Friends: Job, in the Bible, sounds a lot like people today who are mad at God. Let’s talk about that.  Blessings, Bob

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Spirituality Column #903

March 5, 2024

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Mad at God?

By Bob Walters

“In the land of Uz, there was a man named Job …” – Job 1:1

My new friend, correspondence pal, and “Finding Genius” podcast host Rich Jacobs (LINK) has somewhat recently germinated a deep personal interest in the Bible … something new to him in his adult life.  I can relate; I found faith, scripture, and Jesus at age 47.

Outside the podcast in our other communications, Rich has on occasion asked – or made poignant observations – about biblical, doctrinal, and theological matters. We had the following recent text exchange about the Bible’s book of Job …

RICH – I'm going through the book of Job, and Job sounds remarkably like people today who are mad at God and who come up with all kinds of reasons to impugn God's character.

BOB – ’Got an old column about that (LINK #82 6-3-08, With Friends Like These). P.S., notice that Job was only “patient” for a couple of chapters. His wife, not so much.

RICH – Read your link. I still have many questions... for instance: Why doesn't Job think about the devil as the cause of his misery, not God?

BOB – The most faithful witness is when you don't spend much time worrying about Satan. Job thought about God; he may not have known about Satan. Job wasn't Jewish, and wouldn't have known the Torah / Mosaic books. The lesson to learn from Job is to remain faithful and in communication with God, to seek and trust His righteousness. Our best play is to not rail at Satan – don't talk to him – but to stand and talk with God, i.e., Jesus, God’s light.

RICH – Many say the book of Job predates Genesis, but other elements in it put the writing perhaps after many Old Testament books. What did George Bebawi think?

BOB – Older than all, George was sure. Not "older than Genesis Creation," obviously, but Job predates Israel.  God was around long before the Jews.

RICH – Did George think that Moses wrote it? (fyi, George was Bob’s longtime mentor.)

BOB – Never asked him.  But the point isn't Moses; the point is God and righteousness.

RICH – I still don't understand the purpose of the book of Job. He apologizes to God and humbles himself after God chastises him, but there is no explanation as to why God allowed it or what happened with the devil after Job was restored.

BOB – It is a lesson about trusting God's righteousness, and our power to withstand and overcome Satan's attacks with that trust. God's message to Satan was that man is His Creation, not Satan’s.  Also, Job grew to more fully understood who God was. God wasn't just chewing Job out; God was revealing more fully who He is. It is also a lesson about who we listen to regarding faith. I notice that almost no matter how one expresses, shares, or shows their faith, someone will tell them they are doing it wrong (like Job’s friends). And often, the deep purpose of difficult scripture is only revealed to us after we marinate in it for a while. So... give it time.

RICH – Why was God more angry with Job's friends than with Job for complaining for 25 chapters?

BOB – Because they were giving Job bad counsel. Notice ... Job never gave up on God. It is OK to complain to God; it is misrepresenting God that Job's friends - and Satan - were guilty of. Job was not focusing on God’s righteousness, just his own misery. But Job kept talking.

RICH – Thanks. It seems like each book of the Bible is confronting, challenging, and somewhat scary to read and contemplate. In Job 38 (approx.), when God speaks to Job, it gave me the chills. Same as when Jesus speaks in the Gospels. I get a weird feeling - a bit of fear, mixed with awe, mixed with a seriousness beyond all seriousness.

BOB – Awe is good, btw. Not so much "shock and awe." But, "love and awe." Never forget ... God is love. We're miserable sinners (just ask anyone in church... they're happy to remind us!), but grace and forgiveness are gifts we mustn't ignore.

BOB (again) – And laugh a little. God's mirth is His most under-rated attribute. 

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com), after this exchange, went back to his NIV Study Bible and re-read its introduction to Job and Googled “earliest written Hebrew language.” Illuminating.