Job 15:2-3

2 Should a wise man [chakam] utter [`anah] vain [ruwach] knowledge [da`ath], and fill [male'] his belly [beten] with the east wind [qadiym]?

3 Should he reason [yakach] with unprofitable [cakan] talk [dabar]? or with speeches [millah] wherewith he can do no good [ya`al]? KJV-Interlinear

2 'Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind? 3 'Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable? NASB

Job has undergone some tremendous bad luck, as some would say. He has lost his family, his wealth, his health, and his dignity. And because of the magnitude of his losses and sufferings, his friends have concluded that his former reputation as being a very wise and respected person, is now null and void.

Since Job refuses to adopt his friend's view of himself, they now begin to change the subject on him. They will even accuse him of changing the subject and speaking of irrelevant things.

What does a wise man speak of when he engages in conversation?

Well, a wise man speaks of things that are wise.

If a person speaks of things that are nonsense, or if he speaks of things that are irrelevant, then he is obviously not a wise person. And Eliphaz is now deciding what is relevant and what is not, as far as their conversation is going.

In his mind, the relevant subjects are Jobs repentance. Job does not subscribe to their view, therefore Job must be wrong, as far as they are concerned.

Eliphaz suggests that wise men speak with eloquence and with extravagance. Wise men speak with dynamics and especially from a position of established success.

Job was once successful. He was the richest man in all of the East. Therefore, he must be wise, according to Eliphaz. But now he is poor, and therefore is no longer wise.

But are all wealthy people wise? Of course not. Intelligence is not dictated by ones bank account balance. However, the world is superficial and wisdom is closely correlated with wealth. If you make a lot of money, then you may speak and be heard. If you do not make a lot of money, then you obviously don't know much.

And if that were true, then most of us would have nothing intelligent to say about anything. Even the poorest of the poor, Jesus Christ's words, would be classified as worthless wind.

Most of the prophets of he Old Testament were poor, or at best middle class people. The Apostles were not among the elite of high society. Does this mean that the entire Bible is discredited now?

The truth of the matter is that Eliphaz does know a great deal of Bible doctrine, however he is lacking is his application of doctrine to reality. He is superficial and allows his visual world to dictate what is truth to him, and what is not.

Job is accused of speaking with many words, and pretending to be wise, but speaking empty words, wind, because what he is saying is irrelevant, useless talk, to the conversation.

Profitable words to Eliphaz are limited to those that agree with his views. If you disagree, then your words are of no value.

While Job has taught us all, a broad spectrum of doctrine, Eliphaz is the one who refuses to listen with an open mind.

The world does have a great deal of vain, or empty knowledge. People puff themselves up on their words because they themselves are impressed with their own words. They hope to impress others in order to satisfy their approbation. But empty words don't go very far unless they attach themselves with something of substance. And that is where vanity eventually loses. Vanity cannot support itself, because it has no substance.

The only way that vanity can perpetuate itself, is to invent lies, or invent truth. And that kind of communication will only work on the na ve. Thus the blind or empty person, can only lead blind of other empty people. What greatness is there in that?

Now is the time to post a prayer.