Reflections on Job 4:17 — Self-Righteousness Never Wins

“‘Can mortal man be righteous before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?” — Job 4:17 (SRV)

These words come from Job’s great friend Eliphaz (who is the first to speak after having suffered with Job for a week), but Eliphaz claims he first heard them from “a spirit” that woke him with dread one night and caused him “trembling, which made all my bones shake.”

Dear reader, my word “claims” above is intentional. I could have very well used, “said,” but that would not suit my subtle purpose.

See, I learned in my days of journalism school that claims is a loaded word, best reserved for communicating doubt about the integrity behind a statement. (“The suspect claims he was home asleep at the time,” the policeman said.)

So I hope you will allow me to say this again: Eliphaz claims a spirit startled him in the night with these, otherwise Godly, words.

You catch my drift? I’m not fully trusting ole’ Eliphaz’s wild little story, here.

And, as we’ll be learning soon,  Job isn’t either.

Please know, I come to this mistrust only because I have read through this book before. If this were my first go-round, I probably would have gone with “says” in all this. And then I’m sure I’d have gone on and on about how Job just needs to heed Eliphaz’s wise and Godly counsel. (In fact, I vaguely remember feeling frustrated with Job the first time I read his angry response to these words which, spoiler alert, you’ll see in Chapter 6).

But Eliphaz isn’t fooling me this time. And, thanks be to God, he’s even taught me a grand lesson about how self-righteousness can sneak up on a guy. (Let’s just say, I recognize a lot of “old Don” in all that Eliphaz has to say here.)

I’m keen on starting a big theological debate (though I know one could probably be had) over who, exactly, Eliphaz’s “spirit” visitor was (if anyone) and what it may have said (if anything). But I offer this for whatever it’s worth: I am confident Eliphaz made the whole thing up — albeit to prove a well-intended point.

If you happen to accept my view of Eliphaz’s story, then, you can clearly see the problems of self-righteousness. This is one sin that, probably always,  starts with good intentions, and, almost always,  sounds like God. But, of course it’s neither in the end. Ultimately, it’s selfish. And only God is God.

I, for one, see in Eliphaz a burning desire to rescue Job from his pain with this speech. And I sympathize with that great intention.  Eliphaz’s aim, from the start, is to just convince Job to “snap out of it,” and I’ve definitely be there, done that.

You’ve sinned, Job, I paraphrase. But that’s okay! We all sin, sir! God loves us all anyway. Remember that, and just get back on your great track! “Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways, your hope?”

That all sounds quite reasonable, of course, even when backed by a crazy story of a “spirit” coming in the night.  It’s definitely the gist of God’s message to all of us during our downtrodden days.

Alas, there’s the rub: the message is God’s. Not Eliphaz’s (or mine).

And that’s why Job will not be convinced (at least not now, not as a result of this speech from Eliphaz).

So, in the end, the speech is all just pure self-righteousness. To make his message more convincing, Eliphaz delves into the story of the “spirit.” But, if the “spirit” really were of God — as it’s apparent Eliphaz wants Job to believe — then Job would have been convinced immediately, right? God can do that sort of thing, right?

So, Eliphaz had to have just made the story up! Right?

And, if Eliphaz’s self-righteousness would lead him to fabricate a story about God himself, then that gives me, for one, reason to question the presumed “good intentions” Eliphaz has with this speech.

Could it be that Eliphaz is not so concerned about his friend’s spiritual state afterall? Could it be that either annoyance or frustration is the main motive behind this speech?

Eliphaz has just sat for a week with a wallowing, moaning friend, listening silently to his wails, and trying his best to be a comfort.

I, for one, doubt I would last for two days doing that. My self-righteous “good news” would probably started spewing forth well before the first day ended, in fact.

Yep, Job is a tough book indeed.  Could it really be that Eliphaz is “wrong” (even sinful!) in this attempt to console this friend he, obviously, loves?

Well, I’m not going to go so far as to throw a stone of judgement here.

Instead I’ll just thank God for this amazing, comforting explanation of why my own discipleship is not always as “successful” as I’d like.

We do, indeed, serve an On Time God. May (and all of us) be always happy with His timing.

Note: I hope you will forgive me again, dear reader: I continue to be behind in the (for-pay) work God has put before me, and I continue to be called to put that as my main priority for the next few days. Accordingly, though I acknowledge that I have billed this study as a “daily” thing, I plan to post again almost four days from now, by noon on Tuesday, August 28. If God is willing, I will begin truly daily posts after that. We shall see (and abide by) His will.