This week, we take up Job’s boldly imaginative presentation of a courtroom scene in which he initially puts God in the dock (Job 23:1-7). As Job 23 develops, however, the situation reverses, subtly at first, as Job transitions from offense to defense (vv8-12) and ultimately ends with a portrait of God’s sovereignty that terrifies Job (vv13-16). To be sure, Job does not give up his conviction that this calamity is not a function of sin, but his claim is more chastened by the e

The outburst of faith that is found in Job 19:23-27 is quite encouraging for us to consider, though the interpretation of these words has been contested in the history of biblical scholarship. The intent of this reflection is to narrow in on one point of interpretation that reinforces the idea that Job is, in fact, making a confession of faith in the only living and true God. To begin, we should note that in vv23-24 Job expresses his wish that his testimony, which likely incl

In his speeches to Job, Zophar provides the third of three portraits of pastoral malpractice. While Zophar does not materially depart from the other friends’ application of a mechanical deed-consequence relationship or retribution principle, he does seem to gesture towards a positive solution. As one commentator has summarized Zophar’s speech in Job 11, “Zophar strives to impress Job with the awesomeness of God’s wisdom. God’s ways are too profound for a mere human being to u

Commenting on Rom 2:14-15, John Calvin notes that “it is beyond all question evident that they [the Gentiles] have some notions of justice and rectitude…which are implanted by nature in the hearts of men.” [1] Furthermore, Calvin argues regarding an implanted notion of justice and rectitude that Paul “means not that it was so engraven on their will, that they sought and diligently pursued it, but that they were so mastered by the power of truth, that they could not disapprov

After Job has finished lamenting the suffering he has endured, his friends who were sitting quietly to comfort him (2:13), now begin to respond and converse with Job. The first friend to offer a word to Job is Eliphaz the Temanite. The other two friends, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, will add their two cents shortly. This speech and response cycle will occur three times before the young Elihu adds his commentary (32:1ff) and God steps in to give the final word

In Job 3, after responding with simple expressions of faith in God, Job exquisitely expresses his agony, his suffering, his turmoil with language and imagery that pierces to the heart of the matter. It is important to recognize that poetry is not merely window dressing on propositional statements. While Job’s curse-lament is, properly speaking, a “parody of a curse,” [1]  Job’s adoption of the curse-lament form deepens the meaning of his existential turmoil. There is meaning

In Job 1, we see how Job’s piety precedes his prosperity. Satan is undeterred in his accusations against Job, since, in his opinion, the loss of wealth is nothing compared to the loss of health. What ensues in Job 2 is a concentration of suffering for Job along physical, psychological, and spiritual lines. A key consideration in the interpretation of Job 2 is the role that Job’s wife plays. How should we understand her words to her husband? Is she being sympathetic or antagon

Job 1 is crucial for rightly reading the rest of the book of Job well. In particular, the first twelve verses lay out the off-stage drama that drives much of the dialogue in this wisdom book. It is good, then, to familiarize ourselves with three of the main characters in the book of Job and to note how they affect what follows. That’s the goal of this reflection, and we begin with Job himself, who is introduced to us in vv1-5. Job is a man whose character is exemplary. He is

The Christmas season is full of joy, and rightly so, because in it we celebrate the birth of our savior. But our joy is a sober joy, for the child who is born to give us second birth must die to make it so. That fact reminds us why the question is posed in Malachi, “Who can endure the day of his coming?” That question suggests the answer, “Nobody.” “Who can stand when he appears?” Again, “Nobody.” Why? Because, as Malachi continues, “he is like a refiner’s fire and like fulle

Just as the glory of the Lord fills the garden, tabernacle, and temple of Solomon, so, as Ezekiel is given a vision in Ezekiel 40-48 of a new temple, he witnesses the return of God’s glory to this temple (Ezek 43:1-5). These chapters of Ezekiel’s prophecy have produced no small debate. Some readers of Scripture have proposed that Ezekiel is given a vision of a temple that must be built, while others have understood this vision to be symbolic of something greater than a physic

Last week, we saw how the opening chapters of the Bible present a paradigm that is often referred to throughout the Scriptures. In particular, the description of the richness and beauty of the garden lays the foundation for subsequent expressions of the dwelling place of God. This week, we turn our attention to Solomon’s temple, and what we discover is that Solomon’s temple is well founded on the richness and beauty of the garden, especially as it is symbolically transmitted

The opening chapters of the Bible present a paradigm that is often referred to throughout the Scriptures, and the initial dwelling place of Adam and Eve is no exception. The garden of Eden repeatedly resurfaces in varying ways through the story of redemption, and in many instances it is the richness and beauty of the garden that is highlighted. The first reference appears in a surprising context, namely the description of Lot’s decision-making process as he separated from Abr