Job 15:14-16

14 What is man ['enowsh], that he should be clean [zakah]? and he which is born [yalad] of a woman ['ishshah], that he should be righteous [tsadaq]?

15 Behold, he putteth no trust ['aman] in his saints [qadowsh]; yea, the heavens [shamayim] are not clean [zakak] in his sight [`ayin].

16 How much more abominable [ta`ab] and filthy ['alach] is man ['iysh], which drinketh [shathah] iniquity [`evel] [`evel] like water [mayim]? KJV-Interlinear

14 'What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15 'Behold, He puts no trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His sight; 16 How much less one who is detestable and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity like water! NASB

Now Eliphaz turns his attentions to Jobs stand of innocence. Job has stated that he is a righteous man. Of course he has also stated that he is a sinner as all men are, but his righteousness comes from his faith in God, not from the source of his own effort or ability.

But Eliphaz turns to the rest of creation, a creation which is far greater than any individual.

God has created angels. He created them before the creation of the universe. The angels can come and go pretty much as they please, between heaven and earth. Whether they travel far distances or whether they slip in and out of yet undiscovered dimensions is irrelevant.

Angels are far superior to humanity, and yet God does not even place His trust in them.

As for the universe? It is vast indeed. The universe is so great that we don t know its dimensions. We cannot see to its edge, if it even has a boundary.

By comparison, man is limited to this planet. A planet that represents much less than a speck of dust in the vast universe around us.

Man has so many limitations, that listing them would fill several volumes. All of the sciences can speak to mans limits.

So, if God does not even trust the angels, who are beings far superior to man, if God views this universe as less than perfect, and even fading away, then how can man possibly be better then they?

Man is corruption. Man has corruption in the very fabric of his being. Man is born to his parents, and they too were born to their parents, and so forth back to the very first parents, Adam and Eve. Corruption began with the first, and spreads to each succeeding generation.

Unless man can change dramatically the components of his physical body, unless man can change the components of his soul, then man is stuck with his corruption.

Corruption cannot make itself incorruptible. Rotten food cannot become tasteful and clean.

Only God can make things clean again through justice. Righteousness is the state of cleanness, or perfection. Justice is the action of cleaning.

Eliphaz suggests that since no human being is incorruptible, then Job certainly cannot be righteous.

But Job is not speaking of human righteousness, he is speaking of divine righteousness which comes to each individual by means of faith in the Savior.

In one respect, Eliphaz is correct. No person can make themselves clean. And Job is correct as well, in that a person may be corrupt and rejectionable, just as his illness has made him, but God has the power to clean man up through the power of faith and spiritual growth.

As corruption, mans foundation nature is to seek, even pursue iniquity. Iniquity if the production of evil.

But again, only God can take corruptible man, who can only pursue evil, and make him clean, giving him the opportunity to pursue good, even within this devils world. Such is the power of God helping mankind to overcome all his weaknesses.

Now is the time to post a prayer.