God's answer to Job

We know the story of Job. A man who was upright and blameless. And wealthy. And then he loses his livestock. And his ten children. And then he falls ill; his body becomes covered in sores. Then three of Job's friends come to visit him. After being unable to speak for a week, they burst out. They take turns delivering the same message: Job is being punished by God because he has apparently sinned against God. If Job confesses his sins, he will be well again. And Job? He cries out to God. And he has many questions. Have I sinned? Why have you chosen me as your target? Will you destroy me? Why did you bring me into the world? Why do you treat me as your enemy? Does God reserve misery for His children? Job cries out to God for a legal case where he can plead his case. But that case never materializes, because he doesn't know where to find God.
In the discussion between Job and his friends, we encounter several images from nature. Job also uses nature to indicate that he does not doubt God's power. Noteworthy is the text from Job 12:7-8:
Ask Behemoth [NIV 21: the livestock], and it will teach you. Ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; the fish of the sea will tell you.
Jewish translators indicate that Job is referring here to Behemoth, not to the livestock, as the usual translations indicate. He also refers to the animals of the sky, the earth, and the sea. For Job, Behemoth is the most impressive animal. We will encounter it again later.
Job asks God no fewer than 60 questions. After a fourth friend has spoken, and all the friends have finished speaking, God answers. And that answer is remarkable.

We would expect God to clarify things at this point. To indicate that the friends are wrong. That Job doesn't have to endure this suffering because of his sins. But what we see instead is that Job receives about 60 questions from God. Questions in which He points to nature. God reminds Job that He created nature: the snow, the wind, thunder, lightning, rain, and ice. The stars in the sky. It's all God's work. But the list of examples God gives also includes some remarkable ones. The wild bull, which is very strong but cannot be used for agriculture because it cannot be tamed. The unintelligent ostrich, which has large wings but cannot fly. It lays its eggs somewhere and leaves them where others can trample them. And the vulture, which waits until victims arrive to drink their blood. The list concludes with the description of two mighty animals, Behemoth and Leviathan (incorrectly rendered as hippopotamus and crocodile in several translations). Animals that are among the largest and most impressive that Job must have known. (Incidentally: It's unclear which animals are being referred to. The description strongly suggests prehistoric animals, which would mean Job encountered dinosaurs.) Something I consider quite possible. It's striking that God first mentions Behemoth, which Job himself had already mentioned. And then he goes on to mention an animal that surpasses it. It's not difficult to see God's power in these magnificent animals. But in God's nature, we also see the wild bull that cannot be tamed, the foolish ostrich, the bloodthirsty vulture. And the message is clear. While we don't understand everything, God is not in control. And Job acknowledges this: "I had only heard about you, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job doesn't receive a ready-made answer as to why this suffering had to befall him. What God is saying is that Job must trust that God is not in control. That Job must trust Him.
And that is an important message for us as well. We don't always receive an answer as to why we must experience suffering. But we are called to trust that God is not in control. Just as nature can hold many mysteries, we can also face many questions in our own lives. But just as God has ensured that nature functions, so too can we trust that God will not let things get out of control in our lives.

Bas Krins