Job 13: 20-22 “Only grant me these two things, God, and then I will not hide from you: withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply to me.”
Text: Job 23:1-17
I browsed Job some this evening. I haven’t read through Job in a long time so browsing the book was a really good ‘quiet time’ supplemented with a little research on the book of Job. Early on, I noticed in Job 3 that he asks a really interesting question in 3:20-23. He asks, “Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?“ This stuck out to me on account of the subjects of light and life. In the book of John, in nearly all the I am statements Jesus refers to himself as life or light. In John 6:36 he says, “I am the bread of life.” In John 8:12, He says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In John 10:9-10, He says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:14-15 says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep.” In John 11:25, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
In the book of Job, the questions of divine justice rings loudly with Job’s questions of the value of his own life. In one breath he declares himself guilty and clearly not innocent, but then he puts together his case to seek the justice of a merciful God who would declare him innocent. Yet, Job sits in the midst of friends who came to mourn with him, and their advice is far from comforting. Zophar in John 11:1-2 asks Job who will vindicate him and tells him his talk is cheap and the rebukes he has been given were well worth the correction after the mocking he did. In Job 18:2 Bildad asks Job when he will end his speeches and close his mouth. In Job 22, Eliphaz asks Job how he is a benefit to God and then points out everything Job has not done that has made way for the snares that were set around him. He calls to Job to repent and declares that God delivers those who are not innocent, “who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands”. In the NRSV it reads, “He will deliver even those who are guilty; they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands.”
We could consider Job’s case and confront some strong ‘demons’ here: depression, anger, bitterness, escapism, tragedy, loss... Yet, one thing that is unique about the book of Job is that the question of evil within the context of this book is not attributed to Satan. We see Satan within the first two chapters but after that he is practically gone from the dialogue between Job and his friends. Satan means accuser and yet in this book a theological explanation for the problem of evil is drawn not from Satan within the first two chapters but it is drawn from the theological explanation that Yahweh is responsible for Job’s suffering. Yahweh says to Satan in 2:3, “you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” Job 6:4 says, “The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me. Job 9:32-35 says, “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.” Job 14:18-20 says, “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope. You overpower them once for all, and they are gone; you change their countenance and send them away.” Job 16:7-9, 11 says, “Surely, God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. You have shriveled me up- and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes…...God has turned me over to the ungodly and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.” On and on go the accusations of how God has brought evil on Job.
Though the author of Job is anonymous, it is generally suggested that the book was written in the patriarchal era which suggests he was contemporaries with Abraham. Another possibility is that it was written in the pre-exilic era before the prophetic ministry of Ezekiel since Job is mentioned in Ezekiel 14:14 and 20. Later rabbinic tradition considered the book to be authored by Moses. Ezekiel 14:12-14 says, “The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine up on it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men-Noah, Daniel and Job-were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.” It seems here that even the prophet Ezekiel supports the idea within the book of Job that Yahweh causes evil to fall on the wicked and unfaithful.
So, the question of life arises with in the book of Job. Job says in 23:16 and 17 that God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.” In Job 27:1-6 he says, “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.” Not only is the question of life pertain to Job’s own life and not only has he admitted that God lives but it pertains also to the life of our enemies such as Job suggests in 31:29-34 which says, “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him- I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life- if those of my household have never said, “Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?”- but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler- if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside- …..let my accuser put it in writing.” Elihu’s Job’s last friend speaks and is angry that Job has justified himself rather than God (Job 32:2). Elihu’s words are wise and he admits in Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Elihu questions all the advice of the friends as well as Job’s responses and tells Job to consider God’s wonders. It is at this moment-perhaps a pause in Elihu’s speech, that the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. In Job 38:15,19, and 20 God says, “The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?” The Lord continues to speak to Job and call him out of his anger, his depression, and his relentless defensiveness. Finally Job says, “My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Life is restored gracefully and mercifully to Job, but not only to him but also to his friends. The Lord spoke to them each also saying, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” They were to abide by the Jewish custom of sacrificing a burnt offering and when Job prayed for them, the Lord forgave them. Job 42:8 says, “My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” The Lord accepted Job’s prayer for his friends. They were restored and Job’s fortunes were restored in double.
Job 19:25-27 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes- I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
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