El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-05

thew argue with Job along traditional
lines Job has lost his wealth because
Me has sinned; Job prOspered 50 long
as he was righteous. But when ne
sfnned the anger of God was upon
him and misfortune was the result.
EIiphaz's Doctrine Not Sound.
E1iphaz. the seer boldly asserts the
doctrine Of the ancients, whoever per
isbed being innocent or where were
the upright cut OFF, This truth seemed
seIf-evident, it needed no Verification.
Men suffered because they sinned and
when they sinned they must suffr. II
men suffer let them search their ways
and previous acts and thus right them
selves with God. But Job not only
doubts but he declares such argu-
ments fallacious. The two propositions
are not indissolubly connected. JOB
denies the sOundness of the doctrine Of
Eliphaz.
my cause is righteous"
Cause me to understand wherein 1
have erred"
Bldad, the sage. repeats the argu-
ments from another angle. Behold,
God viii not cast away a perfect man;
neither will he uphold the evil dOer,"
and Job sarcasticalIy tells him, How
can man be just with God?"
And since the seer and the sage can
not convince Job of his sin, ZOphar,
the ordinary man, more blunt in his
expressions than the others, tells him,
Know therefore that God exacteth of
thee less than thine iniQuity deserV-
eth" and Job, losing all patience with
such specious arguments, cries out with
biting satire, mo doubt ye are the peo-
pie and wisdom shall die with you.
But 1 have understanding as well as
you"
Job Unjustly Treated.
In the first cycle Of speeches the
friends of Job insist upon the justice
of God; Job, never denying the justice
of God, denies he has been treated just
~. In the second series of speeches,
the friends enlarge on the thought that
! the wicked always perish, but Job an
swers with the famous passage, wrong
" translated and made to refer to a
bodily resurrection but which, proper
~ translated, means: Il know that my
, vindicator lives, then without my flesh
I shall see God" Job asserts his in
nocence and. though he may not live
to see the time when this innocence
Will be recognized by men, he, with
out flesh, shall see God"
Since the philosophical deductions of
the past are of no avail, his friends
( become personal; they accuse him of
direct moral deficiency; Of having
| failed in his duties to his fellow man,
| to the suffering and the needy, the
widow and the orphan and when he
I can stand it no longer, he clears him
/ self with a solemn oath.
| before US the accepted arguments Of
/ the ages and over against these gen
/ eral deductions the specific suffering
I Of Job, "a man who was perfect and
/ upright, one who feared God, and
1 turned from evil Job has answered
/ the arguments of the past by his words
/ and his life. Men might tell him that
/ the righteous prosper and the wicked
/ suffer; he knows he is righteous and
| yet he suffers. His friends might &C
| cuse him Of secret sins yet he has
! examined his innermost thoughts and
! concludes, my righteousness I hold
/ fast and will not let 60"
No Answer Possible.
Having reached this dilemma. what
| answer can our author find2 Can the
/ wisdom of the ancients be correct and
/ the contention of Job wrong? Can he
point out the justice Of Jobs plea and
/ the fallacy of the ancient doctrines?
! To such a dilemma all philosophers
1 have come who sought a solution and
/ brought specific examples in opposition
| to accepted doctrine. To such a di-
/ lemna we must come, when we seek
I to solve the mystery. Job gives no
1 al ne n