(Job 22 | Chapter XVII of Jessie Penn-Lewis’s *The Story of Job*)
“Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?” —Job 22:5 (KJV)
Eliphaz now speaks for the final time.
Gone is the tone of gentle reasoning.
Gone is the mystical dream.
Now he delivers false accusations with full confidence.
“Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?” (v.5)
There’s no proof—only presumption.
He Invents Sins Job Never Committed
Eliphaz accuses Job of:
– Taking pledges from the poor.
– Stripping the naked of clothing.
– Denying water to the weary.
– Sending widows away empty.
None of this is true.
Jessie Penn-Lewis warns:
“When men feel compelled to defend a false system, they will slander the innocent to preserve their beliefs.”
Rigid Doctrine Requires a Villain
Eliphaz’s theology has no space for mystery.
Suffering must mean sin—so he creates sins to justify the pain.
This is how rigid religion behaves:
– It begins with assumptions.
– It rejects evidence.
– And it ultimately bears false witness.
A True Statement, Wrongly Applied
He says:
“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace…” (v.21)
It sounds beautiful. It is true—in itself.
But in context, it’s twisted:
“If you would just get right with God, your suffering would end.”
Penn-Lewis observes:
Truth without discernment becomes a whip in the hand of the self-righteous.”
This Was No Ministry—It Was Malice
Job is already wounded.
What he needed was light—not lies.
Instead of comforting Job, Eliphaz condemns him in God’s name.
“Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth…” (v.22)
But Eliphaz is not quoting God—he’s echoing his system.
Overcomer’s Checkpoint
1. Do I ever assume guilt just because someone is suffering?
2. Have I ever spoken confidently without truly hearing from God?
3. How can I speak truth without adding to someone’s burden?
“Eliphaz preached the law—but it was his own. His words were not ministry, but a mask for malice.” —Jessie Penn-Lewis