Job Chapter 23

What is G-d? And why is G-d messing with Job?

What does it mean to believe in one G-d?

Monotheism is a relatively new concept. Entire civilizations rose up, prospered and collapsed believing in multiple deities to symbolize the human experience in multiple myths. Inanna humbled Gilgamesh. Aphrodite married Hephaestus but slept with Ares. So is Love stabilizing like metal work or devastating like war? Yes.

With one G-d creating the heavens and the earth as well as orgasms, chocolate and cancer, the stories center on human mistakes and passions. In monotheism, we believe in one G-d and we are arrogant enough to believe that G-d cares about us.

Where is G-d?

That's the main question of this chapter, but the secondary question is “what is G-d?” If you believe in a world beyond this world and you don't have multiple deities, then G-d is a confusing concept that only gets stranger. In Karen Armstrong's A History of God, she traces the history of religious thought within Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Often her depiction is positive. Islamic scholars translated Aristotle into Arabic and this influenced Islam which then influenced Judaism through Maimonides. Within a century, Thomas Aquinas was applying rationalism to Christianity.

Of course, not all influence is positive. The Crusaders murdered thousands, which led to extremism and mysticism. Sefer Chasidim is a mystical book written in the wake of the Second Crusade. For modern readers, the mysticism seems ridiculous with extreme asceticism and warnings against acts that could lead to your house burning down. Yet, the writers saw established Jewish communities wiped out. They knew that they weren't in control, so they desperately searched for anything to give them even the illusion of agency, even wild mystical beliefs.

Job goes through similar contradictory and passionate responses. Within 17 verses, he approaches G-d in three different ways.

1. Righteously demanding answers

2. Frustrated at G-d's apparent absence

3. Terrified

Job runs through these approaches one after another. He knows that he'll be proven innocent. He knows that G-d cannot fault him. He's not going to listen to Eliphaz's guilt bullying. Only he goes east and west, north and south and where is G-d? Come on G-d. Show yourself.

Then almost as if he remembers what he's saying, he actually contemplates what G-d is. G-d can create. G-d killed the dinosaurs and blows up stars and crashes comets into planets. G-d keeps all the blood in the body. G-d makes the volcanoes and the hurricanes. G-d is fucking with Job. G-d could keep fucking with Job.

But he's still going to talk. Job is terrified but he continues. Job might be the bravest character in the Bible.

Sefer Chasidim is online at Sefaria, so if you’re curious, feel free to read it.

Yom Kippur is coming up and Tzeddaka mitigates the harsh decree. Speaking of which, I’m having problems paying my rent so if you could help out, I’d appreciate it.

For more discussions of Jewish history and the Bible, I published a biography of Rashi.

Job Chapter 22 ———————— Job Chapter 24