Job
In terms of reading the Bible (we all do that every day like eating… yes?), the book of Job is not my most favorite. I know a lot of people who profess to love it and as I think about Job more closely, I think I would have preferred a more summarized middle 1/2 of the book and the details in just the first and last sections. I guess I’m not a big poetry or flowery language person.
That is what my mental image of the book of Job. The story starts out strong with God being pleased with his servant Job and the Devil arguing that circumstances made him that way.
“And the Lord 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?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” - Job 1:8-12 ESV
How similar is that to today to those people that claim that white privilege or male privilege keeps them down (whatever that means). I should add that, in concept, I accept that as a right-handed person that there are things like scissors and door handles that are easier for me to use than for left-handed people. If that means I have right-handed privilege, then I’m more than comfortable that I live in a world where it developed that way.
Unfortunately, most people want to use “privilege” as more of a club to get something they believe they deserve without as much of the effort that it would otherwise take. This is how I read the beginning of Job. The devil is trying to argue that Job’s circumstances, which he worked hard to get, prevented the Devil from succeeding. This begins a series of taking things and people away from Job to try to get him to curse God.
How many times have you heard a politician suggest that they need to tax this person more to get them to pay their fair share to pay for this or that, usually additional benefit provided to others. The problem I’ve always had with those statements is that the politician never defines what they mean by fair share except as a source of taxation to pay for whatever they are trying to propose.
This brings us to the middle of the book of Job. Again, when I read this, I always wonder (which in my mind is different than questioning as I describe later) why God breathed 500 words to say something (over and over again), when 50 words would have been more than enough? I guess I get distracted by the slightly changing mental images painted with the flowery language.
My favorite part of the book of Job, and the lesson I need to keep reminding myself, is near the end of the book where God talks to Job (spoiler alert, Job gets testy with all the calamities but never curses God and God has to smack him down a little).
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” - Job 38:4-7 ESV
This, to me, is the message that speaks to me most often from the book of Job. I may think I’m smart or experienced or wise or even just confused as to why God does things. This is when I remind myself that God has a plan and it was created from his sovereignty over all things (even those things that I don’t understand). Who am I to question God’s plan?
The next time someone asks you why your God allows bad things to happen or you wonder it, I encourage you to reread Job and consider the reality smack that God says to Job in the last several chapters.
