The Honesty of the Book of Job

The Book of Job is arguably the most mysterious, confusing, controversial, and puzzling book in the Bible.  Over the last two thousand years, learned commentators upon commentators from a variety of religious perspectives have wrestled with this book.  There are all sorts of theories as to what is going on in these strange chapters.  Here are a few of my thoughts:

Whatever else you can say about the Book of Job, it's a story that lets us know the Biblical writers were aware of the problem of underserved suffering and evil, even if they could not resolve it. 

Job is a good man.  He is not a sinless man but he is a person of character, a religious man.  He fears God and turns away from evil.  Near as we know he is not Jewish.  He is relatively successful.  As Job is going about living his life, God is pictured having a conversation with Satan.  Remember, this is not the New Testament devil.  This Satan is a reporter.  He reports to God on how well religious people are being religious.  He raises questions with God about Job’s sincerity and God agrees some tests would be appropriate.

Suddenly, a messenger arrives: The Sabeans came and stole all your oxen and donkeys killing your servants.  I alone escaped to tell the tale.  No sooner does that occur, another messenger appears:  A fire from heaven burned up the sheep and the servants.  I alone escaped to tell the tale. No sooner does this happen then another servant appears:  The Chaldeans came and killed the servants and stole all your camels.  And I alone escaped to tell the tale. There is a crescendo of terrible news.  Messenger after messenger comes and goes until, the last messenger tells Job: Your sons and daughters were partying and while they were partying a horrific wind came, blew down the house and killed them.  I alone escaped to tell the tale.   Then, the final test:  Job himself is struck with sores all over his body. 

At first, he grieves, accepts his fate as we all must.  God gives, God takes, God be blessed.  Such is life.

Then, his friends show up, grieve with him, after which they try to convince Job he deserved what happened to him.  Job is not pleased. Enough is enough!  And so, begins a theological argument which goes on for over forty chapters. Eventually God shows up, does not explain to Job about the tests, but commends Job and not his friends.  God gives him twice as much as he had before. 

Nothing resolved here.  That’s clear.  In fact, the book does not end with God being depicted as moral or immoral or even wise.  God is amoral.  God is God and does not need to play fair.  God can do whatever God wants with no need to explain.

The Book of Job, written as a response to the Babylonian exile and the breaking of the covenants with Israel, allows the problem of innocent suffering to remain a problem.  It has no satisfactory resolution because there is no satisfying resolution.  Jews, Christians and Muslims are left to defend an unfair God who is indefensible. 

One of the odd things about the Book of Job is its impressive refusal to pull any punches.  Undeserved suffering is a problem and it remains a problem to this very day. 

Job and his wife Mrs. Job are metaphors for all human beings.   They are everyone who has ever lived.  They have no choice but to go on living, have more children, more belongings, more of everything, knowing it can all be gone in the blink of an eye.

This is our world and the Biblical text is honest about it, aware of the craziness of life.  Yet, Job remains our teacher.  The Book of Job would have us look God straight in the eye, hurl our protests and questions in his face, and refuse to accept the injustice of life.  Such is the character of our faith.  There may be no more honest piece of scripture in the Bible than the Book of Job.