| 词条 | Draft:The Joy of Job |
| 释义 |
Job was the greatest man in the East when Satan dared the Lord to a contest of sorts. He predicted that, if deprived of his wealth, Job would curse God,[4] an act that would hurl Job into Satan’s domain and ultimate possession. In a mystery that has haunted mankind throughout the ages, the Lord agreed to the pact. Job lost his ten children, his servants, and his vast herds in a series of catastrophes. Eventually, Job lost his health, too.[5] After refusing to curse God, Job’s fortunes were restored and he was given twice what he had before.[6] The book of Job is widely seen as one of the [https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-book-of-job-a-whirlwind-of-confusion/ most problematic][7] and bewildering stories in the Bible[8]. Traditionalists say that Job was a man of unparalleled, genuine piety and [https://www.insight.org/resources/article-library/individual/life-is-difficult-a-lesson-from-the-life-of-job well-deserved prosperity.] But author Maribeth Vander Weele argues that troubling interpretation creates the illusion that God was capricious and unfair in imposing suffering on Job, making God [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/16/misery-3 the least sympathetic character][9] in the story. The Joy of Job uses more than 350 Biblical Scriptures to argue that Job was self-deluded about his level of righteousness and that the Lord turned Job over to Satan to break through his spiritual blinders, to rescue him from a life of evil[10] , and to assist those he victimized through predatory business practices[11]. Investigative tools used to conduct Biblical exegesis include recognizing “throwaway lines,” setting aside the metaview of Job’s righteousness, analyzing witness statements, running a “movie in the mind” of recounted events, detecting character clues, sensing projection, understanding references to mythical third parties as a means to communicate truth[12], and perceiving “off the nose” dialogue[13] that explains the Biblical book’s characterization of Job as righteous. Vander Weele, a corporate investigator and former investigative journalist, proposes that the author of Job intended readers to “test words”[14] to increase discernment. The Joy of Job argues that Job was most devastated by his loss of reputation and prestige,[15] more so than loss of his children, who he never mentions by name. Job was vexed by a group of starving boys who lived among the rocks and taunted him. Job said their bodies were too weak from hunger to be of economic use to him[16] and that he wouldn’t put their fathers with his sheepdogs[17]. Although Job claimed to have been eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, father to the needy,[18] a counselor to the widows since his birth,[19] and a father to the fatherless since his youth,[20] no one person agreed with his self-assessment, Vander Weele argues. In contrast, villagers—the same people who presumably benefitted from his charitable operations—cheered at the fall of this powerful man.[21]Vander Weele makes the case that in various ways, directly and indirectly, all four friends in the book of Job accuse him of one particular type of sin: taking advantage of the vulnerable.[22] The Joy of Job states that in the end, like Ebenezer Scrooge in the Christmas Carol, Job repented[23]. He admitted that he had only heard of God[24] and was reunited with the family[25] of whom he took financial advantage[26]. The man who had devastated widows now ensured that his daughters had financial security[27]. The Joy of Job offers lessons of self-examination, religious pride, spiritual warfare, and discernment in evaluating religious leadership. [https://www.christchurch.us/danmeyerbio The Rev. Dr. Daniel Meyer], a Board Member of Fuller Theological Seminary, and contributor to Christianity Today’s Preaching Today, states, “The Joy of Job makes a remarkable contribution to Biblical studies, theology, and pastoral care. With compelling logic and convincing Biblical exegesis, it presents the case for an alternate viewpoint into the meaning of Job’s journey. The author’s grasp of the anatomy and activity of human pride is enormously relevant to our times. After reading this book, Job makes sense to me in a way it never did before.”[28] The Joy of Job, An Investigator’s Perspective on the Most Righteous Man on Earth |
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