Job 15:27 Commentary and Bible Study

Although the wicked man surrounds himself with luxury and provides for himself the best of what the earth has to offer, he cannot maintain himself in this state when he lives in violation of God’s will. For a time he prospers, and though others around him may be going without, he makes sure that he lacks nothing. Looking at his face, it is apparent that he is a man who looks after himself, for his face is chubby, and his waist heavy with corpulence of a man who lives to excess, and which is never seen where mean have to struggle for their daily provision. He doesn’t know how to exercise self-restraint.But although he lives like this, God does not let him persist in his ill-gotten gains forever. He will eventually move him to a place very different from that which he sought out for himself. God will turn all his luxuries into desolation and his houses into heaps of ruins. He sets out to be rich, but God will deny him what he covets. He may obtain what he wants for a time but it will be snatched away from him before he can begin to enjoy it. His hope is that his riches and influence will go on spreading across the earth, for the rich man does not feel secure unless he sees his riches continuing to increase. What he has already is never enough; because he cannot trust God to provide for him, then he must provide for himself.Again, Eliphaz models his comments on the very events that had taken place in Job’s life and then makes Job’s experience an example of the way God always deals with the wicked. There is nothing subtle about this approach, nothing thoughtful about the way comments Eliphaz analyses Job’s troubles. ‘You, Job, are the epitome of an evil man and God’s dealings with you are his classic response to a man like you. We understand all of this and we have seen this many times. You do not fool God and you do not fool us either.’