JOB 4-7
ELIPHAZ VS JOB
What is a mere human,
that You think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?
That You examine him every morning
and put him to the test every moment?
—Job 7:17-18
“Though some of your theories are a tad more, well, colorful than I’ve heard elsewhere, you’re not alone in seeing Job as less pious than he first appeared. Job’s three friends were listening to this once-righteous man slip into the realm of ‘foolishness’ and forming opinions of their own.”
The boy rubbed his hands together and said, “Let’s hear it.”
“Well, to their credit,” said the man, “often when a man loses his wealth, health, and position, he doesn’t have many friends left. The least we can say about these friends is that they were there. However, what unfolds next isn’t exactly the comfort we were hoping for. So far, his friends have been sympathetic and supportive, but after hearing Job’s speech, it became impossible for them to believe it was acceptable to God. It planted a seed of doubt in their minds that this man was truly pious, as he was far from the quiet submission we’d witnessed for seven days. Eliphaz the Temanite speaks up first and says this to Job.”
The man looked down and began reading:
Will you be patient and let me say a word?
For who could keep from speaking out?35
Indeed, you have instructed many
and have strengthened weak hands.36
Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
and you have strengthened feeble knees.37
But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes you, and you are dismayed.38
Is not your fear of God your confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?39
Stop and think! Do the innocent die?
When have the upright been destroyed?40
My experience shows
that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil
will harvest the same.41
By the breath of God they perish,
and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.42
The lions may roar and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.43
The lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.44
A word was brought to me in secret,
my ears caught a whisper of it.
Among unsettling thoughts from visions in the night,
when deep sleep comes over men,
fear and trembling came over me
and made all my bones shake.45
A spirit swept past my face,
and my hair stood on end.46
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes.
There was silence, then I heard a voice.47
‘Can a mortal be righteous before God?’
‘Can a man be more pure than his Maker?’48
He puts no trust even in His servants,
and He accuses His angels of error.49
How much less will He trust people made of clay?
They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.50
Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces.
Unregarded, they perish forever.
Is their tent cord not pulled out within them?
They die, yet without wisdom.51
As the man looked up, the boy said, “Jeez, talk about kickin’ a guy when he’s down.”
“Yes,” said the man, “somewhere in there, accusation overtook compassion. Just when it seems Job’s suffering couldn’t get any worse, he feels another twist of the knife by who was likely the most prominent, perhaps eldest of his friends, as they were typically who spoke first in these situations. And though it comes off as grossly insensitive to the reader, he delivers his speech in an elegant and polished manner, suggesting he has experience saying unpleasant things in courteous ways.”
“Wow. With friends like those…” said the boy. “He basically jumps out of the gate calling him a hypocrite, like, ‘You’re not the man we thought you were, Job.’”
“Exactly so,” said the man. “Some people show little mercy for those who have taught others. Eliphaz immediately points out how Job once helped people in times of need yet appears too weary to help himself in the same way when the time comes. The author tells us Job’s friends came to offer comfort, but we can see they fall a tad short in that department, don’t they?”
“They sure do,” said the boy. “What was the motivation for all this?”
“Well,” said the man, “judging by the line about those who sow trouble will harvest the same, Eliphaz believes the innocent and the upright are never punished by God. I’m guessing that after sitting in silence for seven days, Eliphaz was expecting to hear a confession of sin emerge from Job’s lips. One that explained this tragedy. But when Job began questioning God’s ways instead, I think a switch flipped in the mind of his friend to move from comfort to lecture.”
“Right. Like what was that stuff about lions all about?”
“Well, he uses this metaphor of a lion to describe human strength, saying that while an evil man may appear fierce and strong, in God’s judging hands that strength will be broken. What’s worse is the line about a breath from God destroying evildoers, which I believe is a reference to the storm that crushed Job’s family in ‘a blast of His anger.’ Eliphaz approached Job with some sense of politeness at first, but if what I’m gathering is true, the gloves really came off here.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” said the boy. “But see? I knew his kids were up to no good at those parties.”
“Hardy, har, har,” said the man. “Anyway, from there, Eliphaz goes on to describe this dream of his, which I find rather, well, disturbing.”
“Because of the spirit that made his bones tremble?”
“That too,” said the man. “But more so the implications of the rest of its content.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, whoever this shapeless figure was, no other appearance of angels in the Bible makes anyone’s hair stand on end. These questions asking if anyone can really be innocent or pure before God sound as provocative as the questions asked to Eve in the garden before she fell to temptation.”
“So you’re thinking Satan was in this dream?”
“I’m not saying that for sure,” said the man. “All I’m saying is this spirit sounds more like one of evil than good. But furthermore, the conclusions Eliphaz draws about God not trusting His own angels, much less people made of clay, don’t paint a very bright picture of God’s perception of His own creations.”
“What is Eliphaz referring to exactly? He doesn’t really give any examples.”
“I believe he’s alluding to how God keeps His angels under control, like we saw with Satan earlier, for example, meaning He doesn’t trust them to have complete autonomy.”
“But how would Eliphaz know that? All that stuff happened in Heaven behind the scenes.”
The man stroked his beard as he thought it over. “You know, I’m really not sure. Perhaps this knowledge comes from another Leviathan-like story floating around their culture at the time. It’s a good question, but I don’t have any solid answer for you.”
“Maybe the author just screwed up and gave Eliphaz the knowledge of what happened?” There was silence between them as this theory hung in the air. “Or,” said the boy, “proof that this was Satan speaking to Eliphaz through the dream.”
The man gave a semi-convinced nod. “Well, one of those explanations is good enough for me. Some things aren’t worth mulling over all day, so let’s move on. The real troubling part is how Eliphaz buys into people being untrustworthy in the eyes of God, crushed as easily as moths. To me, Eliphaz argues that because human righteousness is so worthless, we’re like dust beneath God’s feet. Job is sinful, so the reason for his suffering is because God is just punishing another worthless sinner.”
The boy frowned. “That doesn’t leave much room for anyone to be worthy in God’s eyes.”
“None at all,” said the man. “That’s why it’s easy to conclude how the same accuser who condemned Job in chapters one and two has found another way to attack him here. I think Eliphaz should have been more suspicious of the source of this dream.”
“Well,” said the boy, “how does Job respond to all this?”
“Oh, Eliphaz isn’t done yet,” said the man. “He’s got more to say to his dear old friend Job.”
“More?” said the boy. “Well, let’s get on with it then.”
The man gave a nod and looked down to read:
Call out! Will anyone answer you?
Which of the holy ones will you turn to?52
For anger kills a fool,
and jealousy slays the gullible.53
I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
but then comes sudden disaster.54
His children are far from safety,
crushed in court without a defender.55
The hungry devour their harvest,
even when it is guarded by brambles.
The thirsty pant after their wealth.56
Distress does not grow out of the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the ground,
but humans are born for trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.57
However, if I were you,
I would appeal to God
and would present my case to Him.
He does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.58
He gives rain to the earth
and sends water to the fields.
He sets the lowly on high,
and mourners are lifted to safety.
He frustrates the schemes of the crafty
so that they achieve no success.
He traps the wise in their craftiness
so that the plans of the deceptive
are quickly brought to an end.59
They encounter darkness by day,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
He saves the needy from their sharp words
and from the clutches of the powerful.
So the poor have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.60
See how happy is the person whom God corrects,
so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.61
For He inflicts pain, and gives relief.
He wounds, but His hands also heal.62
He will rescue you from six calamities,
no harm will touch you in seven.
In famine He will redeem you from death,
and in battle, from the power of the sword.63
You will be safe from slander
and not fear destruction when it comes.
You will laugh at destruction and hunger
and not fear the land’s wild creatures.
For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
You will know that your tent is secure,
and nothing will be missing when you inspect your home.
You will also know that your offspring will be many
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
You will approach the grave in full vigor,
as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season.64
We have studied life and found all this to be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.65
The boy drew in a deep breath and let it out again. “I get the feeling Eliphaz doesn’t know God very well.”
The man gave an agreeing nod. “There are certainly some puzzling statements here.”
“Clearly, he doesn’t know the story of Abel getting murdered by Cain. Or anyone who’s been a victim of robbery. Or rape. Or anyone infertile. Or anything else where an innocent person might suffer.”
“Yes, you’re spot on with all of that,” said the man. “Anyone with a few years of life experience should recognize that even the most devout followers of God will experience misfortune. It’s possible many people go through trials and suffering because they’re godly. This simplistic and unrealistic theology that if you cast yourself upon God’s mercy, then everything will be fine isn’t the way things work. Eliphaz is supposed to be the eldest and wisest of Job’s friends, so I’m not exactly sure where this point of view is coming from.”
“Great. So it’s just gonna get worse with these other two dummies?”
“Well, I don’t know if tha—”
The boy started laughing and said, “I like that line about God rescuing you from six calamities and no harm coming in the seventh.”
“Why?” said the man. “What stuck out about that?”
“Because the only people spreading that rumor are the ones who didn’t die from the seventh calamity.”
“Perhaps—”
“And don’t fear the land’s wild creatures? That’s great advice. Like lions and tigers and bears won’t be hungry when they catch a whiff of you strolling through the forest alone at night. I think Eliphaz needs to go for a quick swim in a shark pit during feeding time and see if he still feels the same. See if that seventh calamity rule still stands. And wasn’t there something about children being crushed in there too? Real comforting, Eliphaz.”
The man waited for his turn to speak. When the boy’s rant lost its steam, he responded. “Yes, he says a fool may be successful in the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. His children may be crushed in court without a defender, an apparently reasonable correction for sin which Job should accept gratefully as a wakeup call for his ways. Eliphaz is either unaware or uncaring of what a dagger this statement could be for Job. Then he also says, ‘If I were you, I would appeal to God.’ But it’s puzzling how Eliphaz comes to the conclusion that Job hasn’t already tried this.”
“Exactly,” said the boy. “That’s what I was thinking. It’s been weeks since this happened. How does Eliphaz know what Job has said or done in that time?”
“He couldn’t know,” said the man. “He draws conclusions based on his philosophy that if the innocent were punished, then the world would be unfair, and that can’t be. Overall, he tells Job how, since he’s already instructed many fools and sinners to find their strength again, the path forward through repentance should be obvious. But perhaps the deepest error in his argument is that he leaves no room for innocent suffering. In whatever fantasy he’s living in, innocent suffering would be a mark on God’s moral landscape. And so he comes forth spewing these low blows at Job and his children. The lines challenging Job to call out, asking if anyone will answer him, seem to imply that the case is so obvious, no one would come to defend Job’s plea.
“And it’s tricky listening to these dialogues because much of what Job’s friends say sounds attractive on the surface. ‘The wicked are punished and the righteous are blessed.’ If we were to take a highlighter and run through their speeches and quote them out of context, our pages would be full of ink. But when you peek beneath the surface, we find they’re not entirely true. So as we listen to this debate unfold, we may discover how much of our own worldview is reflected in the misguided words of these friends. This brings us back to the overarching question the book of Job aims to answer. Why do the righteous suffer?”
“And God explains this soon?” said the boy.
“Let’s work through the remaining dialogue between Job and his friends first,” said the man. “There’s much to learn there as well.”
The boy let out a sigh with a roll of his eyes. “Fiiine. But tell me Job at least pushes back here. The way Eliphaz ends his speech was so arrogant.”
The man ran his fingers along the page and found the line again:
We have studied life and found all this to be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.
“Yeah,” said the boy, “that. ‘The answer is plain and simple, Job. Just take my advice and you’ll be fine. Happy to assist. No charge for my service.’”
The man smiled at the boy. “And how could Job refuse such reasonable terms? Eliphaz was probably expecting his counsel to be so well received that Job would repent and all would be restored, then life could go on as normal. But let’s hear what Job really has to say,” said the man, looking down at the Bible to read:
If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!66
For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas,
for that reason my words have been rash.67
Surely the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me,
my spirit drinks their poison.
God’s terrors are arrayed against me.68
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass,
or the ox low over his fodder?69
Is bland food eaten without salt?
Is there flavor in an egg white?70
My appetite refuses to touch them.
They are as food that is loathsome to me.71
If only my request would be granted
and God would provide what I hope for.72
I wish He would crush me.
I wish He would reach out His hand and kill me.
At least I can take comfort in this.
Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.73
What strength do I have, that I should continue to hope?
What is my future, that I should be patient?
Is my strength that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze?
Since I cannot help myself,
the hope for success has been banished from me.74
For the despairing man
there should be kindness from his friend,
so that he does not abandon the fear of the Almighty.75
My brothers,
you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook
that overflows its banks in the spring
when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.
But when the hot weather arrives,
the water disappears.
The brook vanishes in the heat.76
The caravans turn aside to be refreshed,
but there is nothing to drink, so they die.
The caravans from Tema search for this water;
the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
They count on it but are disappointed.
When they arrive, their hopes are dashed.
You, too, have given no help.
You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid.77
Have I ever said, ‘Give me something’
or ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth’
or ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’
or ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’?78
Teach me, and I will be silent.
Help me understand what I did wrong.79
How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?80
Do you think that you can disprove my words
or that a despairing man’s words are mere wind?81
No doubt you would cast lots for a fatherless child
and negotiate a price to sell your friend.82
Look at me! Would I lie to your face?
Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong.
Do you think I am lying?
Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?83
The man looked up and said, “Do you have any initial thoughts here, or shall I begin?”
“Why don’t you start,” said the boy, a smile growing across his face.
The man stared at the boy for a moment. “I hesitate to ask why you’re smiling, but very well. My first thoughts are on the hurtful lessons we can learn from Eliphaz. Job looks for life-giving waters in the speeches of his friends, but what he finds instead is betrayal. We can see by Job’s reaction they struck a nerve. For those of us counseling others in life, we can walk away observing how assumptions reduce understanding. When your mind is made up like Eliphaz, and you think you’ve already figured everything out, it’s difficult to understand the other person’s point of view, even if you think it’s not accurate. Sympathy was thrown out the window in favor of imposing opinions on a problem that wasn’t really the issue. Eliphaz failed to listen to his friend because he was simply waiting for his turn to get his point across, and he hurt Job in a time when he needed comfort from his friends the most.”
The boy sat quietly nodding in reflection, so the man continued.
“When people are at their wits’ end, sometimes we need to let them say whatever it is they need to say without judgment, without trying to be an Eliphaz. To be a great counselor requires great wisdom and understanding. The words of Eliphaz, however, come with shame, not grace. They are blunt and condemning, so Job defends himself by saying that if his grief could be weighed on a scale, it would outweigh all the sand in the seas. That’s why his words were so rash. He’s saying, ‘If you were in my shoes, Eliphaz, if you were carrying all the weight I’m carrying, you wouldn’t be saying those things.’”
“Mmm,” said the boy. “And what was that about the donkey and the ox?”
“He’s asking if a donkey cries when he has grass to eat, or if an ox whines when it has feed. The answer is, of course, no, which Job is pointing out to Eliphaz, who still has his health and wealth and family, so he has no reason to cry like Job. He’s pleading that instead of shame, Eliphaz should cut him some slack for his rash words, for the despairing man should receive kindness from his friend. And he’s right. Shame-based counseling does nothing but place us under an extra load of guilt, rather than offer us fresh hope or relief. He’s asking that Eliphaz consider what Job is dealing with, saying, ‘I have ten dead children. I have lost everyth—’”
“Hold on, hold on,” said the boy. “I hear what you’re saying about Job pleading his case and looking for sympathy, but let’s not put words in his mouth.”
The man looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“You keep trying to paint Job as father of the year, but point to the part where he mentions his children.” The man started to look down the page, and the boy said, “Don’t bother.”
“Well,” said the man, “I think we can infer—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can infer all day long, but that’s not what’s in the text. I think if Job had to say something about his family, he would have said it by now. But he doesn’t. He talks about God piercing him with arrows. Heck, he even talks about some loathsome egg whites. But never once does he mention any sorrow for his children. It’s just me, me, me. Buried treasure, kings and princes, and bland food because I’m too poor to afford salt now. Seriously. It’s all about himself and money. There’s more evidence that he’d rather have God strike him dead before living like a poor person than an ounce of concern for his wife or children.”
The man sat quietly, rereading the passage to himself again, so the boy went on.
“Has he ever said, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth?’ No. Of course not, because he’s too proud to ask his rich friends for money now that he’s poor. ‘No doubt you would negotiate a price to sell your friend’? Come on, dude. Scrooge McDuck strikes again. Now that he’s poor, his friends would sell him into slavery for their own profit if they could because that’s the type of people Job hangs out with. Like attracts like. Maybe this is the lesson God is trying to teach him here. By saying nothing, He’s actually saying, ‘Look at the type of people you surround yourself with, Job. You’re so concerned over wealth that you neglected your children, and now you don’t even mention them when they’re gone. The only people who show up when you’re down are the ones who’d sell you into slavery.’ Job needs to sit in timeout and reflect on how he only prayed to God to keep rich, while deep down the only one he ever cared about was himself.”
The man looked up with a mildly nervous glimmer in his eyes. “I’d have a terribly difficult time adopting the notion a man never loved his children, but you’re certainly putting a spin on this I’ve never heard before.”
“You said yourself, people have puzzled over this book for ages, but it seems pretty clear to me.”
“I’m not entirely convinced on what you’re saying about the money,” said the man, “but you do make a good point about Job’s friends. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the dialogue and say, ‘Wasn’t Eliphaz mean when he said X?’ or ‘Wasn’t Job right by defending himself with Y?’ But the big picture takeaway for the reader is, what kind of people are we surrounding ourselves with? ‘These are your friends?’ one might ask Job. And if these are your friends, what does that say about you? At least Job has the excuse he’s in the middle of it all, too blinded by emotion and accusations to see the root of the issue, but we’ve got the advantage of a bird’s eye view to learn from.”
“Bird’s eye view,” the boy laughed. “See? You’ll be onboard with the McDuck theory in no time.”
The man rolled his eyes. “We’ll see about that, but I do like your point about God remaining silent to allow Job to learn lessons for himself. That’s another gem we can take away in times when God seems to not answer our prayers.”
“That, or He’s busy squashing someone else’s children,” said the boy, “but I guess we’ll find out when we hear from God Himself. Is there anything else from Job in the meantime?”
“Yes, actually. And it’s worth noting that in that speech, he corrects Eliphaz by saying he never once denied the words of the Holy One, because from here, he turns his attention toward God. Here, listen,” said the man, looking down to read:
Is a person not forced to labor on Earth,
and are his days not like the days of a hired worker?84
Like a slave he longs for shade,
like a hired worker he waits for his pay.
So I have been made to inherit months of futility,
and troubled nights have been assigned to me.85
When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.86
My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin breaks open, oozing with pus.87
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to their end without hope.88
Remember that my life is a mere breath.
My eye will not see goodness again.89
You see me now, but not for long.
You will look for me, but I will be gone.90
As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave does not return.91
He will not return to his house again,
nor will his place know about him anymore.92
Therefore I will not restrain my mouth.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit.
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.93
Am I the sea or a sea monster,
that You keep me under guard?94
I think, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and sleep will ease my misery,’95
then You scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,96
so that I prefer strangling and death,
rather than this body of mine.97
I waste away, I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath.98
What is a mere human, that You think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?99
That You examine him every morning
and put him to the test every moment?100
Will You ever look away from me,
or leave me alone long enough to swallow?101
If I have sinned, what have I done to You,
Watcher of humanity?
Why have You made me Your target,
so that I have become a burden to You?
Why not forgive my sin and pardon my iniquity?
For soon I will lie down in the grave.
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.102
“Eek,” said the boy. “Maggots and oozing scabs really paint a picture.”
“Yes, and life being merely a breath shapes a dismally brief view of Job’s own in his eyes. It’s worth noting also that neither Job nor his friends refer to the possibility of life after death, but rather see the grave as the permanent resting place where one’s journey ends. Job uses this fast-approaching fate as the reason to speak his mind toward God because, from his point of view, his fate will be the same either way, so he might as well die with some answers if he’s bold enough to ask the questions.”
“Fair enough,” said the boy. “I’d probably feel the same way if I believed what he did.”
“Oh?” said the man. “And what do you believe? I’m curious now.”
“I don’t know,” said the boy, letting out a deep sigh. “No one knows for sure, and anyone who claims they do is on drugs.” The man’s eyebrows perked up as he blinked a few times. “No offense. Beliefs are fine and all, but claiming you know for sure is something else.”
“Well, what are your beliefs then?” said the man.
“I don’t know about the whole Heaven and Hell thing,” said the boy. “My guess would be that if there is such a thing as a spirit or soul, it probably just dissolves back into whatever collective ball of spiritual dough it was cut out of to begin with. The idea of billions of ghostly figures running around one of two different afterlife parties seems crowded to me. And what, you’re bumping into your same friends and family, telling the same stories you’ve already heard a million times back on Earth? ‘Remember when we did such and such eons ago when we were alive?’ No thanks. I’m good after this.
“Even a ‘blissful’ existence in Heaven sounds boring after a while. Like being on a vacation too long. Like Groundhog Day where everything is perfect, again, and again, and again. It’s great to sit around and do nothing in paradise for a while, but eventually, you want to get back to the real world and feel like you’re doing something productive.
“So no,” sighed the boy, “I’d prefer to dissolve into nothingness again. Or maybe reincarnation. Recycle my soul into some new life experience for all I care. Anything but an eternity surrounded by the same spirits all the time. Eternity sounds like a mighty long time to do… whatever it is souls do in Heaven.” He idly played with a pawn, deciding his next move.
“Yes, well,” said the man, observing what the boy was doing, “the description of Heaven and what to expect is shrouded in mystery for us Christians too, but the paradise followers of Christ are promised as their souls’ eternal resting place will be alongside our Lord, which is more than enough for me.”
“Respect,” said the boy, giving a nod toward the Bible again. “Where were we?”
The man looked down and skimmed over what he’d just read to the boy.
“Let’s see. Well, Job is questioning God for what He’s done, laying out his case before the Judge the best he can, but doing so in the face of silence. He asks God, ‘Why do you pay so much attention to man?’ But there’s nothing. Just silence. He asks, ‘Why do you test his every move?’ Silence. ‘What have I done to You?’ Silence. ‘Why don’t You pardon me?’ S—”
“Silence,” said the boy. “I get it. But when do we actually get to the point where God isn’t silent?”
“Patience, my boy. Patience. God responds in His own time.”
The boy let out a groan and said, “Alright, well, you have any other lessons for me here, or can we move on and get there?” Then he looked to the chessboard and moved a pawn forward without much thought on the matter.
“Well, sure,” said the man. “While Satan uses pain to afflict Job’s body, the misguided ‘comfort’ of his friends to torture his soul, and the silence of God to break his faith, God’s purpose in allowing Satan to do these things is to deepen His own relationship with Job so that Job can know and understand God in a more profound way. Suffering is not always a result of sin, as Eliphaz would have us believe, but sometimes suffering is a result of righteousness, as part of God’s plan. Satan has motivations for causing us to suffer, but God has reasons for allowing us to suffer.”
The boy gave a silent nod as he let that sink in.
“Job’s final lines expressing the feeling that God has put him in His crosshairs is the belief of someone who thinks God is eager to punish us for any little thing. Job is angry, and we have to decide how this sways our opinion of Job.”
“Personally, I respect it,” said the boy. “This circles back to the point I made about God not being a sensitive maiden. And I’m guessing Mrs. Job is thrilled her husband is finally growing a pair. I think it speaks to honesty with what you’re feeling, whereas before he was all grovel-y, like, ‘Oh thank you for killing my family, Lord!’ He’s slightly less pathetic now.”
The man rolled his eyes. “While I think there’s something to be said about emotional dishonesty in our prayers, I’m not sure I completely agree with Job’s delivery. Or yours.”
“Yeah, but you’re just like Eliphaz, judging Job without being in his shoes. You haven’t felt the weight of all the sand on your shoulders, have you? Why shouldn’t Job be able to share his feelings with God?”
“I’m not saying he shouldn’t,” said the man. “I’m just saying it should be done with a certain degree of reverence, and less accusatory. And I think it’s unfair for you to assume I haven’t felt the weight of my own sands over the years. I’ve grieved the loss of loved ones many times at this age, including my wife.”
The boy clammed up and averted his eyes.
“Being angry is human, and part of an honest relationship, but ultimately our goal is to realize that God is on our side, and not on the side of misfortune.”
“But if God is allowing the misfortune to happen,” said the boy, “how do you separate two sides of the same coin?”
“Yes, well, that is the challenge of the story of Job, now isn’t it? Shall we carry on and see where it goes?”
The boy offered a palm toward the Bible with a nod.