Day 233

Job 1:1–3:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1-17; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 21:25-26

TODAY WE BEGAN the book of Job —one of the most beautiful pieces of literature in the Bible (and in all of history). Job poetically deals with the problem of evil and human suffering, crying out the question Why me? and then wrestling and groping for an answer.

Job’s origins are disputed, largely because there is no historical context, and the book does not name searchable historical figures to give clues. This lack of context leads to much conjecture. Despite this, scholars widely accept that Job may very well be one of the most ancient books in the Bible. But even Jewish tradition has varying opinions. Some scholars believe that because of the archaic Hebrew used in the original manuscripts and the uniqueness of words (Job uses many Hebrew words not found anywhere else in the Bible) that Job was a contemporary of Abraham or Jacob. Others believe that the book was written by a scribe returning from exile whose native tongue was not Hebrew. Many follow the tradition that Job was written or collected by Moses. If Moses wrote this book, he may have been either writing down oral traditions that had been passed down for millennia or writing a bit of a theological treatise dealing with the issue of suffering and pain as a parable. Regardless of its origins, Job is beautifully written and is among the most riveting literature in the world to help us wrestle with the issue of suffering.

As we move through the book of Job, we’ll deal with the question of unwarranted suffering and the counsel of friends who are attempting to help Job find an answer. Often, we find Job’s friends giving advice that seems completely valid, only to find that they didn’t know what they were talking about. We’ll discover that as we demand an answer for our suffering and juxtapose it against the glory of God, we are struck speechless. God’s glory is infinite, His power and strength unknowable, His beauty indescribable. God and God alone sustains our lives, but often when we are suffering, we ask the question Why? and cannot find an immediate answer. The more we demand, the more we become aware that we have elevated ourselves to the position of highest judge —even to the point of judgment against God (which is a scary place to sit).

Ultimately, we can spend our lives looking for an answer, or we can trust God. This may sound trite, but it is a bedrock truth. All our lives boil down to this core awareness. Our very existence itself comes down to this truth. Parts of our story are always incomplete, for there is much more going on than we may ever know —but our suffering is a continual invitation to leave behind our knowledge of good and evil and fall helplessly and hopelessly into God. Suffering continually invites us to answer the core question: Is God good? When we can answer affirmatively even in the face of hardship, we know we are on the right path.

Let’s drink deeply from the book of Job and allow it to stir in us whatever we need to wrestle with. And in doing so, may we truly find the richness of Job’s confession: “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:5-6).

MEDITATION:

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.