You know the story. Job is a good person, but God allows the Adversary to destroy his life. So Job’s friends think he must have done something to deserve this punishment. After all, God rewards good people and punishes bad people, right? Or does he?
They have a lengthy debate. His friends argue Job must have done something wrong, and Job argues he’s innocent.
The entire debate is in poetry. I’m told that it’s high-quality poetry. And it was (mostly) written by one person. One master poet, debating with himself. And the book is long.
It’s oddly comforting to imagine the poet agonizing over this question for hundreds of hours. Crafting masterful poetry for both sides of the debate. This question must have tortured the poet.
It’s comforting because I agonize over questions, too. In journal entries from 15 years ago, I see myself asking the same questions I’ve always asked, and still ask today.
The Answers
It takes Job a long time to get an answer, and when he does, it’s unsatisfying. That’s realistic. When God finally shows up, he doesn’t take a side. God rebukes Job for questioning the workings of the universe. And God rebukes Job’s friends for falsely accusing Job of crimes.
It’s unsatisfying because it’s not really an answer. We want to know who’s right, and God says they’re both wrong. We would think, if they’re both wrong, there must be a third answer. The “correct” one. But God doesn’t give us that satisfaction.
So often, we set up polarities and think one side has to be right. Maybe we need to question our assumptions.
Here’s my polarity. I think I should have a fulfilling career; otherwise, life is pointless. I could write lengthy debates about this. On one side, I come up with ideas for having a fulfilling career. On the other, I shoot down all those ideas because they won’t work and are meaningless.
What would God say to that? I want him to say, “Yes, you should have a fulfilling career, and here’s how to do it.”
Job wanted God to say, “Yes, you are completely innocent. I’m sorry for allowing the adversary to punish you. I now grant you wealth, health, and good relationships.”
But the answer is never that simple. And we know it. If God said what Job wanted to hear, the story wouldn’t be as compelling. Deep down, we know the simple answer isn’t true.
The story of Job has survived for thousands of years because people saw the wisdom in it. Even if it contradicts the wisdom in other parts of the Bible, which say that God rewards good people, and punishes bad people.
It makes me wonder what God would say about all our other polarities. How about the left-versus-right political debate? Or the humans-versus-environment crisis? Tradition versus innovation? Feminine versus masculine? Rich versus poor? Religious versus non-religious?
Could I request that a masterful spiritual poet write a lengthy book about each of these?
Happily Ever After?
I’m not sure what I think about the very end of the book. Job lives happily ever after. After God’s rebuke, Job’s punishment ends, and he has more wealth, health, and good relationships than he had before.
Part of me wants Job’s future to be uncertain. I want the book to end with him wondering whether the rest of his life will be miserable. Isn’t that more realistic? None of us knows what the future holds. And doesn’t Job’s reward contradict the whole point of the book? That we’re not supposed to expect rewards for being good?
But then I imagine Job living with the memory of his punishment. Yes, he has a good life, but he has scars from when everything was stripped away from him for no reason. He might worry that it could happen again. He knows that being a good person doesn’t guarantee happiness.
That means he’d be more grateful for what he has. He wouldn’t take credit for it. He wouldn’t think he deserves it.
Perhaps this story is not an isolated incident. It’s possible that, in a broken world, being a good person invites punishment. Despite books like Proverbs claiming that God rewards good people and punishes bad people, there are many examples to the contrary in the Bible. Like Joseph, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. And as always, Jesus is the ultimate example.
Being a good person might show God that you’re worthy of a challenge. The challenge might feel like a punishment. You won’t know when it will end, and you won’t know the answers. But it will end, and you will find an unexpected, unsatisfying answer. It will be the true answer. And your punishment will be temporary.