Job Chapter 6
No Easy Solutions
“It wasn't just the baby that died that day. Something inside Sick Boy was lost and never returned. It seemed like he had no theory with which to explain a moment like this.” - Trainspotting (movie)
In a perfect world, Job wouldn't have to explain sorrow. Job is in a dark place where nothing can reach him. Eliphaz is on the outside. He will never understand. He should at least respect Job's agony. Because of Eliphaz, Job isn't just expressing his grief. He's defending his right to express it. Job's heartache is heavier than the sands of the sea. God's arrows are in him and they are poison. Of course, he bellows. Why shouldn't he bellow?
Two questions.
If their positions had been reversed, would a tragedy-free Job be bullying Eliphaz in the same way that Eliphaz is bullying Job?
What if Job had been guilty? The narrative undercuts Eliphaz with that prologue, but what if Job tried to rip off Griselda Blanco? What if Job went to tanning booths every day? What if Job had invested in NFTs? Would Eliphaz's platitutdes be any less odious?
Eliphaz states that Job should comfort himself since he's always been comforting to others. Yet, did Job truly understand? Was he one of the better companions in mourning who doesn't just say “if you need anything, just ask” but actually anticipates those needs? I'm still grateful to the friend that paid for my laundry after my mom died. Or did Job simply say a few comforting words and move on? Eliphaz wouldn't know the difference.
At this point, Job doesn't know what to do with his pain. He's still wishing that God would kill him. Obviously he can't comfort himself. Eliphaz is supposed to comfort him. Eliphaz is either not interested or capable of comfort. As far as Eliphaz is concerned, Job should just get over it already.
In answer to the second question, Job is correct in saying that a friend owes loyalty to one who falls. Job doesn't protest his innocence. He doesn't argue with the fool designation. Instead he reminds Eliphaz that Eliphaz is supposed to be his friend. Job isn't asking for rescue or ransom. He is asking for basic human sympathy.
This is a basic request, and Eliphaz fails. Sadly, most friends fail. Some of our friends will sympathize and support us in our darkest moments. Many will avoid us. If you still have Jewish acquaintances left after October 7, ask them how they felt to discover that they couldn't trust their oldest friends. Suddenly rape and murder was “heroic resistance” with all the propaganda that conveniently ignored 90% of the history. Even Mia Khalifa was gleeful at the rape and murder of Jews under the rubric of “decolonization.”
Things are truly fucked up when you can't even trust porn stars not to celebrate pogroms.
In a later episode of Mad Men, Don Draper is at a VA event. They take up a collection for one of the veterans who burned down his house. A teenage boy steals the money and when Don confronts him, the kid responds “the stupid drunk burned down his own house.” The boy is operating under the Eliphaz assumptions. Of course, the veteran's friends probably knew that he burned down his own house. They don't care. They see a friend in need and they do what they can. That can mean money, a place to go or just friendship.
“At the sight of my misfortune, you take fright.” (6:21)
It should embarrass Eliphaz that Job understands Eliphaz. Eliphaz sees a friend suffering and recoils. Anguish is hard and feels endless. Whether it comes from clinical depression, death or loneliness, you can't just “snap out of it.” Yet Eliphaz tries to debate Job out of his misery. Eliphaz doesn't care about your feelings, so suck it up. Be a man. Stop making things awkward.
If anything, our culture is worse. We post articles and memes about the definition of “emotionally strong” without saying how to be emotionally strong. According to the memes, “real men” can fix tires and control their emotions. Jordan Peterson makes millions from insecurity. Lobster Boi's transphobia and Social Darwinism are side quests. His real appeal involves telling insecure people (usually men) that they don't have to sit with their feelings and engage in aggressive introspection. Peterson says “Make your bed. Stop being so emotional. Eat meat. You'll stop feeling sad then.” We grow up in a culture that fears tender sentiment so much that this bullshit sounds reasonable.
In Western culture, who doesn't want the easy solution? Eat tofu. Eat meat. Read a self-help book. Read Tarot cards. Discover your astrological chart. Wait for Mercury to come out of retrograde. Believe that the earth is the center of the universe so that Mercury actually is in retrograde. Antidepressants have side effects and delayed results. Take St. John's Wort or heroin instead. Forget about therapy. Join a cult. Let Charles Manson guide you. Give your money to an evangelist. Take those Scientology tests. Believe in Xemu. Date a controlling asshole who makes all of your decisions for you. Turn every painful moment into a joke. Don't be so emotional. Bully others. Rant about immigrants. Rant about Christians. Rant about football. Drink heavily. Crash your car into a pole.
If you don't want to sit with your feelings, find your triggers, accept yourself for all your mistakes or deal with your pain, you have thousands of options. Eliphaz offers up a few. Eliphaz wants Job to accept his sin, stop complaining and wait for all the good things to come.
Job rejects Eliphaz. He's open to correction. He'd be happy if he was wrong. He’s just not buying the easy solutions.
Next week: Job has more to say.
Note: This one was late because I had a freelance writing job. If you’d like to hire me for your writing job, feel free to email me. I charge $25/hour.
Some of my jobs are term papers for lazy college students. If you’d like to prevent academic fraud feel free to buy a copy of King David and the Spiders from Mars or Sugarplum Zombie Motherfuckers.