Category Archives: Book of Job

Many people wonder why do innocent people suffer, the Book of Job discusses this idea.  This story is about a man name Job, who is very wealthy man that lives righteously. One day God ask Satan what he thinks of Job’s righteousness.  Satan proposes that Job would curse God if he were to lose al his wealth; so God and Satan agree to test Job.  Satan proceeds to take away Job’s wealth, children, and inflict him with some kind of skin disease.  But Job refuses to curse God. Even his own wife asks him to curse God; she states “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God, and die” (A, 127). Everyone thinks that because something bad happens mean that you should curse God for the situation.  But Job knew better than to curse God.    Job’s friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, states while talking to Job “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you….but he saves the lowly. He delivers the innocent man…” (A,132).   His friend’s letting him know that if you are good to God, he will protect you. Job just has to keep faith.  God doesn’t punish you unless you have done something wrong.

The article,”Chileans in New York Cheers Miners,” by Noah Rosenberg is about the Chileans in New York cheering the survival of their fellow natives as they are being rescued.  These miners have been trap down in the mines for 69 days.  A comedian, Palta Melendez, says “Faith can move mountains, and this mountain was removed by faith” (Rosenberg).  His statement I true, all the miners’ families have to keep faith in order for this miracle to happen.

Rosenberg, Noah. “Chileans in New York Cheers Miners.” The New York Times. 13 October 2010.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/nyregion/13reax.html?ref=todayspaper

The Book of Job/NYT

The Book of Job says, “[t]here was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.(A, 126)” He was rich and happy.  God believed that Job loved and honor him. During meeting between Satan and God, Satan doubted Job’s loyalty by asking, “[d]oes job fear God for nought?(A, 126)”. In other words, Satan meant that it’s easy to be pious if you have such a great life as Job had. After that Job’s troubles started: his sons died, he lost his fortune, and was in a bad state of health.  Job considered himself as innocent and couldn’t understand the reason all the misfortunes happened to him. However, he does not curse God’s name or accuse God of injustice but rather seeks an explanation or an account of his wrong doing. He did keep his faith.

As it’s written in NYT a movie based on true story had been released. “The pursuit of happiness” is an inspiring story of Chris Gardner who is a successful stockbroker.  Back in 1980^th he didn’t have that much luck,” [h]e found himself faced with a curious set of circumstances: single father to a young boy, a barely paid intern-trainee at the brokerage firm Dean Witter, and — suddenly — homeless.”

“Mr. Gardner spent night after night trudging the streets of the crime-ridden Tenderloin district of San Francisco, with all his earthly possessions on his back, diapers shoved under one arm, pushing the stroller with his toddler toward a homeless shelter. When the shelter was full, they slept in the park. Or under Mr. Gardner’s desk. Or sometimes in the public bathroom of a subway station.”

Finally Mr. Gardner got it all: success, currier, money and happiness. Sufferings were first.  Even during these dark moments he didn’t lost his faith and considered hard work and persistence crucial elements.

Same In a Book of Job, he didn’t lost faith, he truly believed. Only in a moment of extreme desperation Job cursed the day he was born.

In the story of Job, the Devil tries to prove to God that his people would not be as loyal to Him while they are suffering true pain. In an attempt to prove himself, the devil puts Job through a series of pain by taking everything away from him. His children, house, clothing…everything were taken away from him. In order for the devil to win, Job must turn away from God and blame God for all the bad things that are going on in his life. Job cursed his life saying “why did I not die at birth, come for from the womb and expire?” (128.25). Job, being faithful, did not turn away from God. He stayed loyal and was rewarded with everything that he previously had plus more.

A story that I picked from New York Times is “Suicides Put Light on Pressures of Gay Teenagers.” In this story a group of teenagers committed suicide after experiencing a series of intense bullying from their peers. The “Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who on Friday called the suicides ‘unnecessary tragedies’ brought on by ‘the trauma of being bullied’” (McKinley par. 6). Unfortunately, unlike Job, the teenagers were not able to stay on their feet. They were taken away from the world. All we can do now is pray for them and their families. We also have to remember to pray for the end of bullying that does not only exist between children, but also teenagers and adults.

McKinley, James. “Suicides Put Light on Pressures of Gay Teenagers.” The New York Times.  4 Oct 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/us/04suicide.html?scp=13&sq=october%204,%202010&st=cse>

The Book of Job narrows the story of a man named Job. In the story Job is a man like no other in earth, irreproachable and honest who devotes his entirely life to serve and does as God says;               “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.” (A, 126)

            Though Job is a blameless man and has never sin, God allows him to suffer and to endure a great deal of sorrows;                         “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and afflicted Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (A, 127) 

 Job knows deep in his heart he has never done anything against God’s will to justify his mistreatment by God. He refuses to believe he has done something wrong to deserve his punishment;            “If I have made gold my trust, or called fine gold my confidence; if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, […] and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; this also should be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I should have been false to God above.” (A, 134)

            Birtukan Mideksa, a leader and activist in Ethiopia, finds herself in a similar position as Job. She is sentenced to life in prison by the authorities of her country, but she refuses to believe and to acknowledge any wrong doing, because she knows deed in her heart she has not done anything wrong and the accusations are untrue;               “She was imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association,” said Michelle Kagari, the organization’s deputy Africa director.” (The New York Times)

               The Associated Press. “Senior Opposition Leader in Ethiopia Is Released From Prison” The New York Times. Web October 6, 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/world/africa/07ethiopia.html?_r=1&ref=africa>

In the book of Job is the story of the ultimate test. Job is a man who contently lives with many blessings and is very righteous with God.  “ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil” (BOJPg.126).  After a talk with Satan, God agrees to allow him to take everything precious to Job away from him to prove that no matter the misfortune bestowed upon him he will not curse God or speak his name in vain. After enduring the heartbreak of losing everything he ever had Job still does not speak poorly of God and for this he is rewarded with gaining everything back. ”I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth” (BOJPg.132/21). The fact that Job does not blame God for his tragedy is similar to the story of one unfortunate woman from Haiti who is mentioned in the New York Times article Haitians Cry in Letters-‘Please-Do Something!’.

The Haitian earthquake was a devastating tragedy that destroyed millions of lives. Those who were lucky enough to survive lost all their belongings and more unfortunately lost their families including spouses and children. In the New York Times article, many homeless Haitians who are living in camps only have hope in writing letters to nongovernment agencies seeking any assistance they can get. One might think that after suffering such a terrible loss a person might easily question and doubt God and his doings. That is not the case with one Haitian woman who lost her husband and her home. In the article she is quoted as saying, “I give glory to God that I am still alive-but I would like to stay that way” (NYT9/19). Similar to Job, she does not curse God for her loss and misfortune but actually praises him for her survival.

An article in the times discusses about the idled NATO supply trucks that were attacked again by the militants and criminals in the border of Pakistan. The truck that contains supplies for the NATO troops in Afghanistan. There have been several attacks and even a driver killed but the truck drivers still move on to deliver the supplies. But now, the trucks have now been stalled for the sixth day on the 5th of October 2010. The Senior Superintendent of police of Islamabad said that, “this is a private business and they have their own security.” No matter how dangerous it is the drivers are still in the effort to deliver the goods and supplies. They do not complain the NATO about the trouble they have bringing the goods. The militants and criminals of Afghanistan are the Satan, similar to the story in the Book of Job.

In the Book of Job, Job is one wealthy and happy man who is truly devoted to God. He has all the things that a human needs in his life: a happy family, wealth, properties and cattle’s and many other things. When Satan asks god to find out how Job’s devotion was, he was allowed to test him. “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” ( 1:11 ). All the wealth that he had was taken away from him, but still he is truly devoted. And Satan said “But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face” (2:5 ). Then he is given illness and still he is devoted to the god the same he was before. “What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”(2:10). i find it be the similar case of the article because the attacker of the trucks (Satan) took away all the goods and supplies and also killed one of the drivers, but they are still in the progress of delivering the supplies.

Job is a righteous man who receives many misfortunes. His wife and friends question why God inflict such misfortune on Job. Eliphaz of Temanite said “Is it any pleasures to the Almighty if you are righteous…” meaning that Job should not always try to be righteous. Job’s friends tries to convince Job to rebel against God like Syrians are rebelling against their government’s ban on certain websites. The New York Times Article “Online Media Taste Free Inside Syria, and It’s Bitter” describes the restriction on the media by the government.  According to the article, “Walk into almost any of the many internet cafes in Damascus, and the manager will show you how to log on to Facebook or other banned sites.”(New York Times P. A18) Similar to how  Job’s friends try to convince Job to rebel against God for his misfortunes, Syrians are rebelling against the government ban by finding ways around the ban.

Due to the existence of rebellious tendencies, there exists some means of silencing those with opinions that don’t match the opinions of those with power. The New York Times states that “A number of bloggers have been arrested for expressing views deemed critical of the Syrian government” thus making the bloggers example of those who criticize the government. Job’s friends were silenced with the descent of God and God saying he can do whatever he wants because he can “send forth lightening” (A, 136) amongst other acts that humans cannot perform. God also states that humans should not try to understand or question his actions.

Online Media Taste Free Inside Syria, and It’s Bitter (September 30, 2010 A6, A18) 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/world/middleeast/30syria.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=online%20media%20taste%20bitter&st=cse

In the Book of Job from the Bible, Job is a wealthy man who praises God and gives him sacrifices to try to save his children. He is tested by Satan to see whether he is really God’s follower, or if he just praises God to keep his riches. The way he suffers is similar to how Marjorie Saint Hilaire suffered in Haiti.

First, Job lost everything. His camels and oxen were taken away, and his sheep were burned. Also, his eldest son’s house fell, killing all his children. Then, “the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.’”(pg127) So Satan filled his skin with sores. Although Job’s been through much trauma, he still does not sin or curse God.

In the NY Times article, Saint Hilaire starts off her letter by giving thanks to everyone concerned and acknowledges the ones who are trying to help solve many of the problems the people of Haiti have since the earthquake. She lost her husband in the quake, and even though Job lost his children, they both lost family members that they cared for. She is still suffering now, along with her children. Even with the lack of food she states, “I give glory to God that I am still alive — but I would like to stay that way!”(NYTimes) She has not cursed God, but she praises him for allowing her to live.

Both Job and Saint Hilaire have lost their family and are suffering though very tough times. They praise God no matter what they went through because they still have their lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/world/americas/20haiti.html?ref=americas

The Book of Job is one of the sections from a Bible’ Old Testament. Job is a rich and successful man “greatest of all people of the east,” who has everything that can make someone happy and thankful (A 126). He owns “seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-asses” (A 126). Also, he has a big family with “seven sons and three daughters” (A 126). He fully trusts God and never does anything against his rules. One day Satan argues with God about Job’s honesty. In addition, he convinces God to give Job some test to prove his point. Then, in one night Job loses his goods and children. However, he still believes in God and his honesty. Even though he becomes seriously sick, his faith stays as strong as before.  Because of all experiences, Job curses the day when he was born “Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth;” however, he doesn’t curse God (A 126). His wife and friends are not powerful enough to change his belief in God. Finally, after many days of suffering God blesses him again and returns all goods and previously lost family members. God “gave Job twice as much as he had before” (A, 139). Also, because of Job’s deep faith God doesn’t punish his friends who stop trusting him. In addition, God gives them a lesson that he is the only one authority who has absolute power and has the right to create things in his own will. No one should seek for a reason about the creation of the world the way it is. In addition, no one should rise against him.

The article “Recalling a Simple Life in Brooklyn” by Dale Russakoff is about an old lady Jessie Singer Sylvester who died about 20 years ago. One of her family member finds a diary where she describes her daily activities. The diary is out of excitements and emotions but it seems to be very interesting because all days are described pretty well. As her family member said “It was this extremely spare, unemotional, very functional, daily record of her life, but I was mesmerized and I saw a real poetry in it. It was precious to me to know that even after all the losses; she continued to find her life meaningful.” Finally, the diary becomes the source of making a movie about ordinary life of the old lady. The film won few awards and become relish word widely.

As I was reading both pieces of writing I found few similarities. Firstly, both literary works are about huge loss. Job loses his seven sons and three daughters. In addition, he loses his all goods including domestic animals. Besides, he suffers from painful sickness. Satan “afflicted Job with loath-some sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (A 127). Similarly, Ms. Sylvester experienced many losses. She was “absorbing one loss after the next — her job of 59 years, her beloved sister, her friends, her sense of security, her sharp mind.”

Secondly, Job and Ms.Sylvester both accept their fortunes silently. Job doesn’t see his bad luck as a punishment. He knows that God gives everything and he can take it away whenever he wants. That’s why even if he curses the day he was born, he never curses to God. Job is a man who loses many things in his life and suffers as a result of it. As a mortal creature he accepts his destiny without a question. Similarly, Ms. Sylvester is a person who doesn’t blame anybody for her loses. She accepts it as a part of her life and a normal event in human life. “It really drives home the point that life is not made up of great big events. It’s an accumulation of little things that happen every day that can make or break you.”

 Finally, Job and Ms. Sylvester both receive a great gift after their experiences. God decides to return everything what he took away from Job “…and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses” (A 139-140). Therefore, he becomes a rich man again. His family is completed with “…seven sons and three daughters” (A 140). Moreover, his animals are back in the fields. Also, “Ms. Sylvester, 22 years after her death, is experiencing a rebirth.” In fact, a movie named “Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn” is made from the story taken from her diary. 

         The Book of Job is a literary work which comes from the Hebrew Bible. Job is the wealthiest man in the village who possesses many farmlands, animals and other properties “he had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants…” (A 126). In addition, he has a wife, seven sons and three daughters. He is very happy and thankful for all the blessings he has from the God. Thus, he “…was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from Evil” (A, 126). Satan claims to God that Job is honest and faithful only because he has everything. However, God disagrees and permits the Evil to test Job’s honesty. So Job loses his children and all wealth; however, he still believes in God. Even if he is seriously ill, he still believes in God. In addition, his wife and friends aren’t able to convince him to curse God. In the end of the story Job suffers a lot and curses the day of his birth but never curses the God. As a reward of his honesty God returns all of Job’s lost properties. Then, the God gives a long speech about his creations. He asks Job “where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (A, 135) which shows how small is a human being in God‘s eyes. Also, God claims that he is the only one who possesses the power to create and control everything and nobody is able to understand his acts. Above quote proves that almighty God holds all the knowledge and power of the world.
            The New York Times article, Slouching Toward Washington, by Maureen Dowd presents her thoughts about creation and modern science. In both readings people are not able to understand many aspects of daily life. For example, in the Book of Job, God keeps many secrets about human creation. Also, he is the only one who decides how to organize life in the earth. Similarly, Maureen Dowd who is a great journalist is asking herself a question about the proof of Darwin’s theory of evolution. She can’t answer how human being is evolved from monkey. To better understand this concept she visited the zoo; however, she still couldn’t find many similarities between Homo sapiens and monkey. She also thinks why doesn’t the monkey that exist today do not become human being few generations later. “Christine O’Donnell doesn’t understand why monkeys can’t turn into people right before her eyes.” In both cases, the answers of creation are inaccessible for human being.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/opinion/26dowd.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=slouching%20washington&st=cse