When reading the book of Job, if you refuse to allow yourself to merrily skip across the top of this text, like a jet ski dances across the ocean, but rather stop, and don your deep sea diving equipment, you will find your understanding of God irrevocably changed.
In this lithograph, Oldrich Kulhánek gives us perhaps a more raw, untarnished view of Job. Here we see Job nude, wishing he had never been born, and attempting to hide, or perhaps cover himself from God's assault.
Understanding, and knowing God is no easy task. How can the finite understand Infinite. How can the created understand the Creator?
Certainly our nature has a sense to be revolted to even look upon this scene. We might ask ourselves, "what kind of game is God playing here?" But to the resolved mind, we press on to know God, rather than listen to our finite minds and run off crying foul.
How does the post-modern "Christian" deal with such a scene. If Joel Osteen were sitting with Job, could he still insinuate that Job be looking for his "best life now"? I think Job would likely punch Joel Osteen in the nose.
So who is this God?
My ESV Study Bible offers me 11 attributes of God to reflect upon. It seems to me that we must strap on all 11 of these, and diligently resist picking only those sensible to our nature. This is no easy task, and certainly not anything that we are going to understand, and conform to our worldview in one sitting.
This is a life-long pursuit. Care to join me?
