On Job

My email .sig comes from the Book of Job, in the Old Testament.

The whole point of the Book of Job is trusting God can make more of you than you can of yourself. That's why it talks so much about Leviathan. But to me, this passage right here is the crux of the whole book:

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; 

  and array thyself with glory and beauty.

Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: 

  and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; 

  and tread down the wicked in their place.

Hide them in the dust together; 

  and bind their faces in secret.

Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

Job's agony all along consists in not knowing WHY these things are happening to him. "On the one hand," he says, "I know God is righteous and just. I will not complain against him." But then, "On the other hand," he says, "I don't understand why this is happening! Haven't I done everything right? It would be nice if I could just believe my friends that I somehow brought this on myself through sin, at least then I wouldn't have cognitive dissonance--but why does a righteous God punish innocents? Because clearly he does." And the resolution comes when he finally "gets it," although since Job doesn't voice his epiphany aloud you don't actually understand what's happening unless you get it too. 

To an outsider it looks very random: Satan tricks God into punishing Job, Job's friends say he's bad, Job says he isn't, there's a lot of poetry, eventually God shows up and talks a lot about animals, and then suddenly it's over and Job gets his life back (although his original sons and daughters are still dead). No closure, no satisfaction. God never even says, "Sorry for letting Satan trick me." To someone who knows what is going on it looks very different, and in fact it looks a lot like it was actually God tricking Satan and not vice-versa, since after all he was the one who drew Satan's attention in that direction in the first place--and he must have known how predictably Satan would react. God doesn't explain precisely why he judged it necessary for Job to suffer these particular trials along his journey to exaltation (and we do know that no one can be exalted without enduring sore trials first), but it doesn't matter: once Job understands that this really, truly, is for his own good, he exclaims, "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes!" and is once more at peace. If mine own right hand cannot exalt me, shall I not trust in Him who can? He paid the price in his own blood and infinite pain.

And that's why it is in my .sig.

-Max

--

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.

Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

I could not love thee, dear, so much,

Loved I not Honor more.