"Hast thou considered my servant, Job?"

 This week in Come Follow Me we are studying the book of Job. It is the second book of the "Wisdom Writings" after Esther, and scholars can't agree about when it was written or even when it is set. Most scholars believe that Job wasn't a historical character, and that the entire book is an extended parable. Some people believe that the book of Job is one of the greatest works in all world literature. There were a couple of things that stood out to me as I studied Job this week. 

The theology of Job stands in stark contrast to everything that has come before it in the Bible. In all that we have read so far, the Lord is portrayed as a national deity.  He is the god of the Israelites who helps them prosper when they obey his laws, and leaves them to be destroyed by their neighbors when they do not. There is little discussion of personal welfare and salvation. Obedience to God's law ensured community safety, and those who are obedient are blessed because they have contributed to the well being of the House of Israel. In the book of Job, there is no discussion at all about how Job's obedience or disobedience will affect the community.  Even his detractors don't ever say, "Hey, Job, you better shape up or you will bring the wrath of God down on our city".  This is our first look at God and his relationship with the individual. 

This is also the first time that the Bible authors address the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  We see, in the words of Job's "friends" that there is a prevailing idea that good people receive blessings and bad things happen to bad people.  Much of the narrative from Joshua to Nehemiah seems to be written to show that the House of Israel was conquered and taken into captivity because of their wickedness. The southern tribes last 120 longer than the northern tribes because they had a couple of righteous kings. After all that, here is the book of Job arguing that even though Job is righteous, the Lord allows him to suffer.  Could this parable be push-back from Jews written during or after the Babylonian captivity because their leaders always said they were conquered because of their wickedness? Could it be their way of saying, "Hey, we weren't captured because of wickedness, but just because it was God's inscrutable will that we should be conquered."

The most intriguing argument I heard on my podcasts this week was one mentioned by Taylor Halverson on Book of Mormon Central.  It is the idea that this story could be an early hint of the Plan of Salvation and that it represents the pre-earth life, life on earth, and the post-life paradise prepared for the righteous.  I really liked this idea, though I admit it is probably not the way that ancient Hebrews would have seen the book. Job's prosperity in the beginning of the story could represent the pre-earth life.  Earth life is represented by Job's trials.  Like Job, everyone enters mortality will eventually lose everything they ever had.  They can't take their possessions with them when they die.  Most people see many of their family and friends die before they do as well.  As Job says "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither."  Then, in the end of the story, Job is admitted into God's presence. After Job is examined, and is brought to acknowledge that the Lord's ways are just, has restored to him all that he had lost, and more. This is like the final judgement when the righteous shall receive their reward.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints are the only Christians that preach this progression, but the Book of Job may indicate that there may have been groups among the ancient Hebrews that understood this as well.

One last note.  Although the Book of Job is a discussion about why good people suffer, the book doesn't really give a clear answer to the question.  God never explains to Job why he let him suffer.  His only response to Job's questions about why all the terrible things happened to him, was to show Job how God's power, glory, and greatness exceeds Job's, and indeed, all human's.  I actually think this is really the only answer to the question of suffering.  The Earth and all the universe are under God's command, so we should trust that he knows best.