Job’s Dark Night of Senses and Soul
October 2, 2024 - Wednesday, Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Job 9:1-12, 14-16
Three friends come to visit Job "to show him sympathy and comfort him" (Job 2:11): Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. At first, they are sympathetic, but after listening to Job's complaints, they begin to criticize their suffering friend. The first to speak is Eliphaz. He suggests that Job has brought this suffering upon himself (see Job 4:7-9) and that he should view it as a tool that God uses to discipline him (see Job 5:17-26). Job does not accept Eliphaz's arguments. Then Bildad enters the scene. Bildad sees suffering as a consequence of sin, so he assumes that Job must have committed a sin. He advises his suffering friend to ask the Lord for mercy and forgiveness (see Job 8:1-22). Today's excerpts from the Book of Job are part of Job's response to Bildad's arguments.
At the end of his speech, Bildad says that "God will not reject a blameless man" (Job 8:20). Job seems to know this as well, but his problem is different. Job claims he is blameless, but he does not know how to prove his innocence before God: "How can a man be in the right before God?" (Job 9:2). Job's claim reminds me of Paul's similar claim before his encounter with the risen Christ. Paul considered himself blameless "as to righteousness under the law" (Phil 3:6). However, this blamelessness did not prevent him from persecuting other Jews who came to believe that Jesus was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. The realization of this contradiction led him—after his conversion—to write the famous statement that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23).
Of course, Job is more like Christ than Paul. The author introduces him as God's servant and unique: "There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil" (Job 1:8). Throughout the entire book, Job holds on to this description, rejecting any suggestion that he could have committed any sin. But it is precisely this portrayal of Job that challenges the popular view held by Bildad that suffering is a consequence of sin. So, why does a blameless and upright man suffer? Or, as we put it: why do bad things happen to good people?
Job's speech highlights not only God's creative power but also His spiritual attributes. The One who created everything cannot be seen. This is the core of Old Testament faith. After all, God is Spirit (see John 4:24). Job says, "Should he come near me, I see him not; should he pass by, I am not aware of him" (Job 9:11). But as we move to the New Testament, things change. The invisible God made Himself visible in His Son, Jesus Christ. Saint John writes: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it" (1 John 1:1-2).
Our excerpts from the Book of Job end with a statement that reveals Job's "crisis of faith": "If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice" (Job 9:16). This verse captures the raw emotion of someone who feels abandoned and unheard by God. Overwhelmed by inexplicable suffering, Job expresses his doubts and despair. Job passes through a deep dark night of senses and soul, but this experience is going to lead to a profound encounter with God.