OF all the books of the Old Testament, there is none that more completely unfolds

what has been called the Hebrew wisdom-liter ature than the Book of Job. This
wisdom-literature is directly con cerned with the practical experience of
religion. What we generally call theology finds little place in this approach to
the human necessity. All the emphasis is upon a way of life and the complications
which arise in the course of living. Because" of this directing of the theme, the
wisdom-literature is timeless in its usefulness. The Book of Job unfolds the
conflict between the deeply religious instincts of the human soul anc;l those
doubts or uncertainties which result from what appears to be undeserved pain and
suffering. The question includes the effort of the good man to understand the
misfortunes which come to him in spite of, or even because of, his piety. The root
of the argument is the mystery of evil i~elf: Why does a benign Deity permit human
suffering? Job, as the virtuous person, comes upon evil times. He is unable to find
in himself any fault or failing sufficiently reprehensible to justify the disaster
or chain of disasters which befall him. It is not the intent of the story to
indicate that Job was without fault, but rather that his punishment was un
reasonably excessive. He had not committed any of the sins or mis demeanors which,
according to his own understanding, deserved such retribution. Sustained by the
promise that a virtuous life was accept able unto the Lord, he had walked in ways
of uprightness, and yet he was punished as though he had been a corrupt and
dissolute man.

ob's complaint is heard in these later days. Most persons who claim that they
believe in universal integrity feel that, for one cause or another, they have been
treated unfairly. With fewer provocations for disillusionment than Job endured, the
modern sufferer is less patient and certainly less devout. From this very
discontent, materialistic philosophies support their negative convictions. They
assume that the apparent inconsistencies between cause and consequence are enough
to merit a rejection of Deity as an unnecessary hypothesis. In simple The Book of
Job OF all the books of the Old Testament, there is none that more completely
unfolds what has been called the Hebrew wisdom-liter ature than the Book of Job.
This wisdom-literature is directly con cerned with the practical experience of
religion. What we generally call theology finds little place in this approach to
the human necessity. All the emphasis is upon a way of life and the complications
which arise in the course of living. Because" of this directing of the theme, the
wisdom-literature is timeless in its usefulness. The Book of Job unfolds the
conflict between the deeply religious instincts of the human soul anc;l those
doubts or uncertainties which result from what appears to be undeserved pain and
suffering. The question includes the effort of the good man to understand the
misfortunes which come to him in spite of, or even because of, his piety. The root
of the argument is the mystery of evil i~elf: Why does a benign Deity permit human
suffering? Job, as the virtuous person, comes upon evil times. He is unable to find
in himself any fault or failing sufficiently reprehensible to justify the disaster
or chain of disasters which befall him. It is not the intent of the story to
indicate that Job was without fault, but rather that his punishment was un
reasonably excessive. He had not committed any of the sins or mis demeanors which,
according to his own understanding, deserved such retribution. Sustained by the
promise that a virtuous life was accept able unto the Lord, he had walked in ways
of uprightness, and yet he was punished as though he had been a corrupt and
dissolute man. 18 words, from the mortal viewpoint God is in his heaven, but all is
not right with the world. The ambitious mortal is burdened with conflicting
assumptions. He is inclined to suspect the reality of a divine sovereignty, but at
the same time he likes to think of himself as a free agent capable of do ing
whatsoever he pleases. Obviously, both of these convictions cannot be demonstrated
simultaneously. It is therefore fashionable to alternate them; When we are
momentarly successful, we are self-sufficient, but in hours of adversity, we are
inclined to return the management of the cosmos to the heavenly Father. Another
mechanism also intrudes a conflicting element. Having performed an action which
obviously deserves punishment, we seek to evade retribution by prayerful suppli
cations for forgiveness. If these prayers are not promptly answered, we conclude
that God has hardened his heart against us, and have further grounds for
dissatisfaction against celestial management. Job, looking back upon his own years,
was satisfied that he had lived uprightly. His friends, who could not share the
actual experience of Job's integrity, insisted that he must have earned the
calamity which descended upon him. Their reasoning and persuasions, however, had
slight effect. Job refused to admit faults which, according to the dictates of his
own conscience, he had not committed. This led to the long and persuasive efforts
of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to prove to Job that he was suffering for his own
sins. Job stoutly refused to ask forgiveness for crimes which he had never
committed, and he vehemently declined to consider himself in the position of a
repentant sinner. This point is interesting because it is so closely involved in
medieval Christian theology.

On the assumption that "with Adam's fall, we sinned us all," the Church explained
the common tragedy as resulting from a universal circumstance beyond human control.
We suffered for the sins of our fathers unto the third and fourth generations as an
explanation, if an evasive one, of our own sorry plight. The only alternative was
the patient acceptance of adversity as the will of God, which surpasseth all
undertanding. Job found no consolation in such an escape from an imminent dilemma,
and slight comfort from the opinions of his friends. The God he worshiped was
either good and just, or else unworthy of the admiration of mortals. All concepts,
hypotheses, and opmlOns must take second place to obvious facts, and to preserve
his ow~ faith and his own center of spiritual convictions it was necessary for Job
to solve the mystery of adversity. The adventures of the old patriarch have become
the classical example of steadfastness of spirit. is The explanation given in the
story still leaves the subject of good and evil essentially untouched. Satan was
introduced as a spirit of negation who attempted to explain the piety of Job as
resulting from his prosperity and happiness. If this were true, then virtue was not
a matter of character but of circumstances. The problem returns in different words
in the New Testament, where virtuous conduct is de fined as a procedure of doing
good to those who despitefully use us. God was made to debate with Satan over the
essential substance and nature of virtue. Substantially, Job was subjected to a
series of tests to discover the quality of his own integrity. The sufferer
naturally unaware of the cause of his troubles. If he were aware, then the tests
would be meaningless. It was only when left completely to his own resources that
Job could make the heroic decision which revealed the firm ground of his own faith.
The apparent relentlessness of Nature in · the distribution of its benefits and
afHictions has always troubled the minds of mortals. The rain falls upon the just
and the unjust, and the prayers of our enemies are as effective as our own. We
often develop the conviction that the just are sorely burdened and troubled, while
the unjust prosper and flourish. Unselfish lives are not spared from tragedy
because of the sincerity of motives, and those who strive unceasingly to promote
the happiness of their associates are often neglected and forgotten. The man likely
to be remembered by a grateful world centuries after he has departed from this life
may be martyred in his own time. To quote the Greeks: "Seven cities vied for Homer
dead, through which the; living Homer begged his bread." To compensate for the
ingratitude of our neighbors and the strange impersonality of Nature, we are
inclined to create an over world of values which becomes our refuge. We console
ourselves with certain abstractions which sustain the consciousness through long
peri ods of tribulation. Some may feel that they are serving the will of a secret
God, and others that they are building a better future for gen~ erations yet
unborn. Immediate disappointments and disillusionments are carried by the
sustaining power of internal resolution. Right must triumph in the end, and beyond
the narrow boundaries of our under . standing are compensations which make present
effort necessary and worth while. The more resolutely we oppose traditional
patterns or seek to bring ahout reformations in learning or policy, the more cer
tainly we must depend upon sources of inspiration and courage from within
ourselves. Elaborate doctrines have been evolved to prove rea sonably and
logically that virtue is profitable and integrity rewarded. Sad to say, however,
the immediate evidence often conflicts with the larger concept, and each individual
must integrate his own convictions as to what constitutes enlightened living. The
law of compensation as taught in Asia is probably the most reasonable available
explanation for the seeming contradiction that disturbs our ethical persuasions.
The present state of man is founded upon the past, and is bound to preceding events
lawfully and honor ably. .. .. We can realize this even within the narrow
framework of per sonal experience. The majority of mortals is in servitude to dead
yesterdays. Man is not free to do as he pleases, but must continue in a course
selected and determined in years gone by. He has gradually accumulated personal
responsibilities and become increasingly involved in the by-products of past
decisions. To extricate himself violently from the encroachments of his own
policies requires more wisdom, skill, and strength than are available. No day
selected from the life of a person can reveal the whole story of that life. If,
according to the narrow vision of the moment, the man appears to be unjustly perse
cuted, a larger and more inclusive estimation of his career may reveal that he is
really being justly punished. On the other hand, a superficial consideration might
incline us to suspect that fortune is favoring a man beyond his merits. He is
living no better than others less privileged. In truth, this apparently lucky
mortal may be enjoying the well-earned profits of long and enlightened industry. It
is therefore impossible to arrive at an adequate estima tion of the workings of
universal law by the observational faculties alone. All appearances are suspended
from invisible causes, and until these are understood, both judgment and criticism
are meaningless and unsound. In this complicated situation we have a clearer
insight into the natures of good and evil. As long as these terms are applied to
the phenomenal activities of moral creatures, the terms themselves are without
essential meaning. There is no common agreement as to what is good and what is bad.
It is observable that in many cases there is nothing more benevolent than
misfortune, and nothing more unfor tunate than success. Usually, we think in terms
of the imminent and overlook completely the vaster sphere of the eminent. That
which is presently comfortable is accepted as eternally good. This obscures the
dimensions of the universal plan and leaves mankind to judge uncer tain judgment .

The blight of a concept of evil has contributed immeasurably to the misfortunes of

humankind. The moment we feel the reality of an adversary or acknowledge a
malevolent spirit at work in the world, our own moral codes are undermined. Many
religions would have slight justification for survival if they were not in a state
of perpetual defense against a "prince of darkness." The more we explore into the
subject of the substance of evil, the more rapidly this substance dis~ solves.
There is no actual, factual evidence in Nature to support the belief in the
existence of a principle of evil. Nor is there any solid ground for assuming that
there is a principle of evil within man or operating through his mental or
emotional nature. The unkind and unreasonable actions of mortals are not the result
of a demoniacal crea~ ture, but can be traced directly to simple and explainable
causes. The human being is affected by pressures which have gradually distorted his
sense of values. He has created systems and codes, some of which are false and
therefore impractical. From unenlightened convictions, man then sets in motion
unenlightened actions. Evil can only be sustained as an explanation for certain
conditions that arise by those who limit their judgment to some fragment of a
larger pattern. Increasing knowledge of causes and a broader contem~ plation of the
phenomena of living disprove the validity of the doc trine of evil. This may not
lessen the intensity of an existing tragedy, but it supplies us with the incentive
to search within ourselves for those causes which we have a tendency to assign to
an infernal agency. We do accomplish a great liberation from the pressures of
fatality when we accept personal responsibility for personal conduct. We are more
inclined to correct defects if we recognize that they are our own and therefore
subject to discipline which we can impose. We know that a great part of demon ism
was actually the manifestation of psychotic pressures within the human personality.
Because these pressures were not understood, they were attributed to a separate
agency. Thus the devil came to be blamed for the inevitable psychotic consequences
of domestic incompatibility, parental cruelty, and social benightedness.
Individuals, sickened by their way of life, became mentally ill, and their erratic
and often destructive actions were explained as evidences of demonic possession.
Once more the phenomenon itself appeared to sustain the judgment of venerable and
respected citizens and officials. There seemed no reason to doubt that a malicious
spirit possessed otherwise honorable persons and compelled them to acts of cruelty
and degeneracy. A study of old accounts of trials of witches and sorcerers reveals
to the trained psychiatrist the infirmities which troubled these wretched per
sons. They were not agents of Beelzebub, but the unhappy victims of mental
sickness. The terror which demonism inspired caused other respectable and sincere
folks to testify against the sick and the forlorn, and hysteria completed the
tragic spectacle. These long records of trials and tests have been used to justify
the fact of evil, but all tlley actually reveal is a profound stage of human
ignorance.

Conversely, excesses of abstinence or the privation of natural in clinations have

been esteemed as peculiarly virtuous. If excess destroys the outer life of man and
his works, privation demoralizes the inner life of man and his character. By making
a virtue out of negation, the individual may cause a greater harm while trying to
escape the evils of excess. Privation, when applied to temperament, impoverishes
the natural buoyancy of the disposition and inclines toward introver sion. It may
be true that introverts have contributed a great deal to which has been done will
be dissolved in the ills that follow. The man who eats too much burdens his body
and corrupts it; the man who eats too little impoverishes his body and ultimately
destroys it. Moderation alone accomplishes the maximum of efficiency with the
minimum of wear and tear. Materialism demonstrates one type of excess, and
asceticism bears witness to another kind of intemperance. The ascetic, because he
is neurotic, has been responsible for much of the cruelty which has disfigured
religion. The materialist, because his extroversions are uncontrollable, has
systematically undermined the normal inclinations of the human being to seek
certain values in the quietude of his own inner life.

art and mind from all unnatural pressures and permits them to exam ine the
essential values of living without stress or prejudice. The moment we lose our own
center of poise, sustained by tranquillity, we verge in one direction or another
toward obsession. In this case, ob session is domination by an attitude or
compulsion which destroys judgment. The ancients, observing this obsession,
considered it a sign that the victim was possessed by a spirit, good or bad
according to the fallible judgment of observers. When Alexander the Great conquered
the world of his time, it was the common opinion that he was possessed by a god. We
wonder, however, if those who suffered for his con quests might not have thought
it more likely that the spirit which moved him was a demon. The anthropomorphic
concept of a god and demon struggling for supremacy of the universe and contending
for ultimate control of the human soul is not even intimated in the Book of Job. In
this work, Satan acted only under the authority of Deity. He was permitted to
affiict the patriarch, and until this permission was granted he was, at least by
intimation, powerless to trouble the virtuous man. Part of this story evidently
originated in the Mystery rituals, in which the can didate was subjected to a test
by an official appointed to try him in all matters. In the story, God permitted Job
to be tried and to be weighed in the halance, but it is specifically stated that
the life of Job was not to be taken. Was not Job in this predicament the embodiment
of humanity, which is tested in the process of growth? The source of the testing
thus emerges as the popular concept of evil. During the medieval period in
education, student d by professors selected to try or test their knowledge. It was
the duty of this official to use every reasonable device to discomfort the
candidate. The scholastic attainments of the aspirant were examined by a committee
to determine, if possible, the weaknesses which this report indicated courage the
student to become better informed and more able to ex press himself accurately and
concisely. The ceremony of interrogation took on the aspect of a solemn ritual, and
the entire faculty, promi nent members of the judiciary, and representatives of
the clergy were " ' r:t ~" ~. . \) QF~ ' J:.-.~ .... '!:Y G<"~ ~//' , Sq' ' ,, ~
'''ts ......"" IWh"-"1 , - J,n ~ntOJf<nn1S' ';'',$ in ' [,i: ;., '3 o ld k fuJI Qf
d~y~ present. If the candidate did well, he was roundly applauded and II 'I II 1\
i\ \\ \ enjoyed special preferment and consideration. If he failed, he was required
to take additional instruction and then permitted to try again. In the older
religious institutions, disciples, for initiation into the State Mysteries, were
also periodically examined. The tests were not, however, merely a review of formal
studies, but were extended through all the departments of knowledge, character, and
skill. Among the matters especially emphasized were courage, thoughtfulness, and
pru dence. Again the examination was accompanied by rites of purification and
consecration. The gods were invoked to bestow their presence and to indicate by
some sign or intimation that the aspirant was ac ceptable to their service.
Enlightenment was measured in terms of both theory and practice. The neophyte was
not only required to prove his skill in mathematics, astronomy, and music, but was
also given a series of problems for which no answers were available except those
which originated in his own insight and understanding. Learn ing was not
acceptable on the level of intellectual proficiency. The disciple had to prove that
he could apply learning to its legitimate ends; namely, the solution of human
problems. The examiner pre sented these situations sometimes through discourse and
sometimes by means of spectacles or pageants. It was the duty of this advocate to
make the candidate fail if possible, although all concerned hoped devoutly that he
would succeed. Many of the old rituals included temptations which were tests
J . ;.:..... ~ d· ~ Il<b!.-i:",.t ,,~. ~I c~~u,",. ~--:: , .. ~ ILLUSTRATIONS FOR
THE BOOK OF fOB , BY WILLIAM BLAKE upon the planes of ethics and morality. If for
any reason the neophyte compromised integrity, he was regarded as unworthy for
advancement. Sometimes the moral values were so confused and the situation so
cunningly contrived that decision required a profound apperception of essential
values. In each instance, the disciple must first untangle the confusion and
determine the proper course of procedure. Some frag ments of this method of
examination through self-examination were preserved in the Socratic Dialogues.

All living creatures exist in some kind of arrangement or asso ciation with other
living creatures. No man lives by himself alone or for himself alone.
Relationships, especially on the human plane, often lead to a confusion which
disorients the concept of values. Usually, the correct manner of procedure is not
evident and there are countless inducements to compromise principles for the
advancement of projects or the accomplishment of personal security. A compromise
always ends in further complications. If these are, in turn, compromised, the
motion is toward disaster. Not completely endowed with faculties of infallible
judgment, man advances by the difficult course of trial and error. The records
accumulated by this means become the history of mortal experience. Experience, in
turn, is the incentive for the de velopment of codes or schools of philosophy and
religion. These attempt to systematize that which is known to be so through
testing, to the end that man can discover the laws governing himself and the
environment in which he is placed. Philosophy is inclined to view good and evil as
terms indicating degrees of adjustment or maladjustment revealed through the opera
tion of conduct patterns. Ignorance, therefore, is the cause of what we commonly
call evil, and the increase of knowledge has always resulted in a corresponding
decrease of misery, pain, and misfortune. Degrees of knowledge, however, have
excesses and abuses peculiar to themselves, and we outgrow one disaster to find
ourselves confronted with another. In this way the quest for enlightenment is
motivated by the desire for security and the resolution to conquer the causes of
pain and sorrow. So-called evil, like the devil's advocate, should not be regarded
as a spirit of doom but as a challenge, revealing that the person is not ade quate
to the problems which confront him. There is no more power ful argument againt the
existence of a principle of evil than the Scriptural statement that one man's meat
is another's poison. Some live happily in situations intolerable to others, and
some find their fulfillments in what their associates would consider frustrations.
It is not what happens to the individual, but the spirit with which the incident is
accepted and interpreted that determines the relative fac tors of good and evil.
Man dies for lack of water, yet his survival may also be hazarded by drowning or a
deluge. The warmth of the sun is a constant source of comfort, but in a desert it
brings madness and death. Excess of water is a flood; privation of water is a
drought, and we are all troubled by extremes. Moderation is everywhere beneficial,
and races and civili zations develop and unfold most normally and naturally in
temperate 1952 THE BOOK OF JOB 27 dures, or it may come from a studied willingness
to attain some present desire at the expense of the future good. Many of the
misfortunes with which we burden our living are not the result of ignorance but of
our disinclination to control our appe tites, impulses, and emotions. The normal
person is surrounded by evidence which he can ignore but cannot deny. The excuse
that we do not know better is often basically untrue. We have actually de cided to
ignore what we know, because it appears more satisfactory or advantageous to
indulge selfishness or bad humor. If, as the result of a consciously made and
willfully sustained wrong decision, we come into unfortunate conditions, we have no
right to assume that these are due to a universal spirit of perversity. Small
children do not agree with their parents in matters of punishment, but if their own
childish whims are indulged, these same young people grown to maturity will accuse
their parents of weakness and thoughtlessness. The afflictions that came upon Job
were three kinds and degrees of intimacy. First, he was deprived of his worldly
goods; second, the lives of his children were taken; third, he was afRicted in his
own flesh. The order of these infirmities indicates a definite pattern. Satan had
insisted that Job was good merely because he had no incentive to -be otherwise. A
man with ample means, a congenial home, and good health should instinctively give
thanks for his blessings and be strong in his faith. The degree of Job's sincerity
was tested much in the same way that the .integrity of disciples was tried in the
religious Mysteries. The patriarch was confronted with a situation which demanded a
devotion to God and an acceptance of the divine will under extraor dinary reverses
and infirmities. The greater part of the trial was the direct attack upon faith
itself. zones where climate is moderate. If the temperance of Nature pro duces a
healthful environment, temperance in man preserves the econ omy of his function.
In the case of the human being, departure from moderation may result from either
ignorance or indifference. There are many of the wonderful workings of Nature which
we do not un derstand and therefore with which we may come into conflict. If,
however, we accept experience, we will learn our lessons and not make the same
mistake twice. Indifference may come as a result of a phi losophy which disregards
human dependence upon universal proceures, or it may come from a studied
willingness to attain some present desire at the expense of the future good. Many
of the misfortunes with which we burden our living are not the result of ignorance
but of our disinclination to control our appe tites, impulses, and emotions. The
normal person is surrounded by evidence which he can ignore but cannot deny. The
excuse that we do not know better is often basically untrue. We have actually de
cided to ignore what we know, because it appears more satisfactory or advantageous
to indulge selfishness or bad humor. If, as the result of a consciously made and
willfully sustained wrong decision, we come into unfortunate conditions, we have no
right to assume that these are due to a universal spirit of perversity. Small
children do not agree with their parents in matters of punishment, but if their own
childish whims are indulged, these same young people grown to maturity will accuse
their parents of weakness and thoughtlessness. The afflictions that came upon Job
were three kinds and degrees of intimacy. First, he was deprived of his worldly
goods; second, the lives of his children were taken; third, he was afRicted in his
own flesh. The order of these infirmities indicates a definite pattern. Satan had
insisted that Job was good merely because he had no incentive to -be otherwise. A
man with ample means, a congenial home, and good health should instinctively give
thanks for his blessings and be strong in his faith. The degree of Job's sincerity
was tested much in the same way that the .integrity of disciples was tried in the
religious Mysteries. The patriarch was confronted with a situation which demanded a
devotion to God and an acceptance of the divine will under extraor dinary reverses
and infirmities. The greater part of the trial was the direct attack upon faith
itself. zones where climate is moderate. If the temperance of Nature pro duces a
healthful environment, temperance in man preserves the econ omy of his function.
In the case of the human being, departure from moderation may result from either
ignorance or indifference. There are many of the wonderful workings of Nature which
we do not un derstand and therefore with which we may come into conflict. If,
however, we accept experience, we will learn our lessons and not make the same
mistake twice. Indifference may come as a result of a phi losophy which disregards
human dependence upon universal proce Had Job been an average man, he might well
have taken refuge in the conviction that his previous sins were being punished. As
things were, he had to go beyond this and, renouncing even the con viction of
divine justiCe, maintain his love of God and faith in God's integrity. In the
story, no effort was made to philosophize upon the merits or demerits of suffering.
Job was God's good man, and to meet the test he must remain good, regardless of the
apparent incentives to doubt and deny. To disprove the accusations of Satan, Job
was re quired to make the internal statement of absolute and unconditioned faith.
The story itself implies that the situation was exceptional, a kind of test-case,
and therefore not applicable in detail to the problems of average living. But,
again, Job was not an average man, and an average decision was not sufficient to
protect him. The subject then moved subtly into the sphere of faith. To what degree
must a man accept that which he cannot understand and cannot justify with his own
reasoning power? This, again, depends upon implies that he already had attained to
a state of virtue or integrity which he was being tempteo to compromise. There can
be no such thing as temptation unless a decision is involved which exceeds the
immediate capacity of the one tempted. We cannot actually accept a standard less
than our natural growth as revealed to our hearts and minds. The question then
becomes concerned with the ability of the person to extend his faith to meet a
larger and more complicated emergency. The strength of a faith is experienced by
the testing of that faith. We can define faith itself as the inner conviction that
the unknown is an extension of the known. In this case it was the exten sion of
the divine power and the divine grace beyond the contempla tion of the human mind.
The goodness of God remained goodness, even though it surpassed human
understanding. Faith supports con sciousness when understanding can no longer
explain or justify condi tions or occurrences. Job, bereft of all those good
things which are the natural harvest of virtue, was required to take his position
firmly on the evidence of faith. He could no longer recognize any relationship
between a good life and the misfortunes which affiicted him. In the story he was
not asked to explain, interpret, or rationalize. All that was required of Job was
one simple decision: the unquestioning acceptance of the will of God. To a degree,
his misfortunes were complicated by his three friends, who impersonated the
departments of learning which seek to explain the inner meaning of physical
evidence. In his disaster Job was "comforted" by religion, philosophy, and science,
or their equiva lents in the culture of old times. The comforters had ready
explana tions for everything, but they solved nothing, because Job himself re
alized that their interpretations did not fit his case. When he objected, they
insisted that he was wrong and went to some detail to enlarge upon the possible or
probable disobediences of Job which might have led to such dismal results. In the
formula it was not for his sins or his father's sins that Job was being affiicted;
rather it was that the glory of God be manifested as an experience in his own
heart. Job was not immediately able to accept this remarkable fact, but he was more
and more certainly driven toward it by the well-intentioned ministration of his
comforters. The historical descent of human beliefs help us to orient the poem of
Job. In the earliest forms of religious doctrines there was no con sideration of
the problem of divine justice. Deity was an absolute autocrat, distributing his
favors and bestowing his anger according to his own pleasure. Probably, the
political tyranny served as an appro priate pattern to explain and justify
spiritual tyranny. The leader might be strong, but not necessarily good. He might
rule by divine As the God-concept could only be understood in the terms of human
experience, it was the obvious duty of the believer to accept thaf which came, and
be as patient as his disposition would permit. Gradually, the dimensions of an
ethical divine power became ap parent or were carefully traced by the human
understanding. Even thO en, however, it was generally believed that the universe
was inhabited by a multitude of spirits, good and bad, and these might interfere
with the careers of ordinary mortals. Even though the sovereign power was
benevolent, it could not or did not control all of the lesser powers which
flourished in various parts of the creation. Here also a measure of justification
was available on the plane of personal con duct. Even if the prince was benign,
the laws good, and the religion enlightened, there remained corrupt individuals who
worked hard ships upon others and lived in constant rebellion against the common
good. These were among the burdens that flesh was required to bear, and the
affiicted must find such consolation as their convictions would sustain . The
belief that the individual was responsible for his own actions and that retribution
was individual rather than collective was late in appearing in the descent of
religions. The concept of God was racial, national, or tribal. The fate of the
foreigner was of no importance. It was only necessary to understand those
occurrences which related tion sinned, all the citizens suffered, and an evil
merited by a com munity descended upon both the just and the unjust if they
belonged to the involved group. The doctrine that the sins of the fathers de
scended upon their children also offered a solution to the imminent fact of seeming
injustice. A man might burden his descendants with' numerous affiictions because of
his own intemperances. This considera tion had ethical utility, but presented an
unhappy conclusion. The children and the children's children were required to
suffer for sins that were not their own, and the essential concept of justice was
still frustrated. In his discussions with his friends, Job admitted that affiiction
de scended directly from God, and also that God punished those who had sinned
against his laws or his majesty. By such a statement of faith, the patriarch
attempted no more than a general statement of God's will. The nature and degree of
the sin was determined by the Deity, and from this decision there could be no
escape or redress. Job also realized that the blessing which he had previouly
enjoyed must also be attributed to the goodness and mercy of God. Deity had been
mindful unto the needs of Job and had blessed him and had revealed his favors unto
his servant. Vvhy, then, was the face of God suddenly turned away from Job? By what
action or cause was Job deprived of the good things which God had given him? Had
God blessed Job in order that in the end his affiictions might be greater? Was the
apparent kindness of Deity a strange and perverse deceit? If so, what was the
cause? Was the God that Job loved unworthy of this devotion? Even the thought was
so terrible that the miserable man could not entertain it long. Apparently the
patriarch considered the possibility that in some future state he might be
compensated for his suffering. This solved nothing, however, as the real problem re
mained as to why unmerited affiiction should be necessary in the case of a good
man. In his extremity, Job appealed to God for some sign, some indica tion by
which the integrity of the divine power could be known. The intensity of Job's
spiritual dilemma unfolded through a series of psy chological conflicts. Even as
the patriarch voiced his doubts and pro claimed his bitterness, his own doubts
came into violent conflict with his spiritual convictions. Perhaps he sensed that
he stood perilously close to an internal tragedy. He met his own emergency from
within himself. His very doubts gave new strength and definition to his faith. In
the struggle which ensued, faith triumphed. Through the urgency of his need, Job so
intensified the psychic functions of his own consciousness that he accomplished a
mystical experience. Even this experience is difficult to interpret due to the
corruptions of the texts. It is not stated that Job understood what occurred to
him, but he was permitted to see God. Thus in the presence of a sublime majesty,
his doubts were resolved. Job's acceptance of the divine explanation has been
variously explained as a fuller trust in God's will or as a mere submission to an
acceptance of God's power. Actually, Deity never did answer directly the doubts of
the patriarch. Nothing was finally explained or completely clarified. In the 31st
chapter of Job, the patriarch makes a solemn protesta tion of his integrity: "If I
have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; let me be weighed in
an even balance, that God may know mine integrity." It was at this stage that Elihu
was angered against Job, because the old man had justified himself rather than God.
After listening to Job's lament, Elihu said: "Behold, in this thou art not just: I
will answer thee, that God is greater than man. 'Why dost thou strive against him?
for he giveth not account of any of his matters." The theme was enlarged, but the
burden remained the same and only added to the despondency of Job. It is believed
that the speeches of Elihu were added at a later date and were not a part of the
original book. The purpose may have been to extend the argu ments to their logical
climax, and in this way introduce the approach of Deity. Job is further estranged
from his concept of God to intensify the final act of the drama. It has been
especially noted that the unknown author of Job re frained entirely from
introducing any explanation or justification for the incidents involved. This is
most unusual, as it is customary for the writer to reveal himself through an
attitude or a pattern of explanation or interpretation. The most likely place for
such an insertion would have been when God himself was made to speak. The
philosophy of the situation would then have been advanced to bring the poem to its
proper moral and ethical conclusion. As interpolations were made after the book had
passed into circulation, it is also likely that there were deletions, especially
where the story conflicted with dominant theological convictions. Certain parts of
doctrine if sacrificed to the public taste would account for the inconclusive
ethical formula. The 38th chapter of Job describes the eminence of God, introduced
by the words: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind ... " In a strange
way, God placed himself upon the defensive and justified his will by his works. He
challenged Job to explain the wonders of creation: "Canst thou bind the sweet
influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth
Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou
the or dinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?"
Although the poetry is majestic, it is substantially little more than a rhetorical
argument. If we care to assume that a mystical experience occurred to Job, we must
also recognize that the patriarch received only certain admonitions. He knew God as
Supreme Sovereignty, against whose will and pleasure there was no recourse. Deity
de manded submission, and Job submitted himself utterly and completely, saying: "I
have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." This solution leaves the
original premise also unsettled. Satan, in the original wager, had said of Job:
"But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee
to thy face." In order to restore Job, it was necessary for the Lord to appear to
him in majesty, which certainly did not testify to the clarity of the patriarch's
conviction. Job, the good man, was unable to extricate his own con sciousness from
doubt and fear without a miraculous intervention. Thus it seems that the story
fails to sustain its own point, unless the very failure itself was
the point involved. In any event, the Lord was satisfied by the complete
submission of Job, but the wrath of God was turned against the four men who had
actually been attempting to prove the omnipotence of the Creator. Apparently, God
would have been satisfied had Job accepted calamity without question and at the
same time maintained his own innocence of sin. God then required Eliphaz, Bildad,
and Zophar to bring offerings to Job and to indicate that they likewise repented
their follies. If the Lord would permit no accusations against himself, neither
would he allow his ways to be defended by mortal men. He required acceptance in a
mystery of the spirit and not through reason or debate. It is then written that
"the Lord also accepted Job." And when Job prayed that his friends might be
forgiven, God turned the captivity of Job and released him from the evil times
which had come upon him. "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his
beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thou
sand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three
daughters... After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and
his sons' sons, even four generations." Once more the story presents structural
difficulties. The sons and daughters of Job were miraculously restored, and there
was no men tion that the tragedy in the life of the patriarch overshadowed the
peace of his future years. One explanation suggests itself: Was the entire poem
intended to describe a vision, so that all parts of the drama were internal
experiences rather than occurrences in the physical life of the patriarch? An
alternative solution to the riddle could be that the poem in its original form was
based upon an initiation ritual dramatically presented at the time of admission
into one of the sacred institutions. Under such conditions, the drama would be
self-contained and would require no historical or biological consistency. These
initiation rites usually unfolded through three steps or degrees, and it should be
remembered that Job's trials progressed in the same way. In the initiation rites,
the disciple could depend only upon an abstract integrity for his security. He
could not question and he did not presume to understand; he must obey or perish,
until he had reached that degree of enlightenment which made possible those inner
resources which could solve the riddle. In daily living, this fragment of the
wisdom-literature seems to teach the single purpose of the consecrated heart. In
any and all emergencies there must be, first of all, the instinctive acceptance of
the divine power. If for one moment we fall into complaint, there may be no end to
our lamentation. Once we doubt the universal in tegrity in which we live and move
and have our being, we are cast into the darkness of fear and are deprived of peace
of mind. If we keep the faith, even the most difficult situation will ultimately
clarify itself. We may not agree today that the wisdom of the Lord is beyond human
comprehension, but we are constantly confronted with situa tions and problems
which challenge patience and kindliness of spirit. The story of Job refrains from
all effort to examine the merits or de merits of any case or crisis that may
arise. If religion brings any con solation, if the love of God has any meaning in
the human heart, these inner resources must sustain us in the presence of the
unknown or what to us is the unreasonable. To blame ourselves may be as faulty as
to blame others, for only a wisdom greater than our own can measure the debits and
the credits. We must not escape through the mechanism of blaming or shifting
responsibility. We must experi ence through the problem by a positive
acknowledgement of the divine plan. The next time some irritation threatens to
complicate and confuse our sense of values, let us make a positive statement of
acceptance rather than seek self-justification in one way or another. It may well
be that a completely factual attitude will prove solutional. Here is a problem.
Where it came from, why it is here, and how it may be explained are all secondary
matters. If we accept it directly and with a good spirit solve it promptly, there
may be less incentive to doubt the benevolence of Providence. Matters long delayed,
urgent actions procrastinated, or mistakes justified and condoned may lead to such
grievous consequences that we will be moved to feel a spiritual kinship with Job.
If we can free our minds from debate over the jots and tittles and say, "This is
necessary, therefore, this I will do," and su~ port our mental decision with a
prompt and decisive action, it is quite possible that the law of life will also
bless our "latter end" more than the beginning.