“Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?”
~ Job 4:17
Hi James and Ellen,
Having kid friends is good. Being a friend to other kids is good. What does having kid friends mean to you? What does being a friend to other kids mean to you? Are the kids who you call friends kids who you know that you can trust or are they kids who will let you boss them around? Are you another kid’s friend because the kid likes you because you listen to and show genuine interest in him or her or is it because you want to be with a kid who always bosses you around? A couple of definitions of friend are pal and buddy. Your grandmaa had a lot of friends when she was young. Your grandmaa when she was young did things with her friends – like playing canasta with them. Your grandmaa still has a lot of friends. Guys, gals and kids like to be with your grandmaa. Your grandmaa is able to talk easily with guys, gals and kids. Your grandmaa has a very quick wit. How your grandmaa acts as she is saying something to a guy, gal or kid and how she smiles at them lets them know that she cares about them. Your grandpaa did not have friends when he was young. Your grandpaa still does not have many friends. Your grandpaa knows that there are guys, gals and kids who want to be able to call your grandpaa a friend but . . . God hardwired your grandpaa as an introvert. An introvert’s energy level is drained when he or she is around other guys, gals and kids. Introverts like guys, gals and kids; they just do not need to spend time with another guy, gal or kid. Introverts need to get away from other guys, gals and kids in order to get their energy level recharged. An extrovert’s energy level is recharged when he or she spends a lot of time with other guys, gals and kids. Extroverts sometime claim that they have never met a guy, gal or kid who they do not like. Introverts listen. Extroverts talk. Introverts do internal processing. Extroverts use other guys and gals to do verbal processing. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Your grandpaa thinks that Eliphaz was an extrovert. Eliphaz liked to talk. Eliphaz grew up in Teman making him a Temanite. Teman was located in the country of Edom. The land area that became Edom is where Esau settled after he had been tricked by Jacob – his little bro, into handing over to him in exchange for his dad’s birthright – that he was supposed to get, a hot bowl of porridge. Edom got named after Esau’s red hair. After Satan had really gotten into afflicting Job, Eliphaz came up with what he really believed to the exact reason why God needed to afflict Job. Job 4 begins the first round of accusations that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar aimed at Job. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar thought of themselves as being Job’s friends. These three self-styled friends of Job had just heard Job lament, bewail and bemoan about his situation. The poor guy had just had most of his possessions taken or destroyed, his kids killed and his body completely covered with extremely painful sores. Job was really feeling miserable. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar would take turns letting Job know their thoughts as to why God was needing to afflict him. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar would spend a lot of time telling Job why it was Job’s fault that all these really bad things had happened to him. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar would sometimes stumble across elements of truth in what they would say to Job but the reality was, the guys did not have a clue as to why Job was going through what he was going through – that it really was God’s will that was allowing Satan to grievously buffet Job. Your grandpaa thinks that it is not a good thing to ever give Satan credit for something that happened or is happening. Satan absolutely cannot do anything without first having God allow him to do what it is that he wants to do to a guy, gal or kid. Your grandpaa thinks that Satan is always asking God and that he is sometimes allowed by God to buffet you or your grandmaa and/or grandpaa or your dad and/or ma as he buffeted to Job. God has said that His specially elected guys and gals will go through difficulties, trials and temptations in order to help strengthen their resolve to persevere in their faith in Him.
Eliphaz starts out his diatribe by telling Job that Job had been a good guy when he had helped guys and gals when they were down. Eliphaz seems to really believe that Job has to listen to him. Eliphaz seems to really believe that he is a spokesman for God even though he stumbles over a fundamental truth element when he says in verse 17 “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?” Job already knew that he could never be more righteous than God and as pure as his Maker – Who was his Father God. Even though Eliphaz was right on with this fundamental element of truth, Eliphaz was totally missing that God had another purpose for allowing Job to be buffeted by Satan and that purpose did not have anything to do with Job; it had everything to do with Satan. God’s purpose for letting Satan to relentlessly buffet Job was to reinforce in Satan’s mind that He would never ever let Satan do anything that He – God, could or would stop at any time from going any further than what He was allowing Satan to do. There is always a greater purpose in God’s perfectly scripted plan for what He created and is creating – which your grandpaa believes that He had written out completely before He began unfolding His universe – including planet Earth. Your grandpaa does not know if it happened but he suspects that Satan took his pride fall before God formed the universe and put into motion what He had formed. Then ever since Satan took his pride fall, God has put into motion one scenario after another to show the fallen angel that he – Lucifer, will never ever be Him. Eliphaz in his invective was succumbing to the same pride failings that befell Satan thinking that God had called him to be a spokesman for Him to confront Job. Your grandpaa does not think that there is ever a time when a guy or gal – thinking that God has told him or her to do so, should ever confront another guy or gal about . . .
Job 4 (424)