The Book of – Discussion points 12/2/2014

Dating – Impossible to know for sure. Possibly post-Exilic, from an ancient Near East story

Translation – Most difficult book in the Bible to translate

Purpose – To ask the question: Is disinterested piety possible? (Look at the bet)

Themes –

God’s Justice

Distributive

Retributive

Nature of suffering –

Why do we suffer?

1) We are bad 2) God is bad 3) God is weak

But Job does not allow for any of these alternatives

Job—

A great potentate (morality based on piety) in the Near East (Edom?), blameless (no defects in character), fearing God (knows how to give right worship), and upright (lived justly)

Suffers, overturns his day (not God), rests in his righteousness

Comes to an understanding of God’s love (See 19:1-29)

The Friends –

Non-Jewish, International (use five words (Elohim, el, eloah, sadday and Yahweh for one God)). Represent all of humanity in relationship to the One.

Eliphaz is the eldest, from Teman, a region proverbial for wise men.

What is their main failing? They see God as a problem to be analyzed, not as a Mystery to be loved. Absolutely sure, and absolutely missing the point.

Convinced that all suffering comes from sin

Do not have hesed (covenant love) for Job. Mourn, yes, but then speak for God, not for Job –

Opens up the possibility of instructive suffering.

God’s might makes his justice (else God is subject to Justice, and there is something greater than God). This is similar to Islam.

Imagery—

Leviathan, Rahab, Behemoth

Courtroom (Oath of exculpation 31:1-40) No sins against man (31:13-23) or God (31:24-34)

Paradox: If God is in the wrong, how can there be a Right (Kierkegaard)

Animals of creation (the Ostrich)

The Heavens

The Sea

The Argument of the friends – (from Kreeft)

1) God is Good and Just (Faith) 2) Justice means rewarding the good and punishing the evil (Wisdom) 3) Rewards make you happy; Punishments make you unhappy (Common sense) 4) Job is unhappy (Experience)

Conclusion: Job is evil

Three ways to refute – Ambiguity, Falsity, Logical Fallacy

God’s Goodness> Man’s goodness> a dog’s goodness

What does it mean to be rewarded? To be Happy?

Aquinas – If one of two contraries is infinite, then the other is eliminated. But evil exists. Therefore God is not infinite Good. Answer: God’s will must be such that he can bring greater good out of apparent evil. It is for us to wait in faith and “Watch!”

Frankl – In the concentration camps, the question stopped being Man asking “What is the meaning of life?” to Life asking Man “What is your meaning?” When we test God, we find ourselves being tested.

Philosophers look at God like a book; Job wishes to know Him as a Person

Lewis – “How can we meet the gods face to face until we have faces?”