1st Reading – Job 38:1, 8-11

The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said:
Who shut within doors the sea,
when it burst forth from the womb;
when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it
and fastened the bar of its door,
and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stilled!

The Book of Job is part of the wisdom literature tradition, which often grapples with the complexities of life, morality, and the human condition. Job’s contribution to this tradition is its profound exploration of innocent suffering and its challenge to conventional wisdom.

At the time the Book of Job was written, the prevailing belief in ancient Israel was that suffering was generally a punishment for sin. This view is rooted in the Deuteronomic theology of retribution, which holds that righteousness leads to blessings and sin leads to curses and suffering (e.g. Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 28:15). This theology is also evident in many wisdom and prophetic texts where prosperity is linked to righteousness and suffering is linked to wickedness (e.g. Proverbs 3:33, Isaiah 3:10-11).

This traditional understanding of retribution is challenged and deepened in the Book of Job, where Job’s suffering is clearly not a direct result of his sin (Job 1:1 tells us that Job is “blameless and upright,” a man who “feared God and shunned evil”). Rather, intense suffering is a test of Job’s faith and an opportunity to grow in righteousness.

Today’s reading describes a pivotal moment in the story where God responds to Job’s demands for answers.

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