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Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Job 15 - Irrelevant wisdom

Eliphaz comes back for a second time, accusing Job of spouting empty words. According to Eliphaz Job is saying the devotion to God is of no value. Now we need to look at this. What Job is saying is that in circumstances like these standard religious piety simply does not cut it, it does not address the real issues, the real difficulties we encounter. All branches of the church can be guilty of this, from the most traditional or reformed church to the most charismatic one.
Eliphaz wants to know if Job has greater wisdom than others. The answer to this is actually yes, he does, and definitely will do after God has revealed Himself to Job. Now we need to be careful here. Just because you go through the most difficult circumstances and trials does not automatically make you wise. Some people go through hell and are utterly defeated by it. You need to have faith, but it is not a religious faith, but a faith in the living God. We need to cling ever more tightly to God.
Eliphaz closes with an eloquent, though in the present context utterly irrelevant, declaration that the wicked will be judged.

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