The following extract is taken from Robert Sutherland’s new book “Putting God on Trial: The Biblical Book of Job” (Trafford, Victoria, 2004) It is reproduced with his permission and he retains the copyright. Mr.Sutherland is a Christian Canadian criminal defense lawyer instrumental in changing the Canadian law on aggravated assault and solicitor-client privilege. He is a Senior Fellow at the Mortimer J. Adler Centre for the Study of the Great Ideas. And he is a member of St.Stephen’s Anglican, Thunder Bay. The book has received high praise from Job scholars: David Clines, Norman Habel and Gerald Janzen. Several chapters and order information are online at http://www.bookofjob.org

Job’s First Response

In God’s first speech, God has focused on the vast grandeur of creation. But Job has asked a question concerning justice, not power. And God had seemingly dodged the question, belittling Job’s intelligence but not his integrity. Job’s response is worth noting.

“See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.” (Job 40:3-5 Italics added for emphasis.)

With some irony, Job accepts the irrelevance of it all and throws it back at God as a defense. “See” God, in comparison to the vast grandeur of creation, “I am of small account”. Why would you God ever expect one of such “small account” as I to declare to you the things you ask? “I lay my hand on my mouth,” perhaps to conceal my laughter, certainly because there is nothing more to say. The issue is not power, but justice. On that point, “I have spoken once” in my Oath of Innocence and “I will not answer” until you have addressed the moral question I raised. I “will proceed no further” at this time. You’ve given me nothing to answer. But there is one further step that remains in the Oath of Innocence. That is a condemnation of God for not giving an explanation for evil in the world. That condemnation is a curse. Job seems to hesitate. He is forcing God’s hand and giving him one final chance to say something concerning his creation and control of evil.