Tuesday 30 September 2008

Background

The theme of the suffering of the innocent can also be found inJeremiah (15:10,17-18) and the poems of the suffering servant in Isaiah (chapter 53). Biblecommentators argue that the suffering of Job deliberately mirrorsthe suffering of the exiled Jews in Babylon in the 6th centuryBC.

In the text there are three important questions about the nature ofsuffering in Job:

• Why is this happening to me? Or, what is the cause or theorigin of suffering?
• What did I do to suffer this way? (Job was, after all, a godlyman.)
• What should I do while I suffer?

It seems odd that Job suffered with the permission of God.In fact, it began with almost a 'bet' between God and Satan aboutJob's piety, and the narrator of the book clearly struggles withthe doctrine of retribution, which normally meant that with pietycame prosperity - not calamity. Job's friends are used to vocalisethis traditional view and they tell Job that he must have sinnedfor such tragedy to fall upon him.

But the author of Job wants the reader to look beyond thesesimplistic answers and see God's bigger plan in testing Job's truefaithfulness while he suffered terribly. This is why this dialoguebetween God and Satan is the prologue of the story. The authordesperately tries to explain the situation without explaining itaway with 'easy answers' - and this is the main plot of the book ofJob.

Once Job becomes aware of all the calamities that havebefallen him he performs the conventional acts of mourning (verse20) and expresses his grief in tune with the pessimistic wisdomtradition (Ecclesiastes5:15). Yet in the midst of his mourning he still praisesGod. Even though Job senses that his suffering has a divine cause,he still feels that his fate is in God's hands. Thus by praising,and not blaming God and thus falling into the trap of sinning, Jobsets an exemplary model of faith in crisis.

During the Tsunami of 2004 it was thought by some that Godwas punishing people for their sins. But people still stoodtogether, comforting and supporting each other regardless of caste,race or religion. This was the greatest witness of God's love andpresence in the world.

To Ponder

Can we still bless God in the midst of ourcalamities and in our feelings of God's absence? Has doing thisever helped you in any way?

Though all our questions are not answered by God,and all our sicknesses are not healed, can we still praise andthank God?

Does God have a purpose in our suffering? If so,what might that be?