Job Chapter 27



Well, in the next chapter (27) would have come the time for Zophar; but although Bildad had very little to say, Zophar had nothing. He is fairly out of the debate; and we shall find that Eliphaz does not return. Job has it now all to himself, and accordingly he gives here what might have been an answer to Zophar, but there was no Zophar to answer - he was silenced. They felt now they were fairly out of court. They began with great vigour; full of confidence that their judgment was a sound one; but Job had completely answered all their foolish talk, and there they were silent. It is not that they were yet convinced that they were wrong; but they do what many people do - they shut up, and have not a word to say, and still are of the same opinion. But God would not allow it to rest there. God brought them out of their hiding place, and pronounced upon them; and it was through Job, as we shall find by and bye, that they were saved, either from a terrible judgment or death itself.

"Moreover Job continued his parable and said, As God liveth,who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; all the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit." He still stands to it that all their imagination was false. He said now more solemnly than ever - it was a kind of swearing to it - As God liveth this is true. "God forbid that I should justify you." Now he turns upon them; he says "You are the culprits, not I". "Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." They were, on the contrary, imputing what was very bad to him in most of their speeches. "Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous." That is what he says. 'It is you that are acting the part of wicked men without knowing it. It is you that are the unrighteous, not I.' "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?" It shows that he had a great abhorrence of it - quite as much as or more than they had. "Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?" Here he describes it to the end of the chapter. 'Do you think I am going to fight against God in that way?'

"Will he delight himself in the Almighty?" That is what Job did. "Will he always call upon God?" He called upon God even in that terrible distress. "I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?" 'You know very well that I have been cleaving to God; you have heard my confession, and why do you impute such a thing as hypocrisy?' "This is the portion of a wicked man with God and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty." And even if they go on and have their children multiplied, it will only be deeper sorrow in the end. "If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread," no matter what he may be appropriating (and so to end of verse 19). This is all totally opposed to their reasoning,and Job rather triumphs over them in this way. "Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; and as a storm hurleth him out of his place."