The Story of Job

THE BOOK OF JOB AND THE NEW TESTAMENT

For He is not a man like me, for me to speak to Him,

Or for us to come together for a trial.

Would that there was a referee between, to put a hand upon us both*

And to take His rod away from me,

And stop His terror from overwhelming me!

Then I would speak, and I would not fear Him

.But such is not the case for me. [9:32-5]

*This line seems pivotal in preparing the way for the New Testament and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Job's eloquent plea to Jehova to relieve his suffering and restore justice rings across the millenia. In the Old Testament, God was both magnanimous and seemingly cruel and vindictive. He threw Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and rained forty days on Noah. He gave Noah the responsibility of re-inhabiting the earth. God destroyed Sodom and Gemorrah because of licentiousness and wreaked havoc on the Egyptians who kept the Jews as slaves.

Man was in awe of God, and God required sacrifices, obedience, exaltation and faith. Job was described as a good man, generous and helping the poor, while he himself was a successful farmer and his whole family was healthy and successful. Gradually, his farm came to naught, his family sickened and died, he became ill with numerous pestilences.He asked God why? And God didnt answer. Finally three wise men came to advise him. The essence of their advice was that he was a sinner.

Job claimed that there were no sins he was aware of, but the men insisted that God was just and that therefore Job was a sinner. It was another sin for him not to realize his sins, or to assume that he was without sin. Job complained that whatever he might have done, the punishment was out of proportion to the sin. He didnt claim to be perfect; he just claimed to be an ordinary good man. His life was gratifying and fulfilling and then he was brought low to suffering and despair, and there didnt seem to be any reason for it.

The wise men told him it is not our place to question God. He is mighty and all-wise, and we mortals are puny and weak. We cannot fathom the divine intelligence. We have no alternative but to acknowledge our sins and pray for forgiveness. Job said he already did that, but his painful situation is unchanged. He is lost and alone, miserable and despairing. Finally God condescends to talk to Job, and tells him that He is the Almighty and Job, despite being a good man, is a miserable wretch, a sinner by definition.

Job pleads with God for justice and God tells Job that he can know nothing of ultimate, eternal justice. God essentially told Job that He could do whatever He wants with Job, and Job should not complain, for didnt God make the world and all the creatures, including Job? (Where was gratitude?) Job should be thankful for his life. Job realized he could not argue with God, that his mind was finite and he was weak. He ultimately grovelled and begged forgiveness and God rewarded him with a healthy family and new farm animals so that he could finally be happy and prosperous again.

Biblical scholars have praised the book of Job for its lyrical and soaring poetry, its allegory and parables, its depiction of the relationship between God and man. The book has been the source of commentaries and discussion for at least two millenia. The verdict is not yet in, but some scholars say that the happy ending is lame. Theres not much of a story here, other than Might Makes Right, and the lesson is that we must not question The Word of God, but accept what the bible teaches on faith.

Others have said that since God is good, He was polishing the rough diamond that was Job, and the process happens to be painful. Interestingly, different sects interpret the bible differently, and it is not clear what exactly is the word of God. Some fundamentalists try to observe the bible literally, and others gain meaning symbolically. Orthodox Jews cling to the Torah, the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, but many Jews have become secular, perhaps in part because they cannot accept the ways of the Old Testament God.

It is an educated guess that the writers of biblical times realized that the wrath of God was not working to improve the moral behavior of the people, and so it was conceived that God would come down to earth and be the Savior. (He would use love, mercy and compassion to teach the people, instead of only punishment).

The Jews believed that the Messiah (Meshiach) would come to earth one day and all sins would be punished and all wrongs made right. It was clear to the Jews that this time had not yet come. Still, a small band of Jews believed that Christ was God and accepted Him. Jesus apostles were all Jews who were, in effect, starting a new religion, called Christianity.They wrote an incomparable story, telling of the Annunciation, Mary and Joseph, the Virgin birth, the star in the East, the wise men, no room at the inn, the manger, the adoration of the Maji, the gifts to the child, a story which gave hope to the world that God would not treat His creatures as He treated Job.

God relented and when his might and wrath didnt work, He tried Love. He would love us and we shoud love our neighbor. Gods love would make it all possible. One God became a Trinity--- God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God bridges the distance from heaven to earth and for a time becomes flesh.Is this what Job was seeking when he said, * "Would that there was a referee between, to put a hand upon us both...?"

Dr. Bloom is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a member of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and corresponding editor of their quarterly journal, Academy Forum and on the editorial board of the Detroit Medical News. He welcomes comments and questions at his e-mail address: vbloom@compuserve.com and visitors to his website: factotem.com/vbloom.u !