Defending God with lies...

Stung by the criticism of his so-called friends, Job resorts to sarcasm: "You think you know everything, don't you? Well, I know a few things myself." (Job 12 vs 2 - 3) He then goes on, throughout chapter 12, to make an impressive presentation of God's power, strength and sovereignty. There's no doubt that he does know a lot about God.... but, sadly, he draws the wrong conclusion, vs 9, that this means all his misfortunes have been sent by God. It's the danger of partial theology - when we know a little truth, but are missing some elements and therefore drawing wrong conclusions.

In fact, this is exactly what Job accuses his friends of, as we move into chapter 13. In a biting indictment, he says that they are defending God with lies - using untrue arguments in their desire to protect God's reputation.

The danger of partial theology! We see the same thing happening today when a young person dies in an accident and well meaning people tell the family that God decided "it was her time" and called her to Himself. Or a baby is born handicapped and people say that, "God knows best." Their partially correct theology (God is all powerful) leads them to make wrong inferences about life's tragedies, and they're forced to come up with the nonsensical theory that the God who created a perfect world sometimes plans for children to be born with disabilities.

Job dares to suggest that this is displeasing to God and that we need to be in the fear of the Lord when we are making such claims. (Job 13 vs 9 - 10) He then makes a decision to plead his own case directly before God, asking God to show him how he has sinned.

However, as we move into chapter 14, we see that Job himself is just as guilty of faulty theology.  He obviously believes that death is the end, and that there is no life or resurrection after our physical death. He compares human life to a tree, saying that if a tree is cut down it can begin to sprout new branches again, but that there is no such new life for people who die.

Job is equally guilty of partial or incomplete theology. He says in vs 5 that God has decided the length of our lives and that we are not given a minute longer.  It may well be true that we don't have the power to lengthen our lives, but this doesn't take into account that we ourselves do have the power to shorten our own lives - by suicide, by causing ill health through our smoking or eating habits, or by taking risks that expose us to accidents (such as drunk driving or extreme sports, etc.) It also doesn't allow for the fact that other people might shorten someone's life - like a murderer or a reckless driver. 

If our theology doesn't allow for that, we're forced to conclude that it was "God's will" for someone to be murdered. This is an illogical nonsensity. Why would God forbid murder in the Ten Commandments and then plan for someone to die that way?

Father, guard us from faulty and incomplete theology, and from using our own imperfect wisdom to explain life's mysteries.