Dissecting Job

Introduction to Job Job commands our intrigue because we, as Job did, demand a universe with justice. Job is a paradigm for moral order as he himself notes in chapter 31 of the biblical book with his name in which he describes the moral code. Yet it is a paradox because we discover right along with Job that moral order is not enough. Job is the role model for when being good isn’t good enough. Except in Job’s case, he is perfect, at least according to God. As the standard bearer of moral righteousness, Job will be at the center of a disagreement between God and Satan. Satan maintains that Job appears perfect because he has been so blessed by God. God sees it differently. Both parties agree that Job is morally upright and even perfect in some versions; they simply disagree as to why. Job shares this perspective of considering himself morally upright. He differs from Satan, though, in that there are hints that he believes people who follow the code deserve to be blessed and punishment should fall on those who do not. God does not appear to favor either Satan’s or Job’s version; rather, he seems willing for Job to learn a lesson to carry the moral standard even higher than it had been previously and higher than Job himself suggested. Job will have to struggle with this indeed far more than a righteous man should in his mind. In so doing, he will need to deal with some of the dark nights of his past, which has not remotely dawned upon him. The keys to understanding Job as he ultimately takes the standard to a higher level are first of all to recognize the key metaphors of the night, sacrifice, and the whirlwind. Appreciation for the text, meanwhile, is enhanced through the tour-de-force sensory description of these metaphors and others. Job’s imagery of the night may have some clues about measures that he needs to deal with to be effective at a higher level and remain God’s standard bearer for morality. These nighttime references occur throughout the ordeal. The book of Job meanwhile is framed by sacrifice, but what is shocking to Job is that neither of the key sacrifices in the first chapter or the last chapter achieves his initial expectations for these sacrifices. His personal sacrifices, however, seem much greater. The ultimate metaphor, though, is God as the whirlwind. The whirlwind comes without warning with these distinct sensory images to draw our attention. Sometimes, the whirlwind upsets Job’s and our own comfort zones and challenges Job’s and perhaps our understanding of God. Job indeed will not be cleansed until he has entered the dust of the whirlwind, be shaken to his foundation, confess his ignorance as well as some unknown sin, and finally emerge as once again a standard bearer in perpetuity. Perhaps we do not identify with Job, because we know we are not remotely close to perfect. Perhaps we recognize that whatever our losses may be, they are not nearly as serious as Job’s and therefore cannot begin to fully identify with him. Like Job, though, we ultimately identify with the story and the suffering through questions. But the questions Job raises through his tribulations are meant to provoke us to question the nature of justice as it applies to humanity as well as ourselves. While Job has its own rich metaphors, I have chosen the metaphor of the autopsy as we reflect on Job. In this sense, we might think of the autopsy as a bit unusual in that we are examining Job as he dies to himself and his former reputation. Also, it might even be considered an autopsy on the death of the God of Job’s understanding. We begin our first chapter with the mechanism with which all autopsies begin—obtaining a thorough history. In subsequent chapters, we will have occasion to see various cuts into Job by a variety of pathologists including Satan, Job’s three friends, Elihu (God’s messenger), and God himself. The key to dissecting and uncovering Job is to be like Job himself. Job chose a perspective, defended it vociferously, and changed his perspective. My viewpoint is that Job changed his perspective after much introspection that was fostered by time, suffering, and a young intercessor as much as God himself and a look into the nights of Job’s past along the way. Different versions, meanwhile, capture elements of the sensory perspective that is so rich in Job. In working through our reading of Job, keep in mind the change in perspectives of the multisensory experience. Each reading of Job can give different tastes or insights depending on our perspective of that reading. I ask you to consider suspending your perspectives and biases to revisit and possibly revise your positions. As a physician, I have eternal fascination of the story of the discovery of chromosomes. Just after the turn of the twentieth century, a renowned researcher stated emphatically that there were forty-eight chromosomes. That was considered gospel for nearly fifty years until better technology allowed for better counting. When the new number of forty-six was announced, even the researchers themselves had some disbelief until they verified this several times. This new information took a while to circulate in the academic arena, but there was no refuting it. The multiple versions and perspectives available to us for reading Job allow us to see some things more clearly that may have previously been hidden from us even though they were there all along with proper viewing.