Can Mortal Man Be More Just Than God?

Continuing a Bible study of Job:

(Job 4:1) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, (2) "If we attempt to commune with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking? (3) Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened weak hands. (4) Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees; (5) But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled."

Eliphaz says Job has instructed many, he has helped the weak, he has used his own words to help those who were stumbling. The insinuation seems to be that now that the same trouble has come to Job, he can't seem to do what he instructed others to do.

(6) "Is not this your fear, your confidence, your hope, and the uprightness of your ways?"

Paraphrased, "Is not your fear (of God) your confidence, your hope, and the reason for the uprightness of your ways?"

(7) "Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? (8) Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same."

Paraphrased, "When have you ever seen the innocent and upright cut down (by God)? But those who sin do reap what they sow."

(9) "By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils are they consumed. (10) The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. (11) The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered."

The fierce lion may be separate from the male roaring lion. She may be the lioness, who doesn't roar as loudly, but is very fierce when it comes to protecting her cubs. Even the fiercest are broken by God.

(12) "Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. (13) In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,"

Eliphaz now describes a vision he had previously had. We don't know when he had the vision, but he is using it to rebuke Job.

(14) "Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. (15) Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. (16) It stood still, but I could not discern its form. An image was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying, (17) 'Can mortal man be more just than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? (18) Behold, He put no trust in His servants, and His angels He charged with folly; (19) How much less in them who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? (20) They are destroyed from morning till evening; they perish forever, without anyone regarding it. (21) Does not their own excellence go away? They die, even without wisdom.'"

Basically the vision's message seems to be, "Who can question the pure just God? Not even angels, much less men."

(Job 5:1) "Call out now, if there be anyone who will answer you; and to which of the saints will you turn? (2) For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one. (3) I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place."

Paraphrased, "Wrath and envy will kill you. I, too, have seen the wicked appear rooted and prospering, but suddenly become cursed."

(4) "His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. (5) Whose harvest the hungry eat up, and takes it even out of the thorns, and the robber swallows up their substance. (6) Although affliction does not come from the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground; (7) Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward."

Eliphaz seems to be saying that troubles don't spring from the ground for no cause, but man is born into sin, since the fall of Adam, and troubles may come as a consequence of that sin as naturally as sparks from a fire fly upward.

(8) "I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, (9) Who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. (10) Who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields. (11) To set up on high those who are low, that those who mourn may be lifted to safety. (12) He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. (13) He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. (14) They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noontime as in the night. (15) But He saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth and from the hand of the mighty. (16) So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth."

Eliphaz tells Job to take his cause to God, Who does wonderful things, and Who is just and helps the needy and frustrates the plans of the wicked.

(17) "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. (18) For He bruises, and He binds up; He wounds, and His hands make whole. (19) He shall deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil shall touch you. (20) In famine He shall redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. (21) You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes. (22) You shall laugh at destruction and famine; neither shall you be afraid of the beasts of the earth. (23) For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. (24) And you shall know that your tent is in peace; and you shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. (25) You shall also know that your descendants shall be many, and your offspring like the grass of the earth. (26) You shall come to your grave at a full age, like a shock of corn ripens in its season. (27) Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear it and know it for your good."

Basically, Eliphaz's message is not a terrible one. Although he might be insinuating that Job may be experiencing a chastening of the Lord, he is sure God will deliver Job out of his troubles. Our human minds search for explanations, and Eliphaz, recalling his vision that said, "Can mortal man be more just than God?", looks for a reason why a just God would bring so much hardship on Job. It must be something Job did or perhaps it is the original sin of Adam; it couldn't be the pure just God.