The Patience of Job

Job 3:1-26

Context
This week's lection is from Job 23 - which is a long way from Job 1 & 2. We'll look at chapters 3 and 4 to give us a bit more context.
Job 1 and 2 are written in prose, in a very old style of Hebrew. From these chapters we get the picture of Job as one patient in suffering, who never complains. After having his children and property stripped from him in a day, his simple answer is "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Nor does he complain when his health is destroyed and he must live in pain.
Chapters 3-41 are written in poetry, in a newer form of Hebrew, and they are very different.

Leviathan is mentioned a few times in Scripture; it seems to be a legendary sea-serpent that represents chaos.

Listening to the writer
In verses 1-10, Job vents his anger on the day of his birth. He calls for Leviathan to bring chaos and darkness upon that day. Have you ever been so angry at your life that you cursed your birthday? What would it take to feel this way?

In verses 11-19, Job wishes he had never been born. “If only I had died that day, or been stillborn…” Job gives us insight into early Jewish understandings of death. What does Job say happens to dead people? Who is together in one place? Is there punishment? Is there joy?

In the remainder of the chapter, Job asks “Why?” Why does he have to live, when he would rather die? Why does God give life to those who are simply suffering? What answer would you give?

Listening to God
Today's reading (and much of Job) deals with a time when God is silent - if, in your studies, God is sometimes silent, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're doing it wrong.

Spend some time in silence and see if God has anything to say regarding today's reading.

Miscellaneous Meanderings
Despite his complaints, Job never considers suicide; it doesn’t seem to be an option. The position of most mainline denominations is that we are not to actively promote death, but that we do not need to go to excessive measures to keep people alive. People can appropriately refuse treatment such as feeding tubes, breathing machines, heart assistance, and the like, even if the likely outcome will be death. How actively do you want others to work to keep you alive in difficult situations? The clearer your advance directions are, the easier it will be for your loved ones to make any hard decisions. Take some step now to get started on this difficult but important work.

In my experience, many people who are aware of their impending death - which includes most older people with any kind of serious health problem - are looking for someone willing to talk about these issues, but often want to protect their children from thoughts of their death. I encourage you to broach the subject with any older loved ones and let them know that you are willing to listen if they want to discuss such issues. Five Wishes is a helpful tool (and a legal living will, in many states) for specifically discussing how you'd like to be cared for in potential end of life circumstances.