Book of Job II

These are notes from Sunday, February 17.

We reviewed last week's overview of chapters 1-31. If you refer to the painting below, (from last week, Job I) you see the characters in the drama so far -- Job's wife, pointing an accusing finger, bidding Job give up, curse God, and die; and his three ineffective counselors, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Eliphaz has his hand on Job's shoulder, in a gesture of comfort, but his words are inconsistent -- he offers no real comfort. Bildad is transparent in his impatience with Job, demonstrated in his "hands off" gesture. Zophar appears to be calm and thoughtful, but is, tacitly, accusing Job of being unreasonable.

All three men, along with Job's wife, give good examples of how not to be of help to someone in emotional pain. Instead of listening to Job, they persist in trying to make their own points. In the company of his wife and these three "friends", Job is alone. He turns with longing, gazing out of the painting to us, his hands outstretched in supplication. Are we willing to hear his pain as he rests his case before the Almighty?

We resumed the story in chapter 32. Elihu speaks now for God, not for himself. He does not really accuse Job, but describes the wonder, majesty, and mystery of God. After a long speech, God himself speaks out of the whirlwind, at last giving answer to Job's questioning.

By the end of Elihu's and God's speeches, Job is changed. He declares, "I have heard you with my ears, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I repent in dust and ashes."

Clarity comes, then, with a reframing of the basic question about suffering. Job, along with lots of folks, asks "Why?" in the face of suffering which seems undeserved. Unless we practice a very simple religion, insisting that pain follows sin and pleasure and plenty follow goodness, we cannot answer the "why" question in any sensible way. The Bible itself dares to contradict a consistent theme: that God rewards the righteous and punishes the sinful. Reality appears, often, quite different. The Book of Job is placed in the canon of Scripture to allow us to challenge a simplistic explanation of suffering.

Job finally understood that the answer to his pain was not in explaining why it should occur, but in realizing Who God truly is. In that understanding he sees who he himself is -- a human being, ultimately ignorant about the ways of God, who has behaved arrogantly toward God, thinking he knows what cannot be known.

This theme -- that God desires above all else a real relationship with us -- is certainly echoed in the New Testament. Jesus declared, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" . . . and Paul said that in Christ "all the fullness of God dwelt in bodily form". Anyone who has felt as Job did may well rejoice to meet the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Scriptures such as Job can prod us beyond a religion based on our human concepts of works and worth to the grace-based acceptance which might be considered the foundation of true spirituality.

For next week -- pick a favorite Psalm and please consider being prepared to share it, and to tell the class why it is a favorite. After some time for sharing we will begin a overview of the Book of Psalms, which will consist mainly of identifying the primary poetic forms and when they may be of fitting use in devotion and worship.