What is the meaning of Job 22:17? They said to God Eliphaz is recounting the attitude of the ungodly—people who have enjoyed prosperity yet refuse to acknowledge the Lord (Job 22:18). • “They” are those who, in their comfort, believe they can live without divine oversight. Compare Job 21:14: “They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know Your ways.’” • Psalm 14:1 reminds us that “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Like those fools, these people are content to push God to the margins. • Proverbs 1:29-30 notes the same spirit: “They hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD; they would not accept My counsel.” • By recalling their words, Eliphaz is warning Job that scorning God is never harmless; it is rebellion against the Creator who sustains every breath (Acts 17:25). ‘Depart from us’ Here is the deliberate dismissal of God’s presence. • The phrase is a conscious eviction notice issued to the Sovereign of the universe—“Go away; we can manage life without You.” • Psalm 73:27 cautions, “Those far from You will perish.” Distance from God is never neutral; it leads to ruin. • In Deuteronomy 8:14-17, Israel is warned not to let success swell the heart so that it forgets the Lord. The impulse to send God away often follows seasons of ease. • John 3:19 shows the same tendency: “People loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” The sinner prefers darkness to divine scrutiny. What can the Almighty do to us? The boast continues: if God is distant, He is also, in their minds, powerless to judge. • This is arrogance masquerading as reason. Isaiah 5:19 depicts mockers who say, “Let Him hurry; let Him hasten His work so we may see it.” They think judgment will never touch them. • Malachi 3:14 records a similar complaint: “It is futile to serve God… What have we gained?”—as though obedience brings no benefit and disobedience no consequence. • Romans 2:4 corrects that folly: “Do you despise the riches of His kindness… not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” Presumed immunity is not evidence of safety but of God’s patience. • Eliphaz’s point to Job is that such contempt invites inevitable retribution (Job 22:19-20). The Almighty can—and will—act. summary Job 22:17 captures the unbeliever’s creed: “We don’t want God near, and even if He exists, He can’t touch us.” Scripture counters that every creature depends on the Lord for life and breath; rejecting Him brings certain judgment. The verse therefore stands as a sober warning: do not confuse God’s patience with powerlessness, nor His silence with absence. |
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