are in the end forgiven (42:9), and by their repentance they cease to be his enemies. But as long as they remain his accusers, they must necessarily be the objects of this prayer. They will face judgment (being “cut off,” v. 8a), and when they do, their prayers will be in vain (vv. 9, 10). By opposing Job they place themselves in terrible danger. This is very important because...

The Believer Warns His Accusers of Their Danger (vv. 11–23)

Job now warns them of their danger. He first offers to be their teacher (vv. 11, 12) before becoming their watchman (vv. 13–23).

I will teach you concerning the hand of God;

what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;

why then have you become altogether vain? (vv. 11, 12)

We may imagine that the offer “I will teach you” was not well received by the friends, who reckoned it ought to be the other way around (v. 11)! Nevertheless Job offers to teach them “concerning the hand of God,” which means not only his power but what he does with his power (v. 11). Similarly “what is with the Almighty” is a slightly awkward expression meaning how the Almighty uses his power, what he does with his power (v. 11).

In verse 12 Job tells them they have seen the evidence they need, that he is innocent and yet is suffering. He therefore challenges them about why they are persisting in talking nonsense (why they are “altogether vain” or empty) about him and his supposed guilt. This is a foreshadowing of what we call the wisdom of the cross, which is displayed in front of us when we see the only perfectly innocent man in history being crucified.

As their teacher Job now warns them of the fate not just of the wicked in general but specifically of those who malign God’s innocent and justified suffering servant.

This is the portion of a wicked man with God,

and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:

If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,

and his descendants have not enough bread.

Those who survive him the pestilence buries,

and his widows do not weep.

Though he heap up silver like dust,

and pile up clothing like clay,

he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,

and the innocent will divide the silver.

He builds his house like a moth’s,

like a booth that a watchman makes.

He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;

he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.

Terrors overtake him like a flood;

in the night a whirlwind carries him off.

The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;

it sweeps him out of his place.

It hurls at him without pity;

he flees from its power in headlong flight.

It claps its hands at him

and hisses at him from its place. (vv. 13–23)

The main thing Job wants to say is in verse 13: “I am about to describe the fate that the Almighty God will allocate to those who wickedly oppress the righteous” (paraphrase). Verse 13 is almost verbatim the same as how Zophar introduced his description of judgment in 20:29. But as we have seen, the context is different.

Job then elaborates on this in five stages, each described by a pair of verses.

First (vv. 14, 15), their families will be destroyed. Even if a wicked man has lots of children, they will be killed in war or die through famine and plague. The awkward translation “his widows do not weep” does not imply polygamy (v. 15); it means there will be no one to mourn for these wicked people since the whole family will have suffered disaster.

Second, the righteous will inherit their wealth (vv. 16, 17). The word “clay” (v. 16b) suggests a pile of clay as parallel with a heap of dust (v. 16a). The pictures conjure up massive accumulations of excess but also a worrying association with death (the dust of death, the clay from which human beings were formed and to which they will return). We look at their abundance and notice, with the eyes of faith, that although it is like a big pile of dust, it is also like a big pile of dust!

This pair of verses is a neatly fashioned chiasm (intersection): silver (v. 16a)—clothes (v. 16b)—clothes (v. 17a)—silver (v. 17b). Whether it be luxurious riches (silver) or ostentatious fashion and fashion accessories (clothing piled up), it will end up being enjoyed by “the righteous” (those who are so by faith), “the innocent” (v. 17; those justified by God). i.e. Those who oppose God’s justified servant cannot enjoy their prosperity forever. As Proverbs puts it, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22).

Third, what they think is their security will turn out to be insecure fragility (vv. 18, 19). Their houses no doubt look enormously impressive. I suspect that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, along with so many of history’s most vigorous opponents of Christianity, lived in large and solid houses. And yet, with the eyes of faith, Job knows that this solidity is only apparent. The images that come to his mind are a moth’s cocoon or the makeshift temporary shed quickly built for temporary shelter for the watchman guarding a field at harvesttime (v. 18).

This “booth” (sukka) is a fragile and temporary dwelling. How fragile is the security of the enemies of the people of God! It is, in the language of an even greater teacher later, a house “built … on the sand” (Matthew 7:26). So this rich and powerful enemy of the people of God “goes to bed” one night the proud possessor of a huge estate and a magnificent portfolio on Wall Street or Stock Exchange. And then, when “he opens his eyes,” it is no longer there (v. 19)! As Proverbs puts it, “When your eyes light on” your big pile of wealth, “it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings” (Proverbs 23:5).

Fourth, their destiny is to be swept away from this world by the “terrors” of death (vv. 20, 21). We have met the terrors of death before several times. They will come upon the enemies of the people of God and overtake them “like a flood” of chaotic tsunami waters (v. 20a) or a tornado taking them by surprise in the middle of the night (v. 20b). The “whirlwind” (v. 20) is a common symbol of destructive judgment (e.g., Proverbs 1:27; 10:25), most famously in Hosea’s words, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). The fierce “east wind” from the desert will sweep in, lift him up, and carry him away so that he is swept “out of his place” (v. 21), the “place” where he thought was so secure and in which he invested so so much time and energy. Hosea calls “the east wind” “the wind of the LORD” (Hosea 13:15; cf. Jeremiah 18:17).

Finally, the wicked man will be mocked and laughed at by the demonic agent of God’s judgment (vv. 22, 23). “The east wind” (v. 21) here seems like “a vivid personification” of “a destructive demon” as it throws itself at him with no pity and “claps its hands at him and hisses at him” (v. 23). We can imagine the wild wind whistling about the ruins of his house and his nameless pauper’s grave, mocking his proud autonomy and his arrogant hostility to the people of God.

Here is a terrifying picture of the danger in which we stand if we set ourselves as accusers and enemies of the man or woman whom God has justified. We can have no future, no security, but only desolation and destruction to which to look forward. We must not be like that! This is the loving warning of Job to his friends and to us.

Job’s friends, on the same subject, spoke of the misery of wicked men before death as proportioned to their crimes; Job considered that if it were not so, still the consequences of their death would be dreadful. Job undertook to set this matter in a true light.

As Matthew Henry put it… “Death to a godly man, is like a fair gale of wind to convey him to the heavenly country; but, to a wicked man, it is like a storm, that hurries him away to destruction. While he lived, he had the benefit of sparing mercy; but now the day of God’s patience is over, and he will pour out upon him his wrath. When God casts down a man, there is no flying from, nor bearing up under his anger. Those who will not now flee to the arms of Divine grace, which are stretched out to receive them, will not be able to flee from the arms of Divine wrath, which will shortly be stretched out to destroy them. And what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and thus lose his own soul?”