The Book of Job

Ecclesiastes begins:  The Words of the Preacher (Qohelet), son of David, King in Jerusalem, which references Solomon or someone in the Davidic Line.  Qohelet famously exclaims (in the King James), Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity! T he ancient Hebrew uses “Hevel,” which differs from “vanity” in that it signifies empty air, like the breath we emit on a cold day.   Akin to our concept of vanity, however, the lament centers on much of life being meaningless. There is a notion that the Preacher is playing a role, pointing out how grim existence is without Faith.  He continues:   What profit hath a man of all his labors which he taketh under the sun?  In other words, What good has all your earthly work accomplished?  Further, the phrase, “under the sun” aptly contrasts our world with the transcendence of the heavens beyond. One generation passeth away and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever. The sun also arisesth, and the sun goeth down, and hastens to the place he rose.This poetry clashes with the majesty of the Creation story.  It is often considered part of ancient pessimistic wisdom literature, which lays bare the sadness and mundaneness endemic to life – in terms of the endless cycle of growth, decay and death.   However, this is the despair of one who lacks a view of the transcendent.    Qohelet continues to speak to fundamental observations every generation will uncover: The winds goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and returneth again according to its circuits.  The waters do the same – all rivers run into the sea;  yet the sea is not full.  The poetry is symbolicfor humanity never being able to get their fill from materialistic gains.   All things are full of labour; but man cannot express it.  The eye is not satisfied with seeing; nor the ear with hearing.  Though cryptic, this is generally understood to mean that no matter how wise, one will never fully understand this world.  Much is ineffable, including the questions of: Why are we here?, Why are things as they are?, Why is there suffering?, What is our purpose?  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and thatwhich shall be done.  AND THERE IS NOTHINGNEW UNDER THE SUN.Is there anything whereof it may be said, see this is new?Truly, it hath been already of Old Time, which was before us.  There is no remembrance of former things, neithershall there be any remembrance of things to come .What we observe each day, so full-of-life and brilliant, will decay and die.   As to material riches (jewels, an amazing house, fancy car or new toy), they will lose luster.  All around us will be gone and forgotten. This goes for he who lived hundreds of years ago, just as it does for those who will be born hundreds of years from now.  Only though the Almighty, can we obtainsomething lasting.  Qohelet describes himself as King all over Israel in Jerusalem – the only mention of Israel in the Book.  In the mold of Solomon, Qohelet was renowned for his wisdom through contrasting the philosophies of the day and pursuing all knowledge under the sun.   Qohelet was in the position to find answers and guide humanity, but discovered there is only so much we can know.  He concludes that such pursuits are as futile as trying to capture the wind. His words imply that within each of us is the desire for a connection with something more, referencing the Bread of Life that Deuteronomy and Jesus speak to. Qohelet also devoted himself to madness and folly, perhaps referencing hedonistic pleasure and the hundredsof wives Solomon was attributed. His conclusion remained,  All is Vanity and Vexation of spirit.   Simply, you better look beyond Man for something more. To close the chapter Qohelet announces:  The wiser you become, the more you get frustrated in realizing what you don't know. For in much wisdom there is much grief; and he that increases knowledges increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes or Qohelet  is a stand-out Bible book which has the potential to catch readers at the wrong time and infect them with a perception that life is meaningless.  However, if read at the right time, it is a window to what life is without living a God-centered life. This mysterious Book contrasts observable life cycles “under the sun,” versus the majesty of the heavens beyond.  It is especially relatable to the experiences of those not interested in Scripture; as many are compelled to concede the timeless Wisdom within. The Hebrew Title, Qohelet, remains something of a mystery.  The root, something like the sounds Q-H-L make, has been interpreted to mean: to assemble. We have a hint of a meaning, that begins with Q, which for for millennia has signified the unknown.  Qohlet later came to be interpreted to mean:  Preacher, in the sense of one who speaks or assembles sayings of wisdom in a House of God.  Another related interpretation is a searcher for truth. The Hebrew etymology influenced the Greek title. The Septuagint chose Ecclesiastes, with the Greek word "ekklesia" (ἐκκλησία), originally meaning "assembly" in a secular context, but later came to be used to refer to a church congregation.  Ecclesia, in Latin, correspondingly came to mean church and the Spanish and French are similar: iglesia and église. All are synonymous with an assemblage for the most sacred purpose.The Greek title references a searching for or an assembling of profound observations speaking to those cycles of life that are objectively observable.  There are certainly timeless observations in this Book, most notably from Chapter 3: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matterunder heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck/take/ up what isplanted (reap); a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stonestogether;  a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. In the opening verse of the initial chapter, Qohelet is identified as a son of David, which could refer to Solomon the Wise. Pointing to Solomon are multiple references to the Preacher's extravagant wealth There is also scholarly and rabbinical thought that this could reference one from the Davidic Line. Qohlet does have the persona of a radical preacher whose lessons shock you into listening.   There is some chance the writer of this Book was influenced by Greek thought as this material is thought to have been written around time of Alexander the Great, who conquered Palestine in 333 B.C., when there were substantial Hebrew trade and cultural connections with the Greeks.  Overall, the Preacher is attributed as having examined various philosophies of life.  Each of us in our own way, search and contend with the meaning of life but relatively few explore the subject so vigorously and adeptly. Many, just live and pick up what they can.  Some are those said to be in tune with the ways of life without questioning same.  They live more analyze.  This Book indicates either of these methods is NOT necessarily more fruitful.  There is an implicit admonition by Qohlet against the pride of intellectualism. A critical lesson of the Book is that searching for purpose apart from God is meaningless and the simple as well as intelligent come this realization, or miss the mark, in different ways, all in accord with our ability.  Simply, living by Man's way, or doing what is right in one's own eyes, is as futile trying to catch the wind.

After Job spent seven days in silence with his three friends, there came a time when this upright soul succumbed and cursed the day he was born. In poetic form, Job cursed that day, declaring:  Let the day perish wherein I was born; and the Night in which it was said there is a child conceived.  Let that day be darkness, letnot God regard it from above. Neither let the sun come upon it.  Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it. Let the day be purged from the calendar and never see the eyelids of dawn.  Let no joyful noise come from that night. Job's outburst raises the question: Did Satan (or Ha'Satan)  prevail?  While Job did not curse the Almighty, Jobdid curse His wisdom;  as the Lord made such decisions as when Job would be born and the tribulations he would face. Regardless, Job is not cursing the world. He does not wish to destroy everything around him in a fit of wrath. He will contend with what is before him, bringing us through his suffering  in a soul-bearing exercise.  Job calls for those engaged in divination, such as those who would rouse Leviathan (a reference to Canaanite mythology), play their trade and curse his day!  Job voices how he wishes the doors of his mother's womb had been shut and to have perished within or shortly after birth.  He wishes to have long ago reached the destination of stillness. Such would have been a welcome alternative from his suffering. He yearns to be where slave and prisoner are no longer subject to the whips and shouts of the taskmaster. Further, Job proclaims the desire to be among the past Kings and Counsellors of the earth, who built structuresof magnificence that ultimately turned to desolate places, and now lie equal with their subjects.  He brings up the idea,almost as an aside, that we will experience the idle rest of death for a lot longer than we will be active on this earth.  Job is facing a hellish existence.  He ponders why should the Lord give light/life to those bitter in soul.  He laments how God allows him to continue when the Lord's Way has been hidden, after he had walked in it all his life.   He also realizes he lost the Godly hedge of protection he once had.  He is lamenting a perceived broken relationship with God. The loss of his spiritual estate weighs tremendously on Job.  Job closes out the chapter by noting,  For the thing I greatlyfeared has come upon me.  He realized all he had was bestowed on him by God and could be gone in a moment.  He was not naïve, but is explains that he made the proper sacrifices and held the proper reverence, yet tragedy still came.   While Job's sacrificial walk was an unsuccessful attempt to keep such suffering at bay, Job will come to learn that his ordeal is ultimately for a greater, even if it remains unknown,purpose.  

And there came a day when the Sons of God once again stood before the Lord; and Satan (or ha'Satan) also.  The Lord again queried: From whence comest though? Satan answered: From roaming the earth and walking up and down in it.  This repetition highlights how Satan shares and asserts some dominion over our space.  Satan's level of access to God is eye-opening and this meeting is more of a curt conversation than epic clash in the sky.  Although brief, this is one of their most substantial interactions in the Biblical corpus.   The Lord inquires: Has thou considered my servant Job? That there are not like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man?   One that feareth God and eschews evil.  Although though movest me to destroy him without  cause, he still holdeth fast to his integrity. Satan answers cryptically, “Skin for Skin!”  We have some sense of the meaning of this cryptic proverb from Satan's next missive… “All that a man has he will give for his life.”   Satan believes man's essence is not sacrificial, so the message is – God has affected all around Job, now let's turn the heat on him and see how much longer he keeps faith.  God was content after Job responded to the initial series of terrible events, so it is worth asking, Was Satan tempting God? And why is the Lord so open to maltreatment of a favorite son? Further, Is Satan's dialogue the posture of a subordinate, or reflective of being on more level terms? Or is God testing both Job and Satan? The relationship fascinates and perplexes.  It has been argued that this Book reveals as much as we, with our limited abilities, can understand of the divine.   As to poor Job, reap & sow doesn't apply; and while that may be a general rule, there are boundless instances of undeserved suffering.  Many tribulations are more than punishment. Some experiences put us through fire to forge us into steel.  In what proportion harsh results are reprimands, we are left to wonder.    Satan continues:  Put forth thine hand now and touch his Bone and flesh and he will curse thee to thy face.  Another question this book spurs: What would it take for you to curse God? And how much less would it be than what Job went through?  The Lord responds: Behold, He is in thine hand, but spare his life.   Once again, Satan gets what he wants, leaves and gets to work.  He smote Job with sores and boils from the sole of his feet unto the crown of his head.  Job was relegated to sitting among those ashes, with a broken piece of pottery -- scraping himself for some comfort. This is a test of physical suffering to weaken Job's resolve. Here, Job's unnamed wife makes her lone appearance.  In most translations her words are few. She tells Job: Dost though still retain thy integrity? Curse curse God and Die.  There is greater exposition in the  Greek Translation, the Septuagint, which explores her plight and how she has become a wanderer waiting for death.  After discussing their devastation, she questions how long Job will hold out expecting deliverance.     Job responds: Thou speakest as one of the foolish women…shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall not we receive evil?  The text implies that while she may have cursed God for the loss of their children and household, Job has not.  With his wife turning on him, Job is closer to breaking down. However:  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.  There comes relief in terms of human bonding. When three of Job's friends heard of his plight, they came to comfort and grieve with Job. They were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.  The horror of Job's presentation shocked the three. They wept, tore their clothes, and sprinkled dust ashes over their heads, then turned their eyes upward.   They sat down with him for seven days. None spoke a word  for they saw the greatness of Job's grief.  This is a wonderful lesson of how to comfort when words will not do.  

The day arrived when Satan began to inflict Job.  It happened when it was Job's eldest son's turn to host a feast for his siblings.  Job did not attend this gathering. While home, Job was visited by a series of messengers of bad tidings. The first messenger relayed that on one of Job's estates, while Job's oxen were plowing and asses feeding, Sabeans (men of stature who were rivals to Uz -- perhaps from Sheba) fell upon the land.   Job's servants were struck down and livestock taken away.  The messenger relayed,  I alone escaped to tell thee. While this messenger was speaking, a second arrived and conveyed another tragedy. He relayed how the fire of God fell from heavens, consuming the servants and sheep in another of Job's properties.  Again, he was the sole survivor. A third messenger came while the second spoke. He indicated how three bands of Chaldeans (nomadic marauders from southern Mesopotamia) invaded and struck down Job's household by the edge of the sword. Notably, they pounced upon Job's camels and took them off.    Alas, Job faces the horror of horrors from the final messenger. This man describes,  Your children were eating in the Home of Your first born.  Behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the home. The building collapsed and all of the young people (Job's children) were killed.  I alone escaped to tell the tale.  It becomes apparent that Satan can exert great influence over this world. He uses forces such as the weather, fire as well as our enemies to impose tribulations.  A lesson is that some portion of suffering we face is NOT a penalty for sin.  Tribulations provide us the tools necessary for navigating this World. Those perils we face, at times, are for God's purpose, even when we have no ability to determine said purpose.   This opening chapter provides a revelation on a tinge of the nature of God.  Our Lord is both majestic and mystifying.   Despite the worst circumstances that can befall any man, Job's initial reaction is ideal.   He worshipped.  More particularly, Job rose, tore his garments and shaved his head, which was once a tradition of near-Eastern mourning. Job fell to the earth, bowed and proclaimed: Naked I came out from My Mother's Womb; and Naked shall I return thither.  The Lord has Given; and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the Name of the Lord.  Job was accepting of his plight and limitations.  He sets a near impossible example of how to stomach extreme affliction.     With all Job suffered, he did not offend. Nor did he question God's justice or wisdom.  It serves as an early victory of a Faith that will be further tested. We see the embodiment of a phrase that has come down through the ages, the patience of Job, which doesn't last. Soon we will move onto chapters of soul-searching, doubt and debate.  Then the Lord will speak.    We are also taught that our mothers who bear us are analogous to mother earth, which our remains return to. Another beautiful lesson is that we only come to this earth with what God gives us; and more poignantly, we leave with nothing earthly.  Within the words of the first chapter is the idea that when we start our lives, we are naked and vulnerable.  We also leave in a similar state of powerlessness. We are subject to something greater – independent of our wants and will.  At all times, we must regard our Lord as worthy of reverence.  All the good that comes to us are precious gifts, including health, shelter, and any material possessions.  

This episode covers the first half of Chapter 1. It will be the only chapter covered in two parts. "And there was a man in in the Land of Uz" begins the one of the oldest and most universal books of the Hebrew Bible.   And Job (Īyyōv) was his name. There is no mention of Job being Jewish, as lacking is any reference to the covenant.  There is some scholarly thought that this episode stems from around the time Abraham was called by God from Ur, Mesopotamia. Uz is considered east of Israel, across the Jordan.  Scholars often regard Uz as mythical -- think, for example, how the Land of Oz was inspired by the Land of Uz.   Whether actual or allegorical, Uz is a sphere where Job was the greatest of men. Job was upright and blameless though the King James likely misses the mark by indicating “perfect.” Job served in a priestly function where he offered sacrifices, an implicit acknowledgement of the Lord's power and human frailty. Job was God-focused and holy.  He feared the Lord and avoided evil. He is close to the ideal man who faces the ultimate test of faith. Scholars (including Robert Alter) note this Book to be a masterpiece of the original language, with a rich repetition of ideas through Hebrew parallelism.  The words of one line relate to others, frequently the immediately following line, in a variety of artistic ways. Especially in the first few chapters, the language says so much with limited wording. Job was exceptionally wealthy, in his bountiful family as well as with material possessions. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.  He had a multitude of servants, as well as 7,000 sheep and 3,000. As the ideal father, Job set up each of his sons for success.  Each would host the family on a special occasion, perhaps a birthday. In this rotating bliss, all could undertake the responsibility.  On such days, Job would make a burnt offering to the Lord, thinking there was a chance any of his sons could have cursed God in their hearts.  We are then transported to a Celestial forum.  There came a day, that the Sons of God, came to stand in attendance before the Lord.   Among the Sons of God was Satan or the Adversary.  The superior translation from ancient Hebrew is ha'Satan, which stresses an identifiable function, more than a name. The ha'Satan can be thought of something like an Inquisitor, performing necessary but harsh work.   The Lord posed a question to Satan -  From where does though comest?  There was no warm greeting, but more of an acknowledgement of an unbeloved visitor. The response: From roaming the earth, and walking up and down in it.  The implication is the Devil is here on earth with us, all around, serving in his designated capacity. The Lord then queries: Have you paid head to my Servant Job, for there is none like him?  The Adversary proffers the fundamental question of the Book -- Does Job Fear God for Nothing?   We see Satan's role cast as a cynic.  He poses a question tempting the ultimate power, which takes things a step further than the Serpent tempting Eve in the Garden. What lacks is any semblance of a demonic personification.  There is more nuance, where Satan has a role to play in the Lord's grand order.     Satan continues, Have you not made a hedge about him, this household and all that he has? You have blessed the work of his hand.  And spread his flocks. And yet, reach out you Your hand and touch all that he has. Will he not curse you to Your face? Satan is essentially asking, Let Me Test his Faith. And the Lord responded to Satan, All that he has is in Your hands. Only against him do Not reach out Your Hand. This essentially means - don't kill him. Satan got what he wanted and left, without a word wasted.  Satan then went out from the presence of the Lord. There is some thought that Job, as the ideal man, stands in for us all. For if the Lord granted Satan the authority to test his beloved son, surely Satan has the grant of authority, ability and desire to test us all.

Job demonstrated a level of hubris in questioning God's justice; yet one of the Book's innumerable lessons is that only one who lived such an unblemished life could so connect with the Lord and serve as a guiding light. In this revelatory chapter, Job recognizes God's omnipotence while absorbing the impossibility of understanding of God's ways and jurisprudence.   The Lord has moved past describing the terrifying Behemoth and Leviathan. He also took Job through the beauty and tragedy of life -- from the depths of the sea to the far reaches of the universe.   Job comes to embrace that infinite wonders that lie beyond his comprehension.  Job announces -- Through the ear (ear's rumor), I heard of thee; but now my eye seeth thee.  This can also be translated -- By rumor I heard of you; yet now I hear you directly.  Job continues -- I know Thou can do anything. There is no devising beyond you.  No thought can be hidden from thee. No purpose of Yours, denied.   Job concedes having no understanding of his previous words and abhors his former intransigence. He asks for the chance to atone and repents in dust and ashes.   The Lord then turns to Eliphaz and says, My Wrath has flared against thee and your two companions because you have not spoken rightly of me as my servant Job has.  He commands Job's friends prepare sacrifices (seven bulls and seven rams) and to go to Job.  The friends will make the burnt offering, but must petition Job to pray on their behalf.  The Lord is angry because the friends view the theory of “reward and punishment” as THE theory of life.  The Book seems to imply that “reap & sow” is part of it; but God's justice is so much more! All of life, including trials and sufferings, serve God's purposes. The three friends went out and did all the Lord commanded.  Elihu, however, was not mentioned.   Job prayed on their behalf without resentment for his treatment by the Lord, Satan, and his friends.  Job didn't dwell in the unfairness of the past.  He moves on, looking outward and upward. It was at this point Job was restored and the Lord Blessed Job's latter days more than the former.  Job was immediately accepted back into society.  His kinfolk came before him and broke bread.  They grieved and comforted Job over all that was lost, most notably his children. Each gave Job something of value. Job was again blessed with 7 sons and 3 daughters.  His daughters were given priority and were the only children given names. The first was called Jeminah,  meaning Dove, Turtle-Dove or Day-Bright.   The second he called Keziah, which can mean cinnamon or fragrance.  The last was named Qeren Hapukh, meaning Horn of Eyeshade or Beauty.  And Job gave his daughters an equal estate among their Brothers.  His household was once again bountiful and he acquired 14,000 sheep,  6,000 camels,  1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 she-asses.   And Job lived 140 years, seeing his children, and children's children -- 4 generations of them.  Finally, Job died, aged and sated in days.

The Lord confronts Job through describing the massive Sea Monster, Leviathan.  God inquires -- was it you who can conquer, tame, or create such beast? Ideas of serpents, sea-monsters, and dragons creating mayhem is ancient and the Book of Job is from around the 5th or 6th century B.C., when such motifs were popular. Even in our era, it is astounding how pervasive dragons remain in relaying stories.  Relevant questions become:  What is our fascination?  Is it having to face dragons in a metaphorical sense? Are dragons/sea beasts easier to conceptualize than God? This chapter calls upon pre-biblical mythology.  As the Babylonian empire grew, people came together through commerce and conflict, each with their own gods, customs and ideals.  Some of these inevitably prevailed over others.   One legend involved a Babylonian storm god, Marduk, who excelled to the position of “top god.” Civilization faced destruction through a flood brought about by Tiamat – goddess of the sea, who was called “Glistening one,” and depicted with a tail of scales.  Marduk defeated this Sea Dragon, who shares similarities with Leviathan.  Marduk had a multitude of names because of the number of gods he conquered and absorbed.  Marduk cut Tiamat into pieces, which represent the earth we inhabit.  A version of this story finds itself in Job.  This Babylonian legend proffers that we live, so to speak, on from the remains of an ancient god. Additionally, Leviathan is referenced in Psalm 74, as a sea serpent God defeated, and Isiah 27, as a twisted serpent God will defeat. God asks Job a series of questions: Can thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? Will Leviathan ever make a supplication unto thee?  Will he speak to you with soft words?  Could you fill his skin with barbed iron? Could this treacherous monster become Your servant?  Can you play with him like a bird?  Could you bind him to be toyed with by the maidens?  Could you make a banquet out of him? Any hope or effort to defeat Leviathan is in vain.  He who lays his hand upon him will lose his life.  It will not resemble a battle.  Yet the bridge between God and man is even greater.   Even at the sight of Leviathan, man is cast down.  Here is a creature of invulnerability. But there comes a hint of God's admiration for those who try to beat the unbeatable.  There may be a lesson that to defeat such malevolent forces, even everyday ones, you must stand with God.     If a mortal succeeded in besting Leviathan (which is impossible), God would elevate him to His own platform.  Such a person would become the Lord's beloved and his greatness proclaimed.  The point is, however, that there are some forces only God can defeat. The Lord continues: Who can meet Leviathan face to face?  Get close enough to take in his features?   Who could survive those jaws?  Who could control him as a horse with a bridle?   This mighty beast – his scales are his pride!   They are impregnable, even to air, and resemble a row of shields.   As he breathes, he exhorts flashes of light.  Out of his nostrils emit smoke as if from a cauldron. These are references are to the beauty and terror of the dragon.  His eyes are the eyelids of dawn!  Out of his mouth fires a burning lamp.  Sparks of fire leap out; and his breath can kindle coal.  All joy is turned to sorrow before Leviathan.  His heart is as cold and unwavering.  There is a cruelness and majesty within him.   When he riseth; the Mighty become afraid.  When he crashes down into the sea, all inferior gods and man suffer.  He can make the cold of the Deep boil. Whoever brings the sword against him fails. He esteemeth iron as straw;  brass as rotten wood.    He turns arrows  and stones to stubble.    And when he disappears, Leviathan maketh a majestic path. He swims away leaving a shining wake. Here a monstrous figure from pre-Biblical belief systems, who is cast as an enemy of God's order, is transformed into something that continues to play a role in that order.  

Job has what he has been asking for, a forum where he confronts the Lord. Imagine staring into that overwhelming power, here taking the form of the Whirlwind. The Lord inquires - Will you challenge me? Or shall he who contends with Shaddai, be corrected?    Job becomes utterly deferential: Behold, I am vile – meaning of no account!  Job concedes his place before the Almighty.  He continues: I will not answer. I place my hand over my mouth. The Lord revealed himself to Job, who eschewed evil, walked with God and made the proper sacrifices, as a lesson to mankind.  It is the mindset we should all have toward the Almighty.   Job is hit with the realization -- God was present all along and recognizes himself wrong for thinking otherwise.  The Lord continues:  Gird up thy loins like a man! I will question you; and you will answer.   God is teaching Job and asks us all to consider:  Would thou annul my judgment? Would you condemn me so that you may be justified? Would you speak as if you were more righteous?  Have you the arm (power) of God?  Can you thunder with the voice of God? Can you adorn yourself with majesty and splendor? Do you recognize the Pride of man and justly punish same; and bring the wicked to their knees and hold sin to account?  Do you hide the malevolent in the dust and bind their faces; shutting them in the grove? God is making the point, being the universal King is infinitely complex! Job is reminded of all the Lord is responsible for. He realizes the symphony of life goes on with an ineffable beauty. The Lord concludes: If you can do any and all of this, I will confess – that you are God and that you can save yourself by your own hand. It is quite easy for us to point to infinite aspects of life we think unjust.   Many conclude: I was wronged! There is no justice!  This is an all-too-easy cop-out leading some to dispense with proper reverence.  The more enlightened road is to pursue spiritual wisdom with maturity, coming to realize we are not fit to question God.  This involves acknowledging limits of our perspective.  You are best off accepting divine wisdom you are fortunate to be granted.  So much of this involves trusting, praying, and repenting.   The Lord moves on to one of his mystical, mighty or allegorical creations: Behold, my Behemoth! Behemoth is initially referenced as a mighty beast; but then is taken to mythical proportions.  The Lord points to how he devours grass like an ox.  He directs us to his mighty physical features, meant to highlight the similar power of the monster's creator.   Look at his strength – the power in his hips and loins as well as his navel!  Behemoth is quite the masculine figure, with fierce verity.   Look how he moves his tail like a cedar!    This likely references an erect phallus.  Continuing with sexual prowess – God references the sinews of his stones (testicles) being tightly knit.  He then moves on the beast's envious physique -- his Bones are strong as brass and ribs like iron rods.  He is chief is ways of God.  Only He who made him can approach him! God is the ultimate tamer of beasts.  Behemoth has been referenced, by some scholars, as a primitive chaos monster, who God overcome and controls. The question is raised: is the Scripture utilizing Canaanite or pagan concepts and importing it with new meaning, for any variety of purposes?  Nevertheless, Behemoth is an expressive mega-beast. This figure roamed the earth causing discord but God brought him under control. The Lord continues: My mountains yield him food.  He plays in the fields. He is able to find shade and lie under trees.  The willows of a brook surround him.  Indeed; he can drinketh up a river. He remains unbothered as it flows down his gullet. Behemoth is ultimately  a giant force under God's domain. Intertwined with this chapter are timeless psychological & mythological lessons.  

The Lord presents images of the glory of life in relation to Job's appeal for death.  He asks Job if has mastery over the mountain goat, who thrives at heights which confound our sense of logic.   He then queries if Job knows the mountain goat's gestation or “calving” of the gazelles who sprint across the plains.  The point is that the animal kingdom is an immaculate wonder!    The Lord puts aside the complexities of mankind, which highlights how even his lesser kingdoms are infinite in their majesty.  Job is led to recognize the extent of man's knowledge as he has just one lifetime to take in lessons.   In somewhat violent poetic imagery, the Lord describes how mothers crouch down, split open, and through them bursts forth life.  They bring their young into a harsh world, many of which will grow and become strong.    This is symbolic in multiple ways.   There comes a time, where it is right to leave one's parents and chart one's own course – but we must keep in mind to do it in God's way.  Animals do not have this ability.  Instead, they go forth by a virtue of a biological imperative.  Further, those who chose to live without God are metaphorically thrown to animalistic chaos.   Canst Thou Bind the Unicorn?, reads the King James in a controversial translation.  The term translated (re'em) is not technically correct.  However, the Church of England scholars who approved said term, make the point quite well.  The mythical Unicorn appears to be a docile creature, but if approached, will NOT be tamed. God has imbued some animals with a spirit no man can break.  Such mysteries can be appreciated, if not understood.  If you corral, say a rhinoceros, man quickly learns a harsh lesson.   Each creature has been accorded a nature and habitat. Some are made for the jungles others the steppes.   Some dwell in barren areas.   None of us have power to control the animals God has placed beyond man's control. One can ponder: what world would you create if given the chance?  Could you imagine starting from scratch and coming up with the balance of the world we have?  An author who pursued this concept is Robert Coover, in his novel from 1968 -- the Universal Baseball Association. The Lord turns to the World of Birds to further make His point.  Behold, the Ostrich, who flaps her wings so joyously!  She beats them as if she expects to take off like the peacock, an odd bird you might not expect to see fly.  Who knows why God allowed the Peacock to fly but not the Ostrich? Perhaps by reason of a sense of humor passed to all of us -- made in His image.  Continuing with the Ostrich, the Lord remarks how mothers of this species often leave their eggs  unprotected.  She allows the eggs to be warmed by the sun, instead of her feathers.   She forgets about the danger of predators and accidents.   God's nature has hardened her to the possibility.  She has not been imbued with the wisdom we have.  Without fear, all her labor can be rendered in vain.  But how she races free when unencumbered and scoffs at animals that allow riders! God then turns to the horse.  The Lord asks if Job clothed his neck with thunder and made his snort a majestic strike of terror.   Think of the great clamor a horse makes as he churns up the valley, swallowing the ground with every gallop.   The Lord has made it so the horse will run into death before an enemy.   He will meet the clash of arms,  scoffing at fear.  He ignores any trumpet or meant to distract him.    The Lord then turns to the air.  He asks, Does the Hawk soar by Your wisdom and spread her wings? By Your command does the Eagle set her nest on the Heights and seeks her pray, and feed her babes. What Wondrous masters of the air His creature are!  It is a lesson to appreciate the majesties and glory of God and to be humble to recognize how little authority we have over the natural world.

And the Lord Answered Job from the Whirlwind.  While the Almighty speaks over the next four chapters, He provides a response to the themes Job has been lamenting over.   It is grand poetry that express the majesty of the ineffable. The Lord queries, Who is this who, in words without wisdom, darkens counsel?  He could be addressing Job or all who have appeared in this Book, including: Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  The Almighty continues, Gird up Thy Lions like a man and ready yourself for My Word, so you can inform me. Where were you when I founded the Earth?  The Lord has existed for an infinite period, while we are fortunate if we near the century mark.   Each of us is like a grain of sand in the Cosmic order.  Since we have an infinitesimal fraction of His perspective, Job is not fit to question God nor to claim to be as righteous as Him.  Tell me, if you have understanding,  Who fixed the World's measures.  The Lord is asking, who, like an Architect and Engineer, designed and constructed this World, with the proper angles and adjustments.  At the Dawn of Creation, who moved the Angelic Beings in the Heavens to rejoice and sing together?  This references a celebration of celestial beings.    Who hedged the sea with doors and  releases waters as if they break forth from a womb?  Have you been able to explore the majesty of the seas and the depths? When there is a torrent of rain; who devises how it runs off?  It is folly to think there is no Master behind this. The Lord continues and expresses: Have you brought Light to the void, ushering in the Spring of Day, to shake out the filters of wicked darkness?  Have you an understanding of the gates of death?  What do you really know about the mysteries of this earth, those which are all around you?   And when a discovery is made, does it not open door to new unknowns? You surely have answers to all this; for weren't you around when I brought forth this World through the Introduction of my Word. Since you were around, please offer advice. The number of Your days is great – just as mine are. The Almighty continues: Have you controlled the storehouses of power – of rains, snow and hail,  which I keep in reserve for times of strife?   Do you send the Lightening Bolts on Their Way? So tell me, how does one send the wind where it goes?  How does that East Wind scatter and whip all over the Earth?   Declare it if you Know— How is it that you may embrace the Light; and take it with you; to avoid the darkness.  God is stressing that He created the rhythm of light and darkness.  And who decides that in uninhabitable areas, like jungles and desserts, that it rains to feed the earth? And from whose Womb does Ice Come Forth? Then the Lord points to Outer Space – Can you show us each of the Constellations in their proper season. Could you have tied together the Band of Pleiades.  Or create Orion the Hunter. Could you lead, bring forth, create, the Great Bear & Her Cubs (Arcturus)? And Who hath put wisdom in the mind, or understanding to the Heart. Who made it so the Lion hunts for it's prey?  I set who is the leader of the food chain?  Who made it so the predators lie in wait for their prey?  And who provides a means for the Raven to get his Food?  This is likely a source of Jesus's lesson in Matthew 6:26 of the Lord providing for all, emphasizing that man is given what he needs by God's care.

Elihu demands Job Hearken attentively to the grandeur of Lord's Voice, which Elihu characterizes as raging Thunder and Lightning.    Elihu signifies that the power of God is on the horizon. Scholars see a reference to the approaching Whirlwind, the form in which God will soon reveal himself. As this glorious storm approaches, Elihu's heart trembles. Elihu observes how God controls all beneath the Heavens with magnificent works. They are manifestly awesome yet much of His nature is beyond our comprehension.   Elihu preaches The Lord causeth it all. For example, God establishes the seasons as well as weather and water cycles. His Voice commands rain and snow to fall.  He orchestrates the flow of rivers and ice formation. The world spins around us by reason of his wisdom.   Natural weather cycles speak to the need to set aside time for devotion.  When frigid or stormy, man is often separated from his toil.  This provides occasion to pursue spiritual wisdom.  During nightly reprieves, we are afforded a chance to look up and observe the constellations.   A level of deference and awe is due. We must ask ourselves, where has our focus been? Elihu demands Job take in the wonders of God. Then Elihu the mocks Job, asking Have you spread out the sky and planets?    Elihu asks whether Job has any idea how God does His work, particularly referencing having Light shine.  Elihu brings attention to how God warms us, with a wind from the South.  How He handles it all demonstrates the workings of a perfect knowledge. In our lives, His lessons can be for correction or mercy. Elihu suggests that instead of Job continuing to murmur and complain, it would be better to be repentant. Elihu then tells Job (mockingly) to teach what man should say if granted a forum before God. This is an accusation of Job being too prideful. Elihu feels that if Job actually was granted what he asks, Job wouldn't be able to articulate anything sensible.    Elihu stresses that many are stuck in darkness and have not seen His brightness burst through the darkness. From the Lord comes a glorious golden splendor.  Elihu preaches that the Lord will not answer us overtly.  In other words, he does not expect God to commune, face-to-face, with His subjects. This is because God holds a terrible majesty and awesome glory.  We cannot be too close to Him as He is transcendent and Holy. Elihu closes his speech by noting the Lord does not regard the overly intellectual. He looks at each person's effort to reach him in accord with their abilities. As Elihu finishes, God is approaching in the form of a Whirlwind. Get Ready to Hear His Voice.

Elihu continues:  There are still words left for me to say on God's behalf.  He announces that a perfect knowledge stands before Job ready to impart the lessons of life.  These are bold statements and amount to Elihu contending he speaks with the authority of a prophet. Elihu proclaims how God is mighty as well as great in understanding. The Lord does not hold enmity against anyone, meaning he does not view us as an overpowering monster does a gnat.  Instead, He is merciful towards His subjects.  When it appears God is unfair – the situation should be viewed differently as God's justness and wisdom is always at hand.  He saves the righteous a place on his throne and establishes their legacy.  The Lord ultimately grants justice to the afflicted and does not let the wicked thrive.    For those who find themselves bound in cords of affliction,  God will impart their follies and transgressions – if they open their ears.    Therefore, if someone suffers, the reason can be learned.  The Lord commands we return from inequity.  When there is repentance; God will bring one from dire straights to the broad plane, where there are no further oppressions and one's table will be heaped with rich fare for many days.     With the proper relationship with God; a man will cross the Current (the mythological dividing line between this world and the next)  into a welcoming afterlife.   Those without the proper closeness will perish by the sword.   Many will cry out to God in the approach to death bound in a punishment of their own making and find themselves among profane souls.  The unfortunate meet their end without spiritual wisdom.  They spent their short time on earth struggling for the wrong things.    The implication is that Job remains at fault for denying his guilt. Elihu turns to Job and admonishes that he shares the heart of the wicked.  God's wrath has been kindled and Job is a proper and obvious target. Further, no ransom can save Job; just as wealthy men cannot redeem themselves with earthly treasure. There will be no hope for an overturning of fortunes, unexpectedly in the middle of the night.  Elihu instructs:  Take heed;  for you have chosen iniquity rather than to receive the lessons  affliction  can impart. In other words, Job has chosen continued wrongdoing; rather than learning from his plight.    Job is told to behold how God is exalted all over the world. Elihu asks these questions: Who teaches life lessons like him?, Who teaches God?, Who challenges God?.  We all observe his work. We behold the majesties of nature even if we can only appreciate a tinge of the greatness. We may demand answers; but God is too Glorious and his wonders overwhelming to comprehend.   One example is how he provides the water needed to sustain us – a relatively constant amount of water, whether in the form of ice, liquid (rain); or vapor rising form the ocean -- the hydraulic cycle.  Demanding answers from God is declaring to be on same level as Him and represents an arrogance. Elihu asks, Can one grasp the spread of the sky above? There is a roar from His pavilions which speaks to his power.  For He spreads his Thunder and Lighting from his hands. His power is such, good men naturally exalt him.  Even those who don't acknowledge Him react like animals who know a great power is on the horizon.  

Elihu is angry Job believes himself on a plane where he thinks he can complain of God's decisions. He accuses Job of contending he is more right or righteous than God and even asking What use is God?  Elihu stresses Job is NOT appreciating God's majesty.  Nor is Job humble in the face of God.  Job is also accused of denying any moral order.   Elihu then re-emphasizes that Job has sinned then rebelled for not acknowledging same and endlessly clamors about his plight.   Elihu instructs Job to look to the Heavens.  This is a Reminder to us all -- LOOK UP and behold that infinite majesty.  The fraction of the sky we will perceive speaks to God's omnipotence.    Elihu uses this portion of his speech to take Job to task for questioning whether it profits man to refrain from sin.  Elihu then discusses the subject of how sin affects God.  He implies there is an arrogance in Job  believing his actions impact the Lord.  Elihu notes: For even if Your crimes be many – what does it do to him?  This idea seemingly contradicts the Old Testament theme that sin profoundly wounds God. However, it can be reconciled.  We can come to appreciate the ways God is both unreachable and vey reachable.   Never lose sight, however, that the Lord is the ultimate King and none of us are “masters of the universe.”  Elihu posits that Job has lost his fear and reverence for God. Elihu also takes up the corollary – that even if Job is in the right – what extra benefit does God receive?   Additionally, when we act in ways we regard as pleasing to God, we may find ourselves challenged by a test of faith.  Though difficult, just being tested can be looked at as a badge of honor in that we have been deemed worthy of such a challenge. Elihu moves on to mentioning obvious human suffering.  Multitudes cry out to God on such occasions, including many who did not honor Him. Calling to the Lord, even in frustration, serves as an acknowledgment of his power. In our own troubles, we should ALWAYS look to him first.  Elihu is speaking to the need to commune with God and recognize his wisdom, protection, and road to salvation.  Elihu implies that sinful people historically oppress others.  So, Your sin, even if it does not hypothetically reach God, has an impact.  In the same vein, acting wickedly can affect the transgressor even without God's interference based on some underlying law of nature, which we often try to explain through karma or cause and effect.  Elihu asks Job where he gets the audacity to cry out in the manner he has.  He acknowledges Job's plight but considers that others have had it equally bad.  In this world, if you look hard enough, we will always see worse suffering. It is a never-ending conundrum. Elihu also points out that God is less likely to answer the proud.  He is much more likely to respond to those who have attempted to maintain the proper relationship.  Elihu expresses:  God does not answer from evil man's haughtiness. One way to look at Job's conundrum is that Job was sent to suffer for reasons he could never understand.  His case is a lesson to humanity -- provided through the arrangement between the Almighty and Satan (or Ha-Satan – Accuser/Adversary).   We can never grasp the full meaning dynamic. The answers are multi-faced and multi-dimensional.  However, through the proper approach to analyzing Job's plight we can get a tinge of some of the most profound questions man has been made to face.  

Elihu directs himself to the sages of the world by announcing “Hearken to Me! O ye wise men!” He then - mirroring Job's prior appeals - desires to take Job to a forum where disputes will inevitably be decided in the proponent's favor.  Elihu also announces the intention to engage in open discussion with Job, saying: Let us debate and agree among ourselves, who is good and right. Elihu then summarizes Job's argument in a mocking sense, noting how Job claims to be faultless.  Elihu proclaims sarcastically that God has diverted, wounded and lied about Job. Eilhu then asserts that Job erroneously argued that it profits a man little to delight in God. However, Job's arguments can be better-characterized as complaining of the disproportionality of his punishment.  Job hasn't declared himself perfect and has left room for occasions where he may have fallen short.  Even though the text says Job was upright and made the correct sacrifices, Job is not meant to symbolize divinity.  While he may be an ideal man, he is still a man nonetheless, with our natural limitations.  Elihu continues, in poetic language, that Job drinketh up the waters that scorn  and consorts with the wicked.  Elihu argues that Job went from embracing God's majesty to rejecting his sovereignty. Elihu then moves on to exhorting God's magnificence, somewhat resembling Job's friends. He proclaims it is impossible for God to reign wickedly and that God will render to man based on his works.  For a man's acts he pays him back &  and by a person's path – He provides.   After all, nobody gave the universe to God to govern. Rather the Almighty came up with the whole thing out of the primordial chaos. Our world is His domain and His order reigns, even if we do not understand it.   Elihu takes it as a given that God rules with a sense of justice.  Relating to God's power, if hypothetically, God set his eyes on man to destroy us -- he could do it in an instant.  To dust we would we return.  As to the wicked, there is no darkness or shadow in which they can hide with respect to facing consequences - for His eyes are on the ways of Man.   The Lord knows our deeds and divine justice will become apparent to those who turn away from him. His justice is unquestioned by virtue of His status. While the wicked may seem to prosper; they don't escape consequences.  The Lord also hears the pleas of the poor man as well as the call of the lonely.   He has no limits and can smash any barrier.  Ultimately, God's grandeur is ineffable and many of His ways we simply can't understand. Elihu is scolding Job for blaming God for his problems rather than looking to within.  He notes that Job insults the Most High and has the audacity to call the Heavenly King a scoundrel.  Instead, what is due is awe and reverence. Elihu then advices Job on what he should have done; namely to have approached God with a sense of reverence.  He asks Job if he has ever asked, in prayer, what he did wrong – with an open heart trying to understand. He should have made such an exploration in repentance and demonstrated a willingness to bear his punishment. This chapter teaches: You have to accept the Lord's discipline and come out saying “I have borne my punishment and will offend no more.” Then Elihu ponders if Job thinks he can provide more Justice than God.  He is asking, in essence, if man could even fathom doing a fraction of the orchestrating that God does.  Men need to admit that we can't see the whole picture; so for better vision we must ask for His help. Elihu summarizes Jobs plight.  He finds that Job committed some undetermined sins, then compounded his mistakes. He finds Job's defense as a clamor of empty rhetoric.  Elihu concludes that Job likely deserves even more punishment. 

Elihu instructs Job to hearken to his words.  He contends God's spirit has stirred him, granting wisdom and authority. Elihu is not deferential and speaks with a youthful arrogance.  Elihu articulates a similarity he shares with Job - how God has pinched and molded both from clay.  The idea is to show man's equal and minuscule stature before the Lord. Elihu concedes that his words may not weigh upon Job. Nevertheless, Elihu attempts to connect with Job in the most meaningful way. Elihu goes onto paraphrase Job's argument (in a mocking sense).  For example, Elihu has heard Job: declare himself pure; count God as his enemy; and announce “all of this is designed against me!" He notes how Job expressed feeling trapped -- as if his feet were placed in stocks.  When he able to move, Job feels all his steps are scrutinized and punished.    Elihu announces that he will be the one to convince Job how much more righteous God is than man.   This seems to be an effort to defeat a sense of perceived pride in Job. Elihu then asks Job why he contends with God if Job believes God has not answered his pleas.   He preaches that Job should know that while God does not account for his ways; He does speak to us.  Elihu contends that Job (and man in general) is not attuned to listening. Elihu believes God can speak to us in various ways, including through dreams, meditation, and the trials of life.  Elihu instructs – if your ears are open to hearing the Almighty, He can lay bare the truth.  He posits that dreams can serve as an avenue for God to reach us -- as it is the realm where the mind is at rest and not encumbered by earthly matters.   Perhaps the most common way God speaks to us is through the ordeals he has us endure.  As this Book demonstrates, the lessons can be terrifying and painful but there is a purpose to them, which is often to have us turn from sinful ways.    Elihu teaches that God's nature is to save man from the “Pit.”  He appears to be referencing a punishing afterlife that awaits if we do not submit and allow the Lord to save our soul.   God provides each of us what we need to reach him though his probing tests, which can manifest in countless varieties given our individuality. The Hebrew Bible says remarkably little on the afterlife, but the Book of Job touches on this mystical arena.   This other dimension or afterlife is also referenced as the “Current,” which, in antiquity, was regarded as a dividing line between our world and the one beyond. Elihu is stressing that Job must yield to the Almighty to be saved.  This demonstration of deference is needed because of our stature before an awe-inspiring God. Elihu then goes back to referencing Job's suffering.  He implies that some level of suffering is universal before we reach the point of  communion with God. Job, for example, is so sick he despises nourishment.   Bread is referenced in this regard – which, in the Bible, often symbolizes spiritual knowledge.  Elihu continues that Job's flesh wastes away and his bones are laid bare. In a sense, this is a process all humanity goes through during our earthly cycle.   Elihu then turns to possibility of a redeemer or messianic figure.  He speaks about how fortunate man would be to have a spokesperson to declare our righteousness.  Elihu posits this savior often manifests just as man reaches the edge of the Pit and is at the point of despair.   Elihu characterizes this dynamic as being rescued from “the Angels of Death.”    Elihu speaks of the Lord bringing man into his Light and restoring Job to something akin to his youth.  He speaks about Job's flesh being made new and placed back into the prime of his life. Many Christians will find a “born again” reference in this message.  

Upon hearing Job's latest impassioned defense, the three friends fall silent. The dialogue has gone as far as it can go.  The story then takes an unexpected turn -- Elihu, a new speaker with no articulated connection to Job, steps in.  Despite the mystery, Elihu is provided a genealogy -- son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram.  One theory proffered by various scholars is that Elihu is a descendant from a brother of Abraham, Nahoor, who is referenced in Genesis 22. Nahoor was the father of “Buz,” who is thought to be patriarch of the Buzites.  There is controversy surrounding Elihu, whose name translates to “My God is He" or "God is Lord.”    Some scholars contend his lengthy speech is an addition to the Book of Job, as there is no mention of him in the beginning nor tail end - points the three comforters are referenced.  Estimates have this Book being created between the 4th and 6th centuries before Christ. Others consider Elihu a messianic figure whose outlook is most significant and serves as an avenue to reach God.  It is noteworthy that Job recently asked for someone to intercede on his behalf and in jumps Elihu, who provides the longest continuous speech in book. This chapter serves as Elihu's introduction to his own speech.   Elihu announces that while listening to the discussion, his wrath was kindled.  He endured the back-and-forth, where the comforters failed to teach Job a lesson. He continues: “I am young and ye are aged,” explaining holding his tongue out of respect, which the three friends, were not deserving of.  He highlights that it is the spirit of Shaddai that grants wisdom and comforters failed to showed sufficient discernment confronting Job.  Now he can't hold in his words in any longer and is ready to burst with his own perspective.  He expresses Job has been busy justifying himself and has not perceived God as the fair arbitrator of all things. Elihu expresses that the friends have effectively gave up – saying to themselves that God will confound Job since our words failed to reach him.  Elihu thinks he can do better and boasts he will not be redundant.  The friends are silenced and shocked by the young man's audacity. Elihu announces he will show no favor or flattery – as his maker, the Lord, would have it no other way.

Here is Job's closing appeal.  It is the last chapter where he speaks at such length – so the episode will be a bit longer than the 10-minute goal. There are 10 more chapters in the Book of Job and a mysterious new voice, Elihu, will speak for the next few. Then the Lord will reveal himself.  Consequently, there is something transcendent to Job's final words of substance.   While arguing that he has been righteous, Job provides quite the morality lesson and takes the reader through a number of familiar Commandments (worship only God, do not craft idols, do not commit adultery; do not covet), as well as a number of the “deadly sins” of the Old Testament  (including Lust; Pride; Greed and Gluttony). Through Job speaks about the malevolent conduct he avoids, we observe how faithfully Job has followed God's way. Job stressed that he has stayed two steps away from sin and that his heart has been devoted to the Lord, as well as his wife and family.  More specifically, he starts to preach how he avoided Lust and Adultery, a sin many influential men (like Job) are prone to commit.  He also covers how he stayed devoted to the Lord and avoided worship of false gods or icons.  He never made wealth his standard, but rather goodness in the eyes of God.   Job maintains that has been a good host to strangers and guests (a critical responsibility of the time) and provided charity to those in need.  He went out of his way, for instance, to cloth whoever needed it.   Job describes how he has been fair in all business dealings and never took advantage of his privilege.  In this sense he has avoided greed. Job strived to serve by example in his role as community leader.  He took responsibility for his actions and did not blame others for his behavior – referencing Adam and the Garden of Eden when Adam made excuses before God.  Job notes how he never wishes ill-will upon an enemy, nor covets beyond what God allotted him. Job, for the last time, begs for God's attention in a forum where he can approach the Lord like a Prince. Job is demanding something from God, but later realizes later that God does not owe him anything; and later regrets this stance.  Job gives a good account of himself and believes that the soil of the earth is a witness to his uprightness.  This is a possible reference to Genesis, and the story of Cain & Abel, where the ground cried out to God for the murder of Abel. The lesson: even if no person sees Your crime, Job realizes you can't hide your malevolence from He who ultimately counts.  Throughout the ordeal, Job remained confident of his innocence.

Job envisions a reversal of fortune by mentally placing his tormentors in the position they deserve.    Though Job never displayed haughtiness, he describes how those who make him suffer were on a much lower social rung.   He describes how “lesser” or “younger men” now laugh at him.  These are folks who Job references as on the same level as the animals he once possessed.  He now images those who spurn him receiving harsh justice. He considers such individuals "worthless men," a concept that repeatedly comes up in the Old Testament.  These are men with evil ways, who refuse to align themselves with God.  Valiant men and Worthless men are often contrasted.  A question that seems to be posed to the reader is: What camp, given the life you lead, will you find self in?   The ancient Hebrew term  for “worthless men” is “belial,”   בְּלִיָּעַל   and is not used in Job until Job 34, but the idea is introduced here. So Job imagines such adversaries being deprived of their strength, wealth, and position.  In his mind, he banishes them from civilization.  They are chased away like thieves to a wilderness of desolation where they exist wanting and starving.  They find no respite and are left braying like donkeys in the wild.  Job suddenly stops the fantasy and the reality of the moment strikes him -  It is he who suffers in the manner he has just described. He has become the taunt of the community, chased from society and relegated to the outskirts of an ash heap; where he sits scratching his disgusting wounds. Nobody from his community holds back acidic words or treatment. Instead, he is poked and prodded.   His entire sense of nobility is shattered. Terror rolls over Job; pursuing him like a tempest.  He has no rest and his bones ache when he lies down to sleep.  Any chance at salvation seems to pass like clouds in the sky. He directs his ire directly at the Almighty, essentially complaining, You are cruel to me and hound me! Where is the mercy I am due?  Why do I cry out and get no response? Job feels that God will end it all soon, while he is in despair.  He claims his plight unfair; as he has been a good man.  He has provided for the poor, and held out his hand to anyone in need. He is touching on the message of the Golden Rule, in that he expresses he has lived the life that God instructs -- Making the right sacrifices and loving his neighbors.  He expresses he has always walked in Light; but found Darkness. For context on the Golden Rule: Leviticus 19:18 teaches: Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.  And Matthew 7:12 expresses: Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them...  Job is pleading that he has lived these principles.  Yet his days of affliction persist.  It has become too much, and he cries out to God that there is no purpose in pouring soap on his wounds.  Job has been rendered to a broken and pitiful state, with black skin and boiled innards.  He is not in any relationship with God and the pain is akin to contending with a tyrannically monster. Job expresses that he has become brother to dragons (King James) and companion to jackals.  He seems to be expressing how his life is in complete chaos, which the dragon has long represented.  He is showcasing how God is needed, and without Him, life is a base. Job's voice, once proud and musical, like the expression of a harp or lyre, has been rendered into a weep.

Job again presents basic defense of his righteousness while providing rare insight into his backstory.    Job speaks about how he would love to be in the “moons of yore” when he held God's favor.   He recalled having God's counsel to the point he was an intimate.  He longs for the time before he lost his invaluable gifts from God - children, health, wealth and intimacy with the Almighty. Job recalls holding seat of influence at the City Gate, where justice was administered.   He was respected by all good citizens in the land of Uz.  The young had a reverential awe of him and elders, in a sign of deep respect, sat and listened to him. Even nobles did not talk over Job.  Those who followed Job's advice were blessed in doing so.    We are receiving a look at the particulars of Job's history in a way we did not before. We knew he was a man of wealth but he was also guardian for those without power.   We learn he held a public trust he viewed as sacred.   He was akin to the tribal leader of an idyllic town, where he administered by the rule of God and made the proper sacrifices. Job rehashes that his community would fall silent at his advice. They waited for him with the eagerness one does the Spring rains; with their mouths agape ready to drink in the nourishment. Job realized that he had to mind his words for if he was sarcastic, people would take him seriously.   It is no wonder he is a titular figure in the Wisdom literature. Job proffers that neither the seriousness of his role nor other people's endless problems dimmed his face's delight.  As the chief figure in his community, he walked in God's Way and encouraged others to do the same. He dwelled like a King and was a man for all seasons. Job recalls walking in righteousness and wearing it like a crown. The text is speaking to his greatness in the community.  He was a source of justice for all, including the poor and stranger.  He would comfort the orphan and widow.  He would step in for the man facing injustice.  He took up the stranger's case if it was the right one.  He would crack the jaw of the wicked.  From the evil-doer's teeth he would rescue men who became prey.   He was eyes for the blind and legs for the lame.  Job thought he would become an elder statesman and live in relative comfort. He expected his remaining days to abound like the sands of the sea and each new day to rise like a Phoenix.  At the end of his life, Job expected a tranquil death surrounded by loved ones. In familiar poetic language Job visualized his former himself as a healthy tree whose leaves did not wither in the winter and whose roots extended to an exquisite water source. He recalls when he had the strength of a young man (when his “bow” was strong) and felt that God's glory that lied within him. Now he faces insults with abandon from those who have no respect for him.  Job recognizes the extreme contrast and laments how his world has been turned upside down.  

Job 28 is a stand-out chapter and concludes with an explicit reference to a well-known Old Testament theme -namely that to fear the Lord is the prelude of all wisdom. Job initially describes the effort man exerts to obtain earthly treasure.  Through ingenuity and hard work, man probes all over and within the earth to extract what we agree has value.  We search deep waters, caves and mines for precious materials such as gold, silver, onyx, sapphire and topaz. We toil in danger and death's shadow.  Successful expeditions for precious metals is akin to taking Light from the Darkness.   Men have certainly made special use of the bastion of resources the earth provides.  We can see value beyond what animals can – i.e., the need for immediate food and shelter. God has separated man from even the most noble beasts, who will not go the places Man will to make their way.   Animals have their own social system but lack the complexity of consciousness inherent in man.  Job stresses the incredibly unique efforts man uses to comb the earth for resources is not near as valuable as the search for wisdom.  Job then ponders the nature of wisdom,  namely from where it stems and can be found. When you search for wisdom (and you are doing it now) you strive for the transcendent. Wisdom is something you cannot weigh nor hold it in your hands.   It can't be purchased.  It is elusive and wisdom's value exceeds description.  Job describes that man has never properly valued wisdom.  Wisdom is NOT found in Death & Suffering.   Nor is it found in the Abyss, symbolic for the primordial  state out of which God extracted the orderly world we live in. The source of wisdom often appears hidden and is rarely found in day-to-day life.  Ultimately, it is God who is the ultimate source of wisdom. His essence is Wisdom.  He created the world, tested it and found it good -- language which mirrors the Genesis creation story.  The Lord can see to the universe's ends; and all beneath the heavens.  He created the cosmic order, all the forces of nature – like gravity, motion, and the weather – and keeps it in balance.  The first step in finding wisdom, Job reveals is to Fear the Lord.  Then you can put yourself in the proper relationship with God and move forward, and possibly, through diligence and revelation, obtain wisdom.   The final powerful words of the chapter are: "For God said to Man, The Fear of the Lord, That is Wisdom.  And to depart from evil is understanding.”  This noteworthy chapter seems like an interlude breaking up the philosophical debate, which has led scholars to debate if it was part of the original book.   

Job continues to address his friends and begins with an oath of innocence.  Ironically, he swears his oath upon the very God that tortures him. Job avers that until his last breath, he will not renounce his virtue.  Further, he will not speak nor act like the wicked. Job maintains he has walked in God's way though does concede that Shaddai has embittered his life. Job appears to be developing an understanding that he is being put through a trial. Job is making a contrast to his comforters, who he contends fail to live up to the Lord's standards.  He notes that his enemies, including his comforters, should be considered wicked and will incur divine judgment.  He indicates the tainted have no hope of an ultimate reward, even if they accumulate wealth. Job uses similar words Jesus expressed in Mark 8:36, which states "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"  Jobs proposes that God will not hear cries from the wicked or hypocrite. By “hypocrite,” he is referring to those who pray only when convenient and do not dedicate themselves to walking with the Lord. Such persons, who cling to sin rather than repenting, have no hope.  Job's three friends believe the suffering Job endured is manifest evidence Job has sinned. To them, Job is being obstinate for not repenting.  Both sides have reached a point they cannot get pass this impasse. Tradition holds the three friends speak no further.  However, some commentators believe Zophar is speaking some of the words attributed to Job in this chapter and that Bildad spoke some verses in attributed to Job in the previous chapter.  This piece holds to tradition.  Jobs feels that it has come upon him to teach his friends about the nature of God.  He has confidence in himself but his friends only perceive it as arrogance.  Job is essentially saying: You should know by now, from all my arguments, what the truth of the matter is and that I will not conceal it.  He is lecturing his friends that they only see what the sinner sees.  He expresses that he is tired of listening to their "empty breath." Job lectures that evil doers do not profit by the grace of God; but only by the sword or terror. He stresses that children of the malevolent do not receive the bread of life, meaning: virtuous lessons from good parents who instill in their children God's ways. Such souls ultimately get hissed off the stage of life, like sands from the harsh winds of the desert.  Further, they do not have peace at the time of death or in their afterlife; while the righteous get repose and a relationship with God. While certain people can accumulate silver and wealth, the ultimate pursuit should be a relationship with the Almighty. Too many attempt to build an earthly (materialistic house) house that is in actuality fit for the moth.   

Job's three friends have ended their debate in the preceding chapter. Tradition holds Bildad was the last to speak. Here, Job responds, maintaining contempt for his comforters' “supposed” wisdom. He remains steadfast in his innocence and righteousness. Job asks his friends, Have you offered others advice with your endless talk? He feels anybody receiving their advice similarly suffered. He conveys that his friends are without the ability to help anyone. Job then proceeds with his response, which mostly relates, in this chapter, to the grandness of God. He notes how the dead tremble before God in something of a watery abyss. The text is somewhat cryptic and some translations read “the shades shudder down below.” This can be a reference to the underworld, which God retains dominion over, or perhaps a psychological abyss without the Light of God, where uncertainty and darkness pervade. The text gets into mythological references, which are also challenging to translate. Job notes that the Almighty stretches the “North” or Canaanite Weather God (Baal-Zaphon), over the void. The essence is that God made something from nothing. Job's contrast to Bildad, who also acknowledges the expansive power of God, is that to Job man is more than the “maggot” Bildad compared us to. Instead, man shares something of the Lord's splendor. The basic idea is that Job's God has endless ability for good, as Genesis indicates when God created the heavens and earth. Further, it is God's “roar,” that upholds the pillars of heaven and organizes the Light from the Dark. He divides the waters from dry land, the salt water from fresh water and “circumscribes the roiling sea,” so it doesn't surge. God does all this in a way that makes one look upon with His creations with awe. Then, this chapter references Canaanite mythology. Job reminds his friends that God has subdued Leviathan (or Yamm), by saying He garnished the heavens and subdued the crooked servant. This is a reference to a primordial struggle where the Lord created the world we inhabit. God defeated the chaos that preceded, which is frequently represented by a dragon or sea serpent. The dragon is a force that ancient readers from various cultures would have understood. Job's God was able to defeat the monster alone, which is a departure from Mesopotamian legends. One such Canaanite story is that “Tiamat,” a sea goddess, was subdued by Marduk, who is depicted as having eyes-all around his head, representing omniscience. Marduk, however, needed the forces over other gods (including the gods of the “seven winds”). Job's God is the lone hero of the primordial battle and will forever remain Supreme while Baal later prevailed over Marduk. Job says the powers humanity can behold are just a tinge of His power! He acknowledges how little we understand God's nature. Job references the ineffable nature of God but characterizes his strength as “the Thunder of His Power.” Job is making the point that we stand as men, made in God's image, trying to search for answers. Moreover, those who try to acquire spiritual knowledge are emboldened by the effort. This is opposed to seeing man as a maggot as Bildad referenced in the previous chapter. Job sees man as something much more in his powerful rebuke.

Chapter 25 is unusually short. There is some scholarly belief that there was material in this section now lost to history. Others contend that a section of Job 26 belongs in this chapter. This section involves Bildad speaking for about six verses. There is no full round of debate as we have seen for two previous cycles. Further, Bildad does not cover new territory as he goes over similar themes focusing on the awe-inspiring nature of God. In this sense it can be considered a summing-up of the three comforters' views. In the previous chapter, Job lamented how wrongdoers appear to go unpunished. Job believes it would be comforting to see Gold punish the malevolent before all. Perhaps a message of this books is that if the reality was such observable divine justice, God would be spending his time punishing everyone endlessly. Bildad begins by expressing how dominion, fear and terror are the Lord's Providence. Bildad announces the awesome power of God much the way chapter four of Deuteronomy expresses God as a consuming fire. Bildad notes how God makes peace though winning battles in High places. This beckons the image of God as a triumphant warrior, which also may be a reference to His primordial victory of Leviathan, alluded to in Genesis and other parts of Job. In recognizing this endless reach, Bildad asks, "Is there a limit to his Armies?" In one sense the debate then comes full circle as Bildad mentions concepts Job used back in Chapter 9. Bildad asks, “On Whom does His Light not rise?” Bildad is saying, as Job previously recognized, nobody escapes God's scrutiny and all will be held to account by He with over-arching knowledge and ability. Bildad continues, “How can any man be clean before him?” Bildad is dismayed Job appears to think himself above the fray. Bildad's point is we all fall short, so Job should admit it and repent. Bildad then uses poetic language regarding the heavens, which has been common throughout the Book. He speaks about how the heavens provides clues of God's grandiosity. Bildad notes how each majesty is but one tiny sliver of His greatness. No matter how awed you may be, by say, the lights of the aurora borealis, you have only seen the surface of true Wonder. Bildad then speaks of the moon, the closest celestial body man can observe with the naked eye, and notes how it gives off no light on it's own. It needs a source. Scientifically, Bildad is onto a concept we discovered relatively recently as the moon reflects just 3%-12% of the sunlight that hits it. The chapter ends with Bildad saying something quite cryptic which has been difficult to translate. “How much less man, that is a maggot, and the son of man, which is a worm?” This may just mean that in terms of a power comparison, when man stands before God, he is an inglorious bug. Tradition holds the friends do not speak again but there is scholarly debate on this.

Job discusses the nature of wickedness. He is frustrated that he cannot observe God's justice enforced against evildoers. He remains perplexed about God's ways and has inferred the concept of divine justice is illusory. Job provides poetic imagery on how wrongdoers behave. He notes the malevolent take advantage of the orphan left without guidance as well as the widow without her husband's strength behind her. Overall, man fails to take care of his less fortunate brothers. Job notes how oppression can drive the fringes of society to the wilderness. Some are forced to scavenge for food and contend with the elements. They are without the structure of family and community. They are rendered spiritually and physically naked. Job notices the poor toiling for the lowest of wages. He is sure their cry reaches God and Job is dismayed at the lack of response. Being brought from riches to rags has allowed Job to consider this perspective. Job concludes that people treated poorly are prone to develop a lifestyle not likely to lead to God. Such persons tend to do what they need to survive in the moment. The implication is that those who are historically disadvantaged are less at fault. Job then speaks about the darkness that abides in people who reject God. Job points out that most sins are performed in dark. The reason: sins are not something to be proud of. Take adultery or burglary, both which require a level of work. There is a need to disguise oneself and perhaps hide and wait for the right time to strike. The same person could be putting their energy into something worthwhile. Job then considers the methods of a murderer. There are some who may be of such power, they can kill the weakest in society by day. However, most will try in the darkness. Such persons are frightened by the Light of God. For all of these evil doers, the morning can be painful and is something of a mini-death. Job concludes that many malevolent actors live for darkness and seem to be beating the system. This is where the dynamic changes in the sense that Job starts to sound like his comforters. He provides a counter-argument to what he has just suggested. This section is considered complicated to translate and there is scholarly authority that the viewpoints presented (which are heavy on karma) might be from Bildad, as Bildad speaks in the next chapter. It could also just be Job switching mental gears to indicate how he believes wrong-doers should be treated. So “Job” goes explain the consequences that befall the wicked. They may get exalted for a time; but that will stop. They will ultimately get sheared like a corn crop. Job points out that God's eyes remain on everyone – even if you don't realize it. While the thief may be swift; his portion will ultimately be cursed. Job predicts the dishonest will suffer innumerable losses, including society losing memory of their name as well as their wives becoming barren. Job exhorts, Let their kin forget them; Let them die and be sweet to the worm. Job then challenges his friends to prove him a liar in any aspect.

Job responds to Eliphaz in a defiant manner. The back-and-forth with his friends antagonized Job and the frustration boils over. He craves the comfort of his Heavenly father. He also laments his inability to connect with God and have Him respond in a meaningful way. Job notes that God's hands are heavy on him and wishes he knew where to get God to hear his plea. Job envisions coming to His seat and being restored in front of the community of Uz. Nevertheless, as Job seeks God in every direction, the Almighty remains veiled. Job desperately wants to lay out his grievance before the Highest power. He feels that if God gave him the opportunity, God would grant Job the strength to proceed unnerved and view Job as a worthy petitioner. There would be recognition of Job's lack of fear and full understanding of His plight. What would then follow is relief. Job is confident that God knows he has followed God's ways and commands along the narrow path. Still the Lord tests Job. Job is confident that he will come out of the fire gold; as fire has long been believed to test Gold. Charles Spurgeon preached, in relation to this passage, “gold is never injured by fire.” At points in this chapter Job is confident God sees him but at other he notes that God remains out of his presence. Job reminds himself how he has kept God's laws to his heart. He has been reverent and protected his knowledge of God, engaging in proper worship and sacrifice. He guards his spiritual integrity the way he would his his personal security and food. Job seems to conclude that one day his suffering will come to an end and he will be redeemed. Then he acknowledges that nobody tells God what to do; and God will do with Job what he will to fulfill His design. This may mean that there is more punishment in store. Job realizes the terror that likely is ahead. It made Job's heart quail. Job concludes the chapter by noting he remains cut off from God; in darkness, waiting for the cloud to be lifted. His ultimate desire is to rejoin God's Light. He demonstrates both Fear and Faith in a trying moment.

Eliphaz speaks for the last time in the Book of Job. Eliphaz starts out somewhat sarcastically, noting that while Job thinks himself so important to God, Job is just a trifling thing. He express that a man such as Job can never be profitable to God. He asks Job if he thinks it pleases God that Job thinks himself so righteous. Eliphaz lectures that man is so distant from God that God is unlikely to notice any piety directed toward him. Eliphaz believes that proper worship benefits the people doing it; but doesn't really benefit God. Eliphaz continues to pepper Job: Is it because of your reverence that He is reproving you? Did all this come about because you respected and properly feared God? Then Eliphaz gets to his point: that Job is suffering because of his wickedness. He posits that Job's level of suffering speaks to his level of wrong-doing. Eliphaz then uses poetry to paint Job a picture of what his behavior allegorically can be compared to. This incudes: stripping clothing from the nearly naked; taking water from those suffering severe thirst; depriving food from the hungry; sending off widows empty-handed; and crushing the arms of orphans. Eliphaz tells Job that Job is ensnared and risks be struck with Terror as well as remaining in darkness or drowning. He then points out the majesty of God. Eliphaz asks: Is not God the God of the Heavens? He condemns Job for asking, in effect, What does God Know? Eliphaz believes Job might realize, deep down, that God is not likely concentrating on him; and this may have given Job leave to act with impunity and insolence. He asks if Job will continue on the path of the wrongdoer. He tells Job to avoid the fate of those on a bad road, who will be swept away in a flood after facing God's judgment. Eliphaz says that he keeps the counsel of the wicked far from him. He is confident that the righteous shall prevail in the end (and that Job is hardly righteous). The Good shall see and rejoice. Further, the innocent shall mock the malevolent and fire will consume them. Eliphaz leaves off with this advice: become attuned to the Lord and his Ways. Set his lessons in Your heart and fill yourself with spiritual wisdom. The wise man lays down pursuit of any treasure before seeking God. Worldly riches are worthless without a relationship with God. He pleads with Job to become restored and reestablish a closeness with the Lord. He wants Job to once again make God his defender and take pleasure in him. When called, God will Hear. Job is instructed to make his vows to God for he will then be rescued. Then Job will be at peace and can then help those who suffer from the same type of pride. Eliphaz implies that Job can become a teacher who can keep his head uplifted toward God's Light.

Job instructs his friends to let him speak and they are invited to “mock on.” He acknowledges the repetitive nature of the debate and in veers it different direction. Job puts the spotlight on his spiritual conflict - where he often makes contradictory statements while speaking train-of-thought. Job ponders why so many who have rejected a life of proper worship seem to be doing well. He observes how such persons grow up with excess, prosper, accumulate wealth and also how the cycle repeats itself. Such persons have large households with extended families and excellent flocks (this was an agricultural society). Further, their homes are guarded and secure. Many get to see their children prosper, who dance and play in a world of delight. Even when approaching death, many bad actors receive a quick and painless transition and then worthy funeral rites and monuments. For so many who don't deserve it, God feels that God spares His rod. Job wonders, how often do such malevolent actors face disaster? In other words -- get their comeuppance. Though Job never listened to people who advanced a philosophy of rejecting God in favor of worldly pursuits, his experience leads him to question whether there is divine justice. Job ponders all he has been deprived of: seeing his children grow, having thriving business interests, and operating a magnificent estate complete with countless servants. As Job heads towards death, he is also suffering physically, mentally and spiritually. He in now focusing on the unfairness of it all. Job notes that so many hold the attitude, “God depart from me, I do not desire Your wisdom.” Such people have a practical attitude -- why should I devote Faith to something so ethereal? Job notes that to survive in this world and become successful, people have to scratch and crawl their way to the top in earthly ways. That leads to high standing and serves as a model for others, who are following man's ways as opposed to God's Way. Job seems to be wondering what was the good of all his years of sacrifice and worship. He basically says: Where is my justice, comfort, favor? He is contemplating whether there is any moral to the story and acknowledges that the “con” position has quite the strong argument. He wonders if bad conduct ever reduces one's lifespan. He feels that if there was justice, he would get to see those that do evil punished as examples, relatively soon after their transgression. They would serve as examples for the rest. He desires to see this level of order. Job laments that many evil doers are marching toward peaceful deaths while he is heading to his end with a bitter soul. He turns to his friends and asks how they can console him with hevel. Hevel is at the heart of another Wisdom Book, Ecclesiastes (Qohelet in Hebrew) and can mean: empty words, nothing of substance or vane conceits. Job then wonders if God sets aside those he loves most for affliction. Are they tested? Are they separated out to get a chance to prove their worth? Job wonders if this level of scrutiny is some type of honor. By the end of the chapter, Job has explored some of the great existential questions. This is in contrast to Job's friends, who are dogmatic. Job can see various sides of immensely complicated issues and recognizes some problems have no answers, especially when viewed through the lens of a single man with limited perception.

Zophar gives a sermon on ill-gotten gain that is quite timeless. There is a lot of repetition on how the fruit of evil deeds is poisonous. Bad actions will not go down easy and upsets the stomach like a pit of vipers. Ultimately, anything coming from such conduct will be purged. Zophar explains that he has fully heard Job's insults he has been thinking carefully on how to respond. Just as Job has been steadfast in his own defense, so will Zophar be in his own position. Zophar notes that from the first steps of man, the wicked man's gladness has been fleeting. He will get an inheritance worthy of his deeds. One way or another, he will give it all back. He continues: The Lord will send his wrath to those who deserve it. Fire will consume the wicked as terror abides. There is nothing any of us can get away with in the long run - so we must repent. Bad actors will not see the rivers, streams and brooks representing peace. No matter the shininess of poached treasure, it will be superficial. Such persons don't enjoy the value of the mountain of riches they may sit on. In any event, life is quick and one doesn't get to keep their trinkets long. Once dead, all of that materiality is worth little. But as to good acts, there is a timeless value to them. The good we do lives on in its own way. There is a similarity to the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew Chapter 6, where Jesus teaches, Lay not up treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt; where thieves may comes and steal; Lay up treasures in Heaven where they are incorruptible. Zophar continues: Since we all sin and come up short, what keeps us from a horrible fate we see in someone like Job is the self-realization to recognize our shortcomings and then to repent. Also helpful is a willingness to go forth and try to be better. We are best served learning from our mistakes and help others avoid the same ones. Zophar believes that if you do something so evil, you can expect a similar fate to that of Job, who has lost all of his children and his household wealth. Overall, it is a strong argument that will prove inapplicable to Job.

Job responds to Bildad with feverish indigence. He asks, in sum and substance: how long will you keep this up and harangue me? Each of you had your rounds. You held nothing back. God has me trapped in his net! I scream innocence but to no avail. I cry for justice....it goes unanswered. Job continues to lament using poetic language. He feels overrun, stymied, and stripped. Despite his Faith, he remains in darkness with his crown removed. Job feels attacked from all angles by reason of God's anger. Job laments the loss of his household. Further, he is ignored or repulsive among his former friends and servants/workers. Even the youthful kids who would hang around his once glorious estate speak against him. His wife is also noted to be disgusted by Job, particularly by his breathe. Others pity him. Job states that he escaped his own death by “by the skin of teeth,' a colloquialism that has held up from its translation in the King James. He professes that God has blighted him and wonders why Eliphaz, Bildad & Zophar are like like ravenous wolves tearing into him when there is nothing left to take. Their antagonisms seem to have motivated Job for another round of defense and profession of Faith. He tells his cohorts to remember his defense as if Job wrote them down with iron lead or to picture his arguments being engraved into a rock. Job is confident that the truth of the matter will come out. He has faith he will behold God and be relieved from his suffering. He knows his Redeemer lives, will stand for him and that he will prevail. He calls for God to exam his heart and check its purity. He is confident it will pass muster. This section has also been interpreted to have Job asking for a champion to stand for him, or to have a celestial neutral judge the facts of his case. By the end of the book Job is proven correct. More importantly, his words have been preserved as if written in the greatest of rocks, the Holy Book. You are hearing them today – perhaps for the first times. Job warns his friends that if they go on like the are to fear the Sword of Justice of the Almighty. He feels their behavior is worth such punishment. One lesson from this book is to be careful in the presence of suffering. We only know so much of someone's plight and are limited by our perspective. At other times, our own suffering can reduce us to crying, losing Faith, then speaking against the Lord. The book has us ponder whether in a crisis; if we can keep our faith like Job or some semblance of it? Can we come back to God after a moment of weakness after being hit by the challenges of life? For time immemorial, Job teaches it has been best to have God's word as our rock, and through it create the right vessel (think Noah's ark), to bring us through the stormy seas of life.

Bildad gets his second turn to speak. He ponders how long it will be until Job puts an end to his words. He is implying to his fellows, this moron won't listen to us. Bildad's feeling: We give our friend Job timeless wisdom, tell him what he needs to hear, and he reckons us as beasts; not worthy of being listened to. He lectures Job: You are going your own way at your peril. You are so full of wrath that you are tearing yourself to pieces. If you are suffering, there is a reason and we have the role of putting it in your face. In simple terms, the consequence of wickedness is what you are experiencing. Your predicament is all the proof one's need to establish the reality of the situation. You are an evil doer. It is time to respect that you need to repent. It is an essential way of the world, which has no special rules for you. You are being insolent and facing the consequences. Like so much poetry through the ages, there is a great deal of repetition to drive home the point. Bildad continues: The spark of wicked does not ignite and such persons will will not shine. Their light will go dark in their homes. Their lamp will wind up in ruins. These are simple precepts most want to believe, basically that evil does not prosper. It is a belief that helps get us by in a world that always has its challenges and injustices. It is a lesson that has been around all long as there has been sages and civilizations. We see the wicked and almost have a compulsion to believe they will not come out ahead of the game. Bildad argues that Job's own words, bring him down. He goes on: His path is stymied and walks crooked. His point: Job has gone wayward. He says Job's feet are ensnared in a trap of lies. He sees Job as sick and surrounded by terrors. He tells Job, Your obstinance is a hunger for what is missing, but your mind is no place to acknowledge the truth. You need God, the bread of Life. Dark forces eat at you: physically and mentally. They have torn you from your household, and put you into a veritable Hell. You are the property and plaything of the King of Terrors. It is like a monster that continually devours you. Bildad summarizes that Job is in the place evil can takes one to. Bildad points out that Job's contemporaries can't remember what he once was - a good and prosperous man with a large family. Job also experiences the ultimate earthly punishment -- No children to carry on any legacy. Job is compared to a tree who roots are dry, leaves withered. He has been taken from light to darkness, the fate for those who reject God.

Mockery surrounds Job as he marches toward his demise. He is kept awake nights with mental anguish. He feels humbled and humiliated. His eyes are dimmed and full of sorrow. Job feels as though is being spit on -- either figuratively or literally. He believes God has been keeping wisdom/knowledge from those around him. He suspects he has been wrongly made to appear guilty and nobody can see through the veil. Job tells his friends, You would have me turn night to day, by repenting, thinking I would then obtain forgiveness. He tells God that he will not “flatter” his friends, meaning accept their advice. He doesn't want to “yes them" and basically ignore their words. He expressed that God will never exalt his three companions for their superficial view of Job's situation. His friends, on the other hand, are upset Job denies the wisdom they impart. After all, it is the accepted wisdom of the time. Instead, Job will continue to defend himself (stand on his righteousness) and even gives himself something of a pep talk. Job says, referring to God, he wants the extension of His hand. He pleads for God to put him back into his rightful place and become his surety. Job argues that in any fair world, upright citizens would be astonished at his predicament. And if you, the reader, made it this far, you likely empathize with Job. Simply, to have an innocent put through this journey evokes a deep pathos. Job is demonstrating a level of endurance in his fight for justice. He says: Those with clean hands get stronger, and have their position heard. He is hoping for exoneration. However, he ultimately becomes depressed and defeated. His Spirit is destroyed. He concludes that any light that might come his way would be the warm embrace of death. He laments on the past, his purpose, routine, household and family. It is all gone. Thinking about the past has led him to welcome Death. He goes as far as to say he would call the grave that awaits, my mother and father. He is ready to be embraced by the worms of the earth. He notes, I will be going, along where his hope lies -- to the pits of Sheol.

It is back to Job singing the same old blues after a chapter of Eliphaz getting his second chance to speak. The poetic verse has devolved into insults going back and forth. Job tells his friends, you are all miserable counsellors! For a minute, Job considers if he were in the position of his friends and was comforting someone suffering like him. He was thinking what it would be like if the shoe was on the other foot. He appears to acknowledge that he would likely provide much of the same critique he is receiving. This level of self-reflection is a new attitude. He concedes he would be pedantic. But this objective analysis quickly sputters off. The translation in this section has perplexed commentators -- as capably explained by Hebrew scholar Robert Alter in his study of the Wisdom books. Job then says he would ultimately be sympathetic to a friend who found himself in Job's position -- perhaps to build the friend up after he broke them down. Job could also be making contradictory statements by reason of his confused mental state. Job expresses devastation at all the loss: of his household, children, material possessions, etc. Physically, he bears the scars and marks of pestilence. Where there was health and strength; there is now disfigurement and weakness. Some passers-by may observe Job and get uncomfortable because he is so repulsive. Most would not slow down to touch or connect with him. Few feel prepared or want to deal with Job but his three friends are at least trying. Importantly, Job has been laid low. Some one-time foes look at him with a happiness that he is in such misery and brought down to size. Jobs envisions that God's enforcers surround him and continue to pour it on. They keep shooting their arrows into him, day after day. Job then gets nostalgic. He remembers the good days when he possessed great wealth in terms of having a prosperous household. Then the bottom fell out and he recognizes he has become God's target. He can not figure out the reason or find any justice in his situation. There is a good deal of repetition of concepts Job has brought up over the preceding 10 chapters and Job goes back to a standard defense - that he has committed no crimes or malevolent acts He remembers his sacrifices were consistent and pure, and what he understood to be required. As was detailed at the beginning of the book, Job was upright and walked in God's Way. And that gets at the issue that should never leave the reader – the grapple with underserved suffering. Job appeals to the Heavens to NOT cover up his innocence. He want the facts of his case to reach something that transcends what man could hear and bring Job justice – perhaps a heavenly neutral with a “fair” attitude. Job ends the chapter proclaiming that he will not give up on his dispute even as he realizes he appears to be headed to a demise while experiencing nothing but grief.

Job was impassioned in his defense but Eliphaz tells Job he is filled with empty words. None of Job's arguments are moving him and Eliphaz is becoming weary of the rant. He tells Job that his posture will not lead to any profit; it will only further provoke the wrath of the Lord. Eliphaz instructs Job he is heading down a blasphemous route. He says Job's own words condemn him. He is shocked Job is continuing to challenge God through asking to meet Him for some purported appeal. Eliphaz asks Job if he really thinks he is some type of transcendent bastion of knowledge who has a direct line to God. He also asks Job if he came from the heavens bringing with him God's Word. Can Job really persist that he is the One to have an answer to the underlying mysteries that have perplexed man? Eliphaz makes the point that he and his friends are trusted by Job and are not “voices in the crowd." They know Job and actually made the effort to help, when all others are shunning or scorning him. They are also providing advice based in tradition, representing the Wisdom of the Ages. Can Job deny such collective efforts? Eliphaz references that history teaches sin brings punishment/consequence. That should be a familiar theme to Bible readers as the Old Testament is full of references to God's chosen people breaking their fellowship with the Lord and facing the consequences; only to later repent and regain favor. The cycle repeats itself. When one sins and does not repent, God's people fell out of favor. The Bible naturally has a plethora of “reap and sow” language. Even in contemporary times, when many of us observe someone suffering, we often instinctively think there is a reason. It is perhaps easier for us to move on and not help our brothers in a true community effort. One inference is that some are being tested, as we know Job was. Additionally, we may all be being tested in our response to observing suffering. Perhaps we are being are tested in everything at every moment; and we have to our our faculties to find the right tools to guide ourselves through the challenges of life. Scriptures might be the best problem-solving kit available. At the very least, this ancient book teaches not to judge when don't know the back story. Instead, a better approach would to be more compassionate. As the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew explains; Judge not lest ye be judged, as you have judged others. Eliphaz then appeals to Job's practical nature; he notes that Job is a man like any other – and we all have imperfections. Couldn't there be something in Job's past that he did not taking ownership of? He asks: what do you think all this is from? Eliphaz says something to the effect, "Men imbibe mischief like water." In other words, to sin is part of experience, which Job is fully shares in. Eliphaz implies that if Job was attuned to same, God likely gave him an indication/hint as to why his suffering occurred. Eliphaz implies Pride might be getting in the way of Job recognizing his responsibility. Eliphaz closes by giving something like a sermon, noting that the elders/ancients teach: While the wicked may have a run, they will not ultimately prosper. The Divine Sword of Justice will catch up with the malevolent. Eliphaz indicates that most bad actors know what they are doing and remain in inner turmoil (something of a hell); wondering when it will all catch up with them. Another parable New Testament readers are familiar with is used in this book: The sinner builds his home on Sand; while the person who Trust in God builds his Base on a Rock. Lastly, while our sins often escape notice our fellow Man, they never escape God. The remedy for our propensity to sin: be humble and repent. Eliphaz is often criticized - partly because the reader is keyed in the full story – while mortals must deal with their limited vision. But how many of us often sound like him?

Man is born of Woman, His days are few, and his troubles are ever-present.... This is the poem/lyrics which begins Job Chapter 14. It has Job continuing to lament his suffering, while acknowledging the shortness of life and nature of man. The Podcaster describes a tiny bit about the nature of poetry -- that it is originally an oral art form meant to be passed along in a fairly intimate setting. In days gone by, poetry was shared with audiences who enjoyed stories as much as we do, but who did not have high literacy rates. While there is a lot of repetition in Job, that is to be expected, as repetition is a characteristic of poetry. Repetition also serves having the poet's message reinforced. For example, in Job, the familiar theme of the shortness of life is expressed through using nature as a reference. A couple of examples: Job compares man to a flower that grows, blossoms and withers. The Book also compares death to a river that runs dry. Repetition also allows the poet to develop a long story that was often hard to memorize. So to the reader of Job: don't get bored with the repetition. It highlights the themes you should take away after you put down the Book and try to recall the major lessons. Job wonders, why, despite his brief time on earth, God keeps his eye on him. More pointedly, he wonders why is being marked for punishment. Job pleads for the suffering to stop and that he be granted that forum he spoke of – a courtroom for God to hear his dispute. He also pleads for a time-out from the torment, a break a tortured prisoner would appeal for, even if the pain is destined to resume. Job feels buried alive, like he is going through the horrors of death, during his life. He is expressing that extended suffering should have no place in life. He yearns to be put out of his misery; and appeals to God to stop the torment. However, he is not contemplating taking his own life. He yearns to meet God; Job says, “Call upon me” and I will answer. He pleads for his righteousness to be acknowledged. He is confident that once the Lord directs Himself to Job's attention, He would see Job's goodness and plaster over any fault. Even if Job is suffering for something he did in the distant past that he really can't remember; any transgressions would surely be considered Paid in Full. Job says to the Lord, in sum and substance: You can destroy any one of us with your probing/testing. Your wrath can come quick, like a natural disaster, or slow, like water wearing away stones. Job closes the chapter referencing death. Jobs note that upon death, we lose the ability to connect with those we love, notably one's children. It is a shame we can't see them impart lessons we shared. Job is pointing out: When you are Dead you are Dead. Job is nearing a low point - spiritual death. He is depressed, repetitive, contradictory, confused and brilliant.

Chapter 13 has Job continuing to lament on his undeserved suffering. There is a great degree of repetition of Job's rhetoric but that is the essence of lengthy poetry. The Book of Job has been around thousands of years and for much of that time, it was passed down to an audience with low literacy rates. Therefore, circling through prominent themes was common. In this chapter Job is continuing to explore, often in contradictory terms, the nature of his suffering. Job starts out by saying something to the effect of: I have seen it all and we can all admit, I am no less than you (referring to his three friends). He opines having a deeper knowledge of spiritual affairs than his companions. He vacillates between answering them and speaking to the Heavens above. He argues that he still wants want that forum! Namely a People's Court, to hear his dispute – where he is plaintiff and God is something of a defendant. He does have confidence, or hubris, to even contemplate gaining a Golden Ticket to the ultimate forum. In a comical insult, he notes that his friends are more fake therapists or dime-store philosophers rather than those who could provide any type of proper relief or diagnosis to his suffering. Job then redirects his attention to God; crying out for Him to listen to his plea. Job asks his friends: how you would feel if you were in my shoes? How you would respond!? He suggests they would be trembling in fear if God probed them in the same way. Job pats himself on the back a bit for the way he has kept his resolve amidst his test, at least as compared to how he believes his friends would respond. It begs a question for the reader, how would each of us hold up under such testing? How much or little would it take for us to compromise our Faith in all-knowing and all-good God? What is our resolve? Job notes that if there was some past sin he could recognize having committed warranting his treatment, he would lay down and peacefully die. He wonders what may he have done in his past that he might have forgotten about. He doesn't think there is anything but he is searching for answers. He calls out to God, that there are two things he begs the Lord to do, which summarizes his complaints in this chapter. Number 1: give him a break from the suffering and Number 2: give him that forum, along with enough energy, to present his case. As most readers know, God grants him something of an audience in the final chapters. This is perhaps because Job is one of the few people in the Bible noted to be without fault and who made the correct sacrifices.

Job responds to Zophar, but is speaking to all his companions. Job is frustrated and says sarcastically, "You know it all you three; you have all the wisdom!" Job posits that karma and cause-and-effect hardly explains his plight. He admits looking a mess and that objectively, it sure looks like he is being punished. However, he tells his friends to look around and see all the evil-doers who are prospering. In his mind, as an elder with a renewed focus on the nature of reality, it has always been this way. Those who do wrong often have great worldly success. Some are awarded material wealth who provoke their fellow man to immoral behavior or a wrong path. How is this fair? Job challenges his companions to account for that. He warns them not to be so smug and sure of themselves. His point is: suffering is not always brought about by transgressions. It is all up to God – the great puppet master we struggle to understand. Job acknowledges there are lessons in God's creations - and some show how cruel the world can be. Look how animals devour each other. It is certainly not pleasant to be prey. And man is often animalistic, going after his brother for base reasons. Job recognizes God's imprint is in everything, even the ugly and violent. It is a difficult concept he has internalized through being tested. The emphasis is on God's power to hurt because Job is so beaten. Job believes he differs from his friends in that he wants to look deeper into the Great mysteries. When he received an abundant life from God, for living upright and making the right sacrifices, he was not struggling with these questions of mankind. In a sense, by being brought low, Job is on his way to being ennobled. Job provides a warning: avoid the pride and arrogance to think you have the rules figured out. Recognize your position in relation to the Almighty and be humble. In Job's searching, he is at a point where he is thinking about how God destroys for reasons he can't fathom. Maybe there is a reason; but he doesn't get it. He will not stop reaching out, however, for answers and remedy.

The third and final of Job's friends, Zophar the Naamathite, speaks up. Little is known of where "Naamah" is but some scholars have speculated that it is in Arabia and consider Zophar to be gentile. Zophar gets right into the conversation. He picks up on the themes of his fellows, namely that there is a cause and effect relationship between sin and suffering. He expresses that Job has went on too long pontificating, trying to talk his way out of any blame for all he has been experiencing. Zophar believes Job is trying to be a fancy wordsmith, doing something none of use can ever do -- trying to outwit or justify our misdeeds before the Almighty. He notes that Job is mocking his friends instructions about basic karma. Nevertheless, the three comforters are the only ones trying to help Job. The implication is that the friends must be onto something in their collective wisdom. Zophar tells Job that his appeals to God may be going unanswered by reason of God's prudence. It God actually paid attention to Job and listened to a stream of nonsensical complaints , it may only serve to incite Him to inflict further punishment. He implies God is a station-house for man's unending and ceaseless complaints. Zophar proffers there is a wisdom to God's order, but we can only see, at best, a sliver of it. Zophar preaches that God sees all, including when we take the wrong path. While we can hide our misdeeds from those closest to us, we can't from Him. When we suffer we must reflect on our misdeeds and repent. This goes for the most powerful to the most modest. None of us are beyond sin and the need to repent whole-heartedly. Zophar preaches the hollow/base man will never even try to obtain a tinge of wisdom - but persons of substance are elevated through trying. Zophar points out that Job is suffering divine correction. He ultimately invites and lectures Job to repent and give himself a chance to be washed clean of the consequences of sin that is afflicting him. His friends are collectively angry and they do not see Job taking responsibility for transgression, which was in line with the wisdom of the day. The crux is that Job was righteous, made the right sacrifices, was upright, and got tested. God focused on him. For some suffering will be a test. The text provides something of a guide to help deal with tragedies of life amidst such tests.

Job is caught in the heat of suffering. He loathes his whole being and every moment. He is speaking to his friend Bildad, but the message is to the Lord, who caused the suffering. Job's statements are sometimes rambling and contradictory, but sometimes downright brilliant in a pre-scientific sense when speaking of the majesty of God. Job begs that he be let in on why he is being oppressed. He asks if God has the same motivations and senses of man, namely if He looks upon some men with malevolence for hidden reasons. He concedes none can be saved who are so targeted by the Almighty. He then compliments the Lord, noting that the Lord fashioned him, "poured me out like milk," then "curdled me," and clothed him with flesh and bone. He gave man life and spirt. Job wonders: Why all this work just to destroy him without cause and let him walk the earth so beaten. He compares God to a powerful Lion who is toying with his prey. Job describes that one can usually be shielded by their inner sense of integrity when innocent. But like a guilty man, Job suffers shame and disgrace among his peers. Job recognizes his days and time are so few compared with the infinite power above, so he pleads for God to turn his ire elsewhere, so Job can live his remaining days with some gladness - the gladness that just comes from not enduring the heat of suffering.

Job responds to Bildad; not so much to the points made, but to the feelings stirred up. Bildad the Shuhite brought up some conventional wisdom, namely that there is a relatable karma to Job's suffering. Bildad posits the blameless do no suffer before God and that the laws of the spiritual realm mirror the laws of nature. For example, the wages of sin is death, we have to repent for our sins, and for the person who goes wayward, don't be surprised if their life becomes an utter mess. Job responds that none of that is new information and he well-aware of Bildad's point of view. Job deviates to his own philosophy on the natural power imbalance before Man and God. He asks “Can man be made right before God?,” meaning can man seek redress for unfairness to the ultimate power. He calls for an examination of the power between the two, to concentrate on it – a good tool in trying to understand the role of suffering in our world. Job notes that the Almighty is as unlikely to respond to complaints like "my life is unfair," as would be like Henry VIII granting a forum the most lowly serf. Even if we get the audience, Job indicates the game is rigged, no matter how logical or crafty an argument we put forth. God will never sit at the defense table or have to defend Himself, no matter the attempt to subpoena the Big Man. Job examines and respects the Power of God to create the infinite heavens and microscopic worlds beyond our understanding. Look at Man's creations -- they are impressive, but pedestrian compared to the wonders of nature. Job's explanation of God's power references scientific concepts of star systems that continue to perplex us. Job is giving reverence to God even though he has been marked for punishment. For just poking the great Bear, and asking for redress, Job expresses he is more likely to be squashed like a bug – than receive any type of remedy. He repeats - if he gets God's "ear," he wonders if the opportunity will be serious or if he will be played with like a toy. Job also focuses on his unrelenting suffering. He is blameless in his own mind, but before the one who counts, he is "crooked" or guilty. Therefore, Job announces, "I loathe my life!," a feeling that has effected countless through the generations. Job believes God does destroy the blameless and his power is wielded arbitrary. Job references the evil in the world; and how the fate and riches of the earth, seem to be given to the wicked. He is frustrated. Job realizes the Earth is given to man and that which is beyond this world (the heavens), must be ideal and God's realm. At the end of the chapter, Job wishes for a jury; a greater god, or divine neutrals, to stand in judgement of the suffering the Lord is putting Job through. Job imagines that then he would get a fair trial and redress. For example, if the Angels served as a jury, what would they say? But Job knows this is a fantasy and he is most likely to be stuck with only the ability to complain. Still he notes, in effect: "this is the way I am." Job has a defiant streak, even if he senses he is fighting the lost cause of understanding why he is suffering. Still, refuses to take his treatment quietly.

The second of Job's companions begins to speak, Bildad the Shuhite, who appears fed up and asks Job why he is rambling on. Bildad gets right to his point and rather harshly: since Job's children died, they surely did something to deserve it – simple cause and effect. This level of directness may imply a previously close relationship and the approach may remind some of modern-day “tough love.” Being from Shuah is an indication Bildad is a descendant of the sixth son of Abraham and Keturah, a relationship referenced in Genesis 25. Abraham married Keturah after Sarah died. The Great Rabbi "Rashi" proffered that Keturah may be Hagar with a new-name but that theory is not generally accepted. There are also references to Keturah in First Chronicles and references to Shuhites in Assyrian inscriptions. Shuhites are thought to be a nomadic group that set up a city in southeastern ancient Israel. As indicated by Bildad's speeches in Job, Shuhites are characterized as having great respect for "tradition." Bildad describes “lessons of old,” or laws or morality and nature, such as reeds and plants not growing without water. This mirrors consequences for those without the light of Faith (the “water” of a good life). Such persons will have no ability to prosper in their own lives. Bildad preaches an idea of Faith in the fairness of the Almighty, as well as a belief in knowing what Right and Wrong leads to. Though the poetry can be confusing and translations vary, Bildad preaches the need for one's Faith to be strong enough hold the waters (good things) of life; and not like a "cobweb," where the good things God grants will inevitably fall through. This Faith in divine justice is what Bildad recommends Job (and the reader) house himself in, so we can have a strong fortress against a world of suffering. In other words, a good gardener will produce a good garden and the opposite is also true. Act without virtue and you will create on mess of a garden. Bildad preaches that there is a reason for suffering; namely that that we have sinned; but one can be made whole if they repent – a familiar theme throughout the Bible. The text references the Faithful man being moist in the sun, as well as having “tendrils” pushing out in the garden, trying to solidify one's foundation. The Podcast makes reference who the Beatle's song, Octopus's Garden possibly representing the 20th century artist's search for an oasis in a life of anxiety & suffering.

Job continues to defend himself, speaking as much to the heavens as to Eliphaz. Job's observations about man's relationship to God foreshadow revelations at the end of the Book, namely that there will always be a level of mystery to the most profound questions. No matter how hard we struggle and no matter how high our intellect, certain things will be beyond our understanding. Job then compares man to being slaves in the field panting for shade, perhaps wanting to be close to God (the shade). Man toils and yearns for relief through God's grace. Job asks does if Man have a fixed time for service on earth. He brings up the concept of service, almost as a throw-away line. The question is raised: Is it toil and work or some type of service we are here for? There may be a lesson here: we are here to help our fellow man and hold brotherly service as an ideal. Job goes back to his personal misery. He references his suffering being so bad that he cannot sleep. Then he goes back to our days being so short. "Swifter than the weaver's shuttle." Death will take us all someday and can snap us off at any point. Like an accidental cut in the thread of the weaver, we can be gone in an instant. Job restates: life is but a breathe and also a cloud that vanishes (lofty poetry, eh?) Given his condition, Job does not expect to experience any good. Those who knew him, no longer even recognize him. He feels lost to this world, as if he has suffered an early death, and death while living. He notes that Sheol is the place one should be dead, not when they still have life to live in the terrestrial realm. Job then notes he will not restrain his mouth. He will speak out against Eliphaz's rebuke and relay his bitterness. Job compares himself to the Leviathan, a mythical sea monster referenced a number of times in Job and other parts of the Old Testament. Levitation has also been linked to the Canaanite God Yamm. It is a god kept under the power of a larger God. Hence Job feels constrained. Imprisoned is the point. Job distresses over his constant sickness and suffering. So much so, that he wishes God would just end it all - snuff it all out. He feels so small in relation to the Almighty, he wonders why he is being singled out and punished. He also wonders how much more is in store for him. He closes the chapter asking for relief from the misery.

Job continues to respond to Eliphaz. His tone is indignant. At points he is speaking to his friend and at others he is speaking to the Heavens. Job says his anguish is so great, if weighed, it would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. Throughout this chapter, he uses poetic language to describe his pain. He feels as if the poison arrows of Shaddai (God) are in him, and working their course. Even food has become repulsive to Job, the man has lost the ability even to have a decent meal. His remaining wish is for the Almighty to crush him. He wonders how much more there is for him to endure. Much of the middle of this book has been a challenge for scholars to translate. He notes something to the effect of not going to try to hold back God's Words, perhaps indicating he will abide by His Will, even if he must suffer for an unknown, and seemingly endless, time. He asks, "Is my skin made of Bronze," pointing out the fragility of man, as well as our susceptibility to suffering. Job goes on to references a Blighted Man's friends betraying him, when they should owe him a kindness. He may be referencing the tendency for friends to abandon a peer who seems to have endless problems. Those friends may have a consciousness that indicates, "Well, he must have done something awful to deserve all this!" It is a way for people to cope with the great mystery of suffering and of why some suffer more than others. Job compares himself to a Wadi or water source that has run dry. His friends have streamed away and and now hiding within the stones downstream. He notes that others searching for him (perhaps traders or more distant friends) will be disappointed only to find a broken down shell of who Job once was. Job turns to Eliphaz and says, "Did I ever ask you to Save me?" or to redeem me from the oppressor's hand. He tells Eliphaz to point out where he went down the sinful path, knowing Eliphaz will not be able to. He posits, what is Rebuke when it comes from such a friend as you? This might be a variation on the "He without sin, cast the first stone" lesson of John 8. Job stands up for himself, knowing he is "in the Right." He knows he is suffering, but also maintains it is not deserved.

Eliphaz the Temanite continues to lecture the hapless Job in the context of his sincere belief Job has been cursed for his ill behavior. He instructs that any prosperity of a wrongdoer is illusory. In Hebrew poetry, he quickly references two of the Old Testament "deadly sins," anger and envy. For example: "Anger kills the Fool" and "Envy slays the Simple." Eliphaz appeals to Job, perhaps rhetorically.... "to whom of the angels will you turn?," and "If you call out and pray, who will answer you?" He is getting in Job's proverbial face, pouring salt on the wounds, trying to get Job to understand malevolent actions brought about Job's suffering. These are hardly comforting words to the blameless Job, put it does open up a philosophical discussion on the nature of suffering. Eliphaz instructs how human nature can be immoral, namely that crime springs from the heart of man. Genesis 6:5, another of the recognized-oldest books of the Bible, references this concept: that the wickedness of man is great and that every thought of his, pre-Flood, was evil continuously. Eliphaz is making the point most, if not all of us, are sinful and will suffer in consequence. Job has to face this to gain some spiritual understanding before he is completely defeated. Eliphaz gets high and mighty, stating he tries to search and appeal to God to gain spiritual wisdom. He compares this effort is to sparks flying upward to the heavens from a fire. Eliphaz argues the one who makes an honest effort to walk with God and is not clouded by materiality, will never be defeated, even in the face of oppression and death. He notes the Almighty can bring darkness to the oppressor's day. Even if you think someone is getting away with sin, they never are. He can uplift and give hope to those in the most dire circumstances. He then lectures, "Happy is the man God corrects," because it shows that the person suffering was important enough to garner the Almighty's attention. And just as God can bring down the Hammer, he can also heal, a lesson he wants Job to take to heart. He urges that the Faithful can face the malevolent world with a shield of Reverence. Even in the face of death, such persons who have pursued Truth can face their end with vigor knowing we have not wasted our short time here.

After Job (or in Hebrew 'Iyyōb) curses the day he was born, three of his companions meet and approach Job to comfort and mourn. They sit in silence. After 7 days, Eliphaz from Teman, starts the philosophical discussion about suffering which is the heart (and hard part) of the Book. Teman is believed to be an area known for wise-men/mystics/sages. Scholars place it within Edom. Eliphaz's ideas are like a treasure chest of ancient knowledge, much of which transcends time and culture. Many readers get through a bit of Eliphaz's words then get lost in the poetry of the rest of Job's 40 books. This podcast is an attempt to take on each of the "poetry" chapters, each in under 10 minutes. The primary sources used are the King James and Robert Alter's "The Wisdom Books." Eliphaz starts speaking to Job by softening the blow of his pending criticism. He notes Job's good standing and willingness to lift others. Then he begins his point - that if someone is made to suffer as Job has; there is a cause and effect relationship. He highlights that the rebuke Job would levy on others when warranted, has come back to Job. He wants Job to understand that he did something to bring about the suffering. I am starting this podcast in Chapter 4 as the first few chapters have been covered much better than I could do by Rabbis and preachers. There seems to be a void regarding the companions and their dialogue - especially in lectures and on-line videos. At the end of this chapter, Eliphaz makes the point that we are all insignificant before the Almighty and that are days on this earth are akin to a morning to nightfall. Each of us, even if we appear strong, hang on to our lives by a thread - which can be interrupted at any point by plague, war, or bad luck. Eliphaz preaches that before this happens, we should seek a level of spiritual knowledge unclouded by materiality.