Why Do the Righteous Worship?

Transcription

1 Why Do the Righteous Worship? The Argument of the Book of Job with Special Reference to Job 42:6 By Myron C. Kauk Presented at the Midwest Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society Winona Lake, Indiana, March 23-24, 2001 It is a common conception that the central question in the book of Job is Why do the righteous suffer? While it is true that this is the topic of discussion between Job and his companions from chapter 3 through 37 and it is certainly an important element in the book, nevertheless it seems inadequate as the theme of the entire book. In the first place, no answer is ever given for the problem of suffering. Job never discovers why he suffered. Therefore, Henry McKeating proposes an alternative theme, It is the issue of faith and doubt. Job s central question is: How can I believe in God? or perhaps more accurately, How can I go on believing in God? 1 Likewise, Philip Yancey writes, When seen as a whole, Job is a book about faith. It tells the story of one man selected to undergo a staggering test of faith. His trial and response present a message that applies not just to suffering people, but to every person who lives on planet earth. 2 Secondly, while Job and his friends are discussing the problem of suffering, another conversation is taking place on a higher plane. It is this conversation that provides the theme of the book. J. J. Owens proposes that Satan s question in Job 1:9, Does Job fear God for nothing? is the key to understanding the book. 3 It is not the question Why do the righteous suffer? but Why do the righteous worship? Satan proposes that the only reason Job worships God is because God is good to him. God, on the other hand, proposes that Job will continue to worship Him when all of God s blessings are removed. The Argument of the Book The book of Job consists of a large poetic section (3:1-42:6) surrounded by a narrative frame (1:1-2:13; 42:7-17). Theories of composite authorship abound, but for present purposes the book will be treated as a unity. The following is a brief outline of the book. Outline I. Introduction (1:1-12) II. Test #1: Job loses his material wealth and family (1:13-22) III. Test #2: Job loses his health (2:1-10) IV. Test #3: Job loses his reputation and dignity (2:11-42:9) Henry McKeating, The Central Issue of the Book of Job. The Expository Times 82 (1971) 2 Philip Yancey, When the Facts Don t Add Up. Christianity Today (June 13, 1986) John Joseph Owens, The Prologue and the Epilogue. Review and Expositor 68 (1971) 463. Myron Kauk Page 1 6/9/2009

2 A. Job s dialogue with his three friends (3-31) 1. Job s opening statement (3) 2. Three rounds of debate (4-27) Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Elphaz (4-5) Elphaz (15) Eliphaz (22) Job (6-7) Job (16-17) Job (23-24) Bildad (8) Bildad (18) Bildad (25) Job (9-10) Job (19) Job (26) Zophar (11) Zophar (20) Job (12-14) Job (21) Job (27) 3. A parenthetical discourse on wisdom (28) 4. Job s closing statement (29-31) B. Elihu: Man s evaluation of the debate (32-37) C. God s evaluation and Job s response (38-42:9) V. Conclusion (42:10-17) Job is introduced in the first chapter by a collocation of four terms that is unparalleled for any other OT character. 4 He is described as blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. 5 Blameless (~T') is a description of Job repeated throughout the book and represents his claim concerning himself (9:20-22; 27:5; 31:6), as well as the statement of his companions (4:6; 8:20), his wife (2:9), and God (1:8; 2:3). It should not be understood to mean that Job was sinlessly perfect, 6 for Job acknowledges his sinfulness at several points (7:20-21; 9:2, 15; 10:6; 13:26; 14:16-17). Job was also in the practice of offering sacrifices for sins (1:5). But his contention throughout the book is that he is currently in right relationship with God. That Job was ~T' means that he was wholehearted in his commitment to the person and requirements of God, 7 his piety is not nominal, flawed, or partial, but genuine, whole, and complete. 8 Upright (rv;y") is a term that indicates ethical propriety in the broadest sense. 9 It is a relational term having to do with behavior toward others. 10 It depicts faithful adherence to God s statutes and an honest compassionate manner in relating to others. 11 The final two terms, fearing God and turning away from evil ([r'me rs'w> ~yhil{a/ areywi) expand 4 Athalya Brenner ( Job the Pious? The Characterization of Job in the Narrative Framework of the Book. JSOT 43 [1989] 37, 40-41) understands this as an ironic exaggeration of the concept of conventional piety that is replaced by a more credible picture of Job in the poetic section of the book. It seems more reasonable to take the description of Job in the narrative frame as the controlling factor and to view the picture of him that is painted in the poetic section in light of this. 5 Job 1:1 (NASB) 6 Francis I. Anderson, Job (Downer s Grove: InterVarsity, 1974) 79; Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary New Translation and Special Studies (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1978)11; John E. Hartley The Book of Job (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988) 67; H. H. Rowley, Job (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980) TWOT 2: Gerald Janzen, Job (Atlanta: John Knox, 1985) David J. A. Clines Job 1-20 (Dallas: Word, 1989) Clines, Hartley, 67. Myron Kauk Page 2 6/9/2009

3 upon and interpret the first pair. Together the four terms depict Job as a man of authentic piety and genuine morality. 12 This godly man is put to three separate tests and after each he is commended. The first test comes in chapter one. The reader is privy to information that Job does not have. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. 13 An intruder has made his appearance in the courts of God. God broaches the subject of Job and the Accuser has lodged his complaint, You have made a hedge about him on every side. But touch all that he has and he will curse You to Your face. God sets the parameters and Satan departs to do his dirty work. A series of disasters suddenly and totally strips Job of his material possessions and his family. But contrary to Satan s prediction, Job s immediate response is not to curse God but to worship and bless the name of the Lord. And the closing testimony is, Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God 14 or more literally, he did not ascribe unseemliness to God. 15 The second test comes in chapter two. Again the intruder appears in the courts of God and again God broaches the subject of Job and sets the parameters of Satan s activity. Job s health is stripped away and even his wife turns against him. But the closing testimony is, In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Rabbinic exegesis understood this to imply that in his heart Job had already begun to cherish sinful words 16 and Janzen sees a distinction between the commendation given to Job here and in 1: But it is difficult to find any evidence of Job s alleged sin in the heart except by means of his words. If any emphasis is intended by the phrase with his lips it is more likely to be that Job did not sin in the precise manner predicted of him by Satan. 18 The line of thought which begins with Job sinning in his heart here and later with his lips is antithetical to the author s purpose Janzen, Job 1:6-12 (NASB). 14 Job 1:22 (NASB). 15 BDB, Anderson, 94; Clines Janzen, Clines, 55; Rowley, Anderson, 94. Myron Kauk Page 3 6/9/2009

4 At the end of chapter two, Job s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, arrive to comfort him (Amx]n:l.W) and most of the rest of the book is occupied with the discussion between Job and his friends. The friends certainly meant well, but they became a tool of Satan, adding to Job s woes. The friends comprise something of a third test in which Job loses his reputation and dignity. After seven days of silence Job speaks first. He is miserable. He wishes he had never been born. He wants to die. Rick Moore sees this as a negative commentary on Job 1:21 in which Job s integrity is denied as he turns to cursing. 20 But there is a difference between cursing God and cursing the day of one s birth. Job s comments, though shocking at times, must be understood in light of the total argument of the book. Following Job s introductory remarks there are three rounds of debate. Job s friends insist that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Since Job is suffering he must be guilty of some grievous sin for which God is punishing him. Job does not disagree with their theology but insists that it does not apply in his case. He protests his innocence. Job says some shocking things. His brutal honesty with God resembles the psalms of lament or the lamentations of Jeremiah. But it is significant that Job s sorrows drive him towards God rather than away from Him. The friends knowledge of God is theoretical while his is personal. They talk about God, but Job ventures to speak with God. In the first two rounds of debate each friend speaks in turn and Job replies. But in the third round the friends are running out of steam. Bildad speaks for only eight verses. After Job responds to him there is a pause where Zophar is expected, but Zophar has nothing left to say and Job continues. Following Job s closing remarks a fourth friend, Elihu, emerges from the shadows. He has apparently been listening all along for he analyzes the previous debate. He does not charge Job with any prior wrong doing that caused his suffering but he insists that Job is guilty of blasphemy and rebellion in the way he has responded during his crisis. Finally, God Himself appears. But rather than answer Job s questions, God has some questions of His own to ask. God reveals Himself as creator and sustainer of the universe. Job realizes his insignificance and is silenced (40:3-5). Then God continues to speak, revealing Himself as a righteous judge with the power to restrain evil. Job responds in 42:2-6. Verse 2 is clearly a note of praise and needs no comment. In v 3, Job quotes God s question to him, and admits to his ignorance when confronted with the awesome wisdom of God. Anderson writes, This is the cry of a liberated man, not one who has been broken and humiliated. 21 Verse 4 is another repetition of God s words. Job responds in v 5 that it is he who has gained knowledge from his encounter with God. Previously his knowledge of God had been second hand. Now it has become personal. These four verses are all expressions of worship and praise. The crux of the problem rests in v 6. Job 42:6 `rp,aew" rp'['-l[; ytim.x;niw> sa;m.a,!ke-l[; Job 42:6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes. (NASB) Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (NIV) 20 Rick D. Moore, The Integrity of Job. CBQ 45 (1983) Anderson, 292. Myron Kauk Page 4 6/9/2009

5 The traditional translation of Job 42:6 suggests that in the end this righteous sufferer, who has maintained his innocence throughout the book, finally admits his guilt and repents after all. This interpretation is followed by many commentators. 22 But such an interpretation is contrary to the argument of the book, contrary to the immediate context, and contrary to the lexical data. The argument of the book requires that Job maintain his integrity. Otherwise, Satan wins. The reader knows that Job has not been guilty of any sin for which he is being punished. But what about his behavior during his crisis? Isn t Elihu right to say that Job is guilty of blasphemous and rebellious speech during his dialogue with his friends? If Elihu s judgment is correct then Satan was also correct to say that Job would curse God to His face when the blessings were removed. But doesn t God finally destroy Job s arrogance and pride by His appearance? Job s responses in 40:3-5 and 42:2-5 suggest reverence and worship but not repentance. The immediate context points in the same direction. Job 42:7 marks the end of Job s third test, and just as he is commended after the first two tests, he is commended again here. God reprimands Eliphaz and his two friends because you have not spoken of Me what is right as my servant Job has. What did Job say that was right? The contrast between Job s words and those of his friends suggests that it is his speech during their dialogue that is commended. Dumbrell concludes, Job seems not to require forgiveness; and we are led, therefore, to conclude that Job s contribution to the dialogues has been consistent with his character as presented by God in the prologue. 23 The lexical discussion centers on the two verbs in v 6. The first verb, sa;m.a,, comes from the root sam, which may be translated reject, despise or run, flow. A case has been made for the latter on the basis of its occurrence in 7:5, The difficulty with the former is the absence of an object in the context. The NASB retract assumes an implied object my words but this makes little sense since Job s words are commended by God in v 7. The NIV assumes an implied object myself which is better. But this need not imply repentance any more than the similar phrase in Job 9:21. It is an expression of self-abasement and humility. Secondly, there is the verb ytim.x;niw, translated and I repent, a first person singular niphal perfect from the root ~xn. The root ~xn occurs 119 times in the OT, including 48 niphal, 51 piel, 2 pual, 7 hithpael, and 11 substantives. 25 The piel is 22 Robert L. Alden, Job (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1993) 409; F. Delitzsch, Job (reprint; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978) 2:382; Hartley, 537; Marvin H. Pope, Job (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1983) 348; Rowley, William J. Dumbrell, The Purpose of the Book of Job, in The Way of Wisdom: Essays in Honor of Bruce K. Waltke (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000) 97. Cf. also the discussion in Stanley E. Porter, The Message of the Book of Job: Job 42:7b as Key to Interpretation? The Evangelical Quarterly 63 (1991) Porter concludes, all of what Job has said is correct. 24 E. Dhorme, A Commentary on the Book of Job, trans. Harold Knight (London: Thomas Nelson, 1967) H. Simian-Yofre, ~xn, in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, eds. G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Joseph Fabry, trans. David E. Green (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) 9:342; H. J. Stoebe, ~xn, in Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, eds. Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann, trans. Mark E. Biddle (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997) 2: Myron Kauk Page 5 6/9/2009

6 consistently translated comfort, console 26 but the niphal exhibits more variation in meaning. Stoebe assigns 37 of the 48 occurrences of the niphal to the meaning to feel pain (about something), regret (something). 27 Of these, 30 have God as the subject and 7 have people as the subject. The remaining 11 niphals are assigned the meaning to take comfort or to take revenge (Isa 1:24). 28 Parunak identifies six basic meanings of ~xn in the niphal and hithpael: 1) Suffer Emotional Pain, 2) Be Comforted, Comfort Oneself, 3) Execute Wrath, 4) Retract Punishment, 5) Retract Blessing, and 6) Retract (a Life of) Sin. 29 Certain semantic indicators accompany each of these meanings. For the meaning be comforted, comfort oneself Parunak notes that the subject is often a bereaved mourner (Gen 24:67; 37:35; 38:12; 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15; Ezek 31:16; 32:31) and the preposition l[; is often used to denote the object of sorrow from which one is comforted (2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15; Ezek 14:22; 32:31). 30 Curiously, Job 42:6, which meets both of these criteria is not included in this category. Parunak explains that in Job 42:6 the preposition l[; is strictly local, and should not be considered an instance of the idiom under study. 31 But there is no reason why it should not be. Janzen notes that in every other instance where the preposition l[; follows the niphal of ~xn the force is relational, of, concerning. 32 Parunak recognizes a third semantic indicator, which probably accounts for his rejection of Job 42:6 from this category. Often there is a clear parallel in the context that supports the meaning be comforted, comfort oneself. For instance, In Gen 37:35 and Ezek 14:22-23 there is a piel form of ~xn in the context and in Ps 119:50-52 there is a nominal form of ~xn in the context to support the idea of comfort. In Jer 31:15 and Ps 77:3 Parunak points to the denial of ~xn in the niphal in parallel to phrases indicating continuing emotional stress. 33 But in Job 42:6 the verb in parallel is sa;m.a,, reject oneself, be contrite, humiliated. This leads him to assign the meaning of ~xn here to his first category, suffer emotional pain. 34 What has been overlooked is the six other occurrences of ~xn in Job. All of these are piel forms translated comfort. Job s friends come to comfort him (2:11). He seeks comfort on his bed (7:13). The friends are sorry comforters (16:2). They comfort him 26 BDB 637; Mike Butterworth, ~xn, in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997) 3: TLOT TLOT H. Van Dyke Parunak, A Semantic Survey of NHM Biblica 56 (1975) Parunak, Parunak, Janzen, 255; cf. also TDOT 9: ; Dale Patrick, The Translation of Job 42:6, Vetus Testamentum 26 (1976) ; The relational use of l[; is well established. BDB 754; Bruce K. Waltke and M. O Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990) 218; Christo H. J. van der Merwe, Jackie A. Naude and Jan H. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999) Paranuk, Paranuk, 519. Myron Kauk Page 6 6/9/2009

7 vainly (21:34). Job used to comfort others (29:25) but now he is mocked. And finally, after God restores him, Job s family is successful at comforting him (42:11). Job has been seeking comfort throughout the book. His friends miserably failed him but Job maintained his integrity. Job is commended on three separate occasions and when he finally has a personal encounter with God that makes all the difference. He is comforted concerning the dust and the ashes all the things he has suffered. Everything that Job experienced was worth it because he met God through that experience. Why do the righteous worship? The book of Job shows that the righteous worship God not for what He does, but simply for who He is. Myron Kauk Page 7 6/9/2009