mondayNOVEMBER 28 Job 35–37 LogosHow Dare You! Many people who read the book of Job hope to find the answer to human suffering or, at the very least, to learn why bad things happen to good people. However, when they begin to study this book, they find that much of it is incomprehensible. Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that Job is not really about why people suffer but about who God is and how we can draw closer to Him. Mere human argument pales alongside the reality of the Eternal. Who Sinned? (Job 35–37; John 9:2, 3) If there is an answer to the conundrum presented by Job, it is this: a good man is “punished” by forces he does not understand. In John 9:2, the disciples ask Jesus a rather rude question about a blind man: “ ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ” (NKJV). Jesus’ reply cut to the spiritual reality of the great controversy and the worldly reality of sin. It demolished the logic of the so-called wisdom literature of the past and once more made the book of Job what it was intended to be: a discussion about God and why we serve Him. Jesus answered the question thusly: “ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him’ ” (John 9:3, NKJV). A Tale Told (Job 1:6–12; 40:8) At the beginning of the book of Job, God Himself declares that Job is upright, even while He allows Satan to torment him (Job 1:6–12). At the end of the book, God accuses Job of trying to condemn Him in order to justify himself (Job 40:8). Then He rewards Job and expresses His anger against Job’s three friends who had misunderstood him and had incorrectly judged him. This is the indictment of wisdom literature, which was simplistic and one-dimensional. It led directly to the theological equivalent of bloodletting to cure illness. It also failed to understand God and the nuances of His providence. Angry Young Man? (Job 31:1–37:24) It is difficult to understand Job without appreciating the role of Elihu in the dialogs. Right from the start, we are told about Job’s faithfulness and God’s test at the hand of his accuser. There are no secrets here for the reader to decipher.
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