Job 9 · The Lantern

Job: How Can I Contend with God?

And Job answered and said:

"Then Job answered, 'Indeed I know that this is so, and that a mortal formed by God will not be justified.' " He asserts that he does not agree entirely with Bildad's judgment but only with a part of it. In fact, Bildad had maintained that God, who is equally endowed with justice and power, opposes the impious and supports the righteous. The holy Job agrees that this is true.

Blessed Job in his answer above in which he had responded to Eliphaz's words, seemed to have overlooked one argument which Eliphaz had proposed about the justice of God when he said, "Will man ever be justified in comparison with God?" (4:17) He rather seemed to have spoken almost contentiously with God when he said, "Am I the Sea or a whale, etc." (7:12) and "How long will you…

Truly I know that it is so. And how can a mortal be righteous with God?

If one desired to contend with him, he could not answer him one of a thousand.

"He is wise in mind, mighty and strong," with good reason. Indeed, since God is wise, his benefits are countless. But if you do not believe, O mortal, let us bring our reflection to its conclusion. If he pronounces one thousand words, we cannot answer a single one. These are wise words.

If thou wilt contend with Him, thou shalt not be able to answer Him one of a thousand. In Holy Scripture, the number a thousand is wont to be taken for totality.

He consequently shows a sign of how he knows this. When a man is just in comparison to another man, he can freely and securely argue with him, because justice and truth are made clear in mutual discussion. However, no man is secure when he argues with God. So he adds, "If anyone will wish to argue with him," i.e.

Wise of heart and mighty in strength — who has hardened himself against him and remained whole?

Who moves mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger;

"He removes mountains," Job says, "and they do not know it." The mountains, he says, and they do not notice it. And this is in perfect accordance with what David said: "He touches the mountains, and they smoke." In this passage he speaks about the power of God by stating that God can do anything through his avenging power.

Which removed the mountains, and they knew not whom He overturned in His anger. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION Oftentimes in Holy Writ by the title of 'mountains,' the loftiness of Preachers is set forth. Of whom it is said by the Psalmist, The mountains shall receive peace for Thy people.

Then he shows that the power of God exceeds all the power of natural things as much in higher as in lower bodies. He shows this in the lower bodies from the fact that he moves those things which seem especially firm and stable among lower things by his will.

who shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars shudder;

who speaks to the sun, and it does not rise, and seals up the stars;

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and shutteth up the stars as under a seal. Now sometimes in Holy Writ by the title of 'sun,' we have the brightness of the Preachers represented, as it is said by John, And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.

Here the author is probably speaking about what happened in Egypt for three days, or about what happens sometimes to the stars that become hidden. Perhaps he is alluding to what occurred at the beginning: God kept the light close to him, as though it was in a bag.

Finally, he proceeds to the heavenly bodies, which also result from divine power. Consider that as the nature of the earth is to be unmoved and at rest, so the nature of the heavens is constant motion.

who alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the high places of the Sea;

who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

who does great things beyond searching out, and wonders beyond number.

Whoever is great necessarily does great things. But the one who does great things is not necessarily great. The disciples who did great things received their ability from God. Taking an example from the human realm, I want to say that the grammarian writes correctly; but not everyone who writes correctly does so because of studies in grammar.

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. For then we more thoroughly compass the deeds of Divine Might, when we acknowledge that we can never compass them; we then speak with greater eloquence, when we are silent on these, being struck dumb with astonishment.

Lest someone should believe that divine wisdom has manifested itself only in the things just explained, he shows next that God made many other similar things which cannot be numbered by us saying, "He makes great things," in which the wisdom of God appears praiseworthy from the uniformity of their great size.

Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, and I do not perceive him.

Look, he snatches away — who can turn him back? Who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

God does not turn back his anger; beneath him the helpers of Rahab bowed down.

How much less should I answer him, choose my words with him?

For though I were righteous, I could not answer; I would plead with my accuser for mercy.

If I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice —

he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for nothing;

These words mean two different things, either that Job had not sinned, even though he was, nevertheless, undergoing a punishment; or that Christ, as if he were guilty of sin, would have suffered resolutely the temptation of blameless passions.

For He shall break me with a tempest. In every case that sinner is 'broken with a tempest,' who seemed to be stablished in tranquillity, in that the man whom the long-suffering Above bears with for long, the last strict Judgment destroys.

He shows why he does not believe he is heard when he says, "For in the storm, he will wear me away." As is his custom, he now explains what he has said metaphorically saying, "and even multiply wounds without cause." To wear away is to multiply wounds, i.e. trials.

who does not let me get my breath back, but fills me with bitterness.

If it is a matter of strength — look, he is mighty. And if of judgment — who will summon me?

Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me crooked.

"If I think I have attained purity in my actions, I will be proved perverse in my words. If I am found blameless in my words, I will be reproached for my actions." In the same manner, if one is righteous in his actions and proclaims that loudly with ostentatious words, his mouth commits impiety, because he has fallen into pride, a pride appropriate to the betrayer, the real imp…

If I desire to justify myself; mine own, mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. As if it were in plain words; 'Why should I speak about others, when I cannot bear testimony concerning myself?' But whereas thou art not competent to witness to thine own innocency, dost thou know the fact that thou art innocent?

Sometimes, however, although a man has no other witnesses to speak in his behalf, he is still confident in his case because he trusts in the testimony of his own conscience. Yet even the witness of conscience cannot prevail for men against the contrary accusation of God. He shows this in several degrees.

I am blameless. I do not know myself. I reject my life.

It is all one; therefore I say: the blameless and the wicked he brings to an end.

If a scourge kills suddenly, he mocks at the despair of the innocent.

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges. If not — then who?

"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked." With regard to the context of the passage, Job seems to state that his earthly part, that is, his body, is given to torments and vexations. The permission to afflict it is granted to the impious. Therefore, it certainly happens that those who see cannot express a fair judgment on the merits of the one who is afflicted.

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covereth the faces of the judges thereof. For what is denoted by the designation of 'the earth,' saving the flesh? who by the title of 'the wicked,' save the devil? The 'hands' of this wicked one were they, who were the aggressors in the death of our Redeemer.

If it is unfitting that the punishments of the innocent please God in themselves and yet the innocent are frequently found to be punished on earth, another conclusion which is equally unfitting seems to follow, i.e. that punishments of that sort do not proceed from divine judgment, but from the malice of some evil ruler who has power over the earth and punishes the innocent.

And my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.

The swift runner does not appear to touch the ground; he appears as though he has wings. [Job says], " 'My life is swifter than a runner.' I look at what is above. 'I do not run aimlessly.' I do not touch the ground." Because they want to reach the finish line, the righteous keep on running, even when they run into obstacles.

Now my days are swifter than a post: they are fled away, they have seen no good. For the business of a post is to tell what is coming after; and so all of the Elect that were born before the coming of the Redeemer, in that either by mode of life only, or by word of mouth likewise, they bore tidings of Him, were like a kind of post in the world.

To investigate the reason why the innocent are punished in this world, he first proposes the harm which he has experienced in the loss of his goods, and shows the fickleness of the present prosperity using a simile with those things which appear most fleeting in this world. Note first that different people have different relationships to the prosperity of this world.

They pass by like boats of reed, like an eagle swooping on food.

If I say, “I will forget my complaint; I will leave off my face and be cheerful,”

I dread all my pains; I know that you will not hold me innocent.

I was afraid of all my works, knowing that Thou wouldest not spare me, when guilty of transgression. What were the works that blessed Job practised, the text of this sacred history makes plain.

Anyone who wishes to obtain advantages from his studies should be holy and should work for a life that is reverent, pure, religious, and edifying. Now the reverent life of the saints consists in this, that in anything they do, they be always in a state of fear, whether going to Mass or to table, whether walking or standing still, for in anything there is a possibility of sin.

He then expresses the cause of his pain saying, "I was anxious about everything I did." For the cause of pain is great for someone when he has great anxiety about some one thing and yet he falls in the very thing he tries to avoid. However, he experiences great anxiety about everything he does fearing lest he will fall away from justice in some way.

I shall be counted guilty — why then should I labor for a breath?

"If I am ungodly, why have I not died?" You see how he does not deny being a sinner. "Why have I not died?" he says. This is not the expression of a man who accuses but who searches.

But if even so I be wicked, why, then, have I laboured in vain? For if we be examined pity set aside, our work which we look to have recompensed with a reward is deserving of punishment. 'Therefore the holy man shrinking under secret judgment, says, But if even so I be wicked, why, then, have I laboured in vain?

"If however," after such great zeal for innocence, "I am so wicked," that I merit to be punished with such great punishments from God, "why have I labored in vain?" i.e. with such great anxiety to maintain my innocence? For he labors in vain who tends to an end by his labor which he does not attain.

If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands with lye,

I do not know at all, he says, God's plans. "For if I should wash myself with snow and purge myself with pure hands [that would be useless]. You have thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment has abhorred me." He means, before everybody's eyes I am an example of impiety.

If I wash myself with snow water, and if my hands shine as if never so clean; yet shalt Thou stain me with filthiness, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. For 'snow water' is the weeping of humility; which same, in that it excels all other virtues in the eyes of the strict Judge, is as it were white by the colour of preeminent merit.

But since man's purity however great it can be is found wanting under divine scrutiny, he shows as a consequence that when he says that he is pure and innocent, he understands himself to be pure and innocent as a man, not as though he were lacking in nothing from the standpoint of the righteousness of divine justice.

then you would plunge me in the pit, and my own clothes would abhor me.

For he is not a man like me, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment.

This is what he means, if he who punishes were a man, his punishment would not have entirely condemned the one in affliction. I could have been judged before him and proved that he too is unjust. But since you are God, that is impossible. It is sufficient to be punished and to suffer the greatest condemnation.

For He is not a man, such as I am, that I should answer Him, or that He can be heard with me in Judgment on an equal footing. When we 'contend with another in judgment on an equal footing,' we both learn what is urged against us, and in all we allege we are heard, and in proportion as we apprehend the points openly objected, we reply with boldness to the points propounded.

He shows next why no matter how pure he is he cannot defend himself for being convicted as impure by God because of two things in which God excels man. These are the purity of his justice and the authority of his majesty.

There is no arbiter between us, who might set his hand on us both.

Neither is there any that is able to convict both of us, and to lay his hand upon us both. It sounds hard that any should be sought who might convict God, but it will not be hard, if we recall to mind what He Himself says by another Prophet; for He charges us by Isaiah, Cease to do evil, learn to do well.

Friendship with God man could not recover except through a fitting mediator, who could lay his hand upon both and be conformed to each party and a friend to each, and therefore, as he is like God through his Divinity, so like man through his humanity.

For when two men contend with each other, they can have a judge who examines both arguments. But there can be no arbiter between God and man for two reasons. One reason is because a judge must have a higher wisdom which is like the standard according to which the arguments of both parties are examined.

Let him take his rod away from me, and let his terror not dismay me;

then I would speak and not fear him — for I am not so in myself.

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Job: How Can I Contend with God?