Essay on The Holy Bible - Suffering and The Book of Job

Suffering and The Book of Job Life is difficult. Suffering...is not an exception to the human condition, it is the human condition (Gomes 405). The question of why life can be unjustly cruel is asked today and has been asked since the beginning of time. And where is God in the midst of hardship? Is He non-existent, as the pagan statement, Its Chance alone that moves and rules our lives implies (Neiman 442). Or is God only partially in control of situations, as Harold Kushner concludes, writing, there are some things God does not control (462). Is all suffering a direct result of our own actions, as David Neiman offers (He who is suffering and believes in a God of justice, must also blame himself for†¦show more content†¦Job, a righteous man devastated beyond imagination, cries out to God in a way many can identify with. He expresses his anger toward God (10:8), feels separated from God (13:24), and demands an answer form God (10:2). However, the reader can observe Jobs struggle with his righteousness. He claims his innocence and even presents to God specific deeds he has done throughout his life (29:1-25). But then he constantly comes back to the same question: But how can a man be just before God? (9:2). This pr ofound question is crucial to our understanding of our relationship to God and our acceptance of His will. As good as Job is, when he sees himself in the light of Gods perfection, he realizes that he is just as wretched as the next guy. God owes him nothing. Gods very first words to Job, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (38:2) speak clearly to all people. The problem of mans existence is that he does not know what is going on in the universe beyond the veil of mystery, and is unaware of the workings of God (Neiman 443). God has a perfect understanding of justice, an omniscience that we cannot fathom, and, as Biblical history has shown, God has perhaps used people unfairly to accomplish his will. For believing Christians, God performed the most unfair act of all by allowing Christ, His son, to be mocked, tortured, andShow MoreRelatedSatan in Paradaise Lost and Dantes Inferno1138 Words   |  5 Pages After God created the Earth and mankind, all was right in the Holy kingdom. That is until, a friend, the bearer of light, the morning star fell in battle and ultimately in darkness. This fateful battle made true everything we know and live now. Milton and Dante play on this every concept in two very d ifferent ways, for Milton a cunning reflection of man and for Dante an animalisitic dunce. 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