Chapter 27 JOB
The author of the book is unknown, He is probably Hebrew because he uses the name YHWH for God. He is a real person and lives in a real place called Uz. Uz is just outside the lower borders of Israel. He is mentioned in ancient literature outside of Scripture, a wealthy man, a contemporary of Abraham but not quiet as rich as him. As a very highly regarded man by all the people of his day, when Job appeared at the city gates, the elderly would stand.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.304
He was not considered “perfect” as some translators write but blameless as the word means. James describes a perfect man as:
“…if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”305
Ezekiel links Noah, Job and Daniel as the three most righteous men who ever lived306. Job is suffering, but he did not do anything to deserve it? The purpose of the book is to wrestle with the paradox of God’s sovereignty over all things and His goodness toward his people, and human suffering. The question his accuser asks is “Does Job fear God for no reason?” 307
Some question if the book is fact or fiction. That is an unfair way to ask the question because it is too binary. Whichever side you choose will be wrong, the man, his wife and his comforters are real, the land is real, the time is real and the situation is real. On the other hand the poetic way it is written allows for an interpretation of the unfolding events. It is written in Hebrew couplets. It seem illogical that four disasters occur in such quick succession and each should only have one survivor to report the tale. It is not reasonable to suppose there was anyone present to take notes, If any of the four were to write it up after the event, one would surely stand out as having the better arguments or to have scored most points. It seems questionable that the narrator should be privy to the wager between God and Satan while Job is kept in the dark, especially as the comforters are reprimanded by God for being wrong in their counsel. Rather, this is in the same category as a historic play by Shakespeare, like his plays about the kings they are fact told with poetic licence.
The question of the book is Why pain? Why so unfair? Why do the righteous suffer? But these are not Job’s questions. His question is, Why won’t you speak to me Lord? Why can’t you give me an answer? The answers from the four comforters come from four branches of theological indoctrination. Each assumes he must be right according to his ‘denominational’ point of view and fully expects God to fall in line with that view vindicate him. The problem with theology is it makes for a preconceived standpoint and produces impossible situations. Greek philosopher Epicurus states:
Either God wants to abolish evil and cannot.
Or he can but does not want to,
Or cannot and does not want to
But if he wants to and cannot then he is impotent.
If he can and does not want to then he is wicked.
Or if he can and is able how come there is evil
If you believe in a bad God then no problem. If you believe He good you have a problem.
If you believe God is weak you have no problem. If you believe he is all powerful you have problem.
In my imagination, these guys all met at the same theological college. Although they emerged, one as Church of England, one as Quaker, one as Baptist and one as Unitarian, they labour the same doctrine from a different stance. None are prepared to give a little for fear of undermining other doctrines that pin nicely to their fundamental understanding of God. They had all reached the same underlying conclusion. “God punishes sin so you must have sinned”. Zophar steps up. He is not a good listener, he quotes his doctrine by rote learning rather than experience. In the concluding chapters, God said in no uncertain terms they were all wrong! So if your theology has reached any similar conclusion, you now know God’s view.
One other thing to discuss before we look at the arguments, The narrator puts words into the mouth of God. Personally, I am not sure that the narrator was taken into heaven to witness a wager between God and the accuser. I suspect he had reached that conclusion because he had to make sense of what was happening in the spiritual realm. Job is not privy to the reason why this is all happening, so why should the narrator be? Nor am I sure that God has it in his nature to succumb to blackmail by a fallen angel. My personal view is that this is the deduction of the narrator to make the point that Job is the innocent party and is unaware of the reasons for these trying times. Please do not be dissuaded if you think otherwise.
Faith is, trusting God has the answer, not persuading God to give you the answer. Peace does not come from finding the answer to your question, but relating to God enough not to worry that you don’t know the answer. Job never cursed God, but he is in pain enough to curse the day he was born. But what sort of pain? Was it the physical pain? Was it the social pain of being at odds with his friends? Was it the mental pain of not finding an answer? These were true but the worst pain for a pious man like Job is the spiritual pain of not being able to hear God. That is a real pain challenge to faith and common to us all.
Eliphaz and Bildad represent the two main fundamental stances of argument that have existed from the beginning of time to now. Eliphaz starts his theology from Genesis chapter-three and is built on the fact that all have sinned308. Bildad starts his theology from Genesis-one and is built on the omnipotence of a Creative God.
Eliphaz was the eldest and gentlest so out of respect he went first. He solves the problem by denying there is a problem. After all, haven’t all sinned? You believe that, don’t you? God deals with sin by causing suffering. The wicked won’t prosper, or if they do they won’t be happy. Being a good charismatic he even claims a vision to back up his theological stance. This view is full of truth and is helpful to see the broad brush strokes, but God is above it and not limited by it. To conclude all your circumstances in life are answered by this doctrine of God is wrong according to God himself in chapter forty-two.
Bildad is next oldest. He hides behind the theology of God’s omnipotence. Creator God runs a moral universe. There is an automatic cause and effect. We are predestined on the basis of genetics and common material. If you did not sin then your ancestors must have done so. Your children must have been sinners because God has wiped them out. Have you heard that argument lately? I have. It hurts! Job interceded for his children and even offered sacrifices for them whenever they had a family get together, just in case they had inadvertently sinned. As the head of the family it was his priestly role, which he took seriously. Bildad’s theology was based on “might is right” and God is all powerful and therefore does right. That theology is also still around today. In chapter forty-two God says you too are wrong!
Bildad accuses Job of filibustering his predecessors but then launches into a monologue himself. His theology relies on the omniscience of God. God knows all, and can see sin where you do not. Therefore, you must be unconsciously sinning. The answer is simple if you want to get better you must confess your sin otherwise you will carry on suffering and even die in sin. No “ifs or buts”, that is the way it is! Funny how the youngest always find things so black or white. Watch out, Chapter-forty-two says you are wrong as well.
In response, Job patiently runs through a list of sins. It is a list that Jesus himself could have been meditating on before He gave the sermon on the mount. In chapter-thirty-one he ticks them off the list and invites anyone to point out his failings. Telling lies, spreading fake news, always worked for what he got, never coveted, treated employees well, look after the needy, given to poor, worshipped only one God, prayed for enemies, always hospitable, not hypocritical and never abusive of the land. He cannot repent because he can’t think of any sin. Neither he nor they can argue because God won’t answer with an accusing finger either.
Job asked God to communicate with him thirty-six times. Now, finally God shows up and asked Job the questions before Job can get his questions in. Where were you when I created the universe? Do you understand how creation fits together? Do you understand the basic laws that hold the universe together?
At last God is back speaking to Job. That is all Job had ever wanted; He was now content. It was enough to know the relationship was still fine. Do you know that feeling? I do!
304 Job 1: 1-3 (ESV).
305 James 3: 2 (ESV)
306 Ezekiel 14: 14-20
307 Job 1: 9
308 Theological Jargon labels this as Transcendence theology