2. Job's third reply to Eliphaz chs. 23-24

Job ignored Eliphaz's groundless charges of sin temporarily and proceeded to reflect on the problem of God's injustice.

"The first part of this speech is superb. The option placed before Job by Eliphaz has clarified his thinking. He has come to quite different conclusions, and he expresses them in a soliloquy, for he does not appear to be addressing either Eliphaz or God."¹⁰¹

 Job's longing 23:1-7

Job admitted that he had rebelled against God to the extent that he had complained about his condition (v. 2a). "His hand"(v. 2b) is "My hand"in the Hebrew text. Job had not given up his desire to present his case before God before he died (cf. 9:14-16).

 Job's innocence 23:8-12

Wherever Job looked, he could not find God. Two paraphrases of verse 10 are these. Because (the first word in the verse in Hebrew) He knows my ways, God is evading me. "He knows I am innocent and therefore is refusing to appear in court, for once He heard my case He would have to admit to injustice."¹⁰²A better explanation, I think, follows.

"A more literal translation . . . yields: But he (God) knows (his) way with me.' Because God knows what He is doing with Job, Job is coming to a point where he will be satisfied even if God never explains the reason for His strange conduct. Earlier Job had demanded to know why God was dealing with him thus, and he found his trial insufferable (7:18). Now he accepts the testing, because he knows: I shall come forth as gold."¹⁰³

Job believed that people would eventually recognize that he was as pure as gold (cf. 22:25). Job had this hope because he trusted God and had walked before God faithfully (vv. 11-12; cf. 22:15).

 Job's frustration 23:13-14:17

God's irresistible power and inscrutable behavior made Job afraid (23:13-17). Nevertheless he determined to confront God with His apparent injustice.

Job could not understand why God did not always judge overt sin quickly (24:1-12). He mentioned three sins specifically: removing boundary landmarks and thereby appropriating someone else's land, stealing flocks of sheep, and mistreating the weak. Job could not see why God seemingly ignored the perpetrators of these terrible sins yet afflicted him so severely. Neither could he see why God did not judge sinners who practiced secret atrocities, specifically murderers, adulterers, and burglars (24:14-17).

 Job's confidence 24:18-25

These confusing verses may seem to be saying that God does punish the wicked. Probably Job was reflecting that God does indeed punish them in death if not in life.¹⁰⁴What bothered him was why God did not punish them sooner.

Even with more revelation than Job enjoyed we still have great difficulty understanding God's ways generally and why He does what He does in specific individual lives particularly. God's wisdom is still unfathomable.