Job – Chapter 34: Elihu Continues

In Job Chapter 33 Elihu tells us God does answer our questions, but in ways we are unaware.  How convenient.  In addition, God delivers us pain and suffering to help us see the light.  Makes no sense, but remember, God works in mysterious ways.  🙂  Elihu begins by repeating a few of Job’s earlier statements, providing context for his ‘wisdom’.  Elihu then says:

“Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.” – Job 34:10

All of Job proves this statement wrong.  We’ve seen God do evil over and over to Job.  God killed Job’s children.  Let’s assume Job did evil, although we have no evidence of that.  That may be justification to punish Job, but to kill Job’s children?  That’s an evil God in action.

“He repays a man for what he has done, He brings upon him what his conduct deserves.” – Job 34:11

The Bible describes, early in the Book of Job, Job as the “greatest man in the east.”  The “greatest man in the east” deserved a dead family and painful sores?  If that’s the case, I can’t even imagine what an “average man in the east” deserves.

“It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” – Job 34:12

Killing children is the exact definition of doing wrong and perverting justice.  Granted, Satan is the one who did the deed, but God gave Satan His blessing.

“Will you condemn the just and mighty One?” – Job 34:17

When the just and mighty One kills innocent children for the father’s deeds (again no evidence for these wrongful deeds), then yes, we have every right to condemn Him.

“There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.” – Job 34:22

Maybe, but the good-doers need a place to hide, as Job and his innocent children can attest.

“Suppose a man says to God, ‘I am guilty but I will offend no more.’” – Job 34:31

No one is saying a guilty man should go unpunished.  Job, however, does not know what he did.  Job has said that he will gladly suffer the punishment if he only knew what he did.  Elihu ignores this in his response to Job.

Elihu’s argument in Chapter 34 is that of a perfect God doing no wrong.  In Elihu’s eyes, God can do no wrong and therefore Job is the one at fault here.  There are several counter-arguments to this, but to me, God killing innocent children is the counter-argument that destroys all.  God cannot be good and/or just if He defends killing innocent children.

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 35:  Elihu Continues Speaking

Job – Chapter 33: Elihu Gets to the Point

Chapter 32 brought us Elihu, a new character who is upset at Job and his friends for misunderstanding the truth of the matter.  Elihu assures us he has the truth and will soon give us the point of his appearance.  However, he babbles on for several verses and doesn’t reveal his point before the end of the chapter.  Will Chapter 33 bring us Elihu’s point?  Let’s hope so.

“But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.  I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.” – Job 33:1-2

I really hope Elihu doesn’t continue like this.  I’m not sure I can stand another 30+ verses of Elihu stating he’s about to tell us something.  🙂

“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” – Job 33:4

If there is a God, then the Spirit of God made all men (and women).  This doesn’t separate Elihu from anyone and should by no means be a justification for accepting Elihu’s hopefully soon to come words.  Elihu spends the next couple of verses repeating statements from Job to provide context for his words.  Then Elihu says:

“But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man.  Why do you complain to Him that He answers none of man’s words?” – Job 33:12-13

No one is disputing God is greater than man.  However, God, through no fault of Job’s, delivered great harm to Job.  God says nothing to Job.  Job has every right to question God.  God doesn’t have to respond, that is true, but a just God would respond.

“For God does speak—now one way, now another—though man may not perceive it.” – Job 33:14

In other words, we are supposed to accept that God works in mysterious ways.  If we don’t get the answer we want to our prayers, we are supposed to simply accept that God answered our prayers in ways unknown to us.  This is not a proof or even a defense of God’s existence.  Someone saying that God works in mysterious ways is someone unwilling to critically think through a problem.

“…when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride.” – Job 33:15-17

Why does an all-powerful God need to terrify men to keep them from doing evil?  An all-powerful God should be able to come up with a much more effective method of keeping men from doing evil.

“Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones, so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal.” – Job 33:19-20

This is how God chooses to speak to man?  Through pain?  What kind of God is this?  Not a just God.  Not a good God.  Not a compassionate God.

“Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit.’” – Job 33:23-24

Who is the God in this scenario?  Apparently God is Satan, doing evil on man and angels are just Gods doing good for man.  Apparently praying to God and asking for forgiveness isn’t enough.  God only answers your prayers if an angel is by your side as a mediator between you and God.

“God does all these things to man—twice, even three times—to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him.” – Job 33:29-30

God, you see, is only punishing you through painful methods for your own good.  An all-powerful God can only make men see the light if He first punishes them and terrifies them into obeying.  Again, God proves He is a horrible parent.

In conclusion, Elihu tells us that God does answer our questions, but in mysterious ways.  God puts great harm and pain on us, but only in an effort to make us see the light.  This is not a just God.  This is an evil God toying with humans for His own pleasure.  If this God exists, I want nothing to do with Him.  It’s hard to tell the difference between this God and Satan.

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 34:  Elihu Continues

2 Kings 2:23-25

Today’s crazy bible verse is actually three verses from the book of 2 Kings.

“From there Elisha went up to Bethel.  As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him.  “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said.  “Go on up, you baldhead!”  He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord.  Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two youths.  And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.” – 2 Kings 2:23-25

What…the…f—?!?!?!?!  So a bunch of young kids playing together in a group start taunting Elisha for his baldness.  In a perfect world (one a supposedly perfect God did NOT create for some unknown reason) the kids would have respected Elisha and let him be.  Remember back to when you were a child.  You did a ton of things you weren’t supposed to do.  All kids do.  Should the kids have been punished for their harsh words?  Sure!  Take away whatever toys they played with.  Give them extra chores on the farm.  What does God do?  He brings down two bears to MURDER forty two children!!!

Again, what…the…f—?!?!?!?!  God decides that calling someone bald is punishable by…death?!?!?!  What kind of God is this?

Let me shift my focus for a second.  Let’s assume God did send two bears to attack the children.  These are children, so they aren’t going to fight off two bears.  However, the children do have legs and I imagine some, if not most of them will run.  Maybe a couple are frozen in fear and the bears attack them first.  However, it takes time for a bear to kill someone.  Maybe not a lot of time, but time none the less.  The Bible tries to tell us that two bears managed to kill forty two children.  I don’t believe that for a second.  There will be a few deaths, but most of the children will escape.  When a bear attacks someone today, a single bear rarely kills more than one person in a single attack.  There’s simply no way that two bears can kill forty two children.  I’d say 5, maybe 6 tops before the other kids reach safety.

Regardless of the number of children two bears can kill, God chose to punish these kids by death for simply calling a man bald.  WTF?!?!  That is the very definition of an evil God.

Job – Chapter 32: Elihu

Job Chapter 31 provided the very first proof that God exists!  What is that proof you ask?  After 31 chapters, Job is done speaking!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  LOL!  That means we’re done with Job, right?  Unfortunately no.  There are still several chapters left in Job.  Chapter 32 brings us the words of a new character, Elihu.  So who is Elihu?  Apparently some other guy angry at Job.

“But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.” – Job 32:2

You’re late to the party Elihu.  God punished Job through Satan.  Job did NOTHING wrong.  The Bible clearly stated early in Job that Job is the greatest man in the east.  Job has every right to justify himself over God.  Besides, if God is an all-powerful being, why does He need justifying?  Not only is Elihu mad at Job, he’s mad at the three friends for failing to convince Job to somehow place more faith in God.

“He was also angry with the three friends, because they found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.” – Job 32:3

We also learn Elihu is younger than Job and his three friends.

“I am young in years and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know.  I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’” – Job 32:6-7

Where has Elihu been this whole time?  If he was listening to the conversation before, he’d know that wisdom only comes through death or fear of God, not from age.  Now, Elihu does go on to say:

“But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” – Job 32:8

Okay, yes, the breath of the Almighty, but only if you FEAR God as we learned earlier.  God only gives understanding to those who fear Him.  Such a kind, loving God.

“I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know.” – Job 32:17

Yes, we know, you’ve said this several times already.  Get to the point!  The Bible would be several hundred, if not a thousand pages shorter if the characters would just get to the point.  🙂

And Elihu’s point is….sorry, going to have to wait to the next chapter as Elihu just spent verse 6-22 saying that he has something to say without actually saying what that something is (head banging into wall, repeatedly).

To conclude Chapter 32, Elihu arrives angry at Job and his three friends.  Elihu argues that the friends have not convinced Job of true faith in God.  However, Elihu doesn’t get to the point, so we don’t actually know what he has to say until the next chapter.

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 33:  Elihu Gets to the Point

Proof of a Not-So-Good God

There’s no evidence that can prove without a doubt there is no God.  Proving a negative is very difficult but the burden of proof is not on the unbelievers.  The burden of proof is on the believers to prove that God does exist.  All evidence as I see it leads to the conclusion that it is very unlikely a God exists.  However, that’s not the point of this post.  The point of this post is to show there is evidence for a not-so-good God if said God exists.  The Bible is a great example of this as I’ve shown through several chapters of Genesis and Job on this blog.  But let’s ignore the Bible for this post.  To me, the proof for a not-so-good or evil God, if He exists, comes from the mouth of Stephen Fry.  He says it much better than I ever could.

“You can’t just say there is a God because well, the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children. You have to account for the fact that almost all animals in the wild live under stress with not enough to eat and will die violent and bloody deaths. There is not any way that you can just choose the nice bits and say that means there is a God and ignore the true fact of what nature is. The wonder of nature must be taken in its totality and it is a wonderful thing. It is absolutely marvelous and the idea that an atheist or a humanist if you want to put it that way, doesn’t marvel and wonder at reality, at the way things are, is nonsensical. The point is we wonder all the way. We don’t just stop and say that which I cannot understand I will call God, which is what mankind has done historically.” – Stephen Fry

Bone cancer in children does it for me.  I’m fine with God punishing adults.  By the time we reach adulthood we’ve all done something evil in the eyes of the Biblical God.  But children?  A two month old with bone cancer?  No.  Sorry, but that small child has done NOTHING wrong.  A God with the ability to stop bone cancer in children but doesn’t is an evil God.

I know, I know, God works in mysterious ways.  That’s a B.S. response given by someone who doesn’t want to take the time or effort to question their beliefs.  If God is trying to prove a point to mankind, He can certainly do it without giving small, innocent children bone cancer.  Therefore I can only conclude one of two things.

1. God does NOT exist.

Or…

2. God does exist but is an evil God.

Job – Chapter 31: Job’s Almost Done Talking

Job Chapter 30 brought us more questions from Job as to why God hasn’t answered.  Let’s see what Chapter 31 brings us.

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”  – Job 31:1

Job made a covenant with his eyes?  Maybe that’s the problem.  Maybe Job should start looking lustfully at girls and this will spur God into action!  🙂

“If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—let God weigh me in honest scales and He will know that I am blameless—if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.” – Job 31:5-8

Job is laying the claim that God’s punishment is unjust.  He’s claiming that he is blameless, as we knew at the very beginning of the book of Job.  Job goes on for several verses saying that if he did this or that sin, then by all means punish him, but Job does not know what he did wrong.

“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!  I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.  Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown.” – Job 31:35-36

Job is more than willing to accept and serve God’s punishment against him, if only Job knew what that punishment was for.  Job simply wants to know why God has punished him, yet God refuses to answer.  Is God a just God?  If so, would a just God punish without first stating the crime?  My answer is no.  Therefore the God described in the book of Job is clearly an unjust God.

“The words of Job are ended.” – Job 31:40

Finally, proof there is a God!!!  🙂  LOL!  Okay, maybe not, but Job is done talking.  We’ll next here from a new character and eventually hear from God.  There are still a few chapters in Job left, but we are nearing the end.

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 32:  Elihu

Job – Chapter 30: Job Talking Some More

In Job Chapter 29 Job mentions the good he has done in the world but points out that God still chose to punish him.  Chapter 30 brings a different tone from Job.  Job starts out stating how young men are mocking him.

“But now they mock me, men younger than I,…” – Job 30:1

Does God choose to punish these young men?  Nope.  He continues to punish Job.  It’s not as if God doesn’t punish people for mocking others.  Later in the Bible we’ll see a group of children mocking a bald man.  God sends down a bear to kill and eat the children.

Job continues pointing out what others are doing to him and how others view him.  Eventually he says:

“I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.” – Job 30:20

Herein lies the problem.  Why does God not respond?  Is He proving a point?  If so, there are many simpler, clearer ways, to prove this point.  We will hear from God soon, but that won’t excuse God from His actions against Job.  More on this in later chapters of Job.

“Have I not wept for those in trouble?  Has not my soul grieved for the poor?  Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.” – Job 30:25-26

So much for that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people business we learned about early.  Job provides the evidence that good things happen to bad people sometimes and bad things happen to good people sometimes.

In conclusion, Job continues pleading with God and pointing out the bad things God has placed upon Job.  God still refuses to answer, leaving everyone to guess His purpose.  I guess we just have to say that God works in mysterious ways.  🙂

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 31:  Job’s Almost Done Talking

Mark 12:19

This week’s crazy Bible verse is Mark 12:19.

“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.” – Mark 12:19

Um…what?  Does the widow have no choice in the matter?  Does the brother have no choice in the matter?  All because Moses ruled that a dead man’s brother must fill his wife with his seed?  What if the brother in law is married?

I understand that culture today is much different than the culture of Biblical times, but this seems ridiculous for Biblical standards.

What else can I say on this?  Widows, hope your brother in law is a handsome man with sexy body?

Hope that you’re madly in love with your brother in law to help ease the transition?  If there’s true love and the relationship between widow and brother in law is consensual, then okay, but if not, it’s nothing but rape.  Given that the Bible says “must marry” I’d say more often than not rape is the outcome.  Condoning rape is not new in the Bible, so I’m not surprised, but this is a New Testament example of it.

Job – Chapter 29: Job Talks Even More

In Job Chapter 28 we learned from Job that the only way to receive true wisdom is to fear God.  Job continues speaking in Chapter 29.  If wisdom can only be received through fear of God, I’m not sure what more we could possibly learn from Job, but let’s see.  🙂

“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!” – Job 29:2-3

And to think, God has done all of this to Job, despite Job being the greatest man in the east.  God could have chosen a criminal, but instead he chose a good man to punish.

“…when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,…” – Job 29:5

Let us not forget that God, through Satan, killed Job’s children.

“Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.” – Job 29:11-12

As far as we know, Job helped the poor and the needy, yet God’s ‘reward’ to Job?  Dead children, servants, and livestock, along with sores all over Job’s body.  Nice job God.  Again, why not chose an actual criminal to punish?

“After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.  They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as spring rain.  When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.” – Job 29:22-24

Hold it right there Job.  I was backing you up earlier in this chapter, but now your head is becoming a bit inflated with hot air.  🙂

That concludes Job Chapter 29.  Job points out all the good he has done, overdoing it just a bit near the end, but God doesn’t reward Job.  God doesn’t even ignore Job.  Instead, God punishes Job.  There are plenty of criminals and/or unbelievers God could have chosen to send a very clear message, but he chooses Job, a great man, to punish.

Coming Soon:  Job – Chapter 30:  Job Talking Some More

Freedom From Religion Foundation

I want to take a moment this wonderful Sunday to say a few words about the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).  If you’re unfamiliar, the FFRF, as stated on their webpage, is a non-profit organization that works as an effective state/church watchdog and voice for freethought (atheism, agnosticism, skepticism).

I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with FFRF lawyers on two different occasions regarding what I felt were violations of church/state separation at local public institutions.  On one occasion, the FFRF lawyers wrote a letter to the offending institution and the matter was resolved.  The letter was very polite, very informative, and very detailed.  It was amazing the work FFRF put into this on my behalf.  On the second occasion the FFRF was sympathetic of my request, but was unable to move forward due to previous court cases setting an unfortunate precedent.  The FFRF was super polite and very detailed in their letter back to me citing specific court cases.  Although it saddens me to see this church/state separation continue, I feel better knowing the FFRF did what it could.

If you’re looking for a cause to donate to, the FFRF is a very worthy cause and all donations are tax deductible.  After the help they provided after my first email to them, I put in annual membership donation immediately.  It’s the least I could do.

Again, the FFRF is a great group of friendly, polite people, doing a great job protecting the rights of non-believers.  If you ever have a concern regarding church/state separation issues and are not sure what to do, please do not hesitate to contact them.  They want you to contact them.  I linked the FFRF site above, but a direct link to their report-a-violation page is:

Contact the FFRF