From Esther to Job

Tough transition. But today marks the beginning of another reading of Job -- we read Job:1-2. Please note that the following paragraphs represent how I imagine that things could have occurred but I make no pretense here -- I have not studied the times or context for any kind of historical accuracy or anything like that.

The first thing that struck me from our reading today was seeing that Job was an awesome father. He offered himself as interceder with God for his children. And I wonder if his children knew it at the time and fully appreciated that about him. I can only imagine that if they did know it, that they would have experienced overwhelming gratitude toward their father for his caring for them in this way. It seemed as if the children were not youngsters at the time, so Job must have continued caring for them as adult children.

Now, I imagine Job one fine day, in the evening, perhaps reading, perhaps praying, and everything is as it should be. A knock at the door. He (or his servant?) answers the door and a messenger stands before him, beaten, bruised, and frightened. Job thinks, "Hmmmm... wonder what this is all about?" The man's voice quivers as he gives Job the bad news that all his oxen and donkeys have been stolen and all the other farmhands were slain. The messenger's voice cracks and sobs overtake him as he remembers seeing his co-workers and probably family members, too, being ruthlessly killed.

Job seems to be to have been a great leader, so I imagine he hid well the shock that must have hit him upon hearing this news. I imagine that in his mind, he is saying, "What? What's up with this?" And before he even has time to react, in fact, before the messenger is done speaking, another knock is heard upon the door.

Another messenger comes in and stands before Job. This one is a shepherd and is gasping for breath because he had run all the way to Job's home from the fields. He begins to tell Job about how all of Job's sheep and all of the other shepherds were completely burned up by the fire of God from heaven. He also breaks down as he remembers seeing the charred remains of his friends and all the animals littering the fields where he worked. His adrenaline is still pumping and he is in shock as he still can't believe he was the only one to escape the massive destruction.

I imagine Job is simply stunned and looking at these men with a glazed look in his eyes, wondering if maybe he is having a nightmare. "This can't possibly be true," is what I imagine he would be thinking, because before the second messenger could finish delivering his terrible news, another knock on the door is heard. "No!" is what Job must have thought. "What now?"

Another messenger is brought before Job -- this one he recognized as a servant. In Job's head, a dialogue is going on: "Oh no, God, no, no more deaths, please! Let me wake up!" As this is running through his head over and over again, the messenger, badly shaken and barely able to speak tells Job that all of his camels are gone and all of his servants have died a violent death at the hands of Chaldean raiders. Tears run down the man's face as he remembers the shocked and frightened looks from his friends as their throats were slit.

Job starts shaking with shock. "WHAT IS GOING ON!? WHAT IS HAPPE....." Another knock. "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. What else could possibly have happened?" A messenger is brought before him -- possibly a son-in-law or daughter-in-law -- their hair is tangled and wind-blown, their face, clothes and every part of their being is covered in dirt and dust. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, not my children. Lord, not my children, too!" Confusion surrounds him as he hears that all of his children are dead.

Maybe there was a moment or two of silence as Job absorbed all of this horrible news. And then, silently, tears begin rolling down his face. Despair overwhelms him as he remembers his children's faces, sees their warm smiles in his mind's eye, remembers their personalities, recalls the hugs they used to give him when they were little children. Loud sobs burst forth from his mouth -- they are rough and unrecognizable as human sounds. And then the wails start.

"I need to talk to you, God." He tears his robe in grief. "Oh Lord, please hear me now!" He shaves his head. "Hear my prayer, Lord!" He falls to the ground.

Sobs of grief rack Job's body as he lay on the ground before God. The messengers hear him speak, and a look of amazement comes across each of their faces, through their tears, as they hear Job pray ".......Praise the name of the Lord!"