The Book of Job, by S.A. Tan

A Story by Montag

The Book of Job

- by S.A. Tan

So the angels of the Lord had gathered round. And in those days I was still a part of that bunch. And the Lord--like He’s warming up a crowd in Vegas--randomly picks me out and goes, “From where do you come?”

So I go, ‘From roaming the earth, to and fro.” (I don’t tell Him more than I have to. Besides, He’s supposed to know without asking).

And the Lord goes, “Have you considered My servant Job?” Then He tells how faithful Job is, like Job’s faith is a mark against me, like if there’s a single upright soul able to mist a mirror somewhere then I’ve failed somehow.

Now Job was super-prosperous as well as God-fearing, and I didn’t think those two things were unrelated. So I said matter-of-factly, “Does Job fear God for nothing?”

I must have struck a nerve because God gave Job over to me. Like that! He said I could do whatever I wanted to Job. It was like a bet was on between us: could I use my powers to dislodge Job from his rather ostentatious faith?

Now Job was a rich man with massive herds, and livestock and servants wherever you looked. I took them all. Then I took his children. Like a sharp knife.

I left Job in ruin and in wonder.

It had to be clear to Job these calamities--if not an act of God--were at least okayed by Him. But I have to say at this point Job remained steadfast in faith, and maybe I thought that was that and I’d lost a bet.

But the thing was, God wouldn’t leave it alone. He had to bring it up again, how loyal Job still was, kind of like ‘ha ha ha, you lost the bet’.

I got pissed. With a kind of quiet menace I said, “Touch his bone. Touch his flesh. All that a man has he will give for his life.”

And God gave Job over again. The bet was still on (!)

So I covered Job’s skin with boils. Not in a malicious way but to make a point. I suppose I do carry some guilt about it, because it seems I blocked out the memory of what happened after that, and I had to consult the Old Testament.

In the Book of Job his friends, hearing of Job's afflictions, come to comfort him: rending of garments, tossing of dust in the air, that sort of thing. Then Job has a bit of a break down while expressing serious reservations with how the world is being morally managed.

Then, instead of giving comfort, his friends debate Job for chapters and chapters and verses and verses and on and on about whether Job should continue in his faithful ways.

At the end--when Job could use a kind word or two--God comes whirling in, hostile, sarcastic, totally full of himself, asking Job had he created the universe? Could he subdue the savage beasts? Huh, could he?

Job repents. And God restores his wealth to greater than before, including replacement sons and daughters (guess the first batch didn’t count for much).

The End.

What to make of this? What sort of world are we in? If there’s a moral, it’s to overcome evil by suffering through it. Some insight.

And I have to ask: am I the sole cause of evil or does it seem I'm more in partnership with a certain Someone?

No alpha without omega, right? No saints without sinners. No juice without the squeeze.