Why the book of Job?
Several times I attended discussions on the book of Job in synagogues. These usually happened on an afternoon of a fast day–the day which commemorates the destruction of the second temple which is called Tisha B’ Av on the Jewish Calendar. This corresponds to the 9th day of the 5th month of theBiblical calendar, sometime in August on the Roman calendar.
These discussions were varied and often did not end up justifying the Creator, but rather questioning His wisdom. Yet a closer look at the interaction in the biblical account in the book of Job reveals an intriguing story and is the Bible always right?
I have thought of the rights of the Creator to do what he wants with His Creation. When I make a piece of art, if I don’t like it, I may throw it away. So why should a creature complain if his Maker decides to do something which he does not understand? How much right does the King of the Universe have to experiment with His creatures? When life is given to a being, it would seem that there is a moral requirement to respect that life. I don’t believe that the Creator is willy nilly with his creatures. Even for the smallest living creatures, we as more intelligent creatures are instructed in the Torah to be kind to animals, as in the case of shewing away the mother bird when taking the eggs or a baby bird so that she does not suffer trauma (Deu 22:6).
Does God follow the same ethical rules that He gives to His creation? We jokingly used to tell our kids: “Do as I say, not as I do.” This was never taken seriously because a parent can’t get away doing that which he forbids his children without repercussions. So, is it right to judge as not bound by the same ethics? So we have the story recorded in the book of Job. So, give God a chance and see if He is fair in the end!
Chapter 1
An Intruder challenges God
Job opens with a description of Job as a man who was “blameless and upright” and “who feared God and shunned evil.” He had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He was the wealthiest man in the East. (chapter 1, verse 3). The family of Job would celebrate birthdays with feasts and when they did this Job would offer burnt offerings, just in case the children had sinned in some way in their revelry. So, well and good, that is what is supposed to happen to the righteous. Right? Everyone enjoys blessings and prosperity and the reward for “following the rules” comes to each. That is what we can believe from the many promises in the Bible. Yet, it seems someone is not happy to see Job prosper and so a scandal is stirred up and disaster takes place for Job–destroying him, his possessions, and his family. But ultimately, who is responsible?–the Creator? Why would YHVH agree to such a thing?
Verse 6 a scene depicts a counsel among the “sons of Elohim,” gathered with the Sovereign of the Universe. Are these beings angels or representatives of different parts of the Universe? I take the position that these are representatives from different places and that the purpose of the meeting was to report on the status of each of their realms.
At this meeting, the “Satan” intrudes and presents himself as the representative of Earth. As is his character (Satan means adversary) he challenges the wisdom of the Creator when asked what he thinks of Job, the most righteous of all men on earth.
Satan claims that Job is self-serving. That the real reason he serves his Creator is that he knows which side his “bread is buttered on”. He does what he does out of self interest. In a word, he accuses Job of being an opportunist, a time server, someone who obeys only to get blessings, but he suggests to the Almighty: “just test him and you will see him fall” God is challenged to shake Job to the very foundation of his existence. This would reveal once and for all time what Job is about. Now God’s wisdom is on trial. Could he just ignore the accusation and let it go or should he go ahead and prove that the Adversary doesn’t know what he is talking about? He chooses to nip in the bud this suggestion of Satan by allowing terrible things to happen to Job.
If he hadn’t stopped Satan in his tracks by allowing this test, what might have happened to the rest of the Universe? Could doubt about the character of God create a domino effect that would go everywhere? Haven’t we seen this same thing happen on this planet, when someone is accused falsely, how a rumor, very similar to the game of telephone, changes to something dangerously exaggerated and can destroy someone. People have gone to jail over things like this and even when they are acquitted, a stain lingers on their reputation.
So, how did the one assigned to this earth get to be an adversary? Or was he really assigned? And if he was not assigned as an agent, then how did he presume to represent the planet? Did the Creator somehow make the wrong choice of agent? Or is it something else? If we look closely at the verse it says:
Job 1: “6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before YHVH and Satan also came among them.”
Satan also came among them. Notice how the wording shows that he was not chosen, but that he was self-appointed as earth’s representative. There is more in verse 7. Where did this Satan come from and who is he anyway?
7: “YHVH said to Satan, “Whence have you come?” Satan answered: “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
Why does the Eternal ask where Satan came from if He already knew? The emphasis shows not that God didn’t know, but that He would not recognize his claim to be representative of Earth. It is as if God is asking, “what on Earth are you up to now, Satan? What mischief are you stirring up?”
Job Accused:
Job 1:”8 And YHVH said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse thee to thy face.””
God accepted the challenge rather than rebuke the adversary. Why?
If we believe that God’s judgment is inscrutable, then His wisdom dictated that he had to deal with this challenge. Why not just kick Satan out of the assembly? Or better yet, isolate or destroy him! Let’s explore this further:
1.God’s reputation was at stake, to keep harmony in the Universe, he had to deal with it in a way that showed He was right. If He skirted the issue or cast Satan out of the council, he would allow doubt to grow in the entire universe. By allowing this test, evil vs good would be revealed on the personal level and revealed in the trials of righteous Job. (Later we’ll see that Job is a small example of what has been working out during the whole episode of good vs evil on this planet.)
2. God knew that Job was not going to fail the test. He knew what kind of guy he was and trusted him. Being all wise and all powerful and as Creator of mankind, Job’s very essence was understood.Was this a big risk to take? Maybe, but if we believe in God’s supreme wisdom, a wisdom greater than any created being, then He knew what He was doing.
The Creator knows His creation:
Job declared:
Job 23: “10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
The Psalmist wrote:
Psa 139:2-4, 13-16: “2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar. 3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. … 13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Psa 103:13-15:“Like as a father pitieth his children,
So YHVH pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame;
He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass…”
3. God’s ultimate plan was greater than that of satisfying an argument–this plan was to once and for all, reveal to the Universe the true basis of the Creator’s holy and harmonious kingdom, and to reveal the horrendous results of allowing the reign of evil in this Universe. By doing this God would guarantee the eventual complete eradication of evil and the excision of Satan, the adversary from God’s restored Kingdom… Evil had to be seen in all its horror.
Job 1: 12 “And YHVH said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself do not put forth your hand.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.’” (Satan iis given permission to afflict Job but not to touch his person. Again: “So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.”
(As we saw before, Satan came as an intruder and left on his own mission. The “presence of the Lord” was not with him.
Chapter 2: The stage is set and the curtain opens on Job.
Job 1:13-22 “Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; 14 and there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them; 15 and the Sabe’ans fell upon them and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “The Chaldeans formed three companies, and made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20 Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
All Job’s children were feasting in the house of the eldest brother when:
- The oxen and asses were stolen by the Sabe’ans killing all the servants except the one who came to report it.
- Fire fell from Heaven and burned up all the sheep and servants except the one who bore the news.
- The camels were stolen by the Chaldeans and all the servants were slain all except the bearer of the evil tidings.
- A terrific wind hit the corners of the house where Job’s children were feasting and it fell down and killed them all except the one who came to report it.
So this all happens in one day and what does Job do?
20 “Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
.”22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
But notice, he doesn’t blame the devil either. Why? Is it because he knows that nothing can touch him unless the Holy One allows it? How many times do we curse the devil when bad things happen to us? Do we really believe that God and the power of Good are in control? Notice in verse 21 how Job says that God took away these things. He did not give any credence to any other power but the power of God.
So was Job mistaken in not blaming Satan for the calamities? Is Satan able to act on his own without the permission of the Most High? Then the question arises: How often do we open the door to evil consequences by our own disobedience or questioning of the Creator’s power? Isn’t obedience to the Torah what keeps us in the Shelter of the Most High?
The fact that Job didn’t blame Satan for the evil and was declared righteous shows that he knew where his protection came from. He was confident in his obedience to YHVH. He had no guilt.
However later we see him questioning if maybe the sins of his youth were being punished:
Job 13:26: “For You write bitter things against me And make me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth. “
What does it mean that Job questions if he is being punished for the sins of his youth? We know from the story that this is not the cause because Job is called the most righteous man on earth. What we can deduce is that he is examining himself to see if he brought this upon himself. But overall the story shows that sins of the past, if abandoned, are not held against us.
Psa 103:12: “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
