gracenotworks.com ::: october 2001

When disaster strikes, some of us ask "What did we do to deserve this?" or "Was God asleep at the wheel?". Others simply picture God as laughing wickedly away to himself in heaven. But what can we as Christians say in the face of evil? In the face of suffering the book of Job points to the fact that life is not as simple as asking "What did we do wrong?".

The book opens like a play with two chapters depicting a discussion between God and Satan, set in heaven. Then chapters 3-37, the central section of the book, depicts an interaction between Job and his friends set on earth. The third section (Ch. 38-42) is the climax where God speaks to Job, and in 42:7-17 the narrator concludes the book.

The book introduces a man named Job "who was blameless and upright, feared God and shunned evil" (1:2). Yet by the end of the chapter his life falls apart: his children are killed, and his livelihood lost. But in chapters 1-2 we are told what Job doesn't know - that some sort of discussion between God and Satan ends with God (for whatever reason) allowing Satan to inflict this trouble (evil) on Job. God is not the author of evil. But evil is ultimately answerable to God. God permits it to happen. He is an all powerful, all good God who - for a reason we will not explore here - permits evil in his world. But Job's reaction to all this is exemplary. In all this, we are told, "Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing" (1:22). Even at his wife's call to "Curse God and die!" (2:9), he trusts the Lord asking her simply, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10). In all, he stoically cops his immense suffering on the chin.
In chapter 3 Job gets angry, but still he doesn't curse God, instead he curses the day of his birth (3:1). Three friends hear what Job's said and each takes it in turns to analyze his problem suggesting various reasons for his suffering. They are typical "Mr Fixit" men, and while this some truth in what each friend says, ultimately their arguments are wrong.
The first is Eliphaz (4:12-17), and he speaks from his religious experience (4:12). His argument is: either Job is unrighteous and deserves to suffer, or God is unrighteous for making him suffer. Since it is unthinkable that God is unrighteous, therefore Job must be in the wrong (4:12-17), after all "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?" (4:17) Simply, he is saying that God is right, therefore Job must have done something evil in the past, for which he is now being bought to account.
Bildad has a different perspective, he doesn't lean on experience for his theology, he leans on tradition. He calls Job to look to the former generations and ask "what their fathers learned" (8:8). Again his answer is that Job is suffering because of his guilt, for "Surely God does not reject a blameless man, or strengthen the hands of evildoers". (8:20)
Zophar too has the same sort of message. Zophar is your typical "simple gospel man". Everything in Zophar's world is so clear, so black and white, so rigid and dogmatic. He suggests that God has even been lenient with Job by overlooking some of his sins (Job 11:6). Zophar's call is for Job to repent, to "put away the sin that is in your hand ...you will stand firm and without fear." (11:14-15)

Each of Job's friends have a simplistic doctrine of retribution. Their argument is that all experiences of evil must be the direct result of unrighteousness. If good things happen, I must have done something good. If evil happens, I must have done something wrong. But we know these arguments don't apply to Job - after all, Job knows he is innocent. So in 31:5-6 he calls out: "If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit - let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless" (31:5-6). At this, his friends are silenced "because he was righteous in his own eyes" (32:1). But at this point, a fourth man speaks up.
Elihu, the human judge, is angry with Job "for justifying himself rather than God" (32:2). He is also angry with the three friends "because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him". So he makes three speeches in chapters 32 to 38. Actually, I think Elihu makes a good point. His argument is basically that in all of Job's protestations of innocence, he hasn't questioned his friends' presuppositions.

Their argument was: either "Job is bad" or "God is bad". To this Job has said, "I'm not bad", leaving the implication that God must be bad. Although he is right to declare his innocence, Job has actually overstepped the mark by asking God to justify himself. Take for instance, 10:2 where he asks God "Does it please you to oppress me", or in 19:7 where he states "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." God does not have to justify himself to Job - but he does answer Job.
At this point God walks onto center stage. God's reply to Job is powerful and overwhelming. And it comes with an aspect of rebuke. In 38:1-41 the LORD basically asks of Job "are you God?!" To this Job humbly replies, "I am unworthy - how can I reply to you?... I spoke once, but I have no answer - twice, but I will say no more" (40:3). The LORD answers again "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?" (40:8).

Notice here, God doesn"t respond to the "Why" question of Job's suffering. Notice also, God does not here charge Job with committing a sin which caused his suffering. God simply lays Job out on the carpet - not because of Job's justification of himself, but because of Job's preparedness to condemn God in order to justify himself!

The final chapter reveals Job full of sorrow, remorse and repentance (cf. 40:2-6). His repentance isn't for the sin his friends had accused him of. Indeed God declared that where his three friends had erred, Job had spoken right (40:7). Rather, it was repentance of his arrogance to demand answers from God as though they were equals.

Job himself states the heart of the matter in the last verse of Chapter 28: "The fear of the Lord - that is wisdom - and to shun evil is understanding". The right response to uncertainty and trouble is not to challenge the Lord - but to fear and trust Him as a creature trusts the creator.
When disaster strikes there are often economic reactions, political reactions, emotional reactions, and military reactions, but most importantly, there are theological reactions. Some will say this is evidence that God doesn't exist; others will say that "God is bad". But I think Job is teaching us not to react to disaster by seeing that our God is too small. We can't always see from our perspective what happens. But we know that God is bigger than us. We can't know always know the "why's" - but we know we can trust Him. After all, this is the God who is so powerful that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, the present nor the future, can possibly separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39).


Dominic Steele pastors the exciting Sydney based ministry Christians in the Media. A well known journalist, preacher, and evangelist, he has previously spoken in Washington DC for Gegrapha, an international gathering of Christians in journalism. The above article was adapted from an address delivered on Tuesday September 11 2001, and the full text was first published by our friends at Anglican Media Sydney.
Dominic also has his own newsletter site.

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