§ 5. OBJECT OF THE WoBx. The e.u.tbor of the Book of Job, though dealing with historical facts, is scarcely to be termed, in the ordinary sense of the word, an.historian. He is a didactic writer, and comes forward. with a moral and religions object. Placing the complicated problem of human life before him, he sets himself to inquire into a number of its most hidden and abstruse mysteries. Why are some men especially and exceptionally prosperous? Why are others crushed and overwhelmed. with misfortunes? Does God care for men, or does he not ? Is there such a thing as disinterested goodness P What is this life to lead to? Is the grave the end of everything, or is it not ? If God rules the world, does he rule it on the principle of absolute justice P If so, how, when, and where is this justice to appear? Further and deeper issues a.re the questions-Can man be just before God? and can he comprehend God P First and foremost is placed the question-Is there such a thing as disin- terested goodness? This Satan by implication denies (" Doth Job fear God for nonght?" eh. i. 9), and we know how persistently it has been denied by worldly and wicked men, the servants of Satan, ever since. This question is &D.l!lwered by the entire narrative, considered as a history. Job is tried and tested in every possible way, by unexampled misfortunes, by a. most painful and loathsome disease, by the defection of his wife, by the cruel charges of his friends, by the desertion of his relatives, by the insult- 1 ' • The Book of Job.' 'Introduction, pp. 86-48. • Ibid., p. 39. Ibid., P· H. • Froude, •Short Studies on Great Subjects,' vol. i. pp. 295, 296. THE BOOK OF JOB. xvii 1 ing IB,nguage and actions of the rabble (eh. xxx. 1-10); yet he retains his integrity, he remains faithfnl to God, he continnos to place all his hope and trust in the Almighty (eh. xiii. 15; xxxi. 2, 6, 23, 35). A crucial experi- ment has been made, and Job stands the test-there is no reaaon to believe thn.t with any other good and righteous man the result would be different. A secondary position is occupied by the inquiry concerning the grounds upon which prosperity and adversity, happiness and unhappiness, are dis- tributed to men in this life. To this question the three friends have a very short and simple answer-they are distributed by God in exact accordance with men's deserts-" God being just and righteous, temporal prosperity and wretchedness are dealt out by him immediately by his own will to his subjects according to their behaviour." 1 This theory Job strenuously com- bats-he knows that it is not true-in the inmost depth of his consciousness he is certain that he has not provoked the calamities which have fallen upon him by his sins. But if so, how are his sufferings to be accounted for? What other theory of the distribution of temporal good and evil is there ? Can it be that God does not care ? that goodness and wickedness are indifferent to him (eh. ix. 22, 23)? If not, why do so many of the ungodly prosper (eh. xii. 6; xxi. 7-33)? Why is the just, upright man so often oppressed and laughed to scorn (eh. xii. 4)? Job despairs of solving the problem, and is almost driven to question the justice of God. Bat Elihu is brought forward to furnish another and a truer answer, though it may not be a complete one. God sends calamities on good men by way of chastisement, not of punishment; in love, not in anger; to purify and strengthen them, to purge out faults, to "save from the pit" ( eh. xxxiii. 18, 28), to purify them and enlighten them (see the Exposition of eh. xxxiii., introductory paragraph). To teach this is certainly one of the main purposes of the book, and one to which considerable space is devoted. Another purpose which the writer must certainly have had in view was to raise the question concerning man's future destiny. Was death the end of all things ? What was Sheol? and what was the condition of those who dwelt in it? Sheol is mentioned by name no fewer than eight times in the book, 2 and referred to, and to some extent described, in other passa,ges (oh. x. 21, 22; xviii. 18). Job looks upon it as about to become his abode ( eh. xvi i. i3), and even entreats to be sent there ( eh. xiv. 13). He speaks of being kept there secretly for some indefinite time, after which he looks for a·" rene·wal" ( eh. xiv. 13). Moreover, in one passage, where "a clear, bright hope, like a sudden gleam of sunlight between clouds,'' bursts upon him; he expresses his conviction that "in another life, when his skin is wasted off his bones, and the worms have done their work on the prison of bis spirit," he will be allowed to see God his Redeemer-t.o "see him, and have his pleadings heard." 8 A purpose to penetrate, if 1 Froude, • Short Studies on Great Subjects,' vol. i. p. 292.
• Ch. vii; 9: xi. 8: xiv. 13: xvii. 13, 16; xxi. 13; :uiv. 19; xxvi. 6. 1 Froude, • Short Studies on Great Subjects,' vol. i. pp. 309, 312. xviii INTRODUCTION TO