The Philosophy of Job

In the Bible are examples of a category of ancient writing that is known as "wisdom literature": for example, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. The book of Job is regarded, even by some secular philosophers, as one of the greatest philosophical discourses ever to have been penned. It is an intriguing and thought provoking book, and today I am presenting what this book says to me.

There is ample reason to regard Job as an historical person (Ezek 14:14, 20), and he is one whose worldview was turned on its head by the events and emotions he endured.  The history related in the Book of Job teaches us that God is sovereign, not only in his power, but also in his passion.  He has motives and meaning that are not always revealed, for “it is the glory of God to conceal a matter” (Pr 25:2).  

The account opens in chapter 1 with a description of the relationship between God and Satan that seems to have guided the theology of only a few.  There is no “great controversy”. This is not a battle between two polar powers.  This is the one being entirely subservient to the will and purposes of the other. Satan is God’s tool. He plays a role in this opening chapter and then is dismissed by the remainder of the book as of no consequence.  What Job goes through is of God.  

Job knows that it has to be from God, but he doesn’t understand it.  His orthodox theology is similar to that of his friends: goodness is rewarded and evil is punished.  But now he has run into a problem: he knows he has not done evil, so why is he being punished?  We have the account of chapter 1, so we know why things were happening, but Job did not --- for him it was concealed.  

He is shunned and cast out of the community, which in their orthodoxy meant he was cut off from the congregation and hence from God, and he truly felt like it.  He had nothing left if he was cut off from his Maker.  His wife, recognizing this, tells him he may as well get it over with --- just curse God so that the All-Powerful, who had already disowned him, would put him out of his misery with a final death dealing blow.  We mustn’t judge her harshly.  She had lost all her children (which she had borne, unlike Job), much of the family wealth, and now her husband.

His friends arrive, having heard of his great fall, and they sit there with him, but without a word, for seven days, a period of mourning.  And in any case, what comfort can be offered to such a vile sinner?  Once they do speak, Job realizes that the wise have joined the judgement of his town.  They insist he is being punished and needs to confess, but he knows he has done no wrong, and in fact, he has not.  His conduct, his words, and his attitude are exemplary.  He trusts the seemingly feckless God with everything: “Though he slay me, I will trust him.”  His issue is why God keeps himself and his reasons hidden.   

Orthodoxy shields us from error when it is focused on an ongoing vibrant relationship with God, but when it drifts from that, it can be cold and cruel.  This is seen in the dialogue of Job’s friends.  Eventually Job ceases trying to reason with them and addresses the veiled God instead.  For many chapters he seeks the silent God, asking questions that God will not answer, for even when God does respond, it isn’t to any of Job’s questions, but rather with 77 questions of his own (chapters 38-41). 

Through all this we find that God is wonderful (from a Hebrew word meaning incomprehensible). He is impossible to know (Psalm 139:6) because He has never created anyone who has his own capacity ---- we are all limited in our knowledge, but he is NOT.  He knew ahead of time the day of your birth.  He also knows the day of your death, and by the way, you are going to die on time!  

From beginning to end, anything that has happened in your life or mine, he knows it all.  He knows every trial, every sorrow, every challenge, every response that you have ever had.  He knows everything you have done and everything you have failed to do (and he loves you anyway, by the way).  

He knows what tragedies will come, what sorrows we bear, what pains and hurts are ours.  Sometimes we can get the idea that he doesn’t care.  But he knows and he cares and he will do what is right, and he will do it for his glory.  We have a problem with that.  He asks us to trust him, but we want to be in charge and to be the captains of our own destiny and the masters of our own fate.  We want to make the decisions, and God says “You’ll never know what I know.”

Job tried to find out why he was suffering so much.  He tried to understand why he was going through those distresses, but God never gave him any answers.  God had him suffer through the advice of friends who each gave him their own theory about it.  (God lets us be exposed to the hassle of things that never yield the truth.  “Miserable comforters all ye all” says Job.)  Maybe it was his sin.  Maybe God was showing him how fragile humans are.  

He was getting no peace for his shredded heart, and when he finally runs out of conversation, God talks to him.  He brings to his attention 2 gigantic animals, which I believe are dinosaurs, and he says “Job, I made those.”  Job hears this, and declares “Now I know you can do anything” and says “I have declared that which I did not understand, things which are too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”   (Maybe that’s what I’m doing right now.)  

So Job says, I don’t understand any of this, and now I am going to rest in that and be quiet. And God says, “Good! Now I can bless you.” Wow!  May God teach us to rest in him when we do not understand!  Then we are a glory to him that conceals.