the Lord God’s response to the question on, of suffering
After much waiting, and even more advise, counsel, from friends, Job hears from the Lord God. Job does not see God, but he hears from the storm, from the whirlwind,
‘Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?” Job 38: 1-3
God asks ‘who is this’? Not because he has forgotten Job or He does not know who has been speaking, questioning, praying to Him. God is asking ‘who’ because he desires Job to pause and consider and perhaps, if needed to, pause again and ask himself: who am I ? who is this?
And the Lord God answers this ‘who’ question within the frame of the whole inquiry: Job obscures the Lord’s plans with words; with questions and complaints; with cries and silent groans; with grief over a wives, and children’s passings.
Where, what were these plans? This is the first incident of Job’s actual interaction with the Lord. There had been no dreams or signs, messengers or prophecies.
God’s plans and words are, have always been, in the events touching Job: his seven unnamed sons’ deaths; his unnamed three daughters’ deaths; his ashes and sores; his household destroyed and in rubble. His friends’ questioning Job’s walk. He is alone with suffering.
Suffering is the Lord and he walks with Job. This is the plan. Hearing the Lord’s voice Job understands and speaks,
Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job now sees the Lord God in his suffering.
His post traumatic stress has become and is now becoming his post traumatic growth. Job grows; he sees.
He grows, he sees, he trusts. Job faith comes by seeing suffering, his suffering as God’s plan for him.
Job suffers and sees.
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