In the book of Job we are presented with a fictional character set into afictional situation which is then presented as a test case of ancient Jewish wisdom ideology as presented in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. It has become a popular belief that Job was tested by God, in that God was allowing bad things to happen unjustly to Job as a means of testing the loyalty of Job under hard conditions. We are told right off the bat that Job was one of the most righteous men of hisday, and that God was well pleased with Job. Job's favor with God isdemonstrated according to the prevailing standards of ancient Hebrew wisdom ideology (inotherwords he was rich because he was righteous). The 'accuser' then comes ontothe scene and insists that Job is only righteous 'because he is rich.' Takeaway his riches and he would curse God. God agrees to allow the accuser tostrike out at Job.

     It is this establishing of the premise of the book thatpeople have seized upon to interpret the book of Job as 'about testing'. Thisis to completely miss the point of what follows. Indeed, by showing Godconsenting to disaster upon Job, at the very beginning of the book the author isbringing into question the fundamental premise of wisdom ideology-that life isordered and understandable and predictable. No reason is given for God'sdecision to allow disaster to happen to Job. This is the point. It is 'amystery,' and as such an initial blow is struck at the prevailing ideology ofthe day, which held that all is understandable, the God is knowable and revealedin human history, that the universe is governed by immutable laws of cosmicwisdom, that everything happens for a reason and as such, proverbial slogans canbe created out of everything that happens, because everything that happens is anexpression of the will and active intervention of God.

     Well, everything, thatis except what happened to Job. For as wisdom ideology had it, "bad thingsnever happen to good people." This was a given, one of the immutable cosmiclaws of divine wisdom as ordained by God. To question this premise was to bringinto question the entire superstructure of wisdom ideology built upon thesedogmatic foundations.

     With the scene thus set, and the mysterious question left hanging in theair, Job is struck down, and his home is destroyed by a whirlwind and fire, allhis animals, possessions, and his entire family except his wife are killed.

"The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants." "A whirlwind came and struck the house and killed your sons and daughters." (Job Chapter 1 verses 16, 19)

     Once again, the choice of this device is a deliberateattack on wisdom ideology. For,

"What the wicked dreads will overtake them, butthe desires of the righteous will be fulfilled. When the whirlwind sweeps bythe house of the wicked is destroyed, but the righteous are firmly establishedforever." (Proverbs Chapter 10 verse 24)

     For,

"the curse of God falls upon the house of thewicked, but he blesses the house of the just." "The wicked areoverthrown, but the house of the righteous will stand." "The house of the wicked man is overthrown, but the house of the upright will flourish." "God destroys the house of the arrogant." "Godconsiders the house of the wicked man, and overthrows it because of theirwickedness." "No serious trouble will come upon the righteous,but the wicked will be filled with evil."
(Proverbs Chapter 3 verse 33; Proverbs Chapter 12 verse 27; Proverbs Chapter 14 verse 11; Proverbs Chapter 15 verse 25; Proverbs Chapter 21 verse 21)

     Job was cut to the heart by the disaster he had suffered, and his complaintshows that he himself had absorbed the banalities of the wisdom ideology of theday. He sat upon an ash heap, bitterly complaining that he had done right, sowhy then did evil come upon him? Is it not unjust that bad things should happento good people, he cried, and was he himself not good, as judged by thestandards of the day? For, as the wisdom tradition taught, evil alwaysovertakes the evildoer, but nothing but good comes to the righteous. The wickedare pursued by bad luck, but good luck is portion of the righteous. It is Jobscomplaint that he has lived a righteous life, and thus does not deserve tosuffer.

     Soon Job's dogmatic friends show up beside the ash heap, hear his complaintand begin to respond with dogmatic sloganeering taken directly from the wisdomtradition.

"Has an innocent person ever perished? Since when have the good andupright ever been destroyed? This is what I have seen, that thewicked plough mischief and reap trouble. Then they perish at the blast of Godand shrivel before his nostrils. Call, Job, if you wish. To whomamong the Holy Ones will you turn for help. Fools are destroyed by their ownanger. How many times have I seen it before, fools uprooted with their homes left inutter ruin, their children dead, they themselves browbeaten with no one todefend them, their great riches snatched away from them. Happy are those whomGod rebukes. Do not reject the Almighty's discipline. We haveinquired into these things and we know that they are true."
(Job Chapter 4 verse 7; Job Chapter 5 verses 2, 17, 27)

     Job continues his complaint, adding,

"is not devotion due from friends? But my friends have been deceptive as a torrent. Just so unreliable have younow been to me. Tell me plainly and I will listen quietly. Show me where Ihave been wrong. How harsh are your words, you who call yourself 'righteous'. But what do your useless arguments prove? Do you mean to argue about merewords? Surely you are just windbags. Would you even attack a poor orphan? Think again and let me hear no more of your injustice. Is it not true that thelife of every mortal is hard service, like a hired laborer, a servant never paidand kept waiting for his wages?"
(Job Chapter 6 verses 14, 21, 24)

     Job's friends reply again, with wisdom sloganeering.

"How long will you goon talking like this, with the rambling ravings of an old man. Does God pervertjustice? Your sons sinned against him and he treated them as they deserved. If you are indeed as righteous as you claim then call on God, and hewill answer you. Consider the experience of our forefathers. Willthey not teach you and pour out the wisdom of their minds? Such isthe fate of all who forget God. Their life is cutoff and their confidence comesto nothing. His house does not stand. It is uprooted from its placeand another plant springs up from the earth. Be sure of this, God neverspurns an innocent man, but turns against the evildoer. " (Job Chapter 8 verse 1)

      Job responds with an attack on the ideological premise of the wisdomtradition.

"God strikes at me for no reason. God rains blows on me without acause. Though I am in the right God condemns me. Therefore, I do declare, thatGod actually destroys the innocent with the wicked. When a sudden flood comesGod mocks at the fate of the innocent. God delivers countries into the hands ofthe wicked, and blindfolds the judges. Let God leave me alone, that I may behappy for a moment, before I depart into the land of gloom." (Job Chapter 9 verse 17; Job Chapter 10 verse 20)

     Each point Job makes consists of a direct attack on the slogans of the wisdom tradition. His outraged friends respond.

"Is this chatter to go unanswered. When you speakblasphemy, is no one to take you to task? If only God would speak and expoundto you the secrets of wisdom, for marvelous are its achievements. God hastreated you less severely than your sins deserve. God knows those who arefalse, and when he sees your sin must he not take note of it? If onlyyou had lived a decent life, and spread out your hands in prayer. Any sin youhave at hand, thrust it away, and do not let sin make a home with you. Then youwill be able to hold your head high. " (Job Chapter 11 verses 2, 11)

     Job replies.

"Oh surely you are the wise people and wisdom will perishwith you. Am I not at least as intelligent as you are? Are you any better thananyone else? Those at ease look down their noses at the misfortune of others,while those who provoke God live safe and sound. What you know, I also know,and I am in no way inferior to you. Go on smearing truth with your falsehoods,everyone of you stitching together a patchwork of lies. If only you would shutyour mouths and let silence be your wisdom. Is it on God's behalf that youspeak so wickedly, in the defense of God that you say what is false? Must you playthe advocate for God and plead God's case? Will all go well with you if Godexamined you? Will you escape is you take God's part by falsely accusingothers? Your moralizing chatter is just so much dross, and your argumentscrumble like clay. Keep quiet and let me speak, and let whatever will happen tome come to pass." (Job Chapter 12 verse 1; Job Chapter 13 verse 2)

     His friends continue to press home the attack in defense of wisdom orthodoxy. They reply;

"Would a sensible person chatter like such a windbag? You even blaspheme God! Your sin dictates what you say, and lies are yourchosen language. Do you listen to God's council or do you think yourself wise? I shall tell you, what has been handed down from our ancestors, by wise men. The wicked are afflicted all their days. He knows that hisdestruction is certain. Ruinous destruction comes upon him in aninstant. His house will lie deserted. The homes of the wicked burndown and are destroyed by fire. " (Job Chapter 15 verses 1, 17)

     Job's reply.

"I have heard this type of chatter so many times before. Youare all nothing but troublemakers! Change places with me and I will talk likeyou do. How I could harangue you and wag my head at you. But no, I would speakwords of encouragement to you and my sympathy would be unrestrained. My friendsweary me with their gloating. They step forward to deliver evidence against me. These liars testify against me to my face. They tear at me and assault meangrily. They slap my face. They taunt me. They are all in league against me. God has tossed me into the hands of evildoers. I am held up for ridicule as abyword and a curse in the land. Good people are bewildered at the sight of me. At my downfall the innocent are indignant. So come one, come all, and tryagain. I will not find a single wise person among you." (Job Chapter 16 verse 1; Job Chapter 17 verse 6)

     His dogmatic friends reply.

"How soon before you will shut up? Show somesense and we can talk. No! It is the evildoer whose lamp goes out. He rushes headlong into a net, his feet are ensnared, a trap lies waiting forhis feet. Such is the fate of evildoers." (Job Chapter 18 verse 1)

     Job replies.

"How long will you cause me to suffer and crush me with yourwords? You have already insulted me a dozen times. If I had indeed sinned thesin would be mine alone. Will you indeed claim to excel me and put forward mydisgrace as an argument against me? Pity me, pity me, my friends. Must youpursue me as God pursues me? Have you not sunk your teeth into me long enough? How my heart sank within me when you said, 'what a disaster has befallen him andhe himself was the cause.'" (Job Chapter 19 verses 1, 21, 27)

     His friends reply.

"I have heard words that outrage me, but a holy spiritof understanding gives me the answers. Surely you know that since time began,since the foundation of the world, that this has been true: a wicked person isshort lived. His sons will become poor, his children will be forced to give backhis wealth. Such is God's portion for the wicked, the God-ordainedportion for the rebels." (Job Chapter 20 verses 1, 10)

     Job replies.

"Why do the wicked live on to a ripe old age, great andpowerful? I know what you are thinking and the arguments you are making againstme. You are thinking, "where is the great man's house now, what has become ofthe dwelling of that wicked man?" Yet when the wicked man goes to the grave thewhole world escorts him, and thousands weep over his tomb. How false youranswers ring." (Job Chapter 21 verses 7, 27, 32)

     His friends reply.

"Does God punish you for your holiness? No! It isbecause of your own great wickedness and because your depravity has gone beyondall bounds. Without cause you exact pledges. You gave the weary nowater to drink. You withheld bread from the starving. You havepersecuted widows and orphans. No wonder this disaster has happened toyou. Yet you say, 'what can God know?' Consider the disasters that happen tothe wicked. It was God who filled the home of the wicked with riches, eventhough their purposes were different. The righteous see their downfall andexult. The innocent torment them and make sport of them. For their riches areswept away and their wealth destroyed. Take God's discipline to heart and makeamends. Be sincere. Then you will be saved." (Job Chapter 22 verse 1)

     Keep in mind that a fundamental tenet of the wisdom tradition was that Godwas 'revealed' in his actions in human history. This 'revelation' was afundamental tenet of the developing tradition of the day, the foundation of thesystem of laws as well as the proverbial sloganeering of the wisdom traditionand the theological 'history' books written from this perspective. Job launches an attack on this fundamental premise, that wisdom is revealed in history, and that all is under the control of God, and everything is exactly as God ordained, that the justice of God can be seen in everything that exists. Job stated,

"If only I knew how to find God, how to enter God's court. If I look east, Godis not there; turn west and I cannot find God; in the north and I discovernothing; turn south and God cannot be seen. I have done good but evil overtakesme. I am reduced to silence by the darkness or by the mystery which confrontsme. The wicked steal, they drive off the orphan's donkey and take away thewidow's oxen. They snatch infants from the breast. They shove the poor out ofthe way, and the destitute of the land are forced into hiding. The poor riseearly and scour the earth for a living, and though they labor till nightfall,their children starve. Naked they shiver in the chill of the night. Drenchedby rainstorms they hide under rocks, their only shelter. They tread thewinepress, while their own tongues are parched with thirst. They groan toheaven, but God remains deaf to their prayers."
(Job Chapter 23 verses1, 8, 17; Job Chapter 24 verse 1)

     Job continues with a direct attack on the proverbs tradition (the italics are mine):

"What a worthless help you have been to the helpless. Whatuseless counsel you offer to those without wisdom. What sound advice to thesimple. Who has prompted you to utter such stupid words and whose spirit isexpressed in your sayings? No lie shall pass my lips. Far be if from me to saythat you are right. I will not stop proclaiming my innocence. If you have seenall these things then why do you answer me with such worthless and emptychatter? People know where to mine gold, but where can wisdom be found? No oneknows the way to it. It is not found in the land of the living. Where thendoes wisdom come from? No one on earth sets sight upon it. God aloneunderstands. If only I could go back to the old days. Whoever heard of mespoke favorably of me. But now I have become the target of everyone's taunts;my name has become a byword and a curse among them. They hate me, they shun me,they dare to even spit in my face. They run wild and savage me; at the sight ofme they throw off all restraint. On my right flank they attack in a mob; theylay siege and tear down my crumbling defenses. They attack in wave after wave. Terror after terror overwhelms me. I call out to God but get no answer. Yet Ilived a righteous life. If I had done evil then let ruin overtake me."
(Job Chapter 26 verse 1;Job Chapter 27 verses 4, 12; Job Chapter 28 verses 1, 12, 20; Job Chapter 29 verses 1, 11; Job Chapter 30 verses 9, 20, 24; Job Chapter 31 verse 1)

     Job's three 'wise' friends then gave up answering him, for Job continued toinsist on his innocence.

      A discussion of the conflation of sources within the book of Job iscomplex. The book was edited repeatedly in stages, before coming to its finalform. In its original form the book probably consisted of dialogues on thewisdom tradition. The introduction seems to have been a later addition, andserved to strengthen the premise of the book. Chapters 33 to 37 are also alater interpolation. They are reactionary in nature and out of context with thepreceding subject matter of the book. A character named 'Elihu' shows upfilled with great anger, determined to show that Job is an evildoer and thewisdom tradition indeed stands firm. To those who confronted Job, he says,

"I shall not string words together like you or answer him the way that you have. Are you confounded and struck for an answer?" (Proverbs Chapter 32 verse 14)

     After promising not to make the same arguments, Elihu then proceeds to makethe same arguments. (In otherwords, this section is a later interpolation, andhighly reactionary in nature, and was intended to undermine the premise of thebook.)

"Was there ever an evil man like Job, with his blasphemous talk and hischoosing of bad company, a fellow traveler with wicked men? God gives everyonethe reward they deserve. He strikes down the powerful because they have notobeyed him. He defends the poor from their might. Job is a sinner and a rebelagainst God. When the poor cry out to God, God does not answer, because theyare so proud and wicked. God does not listen. God takes no notice. Job is awindbag and he babbles nonsense. God does not let the wicked prosper. God setsthe noble on the thrones of kings, upon exalted seats. If you see them infetters, it is because God has struck them down. He directs them back fromtheir evil conduct. Have you not accepted bribes or been led astray by wine, sothat you have warped judgment? It is because of this kind of evil, Job, thatyou are being tried by adversity." (Job Chapters 32 through Job Chapter 37)

     This sort of argument is no different that the types of things thatpreceded it, but it is inserted in context as 'an answer to Job,' and 'unlikethe previous answer,' and has been placed near the end (a later editorialinsertion) as an attempt at 'concluding the book'. It is reactionary in nature. Form follows function. The function of this ridiculous interpolation is toattempt to salvage the wisdom tradition from the attack made against it inprevious chapters, but all this section does is recycle what came before. Itcan only be construed as 'the final word' by its positioning towards the end ofthe book. The function has defined the form of the insertion, form followingfunction, and this explains how this part of the manuscript came to its presentform.

     In this sense the conclusion of the book of Job can be considered the 'realtest of the wisdom tradition' for all readers. You cannot judge a manuscript,any manuscript, by its location (it is in the Bible, or, it is in the book ofJob) so it is consistent, true, and 'inspired'. Similar contradictory nonsensecan be found inserted into the books of certain prophets. For instance Isaiahcan be found insisting on animal sacrifices, new moons, and Sabbaths. Comparethese sections with chapter one, for example, and 'be confused'. You can also'be confused' by this last speech in the book of Job, which claims to be 'sodifferent than the other speeches' made against Job, but is merely the samechatter recycled and inserted as 'the last word'. So you can see (if you indeedcan see) that the book on the wisdom tradition concludes with a TRUE test ofwisdom. Whenever you encounter these 'contradictory' passages, which seem 'soconfusing', whether the contradictions are in the form of fact or ideology, thisis an indication of a conflation of sources. Keep in mind that the priests were the final editors and keepers of Biblical manuscripts. Elihu was a device to give the last word to the priesthood. Keep this in mind if you arereading the Bible and find yourself 'confused' by certain puzzling passages in,say, Job or Isaiah or Ezekiel.

     Job, himself, had been a prisoner of the ideology of his day. Although herecognized that the ideological premise of the wisdom tradition was flawed, hecontinued to insist on being rewarded according to the standards of thetradition he had rejected. He had done good and deserved good, for surely evilthings should never happen to good people. And Job has done good. Chapters 38to 41 consist of God's reply to Job. The message Job receives can be summarizedas follows: "Where were you when the foundations of the earth were laid?" Whatdo you know, and what do you really understand. The solution to Job's problemis humility when faced with mystery, and above all faith. The divine ordercannot really be understood, despite what the wisdom tradition claimed. Thetradition was oversimplified and too dogmatic. It is not possible to describeGod using such simplistic dogma. Through humility and faith Job was rescuedfrom the hollowness of the wisdom tradition.

     It is this formulaic reductionism that informs both the history books andthe ideology of reward and punishment that informs the book of Deuteronomy. Job's friends present the arguments of the wisdom tradition and defend theorthodox religious ideology of the day. Job is the despairing critic, as wellas victim of the excesses of such simplistic sloganeering, such reduction oflife and the mystery of God to facile proverbial slogans. However Job himselfcan be seen to be thinking within the lines of the wisdom ideology, untilthe end of the book, when he learns to live with uncertainty, faith replacingwisdom.

     The book concludes with a polemic against religious orthodoxy. Godconfronts Job's friends.

"My anger burns against you and your two friends,because, unlike my servant Job, you have not told the truth about God." (Job Chapter 42 verse 1)

     Once again you can make note of the internal inconsistencies present in themanuscript if you compare God's defense of Job with Elihu's (so called) 'answer' and condemnation of Job (he has lied about God and his punishment was the result of his evil pastconduct. Lesson reiterated!)