Today we finish up the Book of Job and begin Psalms. Remember when I said I thought Psalms would be boring? WELL I WAS RIGHT! But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's deal with our troubled pal Job.
Elihu's speech continues until chapter 37, and he basically sticks with his original premise: that God is beyond human comprehension and we just have to suck it up and accept that. In chapter 38 God himself appears from "out of the tempest" (Job 38:1) and launches into a long speech that essentially says, "What the fuck do you know, Job?" Except it's more poetic than that, with God explaining the wonders of running the universe: "In all your life," he asks Job, "have you ever called up the dawn or assigned the morning its place? Have you taught it to grasp the fringes of the earth and shake the Dog-star from the sky, to bring up the horizon in relief as clay under a seal, until all things stand out like the folds of a cloak, when the light of the Dog-star is dimmed and the stars of the Navigator's Line go out one by one?" (Job 39:12-14). You've got to hand it to whoever wrote this book, that's a neat line! And there are plenty more where it came from. Job is floored by God's speech, and only responds briefly in chapter 40: "What reply can I give you, I who carry no weight?" (Job 40:4). God then continues to discuss how cool he is, and ultimately Job apologizes for questioning him at all, saying, "I have spoken of things which I have not understood...[and] therefore I yield, repenting in dust and ashes" (Job 42:3-6). I for one was a little annoyed that Job had to apologize after going through ALL THAT CRAP but I guess the moral of the story is DON'T ASK QUESTIONS OR CHALLENGE THE WAY THE UNIVERSE WORKS BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
That's a little disappointing!
Anyway, chapter 42 concludes with a brief epilogue, written in prose. After his apology, Job is rewarded mightily by God, who gives him back everything he had before and MORE. He has ten more children, and his daughters are mentioned to be named Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren-happuch. The footnotes let us know that these names translate to "dove," "cinnamon," and "horn of eye cosmetics." Well, okay Job. Whatever floats your boat.
The thing that always bothered me about this story is that the ending suggests that Job's original children were simply replaceable by new ones, one of whom has a cat's name. Cinnamon? Really? I guess the historical context should factor into how we view it, but I can't help being annoyed.
ANYWAY, enough of that. It's time to get started on Psalms!
The psalms, or "praises," are a compilation of one hundred and fifty -- yes, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY -- poems, divided into five books. According to some scholar who was cited on Wikipedia, they "express virtually the full range of Israel's religious faith." Traditionally they are ascribed to David, although modern historians have deduced that some of them probably predate him and some are younger. My study bible describes Psalms as the "prayer book of the second temple" because during that period, it was used in liturgy. The Second Temple period, for those of you unaware, is the time spanning from the end of the Babylonian exile (520 BCE) to the fall of the temple in 70 CE. So Jesus probably knew these tunes, as did Simon bar Kochbah, Josephus, and all your other favorite characters from Antiquity. Awesome!
Today we embarked on the first book, which consists of the first 41 psalms. These are typically regarded as the oldest, and all but a few are directly attributed to David. Rather unfortunately, they are NOT INTERESTING AT ALL. There's no sex, violence, or ridiculous series of events to enjoy, like the better books of the bible. Just dumb poems about how swell God is, and they DON'T EVEN RHYME. Psalms is okay, I guess, but it ain't "Casey at the Bat."
The one thing I can think to share is a line from Psalm 11 that kind of amused me: "The Lord weighs just and unjust, and he hates all who love violence. He will rain fiery coals and brimstone on the wicked; scorching winds will be the portion they drink" (Psalms 11:5-6). Geez, God, for someone who hates violence, that's a pretty violent thing to do!!! As we young folks on the internet are wont to say, LOL!!!
That's it for today. I'm tired. But don't worry, because I will devise some way to make Psalms interesting. Give me a day, all right?!!
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Day 42, Job 16-35
Today we continue with Job, which continues to be an awesome book but also rather difficult to summarize. Truth be told, there isn't a lot of new content throughout these chapters, but the writing is interesting. Job and his friends don't really differ from their earlier positions, but simply find new ways to restate their points. It's that old biblical adage at work: when in doubt, repeat yourself, then repeat yourself six more times. So chapters 16 through 32 drive home the following points: Job is miserable and bewildered, while his friends are convinced that he must have sinned, and rather rudely tell him so. In chapter 19 Job calls them out for it -- "You have insulted me now a dozen times and shamelessly wronged me" (Job 19:2) -- but neither party is willing to yield.
I have suspicions that this saga is going to be resolved happily, but for the time being I'm enjoying how awful it is. Job is really dealing with some heavy stuff! While his friends stay rooted to their fairytale notion that righteousness always triumphs, he raises interesting questions and makes some poignant observations. He discusses the plight of the poor, who "rise early like the wild ass, when it scours the wilderness for food, but though they work till nightfall, their children go hungry" (Job 24:5-6). He describes his own desperate search for God: "If I go to the east, he is not there; if west, I cannot find him; when I turn north, I do not descry him; I face south, but he is not to be seen" (Job 23:8-9). It's a great moment because it's so real. It addresses a concern that continues to torment people today: the worry that our existence might actually be random and meaningless, and that good people won't always win out. OH MAN! JOB, YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE!
Job gets really existential when he talks about death: "I tell you this," he says. "One man dies crowned with success, lapped in security and comfort, his loins full of vigor and the marrow juicy in his bones; another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted prosperity. Side by side they are laid in the earth, and worms are the shroud of both" (Job 21:23-26). Oh my GOD! Who are you, Ivan Karamazov?!
His friends, by the way, continue to give him the cheapest answers conceivable. Chapter 28, which explores man's ingenuity, is a key example of this. The text opens with a description of mining for ores, saying, "Men master the darkness" (Job 28:3), then goes on to ask, "But where can wisdom be found?" (Job 28:12). I would recommend reading this chapter yourself, seriously, because it's really pretty, but the conclusion is unfathomably disappointing: "The fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to turn from evil, that is understanding!" (Job 28:28)
What bullshit! I want real answers, NOW!
In chapters 29 through 31 Job wraps up his discourse, reiterating everything he's already said. Then, in chapter 32, a young man named Elihu makes an appearance. He says that he had refrained from speaking earlier because he is so much younger than the other four men, but he was "angry because Job had made himself out to be more righteous than God" (Job 32:2) and couldn't restrain himself any longer. Elihu winds up assuming the role of a mediator, suggesting that although Job is righteous, he is not perfect. Overall he is a big fan of God and doesn't accept Job's existential whining.
Tomorrow we will finally get some resolution to this crazy tale, and then we can begin Psalms. I suspect that Psalms is going to be pretty boring, and there are a lot of them, so hang in there. We'll power through, friends!
I have suspicions that this saga is going to be resolved happily, but for the time being I'm enjoying how awful it is. Job is really dealing with some heavy stuff! While his friends stay rooted to their fairytale notion that righteousness always triumphs, he raises interesting questions and makes some poignant observations. He discusses the plight of the poor, who "rise early like the wild ass, when it scours the wilderness for food, but though they work till nightfall, their children go hungry" (Job 24:5-6). He describes his own desperate search for God: "If I go to the east, he is not there; if west, I cannot find him; when I turn north, I do not descry him; I face south, but he is not to be seen" (Job 23:8-9). It's a great moment because it's so real. It addresses a concern that continues to torment people today: the worry that our existence might actually be random and meaningless, and that good people won't always win out. OH MAN! JOB, YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE!
Job gets really existential when he talks about death: "I tell you this," he says. "One man dies crowned with success, lapped in security and comfort, his loins full of vigor and the marrow juicy in his bones; another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted prosperity. Side by side they are laid in the earth, and worms are the shroud of both" (Job 21:23-26). Oh my GOD! Who are you, Ivan Karamazov?!
His friends, by the way, continue to give him the cheapest answers conceivable. Chapter 28, which explores man's ingenuity, is a key example of this. The text opens with a description of mining for ores, saying, "Men master the darkness" (Job 28:3), then goes on to ask, "But where can wisdom be found?" (Job 28:12). I would recommend reading this chapter yourself, seriously, because it's really pretty, but the conclusion is unfathomably disappointing: "The fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to turn from evil, that is understanding!" (Job 28:28)
What bullshit! I want real answers, NOW!
In chapters 29 through 31 Job wraps up his discourse, reiterating everything he's already said. Then, in chapter 32, a young man named Elihu makes an appearance. He says that he had refrained from speaking earlier because he is so much younger than the other four men, but he was "angry because Job had made himself out to be more righteous than God" (Job 32:2) and couldn't restrain himself any longer. Elihu winds up assuming the role of a mediator, suggesting that although Job is righteous, he is not perfect. Overall he is a big fan of God and doesn't accept Job's existential whining.
Tomorrow we will finally get some resolution to this crazy tale, and then we can begin Psalms. I suspect that Psalms is going to be pretty boring, and there are a lot of them, so hang in there. We'll power through, friends!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Day 41, Esther 8-10, Job 1-15
Today we wrap up Esther and begin the Book of Job, which is totally different from anything else we've read and it's WILD! Not wild like raunchy (sorry to get your hopes up) but it's cool. Get pumped.
So. Our story. After Haman's death, Mordecai is chosen by the king to replace him as chief officer. Esther convinces her husband to issue a writ that would legally protect the Jews from persecution and entitle them to act in "self-defense." By granting them permission to act in "self-defense" the text apparently means that they are allowed to mindlessly slaughter as many people as they want, because they wind up killing SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE! Among these people are Haman's ten sons, by the way. In the aftermath of this, "many of the peoples of the world [profess] Judaism, because fear of the Jews had fallen on them" (Esther 8:17). Oh man. Enjoy this while you can, Jews, because there aren't too many times in history after this where people are going to think you're scary.
After the massacre of thousands of people, the Jews gather together to celebrate their good fortune, creating the festival of PURIM. I FREAKING LOVE PURIM! IT'S LIKE JEWISH HALLOWEEN! Chapter 10 provides a simple conclusion, letting us know everyone is happy. Hooray!
Onto the Book of Job. What a crazy story. I would imagine that everyone is somewhat familiar with it (or at least everyone who has seen the South Park episode about it) but nonetheless it has proven one of the better reads of the bible so far, at least from a literary perspective. The majority of the text is a poem, bookended by a prologue and conclusion in prose, and it addresses the question of why a just and loving God allows people to suffer.
The prologue introduces our charming protagonist, a man named Job, who has a sweet freaking life. He has ten swell kids, a farm, seven thousand sheep... Everything a guy could want! He is also incredibly pious, never speaking against God and regularly sanctifying his children, in case they sinned.
One day God is chilling in the court of heaven with Satan, bragging about what a faithful servant Job is. Satan challenges this, saying that Job is only pious because he is so fortunate and happy; if God took away all those things, he would curse the deity and give up his faith. Instead of, you know, being the bigger person, God says, "YOU'RE ON, SATAN!" and decides to fuck Job in the ass with a mop handle and no lubricant.
Job is in his house when a messenger arrives to tell him that his sheep have been stolen. Soon after another messenger informs him that his fields have burned down. And after that, a third messenger tells him that his son's house has collapsed and all his children are dead. Well shit. That's a lot of bad news at once. Job takes it a lot better than I would have, saying, "Naked I came from the womb, naked I shall return whence I came. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). WOW. What a dolt. I'd be pissed!
FYI, my favorite part of this entire book so far is completely indecipherable to non-Giants fans, but I have to point it out. Job's oxen are stolen by a group of nomads called the Sabeans, who "swoop down and carry them off" (Job 1:15). Who is Sabean, but our beloved General Manager back in San Francisco?!!!
He probably wanted the sheep to play for the Giants because of their veteran grit. These sheep will start games next season instead of Brandon Belt because they're "experienced." The sheep will have a seven year, 120 million dollar contract. Just watch.
After all this, it seems like God has won his bet, but Satan takes it a step further. Sure, he says, you ruined Job's livelihood and killed his family, but you left him in good health! Satan suggests that if Job was infected with horrible leprosy/boils/etc he would be less pious. God once again takes the bait, but Job does not. Even when his wife urges him to "curse God, and die" (Job 2:9) he remains devoted. At the end of chapter 2, his friends come to see him. At first they don't recognize him, but when they figure out who he is, they sit around him in silence for seven days. That's cool. You know, there's a house to be rebuilt and fields to be resown and stuff... But if you guys just want to chill, that's cool too.
At this point the poem starts! I would actually recommend checking this out for yourself, since my summary can only give you the gist of the plot and, unlike most of the bible so far, the language in Job is pretty. The poem is arranged in three "cycles" of speech, through which Job and his friends discuss why he has come to such unfortunate ends.
In his first speech, Job expresses his confusion at what is going on, begging to die rather than suffer for incomprehensible reasons. His friends are, in my view, annoyingly callous and unsympathetic. The first to respond, Eliphaz, chastises him for complaining: "Does your piety give you no assurance? Does your blameless life afford you no hope?" (Job 4:6). He goes on to ask, "Has any innocent person ever perished?" (Job 4:7). Oh god, Eliphaz... Maybe you should retake some of those history classes you slept through in high school before you say shit like that.
In chapter 6, Job retorts that he has done no wrong and thus does not deserve to suffer, lamenting the futility of life. It is actually kind of existential if you squint. His second friend, Bildad, responds more heatedly than Eliphaz, calling Job's speech the "long-winded ramblings of an old man" (Job 8:2). What an asshole! Bildad believes that God does not "pervert justice" (Job 8:3) and that if Job is patient he will be rewarded.
Job responds by saying that God "destroys blameless and wicked alike" (Job 9:22), suggesting that God is almost careless in his treatment of people. One line I particularly liked was this: "If I think 'I shall forget my complaints, I shall show a cheerful face and smile,' I still dread all I must suffer" (Job 9:27-28). Tell it like it is, Job! This reminds me of myself every Monday morning. A cheerful attitude can only do so much in this crazy world of ours.
His third friend, Zophar, tells him that he is being arrogant to assume he can "fathom the mystery of God" (Job 11:7). It's like that old saying: God works in mysterious ways, and that's why your life sucks. It's not because your existence is futile and inherently meaningless and that your presence on this earth and everything that happens to you is completely random. It's because God works in mysterious ways! I hope that helps you sleep at night.
In chapters 12 through 14 Job continues to whine about his circumstance, and man is he existential! It's like I'm reading L'etranger or something: "Every being born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble," Job says. "He blossoms like a flower and withers away" (Job 14:1-2). Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, huh?
Chapter 15 begins the second cycle of speeches, wherein Eliphaz accuses Job of being secretly sinful because he hates wisdom, priestly piety, and prophecy. It is unfathomable to Job's friends that he is simply being fucked in the ass by God for fun. They think it has to be some kind of punishment. The gist of his speech is that sometimes the wicked seem to prosper, but it is always short-lived. I wonder what Team Rocket would say to that.
Anyway, it is kind of an awkward place to end the reading. If I was in charge of these readings I would stop it at the end of chapter 14, the first cycle of speeches. BUT I'M NOT! TOO FREAKING BAD!
Tomorrow we read more of Job. It's a really long book! And remember guys: IL FAUT IMAGINER SISYPHE HEUREUX!!!!!!
So. Our story. After Haman's death, Mordecai is chosen by the king to replace him as chief officer. Esther convinces her husband to issue a writ that would legally protect the Jews from persecution and entitle them to act in "self-defense." By granting them permission to act in "self-defense" the text apparently means that they are allowed to mindlessly slaughter as many people as they want, because they wind up killing SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE! Among these people are Haman's ten sons, by the way. In the aftermath of this, "many of the peoples of the world [profess] Judaism, because fear of the Jews had fallen on them" (Esther 8:17). Oh man. Enjoy this while you can, Jews, because there aren't too many times in history after this where people are going to think you're scary.
After the massacre of thousands of people, the Jews gather together to celebrate their good fortune, creating the festival of PURIM. I FREAKING LOVE PURIM! IT'S LIKE JEWISH HALLOWEEN! Chapter 10 provides a simple conclusion, letting us know everyone is happy. Hooray!
Onto the Book of Job. What a crazy story. I would imagine that everyone is somewhat familiar with it (or at least everyone who has seen the South Park episode about it) but nonetheless it has proven one of the better reads of the bible so far, at least from a literary perspective. The majority of the text is a poem, bookended by a prologue and conclusion in prose, and it addresses the question of why a just and loving God allows people to suffer.
The prologue introduces our charming protagonist, a man named Job, who has a sweet freaking life. He has ten swell kids, a farm, seven thousand sheep... Everything a guy could want! He is also incredibly pious, never speaking against God and regularly sanctifying his children, in case they sinned.
One day God is chilling in the court of heaven with Satan, bragging about what a faithful servant Job is. Satan challenges this, saying that Job is only pious because he is so fortunate and happy; if God took away all those things, he would curse the deity and give up his faith. Instead of, you know, being the bigger person, God says, "YOU'RE ON, SATAN!" and decides to fuck Job in the ass with a mop handle and no lubricant.
Job is in his house when a messenger arrives to tell him that his sheep have been stolen. Soon after another messenger informs him that his fields have burned down. And after that, a third messenger tells him that his son's house has collapsed and all his children are dead. Well shit. That's a lot of bad news at once. Job takes it a lot better than I would have, saying, "Naked I came from the womb, naked I shall return whence I came. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). WOW. What a dolt. I'd be pissed!
FYI, my favorite part of this entire book so far is completely indecipherable to non-Giants fans, but I have to point it out. Job's oxen are stolen by a group of nomads called the Sabeans, who "swoop down and carry them off" (Job 1:15). Who is Sabean, but our beloved General Manager back in San Francisco?!!!
He probably wanted the sheep to play for the Giants because of their veteran grit. These sheep will start games next season instead of Brandon Belt because they're "experienced." The sheep will have a seven year, 120 million dollar contract. Just watch.
After all this, it seems like God has won his bet, but Satan takes it a step further. Sure, he says, you ruined Job's livelihood and killed his family, but you left him in good health! Satan suggests that if Job was infected with horrible leprosy/boils/etc he would be less pious. God once again takes the bait, but Job does not. Even when his wife urges him to "curse God, and die" (Job 2:9) he remains devoted. At the end of chapter 2, his friends come to see him. At first they don't recognize him, but when they figure out who he is, they sit around him in silence for seven days. That's cool. You know, there's a house to be rebuilt and fields to be resown and stuff... But if you guys just want to chill, that's cool too.
At this point the poem starts! I would actually recommend checking this out for yourself, since my summary can only give you the gist of the plot and, unlike most of the bible so far, the language in Job is pretty. The poem is arranged in three "cycles" of speech, through which Job and his friends discuss why he has come to such unfortunate ends.
In his first speech, Job expresses his confusion at what is going on, begging to die rather than suffer for incomprehensible reasons. His friends are, in my view, annoyingly callous and unsympathetic. The first to respond, Eliphaz, chastises him for complaining: "Does your piety give you no assurance? Does your blameless life afford you no hope?" (Job 4:6). He goes on to ask, "Has any innocent person ever perished?" (Job 4:7). Oh god, Eliphaz... Maybe you should retake some of those history classes you slept through in high school before you say shit like that.
In chapter 6, Job retorts that he has done no wrong and thus does not deserve to suffer, lamenting the futility of life. It is actually kind of existential if you squint. His second friend, Bildad, responds more heatedly than Eliphaz, calling Job's speech the "long-winded ramblings of an old man" (Job 8:2). What an asshole! Bildad believes that God does not "pervert justice" (Job 8:3) and that if Job is patient he will be rewarded.
Job responds by saying that God "destroys blameless and wicked alike" (Job 9:22), suggesting that God is almost careless in his treatment of people. One line I particularly liked was this: "If I think 'I shall forget my complaints, I shall show a cheerful face and smile,' I still dread all I must suffer" (Job 9:27-28). Tell it like it is, Job! This reminds me of myself every Monday morning. A cheerful attitude can only do so much in this crazy world of ours.
His third friend, Zophar, tells him that he is being arrogant to assume he can "fathom the mystery of God" (Job 11:7). It's like that old saying: God works in mysterious ways, and that's why your life sucks. It's not because your existence is futile and inherently meaningless and that your presence on this earth and everything that happens to you is completely random. It's because God works in mysterious ways! I hope that helps you sleep at night.
In chapters 12 through 14 Job continues to whine about his circumstance, and man is he existential! It's like I'm reading L'etranger or something: "Every being born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble," Job says. "He blossoms like a flower and withers away" (Job 14:1-2). Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, huh?
Chapter 15 begins the second cycle of speeches, wherein Eliphaz accuses Job of being secretly sinful because he hates wisdom, priestly piety, and prophecy. It is unfathomable to Job's friends that he is simply being fucked in the ass by God for fun. They think it has to be some kind of punishment. The gist of his speech is that sometimes the wicked seem to prosper, but it is always short-lived. I wonder what Team Rocket would say to that.
Anyway, it is kind of an awkward place to end the reading. If I was in charge of these readings I would stop it at the end of chapter 14, the first cycle of speeches. BUT I'M NOT! TOO FREAKING BAD!
Tomorrow we read more of Job. It's a really long book! And remember guys: IL FAUT IMAGINER SISYPHE HEUREUX!!!!!!
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