The book of Job has been a great source of help in my family\u2019s journey of dealing with suffering and death. It helps to know not all suffering is due to sin\u2014this helps comfort us in our struggle.<\/p>\n
Sin and suffering are like conjoined twins; they are extremely difficult to separate. Even though it is well recognized that the book of Job corrects the assumption that all suffering is retribution for sin, many still want to relate Job\u2019s sufferings to sin.<\/p>\n
One suggestion is that Job\u2019s suffering was not a punishment for acts of sin but the loving action of God to remove Job\u2019s pride. God knew Job would respond in pride; \u201cthe suffering has brought out the hidden sin of pride in Job,\u201d thus allowing God to deal with it.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n But this view contradicts the statements of the narrator and God that Job was \u201cupright, blameless, fearing God, and turning from evil\u201d (1:1, 10; 2:3 NASB). The view also contradicts the narrator\u2019s assertion that Job did not sin as a result of his suffering (2:10).<\/p>\n Another view is that although Job did not suffer because of his sins, nevertheless, in his suffering, he sinned in his speeches.2<\/a><\/sup> This view points to evidence of Job\u2019s sin in the following:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The above view that Job was wrong in his speeches and should not have said them is problematic. Recently, several scholars have pointed out that Job\u2019s speeches must be seen as lamentations like those in the Psalms and Lamentations.4<\/a><\/sup> A lamentation must be judged not based on the propositional truths of each statement, but like poetic speech, it must be evaluated on whether the emotions and intentions are appropriate to the situation. If so, to argue that Job was wrong and his speeches should not have been said is to argue that the lamentations in the Bible and even by our Lord on the cross (Matt 27:46) were wrong.<\/p>\n God\u2019s questioning of Job cannot be said to be a rebuke of Job. Similar questions can be found in Isaiah 40\u201355. In that context, the questions are part of comfort. Asking Job questions and inviting Job to answer them is an answer to Job\u2019s request for God to engage in question and answer:<\/p>\n The intention of the Yahweh speeches is not to establish Job\u2019s guilt or sin. William Dumbrell expresses this well when he concludes, \u201cThere is no hint in these speeches that Job is being treated as a sinner; rather, he is being treated as one whose horizons need to be expanded.\u201d Job has not shown a lack of respect for God, but simply that he has limited knowledge of how God orders his world. The playful tone of the Yahweh speeches confirms this.5<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When God says, \u201cWho is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?\u201d (38:2), this is not a rebuke. Working on the basis of the retribution principle, Job did not know why he was suffering so severely when other people were getting away with worse evil. He wanted explanations. The counsel he received from the three friends was rightly rejected by Job. They wrongly assumed Job\u2019s sufferings were due to sin and that by turning to God, all would be well.<\/p>\n Then, the speeches of God, although in the form of questions, are not void of content. I have found the words appropriate and comforting. God shows in various ways he provides for his creatures and grants his creatures the attitude to go through hardship and the courage to face danger and death(39:13-28); God is in control of the evil mythic monsters that humans fear because of the chaos and harm they cause, and also sets limits for them (40:15\u201341:34).6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Elihu accused Job of adding rebellion to his sin by demanding to appear before God (34:37). But God proved Elihu wrong by immediately appearing to Job after Elihu says God is too great to be found and to appear to Job (37:23\u201324).<\/p>\n Contrary to what is translated as \u201cI repent,\u201d Job\u2019s confession should be translated as \u201cI am comforted\u201d (42:6).7<\/a><\/sup> All occurrences of this Hebrew word in the book of Job has to do with comfort (2:11; 7:13; 16:2; 21:34; 29:25; 42:11). Although these occurrences are in the intensive (Piel<\/i>) form, whereas in 42:6, it is in the passive (Niphal<\/i>) form, the passive form can also mean \u201ccomfort\u201d as it does in Genesis 24:67 and 38:12.8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n More importantly, God vindicated Job for his speech. When God rebuked Eliphaz and his two friends, he says twice, \u201cYou have not spoken of<\/i> me what is right<\/i>, as my servant Job has\u201d (42:7\u20138). This phrase should be more appropriately translated as \u201cYou have not spoken to<\/i> me rightly<\/i> as my servant Job has.\u201d9<\/a><\/sup> Also, Job did utter certain words that were not correct; he was wrong in saying that God was unjust (9:22\u201324). The Hebrew word translated as \u201cWhat is right\u201d is in the passive and should be translated as \u201cto be corrected\u201d or as \u201cto be established.\u201d10<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n When Job could not find an answer from his friends, he repeatedly asked to talk to God to be vindicated or corrected. God\u2019s appearances fulfilled Job\u2019s requests in 13:5; 16:19, 19:25\u201329. God\u2019s appearance to Job in 38:1 proved Elihu was wrong to say Job was too insignificant to question God:<\/p>\n God\u2019s final endorsement of Job\u2019s speeches \u2026 silences the cant of those who remind us of the inscrutability of God and smugly say, \u201cIt is not for us to question the ways of the Almighty!\u201d For that is precisely what Job does, and God says that he was fully justified in doing so. The Lord welcomes this exercise of moral judgement from man\u2019s side, even when it is directed in judgement on God himself.11<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n At the centre of the book is a poem asking, \u201cWhere can wisdom be found?\u201d (28:1\u201328, v. 12). The poem ends with \u201cthe fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding\u201d (v. 28). From the start of the book, Job has been declared as one who fears God and turns from evil (1:1). Job\u2019s rejection of the speeches of his friends and his speeches of lament to God shows us he knew where wisdom is to be found. He found it in God. The words of God can be appropriately summed up as, \u201cI am God, I care deeply, and I want you to trust me.\u201d12<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nLamentation as sin?<\/h3>\n
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God\u2019s comfort in suffering<\/h3>\n
God\u2019s vindication in suffering<\/h3>\n
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God\u2019s wisdom in suffering<\/h3>\n
For Discussion<\/h3>\n