Scripture

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he give offense to God.

~Job 1:20-22, LSB

Quote

God allowed Job to suffer, only so that He could boast before Satan, “See what my saint can suffer for My sake.”

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

In reading, I come across books and authors that I have never heard of or know nothing about. A couple of years ago, Fyodor Dostoevsky came to my attention. The two works that I am familiar with are THE IDIOT and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. I am listening to the later currently. It is 777 pages and 96 chapters. Like a lot of great movies, it is a slow starter. About middle ways it gets very interesting. I liked Dostoevsky’s take on Job. He says that suffering is a mystery and there is no argument there; but he also makes the point that Job suffered for God’s sake and that thought had never crossed this feeble mind. Job lived a life time and then passed just as we do but the truth illustrated in his suffering is eternal and millions have benefited from Job’s horrible suffering. Job praised God and continue to serve him although his world fell a part. Practically everything that could go wrong did and yet Job worshiped God. Under such circumstances, Satan was shocked that Job did not fold and the LORD was praised because of His servant. Dostoevsky says that just as God looked at each day of creation and said, “It is good,” so he looked down at Job’s stellar example of faithfulness and celebrated, “It is good.” Reading between the lines just a bit, it is like God said to Satan, “Look at him. Are you watching this…he has lifted his hands to heaven and he is praising Me. You thought you could take him from me but you can’t.” I don’t really know if God boasted to Satan or not, but He could have because Job’s response in not only noble; it is eternally praise worthy.

Is it possible that in the end, God will get glory out of our suffering? This is exactly what happened with Jesus: He suffered like no one has ever suffered but in the end, God was glorified and will be for all eternity. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying, the mystery of suffering has not been solved by Dostoevsky or anyone else but there is a ray of hope in his thoughts. To our knowledge, Job never knew why he was called to suffer. Thousands of years later you and I know why Job suffered. How many times has the book of Job ministered to our aching hearts?

Brian Simmons, editor of the Passion translation says that the Songs of Solomon or Song of Songs is his favorite book in the Bible. I have never heard anyone say this. In the Old Testament I read the Psalms everyday but I also love Job and believe it or not, Ecclesiastes. One thing I was disappointed in is that the Passion does not include Ecclesiastes.

 

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Sorry folks, this is the FRIDAY BLOG. I hit the wrong button and don’t know how to go back. I meant to hit SAVE DRAFT and I hit PUBLISH