July 14, 2022: Day 149 – Job 22-27

There is some pretty vivid imagery here that both Job and his “friends” use to describe who God is and who the wicked are.  Job’s friends would describe Job as being wicked because his punishement is proof of his wickedness.  Eliphaz starts us off by asking Job if he thinks that he can at all contribute to God and to God’s plans?  He blames Job for chasing after gold as opposed to chasing after God. 

Job responds and challenges Eliphaz to show when he did that.  In fact, Job continues, he argues that wicked are the ones who benefit and receive rewards because they prey on the weak, the orphan and the widow.  The wicked, Job states: “are exalted a little while, and then are gone.”  Bildad responds and states bluntly that no one can be righteous before God.  Job responds that this may be true, but we cannot lay at the feet of God success as a result of righteousness.  

This goes back and forth somewhat ad nauseum.