PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

• The book of Job forces us to deal with suffering of a different kind – the uncomfortable and confusing reality when personal troubles and traditional theologies clash. Reacting when experience contradicts what we believe can lead to sin or correction. Job’s friends refuse to doubt their interpretation of divine retributive justice of punishment and reward. This theology of theirs is based upon, but ultimately a distortion of a Biblical truth. Theology often is. Theology often strives to explain what God does not, but expects us to accept. This time, in Job, their scholarly conclusion runs contrary to their personal reality. That distorted truth is that we sow what we reap, that God blesses and curses based upon the righteousness or wickedness of our lives. While overall true, they could not comprehend that it is not absolute in the sense that God intervenes within every action according to that “law.” They did not grasp that in order for God to be just, there must be a beginning after this life’s end; there must be an after-life so that God can remain righteous by applying His justice. Ultimately, they condemn an innocent man because of their theology, and God condemns them. Job too has difficulty applying this truth to his own situation. In asserting his own innocence, which contradicts his suffering according to divine retributive justice, he condemns God as acting unjustly. Job is correct that sin did not cause his suffering; but Job’s suffering causes his sin. Both Job and his friends sin when reality challenges their theology. The solution is not easy, but is this – when in doubt, we must never doubt the righteousness of God – but must be willing to doubt everything else first. This brings its own suffering.

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This entry was posted by PHall on Monday, February 20th, 2012 at 10:18 pm and is filed under Job. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.