Readings for today: Job 1-3, 1 Corinthians 14:1-17, Psalms 37:12-29, Proverbs 21:25-26
In a very real sense, the Bible begins with the book of Job. Job was written chronologically before all the other books and it poses ancient, unanswerable questions. Why do the righteous suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God when it hurts? How can a good God allow evil to exist? These questions seem universal. They seem hardwired into our DNA. Human beings in every time and place and culture and condition have pondered these questions. Various answers have been given. Buddhists believe suffering is illusory. Enlightenment is reached when we detach from this world. Hindus believe suffering is part of the wheel of life. How we handle suffering in some sense determines if we transcend to a higher order of existence as that wheel turns. Atheists believe suffering is random, capricious, and meaningless since there is nothing transcendent about human life. Muslims and Jews believe suffering is a result of human sin. A condition which infects every person at the deepest, most fundamental level. The answer to suffering is to love God and obey His commands. Christians similarly believe in the depravity of the human condition but believe redemption is found at the cross where God Himself enters our suffering and lays down His life for us.
Job is a meditation on human suffering. It asks hard questions. Tackles difficult issues. Honestly and transparently grapples with the deepest truths. It is part of the “wisdom literature” of the Bible which shapes how we read it. It is not to be read as pure history, though there may have been an historical Job. It is not be read literally, after all, how in the world could the author know what’s happening in the courts of heaven? It is to be read as ancient wisdom from a Spirit-inspired author who is seeking to understand why the righteous seem to suffer so much in our world.
What do we learn from these opening chapters? Job is a righteous man. In fact, he is the most righteous man who has ever lived. He is faithful. His heart is true. His worship is pure. His life is a model for us all. But there are forces that exist beyond Job’s control or understanding. There is evil in the world. Spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places that actively seek our harm. The world is not a friendly place for the righteous. It is not safe or secure. Bad things do happen. Horrible things. Terrible things. Job suffers them all. His children are murdered. His flocks and herds stolen. His wealth disappears overnight. His health is shattered. Disease and infection cover him from head to toe. Job is utterly and completely broken. At the same time - small comfort as it is - his life is still in God’s hands. There is a limit to what God will allow. Evil does not run rampant or unrestrained. As deep as our suffering gets, God’s faithfulness is deeper still. Job has hit rock bottom and still he clings to his faith. It is all he has left.
It’s a hard, painful read and it’s important not to jump to conclusions. My encouragement is to follow the example of Job’s friends. Come and sit with Job in the ashes of his life. Grieve with him. Comfort him. Listen to him. Listen to him cry out for justice. Listen to him cry out for mercy. Listen - as painful as it is - for him to cry out for death. Resist the urge to offer empty platitudes. Resist the urge to offer easy answers. Resist the urge to ease your own discomfort. Walking with someone through the valley of the shadow of death is never easy. Sitting with someone in the midst of their darkest depression and despair is heartbreaking. And yet we cannot rush the process. We must pray for the courage to walk the Via Dolorosa (The way of suffering) together. After all, is this not what Christ did for us?
Readings for tomorrow: Job 4-7, 1 Corinthians 14:18-40, Psalms 37:30-40, Proverbs 21:27