Job's Comforters
First, a little background. Job is considered by many to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest book of scripture. Many scholars believe that Job predates the authorship of Genesis. Others suggest Moshe or Solomon as author. I don't actually care, I love the book.
The opening of the book is of particular importance to me for several reasons. First, G-d calls a man perfect. Second, a form of sacrificial system is in place for the atonement of sins by this time which pre-supposes some form of Divine law to be followed, similar to the conditions surrounding Abraham's story.
Let's peek at the opening phrase:
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect
and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
So, G-d calls Job perfect, not once but several times in the text. What a statement! David never got such praise, Moshe never grasped "perfect" although he did attain "friend". This fascinates me and brings us directly and squarely up against, "for all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of G-d." Apparently not Job, at least not yet.
The part that really interests me about this is that Job is obviously a sinful human being just like all of the rest of us. He recognizes this intrinsically when we see him sacrificing for his sons and daughters. He is seeking to make propitiation for their possible sinfulness. These seem to me to be the actions of a man who knows sin and it's consequences. So, what could G-d mean by calling him perfect? I think we are staring Grace right in the eye when we read this passage. I think we are seeing the promise of forgiveness acted out before our very eyes. Clearly Job sinned, and clearly it has been forgiven, not held to his account, he is free from it and it is not a blot on his righteousness before G-d nor a burden to his own soul.
We'll leave the amazing narrative between G-d and the devil for a later post and focus on Job and his calamity for now. So, the bubble breaks, and Job is moved from prosperity to desolation in a mater of moments. I'm interested also in the devices used to decimate Job. We have:
- raiders
- wind
- fire of G-d
I think these are significant in our story and especially so when Job's "comforters" arrive. I'll get into each of these later but for now it's enough just to list them out. While all of this bad news is playing out Job seems to remain calm until the news of his son's deaths. We're looking at a man who has his priorities straight, he doesn't seem to care too much if he's losing stuff but the loss of life grieves him deeply. I don't believe that Job considers the loss of his things as much of a loss at all, he only appears to grieve the loss of his sons. I'm not certain yet if this continues throughout the book, I'll rediscover it as I go.
Now we come to what I believe is Job's finest moment:
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the
ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job is ready to accept G-d's righteous judgment. Such a statement. We have another grand lesson here. In the midst of all of this Job worshipped G-d. Could I do that? When I want to shake my fist at heaven could I bend and worship?
Job fascinates me and I'm glad to be reading it once again with fresh eyes...
