Ehrman’s Problem 17: Humility Is Absent Without Leave

Ehrman calls the other answer to why God allows suffering found in the book of Job, “The Poetic Dialogues of Job: There Is No Answer” (172). Ehrman concludes that “God does not listen to the pleas of the innocent; he overpowers them by his almighty presence” (183).

Ehrman writes that Job wanted a divine audience so that he could declare his innocence but that Job “is never given a chance to get in a word” (187). Perhaps Ehrman means this figuratively? Because in the poetic section, Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1-6). Job answers; he is overwhelmed by how little he knows about the nature of reality in comparison to God and concludes that God must have His reasons. Ehrman just doesn’t like Job’s answer.

But there’s a larger point in Job’s answer. Namely, if God does exist and really is omniscient and really is omnipotent, then He really does understand countless things that we don’t comprehend and so shouldn’t we approach His work, again, with humility? Duh! If an omnipotent, omniscient being really did create the universe out of nothing, then humility isn’t just warranted but demanded.

After all, a toddler, in comparison to Einstein, knows infinitely more about nuclear physics than the smartest among us, in comparison to the OMNISCIENT ONE, knows about the universe. And although that toddler may one day grow to understand even more than Einstein did, no finite being will ever make the jump to all-knowing.

Also, is there any loving parent that hasn’t heard one of their children grouse, “That’s not fair!”? We certainly heard that a lot! And, certainly, if an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being does exist, then our moral capacity to judge His fairness is infinitely dwarfed by the moral capabilities of a complaining child.

But there’s more. If Job really was an historical person as I believe, then who is to say that Job wasn’t, later, also informed of the contest in Heaven? On what basis would Ehrman divine that Job didn’t also learn of that?

Thus skeptics who employ the so-called problem of evil should dismount their high horses to acknowledge that perhaps it is they who misunderstand the nature of reality. After all, if it is possible that the God of the Bible does exist, then we should examine the revelation of His purposes for allowing evil with all due humility.