I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. – Job 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 16, 2024): Job 5

Okay, I admit it, I know a few fools. Sometimes, I watch them, shake my head, and wonder how they could have ever gotten to this point in their lives. However, I usually try to keep my judgment to myself. Where I struggle is when I see a fool trying to push their foolishness on someone else. Then, my frustrations make me a little more vocal. But foolishness is always an action, something that someone does or believes.

For instance, trickle-down economics is actually a foolish idea. It argues that giving people a trickle of money is better than giving them a blast of financial support. Just as intermediaries tend to drive prices up because everyone tries to make some money off of a product, giving cash or tax breaks to the wealthy means less and less gets to the lower-income workers as everyone above them battles for their cut. Trickle-down economics only works if the money multiplies as it makes its way to the poorer classes, kind of like Jesus feeding the five thousand. But just like the scene at the feeding of the five thousand, trickle-down economics requires a miracle to work for those at the end of the trickle.

Foolish actions are often the evidence that fools have taken root. And I have had this argument with people in my life. Social media is an excellent place for fools to display their foolishness or even for the promotion of things that we just haven't thought through in our lives. Sometimes, even the wise can present a foolish idea on social media. However, a fool takes root only when they repeatedly go down foolish paths.

The problem with what Eliphaz presents is that he is not looking at foolish actions or foolish beliefs. Eliphaz's accusation that Job has been foolish is entirely based on the fact that Job is going through hard times. Eliphaz assumes that Job's life has collapsed because he has been foolish, which is untrue. I am aware of wise people who have experienced many tragedies. And I know fools who live the life of the rich and famous. The wise and foolish don't have a corner on any particular lifestyle.

Eliphaz calls Job a fool, but his comment reveals more about Eliphaz than it does about Job. Eliphaz is more of a fool because he believes that the trouble Job is experiencing is proof of his foolishness, even when there is no other evidence to back up the claim.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 6