OTHCC Chapter 36: items 701 - 720

The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church < > All Chapters

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In the book of Job,

- a prose beginning sets the scene. There is a wager in heaven between God and Satan about Job's faithfulness. Job loses livestock, children - everything - and suffers severe poverty and physical and mental torment, yet he refuses to curse God. Read Job 1-2.

- There follows about thirty chapters of poems - Job laments and complains, three friends say that, since God is just, Job must have sinned to experience this evil, and Job argues back, lamenting, complaining, eventually to God himself.

- Suddenly a young man (who is not mentioned anywhere else in the book and who is ignored by Job) interrupts for five chapters.

- Then without warning ''in a whirlwind'' God gives two long speeches and questions Job. Job can give no answer to God.

Then what happens to conclude the book of Job? Job

a.   is restored to abundant physical, material, and mental health.
b.   is restored to some degree of physical, material, and mental health.
c.   is not restored to physical, material, and mental health.

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In English we have the expression, ''the patience of Job,'' which we apply to someone who endures prolonged suffering without complaint. However, that is not an entirely accurate picture of Job's actual behavior in the book of Job. Job does not speak continually - his friends, a young man, and God speak a great deal also - but very roughly speaking, of the 42 chapters in Job, Job

a.   complains in 3 chapters, and is uncomplaining in 39.
b.   complains in 20 chapters, and is uncomplaining in 22.
c.   is uncomplaining in 3 chapters, and complains in 39.

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Job and his friends argue at great length about what his suffering means. Job has just finished speaking. Zophar makes an argument that is typical of those made by Job's friends. Now read Job 11. What is the argument?

a.   ''You are not really suffering because suffering is an illusion and is not real. If you meditate you will feel no pain.''
b.   ''You are suffering because God is punishing you for your sins. Turn your heart back to God and you will get better.''
c.   ''You are suffering but no one will ever know the reason why. Suffering is a mystery that has no reason.''

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Job, along with laments, prayers, and complaints to God, also responds to his three friends. In Job 21, first he says (in effect) ''You have been 'consoling' me by talking in general, about 'man.' But really look at me, and how I am truly suffering!'' Now read all of Job 21. In it Job says something like this:

a.   ''Despite what you say, anybody can see that an evil man does not necessarily suffer.''
b.   ''God punishes the wicked, but I still can not see why I am being punished so severely.''
c.   ''My suffering will end when there are no more differences between what I want and what I have.''

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Read Job 29-30. In this passage Job says that

a.   He has done much good and God will yet relieve his suffering.
b.   He has done much good and yet God does not relieve his suffering.
c.   He is a sinful man but God will yet relieve his suffering.

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Read Job 38:1-7. God's reply to Job is a thoughtful

a.   answer.
b.   joke.
c.   question.

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Read Job 42:7-9. God says that

a.   Job was right and his friends were also right - Job's suffering was not due to his sins.
b.   Job was right and his friends were wrong - Job's suffering was not due to his sins.
c.   Job was wrong and his friends were also wrong - Job's suffering was due to his sins.

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It would be a deep and very serious mistake for a Catholic to think of the book of Job as the last word on the problem of evil and the existence of innocent suffering. The true meaning of the Bible is not an idea or concept but a person, Jesus. [CCC 426] He is God's ''one single Word, his one Utterance in which he expresses himself completely.'' [CCC 102]

No one is ever going to find the true answer to the problems of evil and suffering by studying the book of Job in isolation from the reality of the sacraments and the truth of the New Covenant.

Nonetheless, the book of Job is the true Word of God and a powerful depiction of the problem of evil and the existence of innocent suffering. It has been a source of meditation and study for 2500 years.

However, over the centuries, along with many profound and heart-rending interpretations, Job has also received all kinds of misinterpretations. Its contents have even been twisted so much that its 'meaning' becomes the opposite of what it plainly says. This is usually done not by evil people, but by very well-meaning ones. >>

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A recent example of this is a book written by a Jewish rabbi whose son died of a rare and terrible disease, titled When Bad Things Happen to Good People. For example, Job's God is the all-powerful Creator of all things. Rabbi Kushner simply denies that the book of Job teaches this, in spite of the plain evidence to the contrary right in Job.

Rabbi Kushner's God is no almighty Creator but a ''good'' force within nature, a vague, undefined force so powerless that it is subject to nature's laws. This certainly solves the problem of how a good God could allow evil, but it is no God that either Job or the Catholic Church would recognize.

Please don't misunderstand. This book was a best seller, but it is not typical of Jewish meditation on Job. It is just an example of the hundreds of different historical attempts to find the ''real meaning'' of the book of Job. There are probably hundreds of others yet to come.

We can all profit from studying the book of Job, but we must also remember that God gives Job no direct answer to his questions. The Catholic Church professes with all her heart that the ''answer'' to the questions that Job raises is not an idea or a concept at all, but a person, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, who is fully present to and in union with his one and only Bride and Body, the Catholic Church.

In the Catechism, the Holy Father and bishops in communion with him teach us several very important things about evil and suffering. Read CCC 309-314, and CCC 324. <<

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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

Psalms

>> Proverbs << Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

For a hint before answering this question, read Proverbs, Prov 25:1 and Prov 30:1. According to most scholars, the book of Proverbs is largely

a.   a collection of proverbs.
b.   a collection of collections of proverbs.
c.   random proverbs.

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Read Prov 1:1-6. Many books in the Old Testament emphasize faith, worship, and obedience to the Law. Many scholars think that Proverbs, while not speaking against any of these, instead emphasizes

a.   following one's instincts and trusting in one's personal knowledge.
b.   intelligent mastery of life through understanding and good acts.
c.   taking a critical stance toward the teachings of previous generations.

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Many scholars say that the book of Proverbs contains both proverbs, and ''instruction.'' Both proverbs and instructions, these scholars say, were used widely throughout the ancient near East as methods of educating children. Instruction in Proverbs is similar to an ancient Egyptian wisdom form in which a father gives advice to his son. Read Prov 1:7-16. This is the beginning of

a.   an instruction.
b.   a proverb.
c.   a saying.

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In Proverbs, wisdom (the purpose of the book) is often personified as speaking. The ''simple'' are the uneducated. ''Fools'' are those who lack sense, which includes lacking self-control and motivation. Read Prov 1:20-33. What happens to those who don't pay attention to Wisdom?

a.   All kinds of calamities.
b.   Nothing too bad.
c.   They are often lucky.

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Note: Do NOT restate the incorrect answers to this question. Only the correct answer has meaningful content.

Read Prov 10:1-9 to get a sense of what proverbs are like. Read Prov 22:17. Scholars believes this marks the beginning of another collection, the ''words of the wise.'' So, Prov 10 - 22:16 is one single collection of proverbs, and dedicated scholars have actually counted how many proverbs there are just in this particular collection within the book of Proverbs. How many?

a.   375
b.   675
c.   975

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Read the one verse, Prov 26:4. Now read Prov 26:5, the very next verse. From these two verses we can conclude that the wise person should

a.   answer a fool according to his folly.
b.   carefully consider how to answer a fool.
c.   not answer a fool according to his folly.

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Prov 26:4-5 obviously shows that proverbs were practical wisdom. They crystallized and summarized actual experience, but no one re-wrote them to make them completely consistent with a grand, unified philosophical theory. By the way, this remains true of proverbs. For instance, do many hands make light work, or do too many cooks spoil the broth?

Read Prov 8:22-31, a famous passage in which Wisdom speaks. Prov 9 contrasts two banquets, one set by Wisdom, one by a foolish woman. ''Fear'' of the LORD means faithfulness to him. Read Prov 9:10. This is the heart of the teaching.

Now read all of Prov 9. Some scholars think that the ''foolish woman'' is the temple, worship, and practices of the surrounding peoples (which included ''religious'' sexual practices with temple prostitutes). >>

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The teachings and sayings in Proverbs are meant to help the young learn how to live a good life. Proverbs also warns against practices and ideas that would lead the young toward an evil life. In real life, both good and evil proverbs exist. In real life, there really are ideas, existing right alongside good ideas, that would lead you toward an evil life, if you follow their advice.

Here are some evil proverbs: ''Anything done by two consenting adults is OK.'' ''It doesn't matter whether you receive the sacraments, as long as you're a nice person.'' ''Abortion gives a woman control over her own body.'' ''Marriage is just a piece of paper.'' ''Everybody does it.''

These are some of the ''proverbs'' of the ''surrounding peoples'' of our own day. So don't think that modern man doesn't have his own proverbs. He does - lots and lots of them. By and large, people are probably built to live their lives mostly according to ''proverbs'' - little sayings that are not necessarily consistent with each other, but that encapsulate part of how we act and think.

This is probably why advertising works: successful advertisements are all built on a hidden proverb. Usually, this is ''If you buy this product, you will get what you secretly want.''

The book of Proverbs is correct:

(a) living by evil proverbs will take you farther from Christ.

(b) You have to pay attention and use self-discipline.

(c) It will not be easy!

Evil proverbs are just as prevalent in our day, and you can easily be just as much of a fool as any ancient Israelite.

Try to live by good proverbs, ones that lead you closer to Christ and the sacraments of his Catholic Church. <<

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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

Psalms

Proverbs >> Ecclesiastes << Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

Read Ecclesiastes, Eccl 3:1-8. Many scholars agree that the meaning of this famous poem is

a.   ''Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond your control.''
b.   ''Do not worry excessively because there is time enough for everything.''
c.   ''Even if you feel bad now, rest assured that you will feel better later.''

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''Vanity of vanities'' is the Hebrew way of saying ''the greatest vanity of all.'' Read Eccl 1:1-11. Many scholars agree that the meaning of this passage is

a.   ''Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond your control.''
b.   ''Do not worry excessively because there is time enough for everything.''
c.   ''Even if you feel bad now, rest assured that you will feel better later.''

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Read Eccl 3:10-11. Some scholars consider this the heart of Ecclesiastes's message. What might it mean?

a.   Both good and evil happen in an endless cycle beyond man's control.
b.   Man can see that his life has infinite meaning and value.
c.   There is a reason for man's life on earth, but only God can know it.

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