Blessed Art Ye

Job 22

When people cannot find fault with you, they will make it up. Such is the case with our text today. Eliphaz, unwilling to relent on his argument, begins making up sins to charge Job with. How desperate people are when they move to this stage.

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Is not thy wickedness great?

And thine iniquities infinite?

6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth;

And the honourable man dwelt in it.

9 Thou hast sent widows away empty,

And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore snares are round about thee,

And sudden fear troubleth thee;

11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see;

And abundance of waters cover thee.

Job 22:5-11

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I cannot speak for anyone else, but if I had indulged these men in all the other conversation, this is the point where I would have kicked them off my property. The conversation went off the rails with this chapter. Eliphaz went into full blown attack mode. This became a no holds barred street fight.

Eliphaz says not only that Job's sins were great in number, but they are "infinite". Holy cow! He literally said that there is no end to the number of Job's sins. While I would agree that we all sin a lot, to say that there is no end to sin is wrong, even for Hitler. The number may be high but it can be counted.

In verses 6-9, Eliphaz calls Job cold-hearted. He accuses Job of mistreating the poor, homeless, downtrodden, hungry, widows, and orphans. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any of this is true. Eliphaz has made accusation after accusation and Job has refuted it all. If before he was earnestly pleading his case to try to help his friend, now he is simply trying to hurt. The argument has become more important that the friendship.

As hurtful as this is, Jesus understood this same kind of treatment. The Pharisees and Sadducees came after Jesus with any accusation they could hurl because of their hatred for him. The sermon on the mount predates these attacks but Jesus was certainly speaking to this time for himself and also when his disciples would face the same treatment.

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Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matthew 5:11

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Job's friends certainly reviled, persecuted, and said "all manner of evil against" him falsely. While I believe Job was self-righteous at times, he was far from the wicked man his friends described him as. While it is yet to be seen, Job would indeed be blessed because of his enduring this abuse. He will be a picture of Christ in the last chapter. Now, he is a picture of Christ in his being persecuted. The Psalmist prophesied about Jesus in Psalm 41:9.

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Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Psalm 41:9

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Just as Jesus was betrayed by his friend Judas, and abandoned by his friends during his time of need, so was Job. Many times this is true for us as well. It seems as though when we are in our darkest times, our friends are nowhere to be found, or else they are against us. Jesus tells us that during these times we are blessed because we are partaking in his suffering. The mistreatment is not actually about us, but about him. He said "for my sake". When we suffer persecution for his sake we are blessed; even though it doesn't feel like it.

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Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I Peter 4:12-13

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Peter spoke of this same idea in his letter. He tells us that we are "partakers of Christ's sufferings". The point is not because the suffering is fun, but because it will bring joy when Christ returns for his children. We will receive a reward for faithful service if we endure. This is because we literally become "Christians" in our suffering. "Christian" means "Christ-like" or "Little Christs". When we suffer for his name, the world does not see us, but him.

Father, help me to face persecution and evil treatment with grace. May I endure and reveal your light through the suffering that may come. Help me to live a life that invites suffering because I am living for you. Strengthen me for that day!