“Your own mouth condemns you…” Job 15:6a
/Eliphaz was quick to respond to Job’s second reply with eleven rapid-fire questions. Each of them was a challenge to Job’s wisdom and integrity. Today we look at the first two queries:
“Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind?” (v.2)
“Would he argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value?” (v.3)
With those words, Job’s sunny-day friend was turning up the heat, calling Job’s diatribe “empty notions”, “hot wind”, and “useless words… with… no value”. The tactic was the same: condescension, meant to put someone in his/her place. Those who talk down to others do so to exalt themselves.
Then, Eliphaz heightened the vitriol with an outright accusation of craftiness when he said:
“But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God. Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you.” (vv. 4 – 6)
This backhanded comment was really a compliment to Job’s superior eloquence and rationale. Because Job’s friends had no real reply to his defensive statements (review chapters 12-14), their only recourse was to continue from a position superiority. Civil discourse had officially left the room. When an argument diminishes to the point of name-calling and belittling one’s adversary, those involved have reached a point of no return.
Have you ever been falsely accused? Spoken down to? Insulted? These were all done by Job’s friends. Job’s life pointed to Christ, Who was also betrayed and abandoned by His friends; mocked and scorned by His own people.
So, we see that Eliphaz began his second address to Job to antagonize him further. This is obviously a ‘knee-jerk’ response to Job’s strong stance of his own innocence and devout living. After Job asserted his equality to his friends, they were then challenged to defend their bullying and condescension.
What does this teach us today? Our best response to accusations is best kept to reasonable replies given to de-escalate tensions, while defending one’s own integrity. The best road to take is the high road.
Have a blessed day…