March 4, 2022

Passage Read: Job 1-4
Meditation Verses: 4:17-20

Thought

Eliphaz has seen a spirit, but I don't think this is an angel of God. This sounds like an accuser, possibly The Accuser, Satan himself. Where did this question about man being more righteous than God come from? Godly men don't seek to be purer or more righteous than God, they only seek to attain to His righteousness. And God does entrust tasks to His angels, and to men, though He certainly superintends all things, to help them succeed, not because He is suspicious of them, but because neither have all power as He does. Men certainly have a harder time knowing God than the angels, not seeing Him day and night, but this makes it sound pretty hopeless. These statements don't encourage pursuit of God, but discourage it, they don't encourage seeking God, but make it sound like it is pointless to even try.

Application

Of course man cannot be more righteous than God! God is the standard for perfection, at best we can only hope to be like Him in holiness. And in Christ, He has given us His righteousness, He has made us perfect like Himself. He calls us to walk in that righteousness and gives us His Spirit to help us succeed! And He does watch over us and care for us. His thoughts towards us are more in number than the sand. No one dies alone, uncared for, unloved. God grieves over the death even if the wicked; He takes no pleasure in ending their lives, but prefers that they repent. Yet judgment does come and justice will be done, but every day the wicked lives is a chance for them to repent, each day is mercy from the Lord. The lost need hope that God will forgive and warning not to miss His grace. The righteous need to know that their effort to seek the Lord are not in vain, but will be richly rewarded. Eliphaz was not pointing the way to life, but crushing an already bruised spirit.