Am I Enough – Eliphaz and Logic

Greetings Dear Reader,

So we arrive in our journey with Job to his friends.  Eliphaz is careful about how he begins to speak.  He does not wish to anger Job.  It seems that he genuinely cares about his friend.  It also seems that he understands that Job’s reputation is that of a good man who is generous and humble.

Eliphaz then proposes a syllogism, or logical argument with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion that is the foundation of his argument.  The thing about a syllogism is that the conclusion is not true if either premise is false.  I will be a bit technical for a moment as we discuss this.  Here is the syllogism:

Major Premise:          God only allows calamities to befall the wicked and unjust.

Minor Premise:         Calamity has befallen Job.

Conclusion:              Job has some large hidden sin of which his friends are unaware.

In order for Eliphaz to be correct in his conclusion both of the previous statements must be true.  The major premise is not true.  God has said at the beginning of the story that Job is righteous and that there is “no one like him.”  The prologue makes it clear that Eliphaz is wrong in his assumption.

The problem here it that Eliphaz error in understanding the character of God is that he uses it to falsely accuse his friend.  When my Daughter Rachel passes away I was at the hospital on the natal floor.  I was standing in front of the nursery looking at all the newborn babies and praying for strength to tell my Sons that their sister had passed away.

Someone who had been my friend for quite some time was there.  He walked up and put his hand on my shoulder.  For a moment I thought that the comfort I so needed was about to be delivered.  My friend spoke quietly, “It is too bad your faith was not strong enough for your child to live.”  Then he walked away.  He never spoke to me again.

If I presume to know the character of God well enough to judge how he is dealing with others I am in error.  I do not know why God does what he does.  I do not understand why he allows the enemy, fallen men, and the natural laws of the world to harm others.  I do understand that he knows what he is doing and I must trust him in that.

I must never speak on behalf of God in a way that does not align with the character of God.  Those in sorrow must be comforted and not accused.  Those in pain must be given solace.  In his mercy God gave me a glimpse as to why I suffered this loss but that is a story for another day.  Tomorrow, unfortunately Eliphaz will continue to speak.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 4:1-21 

Then Eliphaz from Teman replied to Job, "If someone tries to talk to you, will you become impatient? But who can keep from talking?  Certainly, you have instructed many people: When hands were weak, you made them strong. When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words. When knees were weak, you gave them strength. But trouble comes to you, and you're impatient. It touches you, and you panic.

Doesn't your fear of God give you confidence and your lifetime of integrity give you hope?

“Now think about this: Which innocent person ever died an untimely death? Find me a decent person who has been destroyed. Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery, they gathered its harvest. God destroys them with his breath and kills them with a blast of his anger. Though the roar of the lion and the growl of the ferocious lion is loud, the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.

The old lions die without any prey to eat, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.  "I was told something secretly and heard something whispered in my ear.  With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people, fear and trembling came over me, and all my bones shook. A spirit passed in front of me. It made my hair stand on end. Something stood there. I couldn't tell what it was. A vague image was in front of my eyes.

I heard a soft voice: Can any mortal be righteous to God? Can any human being be pure to his maker?' "You see, God doesn't trust his own servants, and he accuses his angels of making mistakes. How much more will he accuse those who live in clay houses that have their foundation in the dust? Those houses can be crushed quicker than a moth! From morning to evening, they are shattered. They will disappear forever without anyone paying attention.  Haven't the ropes of their tent been loosened? Won't they die without wisdom?