The second week of reading the Bible through in 2010 presents a diversion from the canonical ordering. As the plan we are reading is intended to be a "chronological" reading, at least in one possible ordering, the Book of Job interrupts the readings from Genesis. This presents a couple of points that need to be made.
First, the canonical ordering of the Bible is not precisely chronological. Certainly, Genesis is where it is because it speaks of beginnings, and from the earliest collections of the Hebrew scriptures, Genesis took its place at the opening of the Five Books of Moses. The Old Testament as presented in Christian Bibles roughly (but not exactly) follows the order of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scripture, which collects the sacred writings in three major groups: Law, Prophets, Writings. This is a collection according to type, not timeline (although there is a certain sense of order within each grouping, especially among those books which are overtly historical in nature).
Second, the chronological placement of many of the books that fall in the third category (Writings) is difficult. Many of these books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs) were apparently composed during the inter-testamental period (in the context of Second Temple Judaism), yet have application and authorship that refers to earlier times (e.g., the authorship of the Psalms by David, other Wisdom literature attributed to Solomon). Job is one of those which is difficult to place chronologically.
Job appears where it does in this reading plan to reflect the view of some scholars that the setting is Patriarchal - during the time of Abraham and the early fathers of the faith. While the book may have been composed at a later date, because of some textual references, the setting does seem to match with the earliest stories of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy).
Job is a difficult and profound story. We associate Job with the suffering of innocents - a timeless and troubling topic. Why do bad things happen to good people? This is a question that Job screams to be answered, yet after centuries of reflection there is probably no answer which will satisfy the question of the human heart in the face of tragedy. In the past few days, people of good will and faith have struggled with the pictures and stories coming out of Haiti. Where was God in all this? Job 9.4-6 presented a troubling image for those of us reading along:
He is wise in heart and mighty in strength...who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.
As Job's entire story struggles with the issue of God's sovereignty and humanity's finitude, so this verse presents in the face of present reality the timelessness of the book's relevance. If you are hoping for the answer here - sorry to disappoint! In any case, we will be reading Job for another week or so, and more can be said about his story.
It's interesting that just about the same time we read this passage of Job referring to God's hand in natural events, we also read from Matthew's gospel about the calming of the storm on the sea (Matthew 8.23-27). The word used for "storm" is seismos. This is the word also used in the scriptures for earthquake (seismic...). Interesting that in Matthew's account, as in the several other parallel passages (Mark 4.35-41, Luke 8.22-25, John 6.16-21) Jesus stays with the disciples in the boat in the midst of the storm. He does not abandon them, but calms the storm in their presence.
Taken alongside other clear teachings of Jesus (specially Luke 13.1-5), we ought to be careful in examining the meaning of such disasters as those we have witnessed this week. Job certainly struggled with anger toward God, based on very real human emotion and an admittedly limited view of creation and the purposes of seemingly random events. And the story of Jesus also plays out to show us that the chosen ones of God, even the Beloved, are not given escape from suffering in human life. Yet, at the same time, suffering and death is not seen as the final outcome or goal of human existence (the Resurrection tells us otherwise!).
One of the challenges of faith is to stay in the boat with Jesus during the midst of things we cannot understand. In times such as these, whether personal or communal, we must hold several truths in difficult tension. God loves us - this is certain. God has suffered for us in the person of Jesus Christ - this is certain. Human life and our world is fallen and deformed from the original purposes and perfection that God created - this is certain. God will restore and redeem creation and all those who put their trust in Him through Jesus the Son - this is certain.
In these certainties, a question to consider is this: Where in the midst of the questions do you find the certainty of God in Jesus Christ?
Stay in the Word - and you will find assurance and comfort.
In Christ,
Darin+
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