JOB'S QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD.

THE BOOK OF JOB BEGINS WITH A SIMPLE STORY. HE DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING OR "JUSTIFY THE WAYS OF GOD"  WITH HUMAN BEINGS, BUT DOES PROBE THE DEPTHS OF FAITH IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING. AN ANCIENT FOLK-TALE ABOUT A SAINTLY JOB (EZEK 14, 14,2O) HAS BEEN USED AS A SETTING BETWEEN JOB AND THREE FRIENDS  (3:- 31-40).  THE FOLK TALE INTRODUCES A PROFOUND QUESTION ON THE LIPS OF SATAN ( A HEBREW WORD MEANING "ADVERSARY" OR "ACCUSER" NOT THE DEVIL OF THE NEW TESTAMENT THOUGHT). THE DATE OF THE WORK IS UNCERTAIN, (PERHAPS AROUND THE TIME OF THE EXILE, IN THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C.).   THE QUESTION;  DOES JOB FEAR GOD FOR NOTHING?
"( 1.9)"  THAT IS, DOES JOB SERVE GOD BECAUSE IT IS PROFITABLE, BECAUSE GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO HIM?  IN THE PROLOGUE, JOB IS TOTALLY RESIGNED TO GOD (1:21; 2.10). THEN THE AUTHOR STAGES THE GREAT DISPUTE. JOB CURSES THE DAY HE WAS BORN. (ch 3). AND THE DEBATE IS ON (chs 4-31) WHERE JOB AND HIS FRIENDS ALTERNATE IN SPEECHES. AT THE SAME TIME GOD CARES FOR JOB WHO WAS A SHEIK WHO LIVED IN THE LAND OF EDOM, AT THE NORTHERN EDGE OF ARABIA AND SOUTH OF THE DEAD SEA. JOB WAS A PIOUS MAN WHO WAS BLESSED WITH RICHES AND A LARGE FAMILY. HE  HAD ALL WHAT A MAN COULD DESIRE. ONE DAY AN ANGEL CALLED "SATAN" ( A HEBREW WORD WHICH MEANS (" ADVERSARY") AROSE TO SPEAK BEFORE GOD IN THE HEAVENLY COURT. THIS ANGEL CLAIMED THAT JOB WAS PIOUS BECAUSE GOD WAS SO GOOD TO HIM. HE MADE A WAGER WITH GOD.: DOES  JOB FEAR GOD FOR NOUGHT? HAST THOU PUT A HEDGE ABOUT HIM AND HIS HOUSE AND ALL THAT HE HAS, ON EVERY SIDE? THOU HAS BLESSED THE WORK,  OF HIS HANDS. SATAN WAS SURE HE COULD PROVE THAT JOB WAS PIOUS ONLY BECAUSE GOD WAS GOOD TO HIM. SO HE BROUGHT ONE TROUBLE AFTER ANOTHER UPON JOB. ALL OF JOB'S CHILDREN WERE KILLED. HE LOST HIS WEALTH, HIS WIFE TURNED AGAINST HIM. HIS HEALTH FAILED. JOB SITS FORLORN NEAR THE SCENES OF HIS EALIER HAPPIER ABOUT JOB. LIFE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE WELL -KNOWN STORY, NOW THE AUTHOR TELLS IN MAGNIFICENT POETRY ABOUT HIS THREE FRIENDS, ELIPHAZ, BILDAD, AND ZOPHAR, SIT WITH HIM, THEY HAVE COME TO COMFORT HIM.  HE WAS CERTAIN THAT HE DIDN'T DESERVE SUCH MISFORTUNE.
 HIS FRIENDS WERE SURE THAT JOB MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING. THEY PLEADED WITH JOB TO BOW DOWN BEFORE GOD AND REPENT. JOB REFUSED. HE WAS A HONEST MAN, HONEST WITH GOD, AND HONEST WITH HIMSELF. HE KNEW HE  HADN'T SINNED ANYMORE THAN THE FRIENDS THAT SAT AROUND HIM. HE WAS  CERTAIN THAT HE DESERVED NONE OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM. JOB EVEN DARED TO RAISE A TERRIBLE COMPLAINT AGAINST GOD. HE ACCUSED GOD OF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS MISERY.
THIS WAS A BOLD AND DARING THING TO DO. IN THE POEMS OF JOB SOME OF THE AUTHOR EXPLORED SOME OF THE MOST TROUBLING RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS HE COULD THINK OF: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE IN GOD?"  ESPECIALLY, " WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE IN GOD WHEN LIFE IS FULL OF SORROWS AND TROUBLES WHICH WE DO NOT DESERVE?" SPEAKING THROUGH JOB THE AUTHOR: SAID " I WILL NOT RESTRAIN MY MOUTH;
I WILL SPEAK IN THE ANGUISH OF MY SPIRIT;
I WILL COMPLAIN IN THE BITTERNES OF MY SOUL" THE QUESTIONS JOB RAISED ARE LIKE QUESTIONS THAT PERPLEX US TODAY.
 WHY MUST INNOCENT PEOPLE SUFFER? DURING WORLD WAR II, FOR EXAMPLE THOUSANDS OF CHILDEN IN GREECE WERE STARVING. SOME PEOPLE WANTED AMERICAN AND BRITISH TO SEEND FOOD TO THEM. THIS WAS FORBIDDEN. THE ALLIED LEADERS SAID IT WOULD HELP THE NAZIS WHO OCCUPIED GREECE AT THAT TIME. AS A RESULT, MANY CHILDREN DIED OF HUNGER. PEOPLE ASKED " DID THEY DESERVE TO SUFFER AND TO DIE?  JOB VERSUS HIS FRIENDS
THE BOOK OF JOB CONTAINS FORTY- TWO CHAPTERS OF WHICH I WILL JUST TOUCH ON. A LARGE PART OF THEM CONSISTS OF THREE SETS OF POEM SPEECHES BETEEN JOB AND HIS FRIENDS. EACH TIME JOB MADE A BITTER COMPLAINT, ONE OF HIS FRIENDS ANSWERED HIM. EACH SPOKE THREE TIMES. JOB BEGAN BY CURSING THE DAY HE WAS BORN. FROM HIS MOUTH CAME THE QUESTIONS AND DOUBTS, THE WONDERINGS AND MUSINGS OF MANY PEOPLE.  TRY AS HE DID, JOB COULD NOT UNDERSTAND, WHY THE GOOD MUST SUFFER ALONG WITH THE WICKED. JOB COULD FIND NO MEANING OR REASON FOR THIS. GOD SEEMED FAR AWAY
WHY WHEN HE CREATED HUMANS IN THE GARDEN IN A BEAUTIFUL SETTING ; HE HAD ENOUGH LEFT-OVER FOR "SATAN?". JOB'S TERRIFYING ENCOUNTER WITH GOD.
FINALLY GOD HIMSELF APPEARED TO JOB. BUT HE DID NOT ANSWER JOB'S QUESTIONS.   INSTEAD, BY ASKING JOB' A SERIES OF QUESTIONS, HE FORCED JOB TO REALIZE THAT GOD THE CREATOR AND PROVIDER OF ALL LIFE IS NOT LIKE HIS CREATURES. HE DOES NOT NEED TO ANSWER MAN'S QUESTIONS. THE FIRST OF GOD'S TWO SPEECHES BEGINS IN CHAPTER 38:
THEN THE LORD ANSWERED JOB OUT OF THE WHIRL-WIND:
" WHO IS THIS THAT DARKENS COUNSEL BY WORDS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?
GIRD UP YOUR LOINS LIKE A MAN,
    I WILL QUESTIONED YOU, AND YOU SHALL DCLARE TO ME.
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH?
 TELL ME, IF YOU HAVE UNDERSTANDING.
 WHO DETERMINED ITS MEASUREMENTS- SURELY YOU KNOW!"
ALL THE DEEP WISDOM OF GOD PASSED BEFORE JOB. IN THE END, JOB COULD ONLY BOW LOW AND HOLD HIS HAND BEFORE HIS MOUTH IN AWE AND HUMILITY. YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH HIS FULL CONFESSION IN CHAPTER 42: I HAVE UTTERED WHAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THINGS TO WONDERFUL FOR ME, WHICH I DID NOT KNOW...."
THE BOOK OF JOB DOES NOT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IT RAISES OR THE DOUBTS THAT STIRRED IN JOBS MIND. ALTHOUGH IT EXPLORES THESE MATTERS WITH RARE HONESTY, IT DOES NOT ANSWER THEM DIRECTLY. BUT IT DOES SAY THAT THE ONLY REAL ANSWER TO DOUBT LIES IN HUMBLE FAITH IN THE GOD WHO IS GREAT BEYOND ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. THE CLIMAX OF THE BOOK IS REACHED WHEN JOB ACTUALLY MEETS THE LIVING GOD.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, JOB'S QUESTIONS ARE RAISED AGAIN AND GET A FULLER ANSWER IN JESUS, WHO SUFFERED UPON THE CROSS. FOR THE SIN AND EVIL OF ALL MEN.
THE BOOK OF JOB IS FULL OF MAGNIFICENT POETRY. TO SAMPLE SOME OF THIS POETRY, IN THE DISCOURSES OF JOB AND HIS FRIENDS, READ THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN JOB AND ZOPHAR IN JOB 11-14 OR GOD'S FIRST ANSWER TO JOB IN CHAPTERS 38-39. CHAPTER 3 CONTAINS JOB'S FAMOUS CURSE UPON THE DAY HE WAS BORN. THE PROSE STORY OF JOB CAN BE FOUND IN JOB 1-2; 42:7-17.