Godly instruction anchors us in His truth and fosters deep faith.
Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. (Job 22:22)
In this passage, Eliphaz urges Job to humbly accept wisdom from God and to embed God’s words deep within his being. The broader context of the book reveals that Job and his friends are engaged in lengthy debates over the cause of Job’s sufferings. Eliphaz, here in Job 22, insists that those who wander off the righteous path will be swept away by judgment, alluding to events from earlier eras when wicked people were destroyed by a flood (Job 22:15-16). In so doing, Eliphaz exhorts Job to embrace divine counsel as the key to his restoration. Scripture indicates that Job likely lived in the days after Noah but before the Law of Moses; one of Job’s friends refers to God’s judgment upon evildoers who were “washed away by a river (or a flood),” again indicating a memory of an ancient cataclysm (Job 22:15-16).The phrase “receive instruction from His mouth” beckons the listener to a personal relationship with God, seeing Him not as a distant force but as a caring provider of truth. To “establish His words” in one’s heart suggests building a spiritual foundation upon the commandments and character of the Almighty, rather than upon human speculation or pride. When we see this command spoken during Job’s trials, it provides a reminder that genuine instruction from God has the power to shape our response to suffering, pointing us away from hopelessness and toward trust in the Creator. Eliphaz is convinced that, if Job were to follow such divine counsel, blessing and renewal would follow.
Yet the book of Job shows us that even sincere friends can speak partial truths and misapply them to a situation they do not fully understand. Eliphaz's rebuke to Job, though fixated on pointing Job back to God, also contains erroneous assumptions about why Job is afflicted. Even so, the underlying wisdom remains that believers benefit from turning to God’s words as a source of guidance and strength. To heed the call in this verse is to live under the influence of heavenly wisdom—knowing that God alone sees the end from the beginning and that His words bring clarity in the midst of life’s struggles.
Set to dark mode
Job 22:22 meaning
Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. (Job 22:22)
In this passage, Eliphaz urges Job to humbly accept wisdom from God and to embed God’s words deep within his being. The broader context of the book reveals that Job and his friends are engaged in lengthy debates over the cause of Job’s sufferings. Eliphaz, here in Job 22, insists that those who wander off the righteous path will be swept away by judgment, alluding to events from earlier eras when wicked people were destroyed by a flood (Job 22:15-16). In so doing, Eliphaz exhorts Job to embrace divine counsel as the key to his restoration. Scripture indicates that Job likely lived in the days after Noah but before the Law of Moses; one of Job’s friends refers to God’s judgment upon evildoers who were “washed away by a river (or a flood),” again indicating a memory of an ancient cataclysm (Job 22:15-16).The phrase “receive instruction from His mouth” beckons the listener to a personal relationship with God, seeing Him not as a distant force but as a caring provider of truth. To “establish His words” in one’s heart suggests building a spiritual foundation upon the commandments and character of the Almighty, rather than upon human speculation or pride. When we see this command spoken during Job’s trials, it provides a reminder that genuine instruction from God has the power to shape our response to suffering, pointing us away from hopelessness and toward trust in the Creator. Eliphaz is convinced that, if Job were to follow such divine counsel, blessing and renewal would follow.
Yet the book of Job shows us that even sincere friends can speak partial truths and misapply them to a situation they do not fully understand. Eliphaz's rebuke to Job, though fixated on pointing Job back to God, also contains erroneous assumptions about why Job is afflicted. Even so, the underlying wisdom remains that believers benefit from turning to God’s words as a source of guidance and strength. To heed the call in this verse is to live under the influence of heavenly wisdom—knowing that God alone sees the end from the beginning and that His words bring clarity in the midst of life’s struggles.