Bible with Brandi Week 38 – Job, chapters 8-10

We pick up this week’s reading of Job in the midst of what Dallas Willard calls “deep transformation.” His previous faith was what Dallas Willard describes as “genuine, [but] … essentially superstitious and relie[d] heavily on ritual, for [Job] believe[d] that [he] must get everything just right to reap the benefits.” (Life Without Lack, p. 102) But now Job is desperate, and his faith is evolving from trust in his own self to trust in the One who made him.

It is not an easy evolution. In fact, it is super messy. Job defends himself against the accusations of his friends, but even more so against his idea of God. “For He crushes me with tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.” (Job 9:17–18)

These words are not an accurate depiction of God…but rather a depiction of Job’s evolving theology of God influenced by suffering. Job is trying to make sense of what has happened to him, and because he cannot reconcile his circumstances with what he believes about God, his understanding of God begins to change.

That is the theological crisis happening beneath Job’s words. And yet, even in the middle of this crisis, Job keeps talking to God. That matters. Job does not walk away. He does not decide that God doesn’t exist. He does not abandon his faith because he cannot understand what God is doing. He argues. He questions. He grieves. He complains. He cries out. But he keeps turning toward God. Willard says, “Job maintained his faith throughout his excruciatingly difficult trials, yet that faith was transformed.” (Life Without Lack, p. 100).

I love that distinction. His faith was transformed, not broken. Job’s faith was being stretched. Not because God had abandoned him, but because Job’s understanding of God needed to become bigger.