Job 4:17-18

[clark thompson]

Job 4:17-18 King James Version (KJV)

17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:


Job 4:17-18 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

17 ‘Can a human being be more righteous than God, or can a man be more pure than his Maker?18 Look, he does not trust in his servants
and he charges his angels with error.

Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software


These are my thoughts, please share yours.


17 We can not be righteous on our own that is why Jesus had to come to die for us. We are sinful and without Him we are headed fro judgment. It is only by our faith in the Lord and His word that we are made righteous by Christ.


18 The devil was an angel who fell, which means that even the angels can go against God’s will and do what is wrong.

 

[Dovegiven]

Job 4:17-18 King James Version (KJV)

17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:


Job 4:17-18 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

17 ‘Can a human being be more righteous than God, or can a man be more pure than his Maker?18 Look, he does not trust in his servants
and he charges his angels with error.

Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software


These are my thoughts, please share yours.


17 We can not be righteous on our own that is why Jesus had to come to die for us. We are sinful and without Him we are headed fro judgment. It is only by our faith in the Lord and His word that we are made righteous by Christ.


18 The devil was an angel who fell, which means that even the angels can go against God’s will and do what is wrong.

Job begins with God commending Job, pleased with him. Even though much of Job's friend's advice is true in general, it can hurt unnecessarily, being devoid of pity if not applied how God says to apply it.
Job told them that in chapter 6. Eliphaz was the speaker there in chapter 4, telling Job that his sufferings are always linked to a legitimate cause, each cause balanced with the suffering.
Many a Sunday sermon the past centuries has been formed around such messages as that man's observances of life in this body of flesh.

Knowing the man is off base with Job, who was being unrightly punished by Satan according to chapter 1, let's look at verse 17. That came from a fearful spirit appearing to Eliphaz.
Whatever spirit it was, it was visible, could be felt, caused the hair to raise. Rather than say it might have been the Devil, it's better to think of it as a high wind in which another, Elijah, couldn't find God in.

What need for any person to even think of being more righteous than God? Nowhere else does the Bible present such a thought. Reason might bring up the idea of being equal in
righteousness of God, it being dangerous enough a mortal man could believe he could work his way to that. But that spirit supposedly told Eliphaz to tell Job, in other words, he might have been thinking that way or worse, more holy than God.

We know God didn't tell Eliphaz that, for again, God was pleased with Job in chapter one. We have learned from scripture none of us can possibly earn our way to just equal status, but this
advice to Job was clearly out of place, pouring salt in his wounds.

In verse 18 we find a mixture of truth, but all out of place for Job's ears, yanking faith out of him rather than support him in his suffering.

Besides, only a third of the angels revolted with Satan, leaving many who were used of God as trusted servants. Who delivered the announcement of the
birth of Jesus to Mary? That angel was a trusted servant on a hugely vital mission. Eliphaz was taking a position that aimed at explaining some of Job's troubles as being linked to God no longer trusting him, his formerly trusted servant, and putting condemnation on Job for sinning against God like some fallen angel.

A big lesson I take from it is to have pity on even those who are suffering from their sins, and to be sure not to heap condemnation on those already being judged. Having pity doesn't
require excusing people, but should allow for seeking healing truth based on truth, words of gold in frames of silver.