Whose Fault Is It?

person crying — Photo by Claudia Wolff on Unsplash

4 Then the accuser answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." 6 The LORD said to the accuser, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life." 7 So the accuser went out from the presence of the LORD and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes. (Job 2:4-8)

When life is difficult or painful, we often want to know who's at fault - who or what caused the problem. The book of Job offers us a story of suffering that may cause us to question everything we think we know about God, the purpose of suffering, and our responsibility to one another in the face of tragedy.

Job is introduced as a man who is blameless, honors God, and keeps himself from evil. The story, then, places us in the midst of a heavenly council meeting where God wagers with the accuser, aka the adversary, (this is not the Devil we have come to know and loathe, but a member of God's council who is not evil, just skeptical) that Job is so upright that, even if the adversary takes everything from him, Job will not curse God. Almost immediately all of Job's children are killed in a freak accident, all his livestock die, and finally Job's health is affected. Job's initial response to this devastation is mournful acceptance. But the story isn't over. In the weeks to come we will see this acceptance give way to confusion and anger, but for now we sit on the ash heap with Job -

assessing the damage and considering the cause.

We've all, likely, experienced times where it seemed that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Perhaps we've considered where to lay the blame. What if, as in the story of Job, it's all God's fault? Is it helpful to think that God deems us worthy of such a test, that God trusts us to keep holding on to God? Is faith untested faith at all?

We might consider, though, that if it's all God's fault it's also all God's to fix! No matter what seems to be taken away or lost, may God give us the strength and the grace to hold on to Hope

as our story continues to be written.

1 Vindicate me, Lord,

for I have led a blameless life;

I have trusted in the Lord

and have not faltered.

2 Test me, Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;

3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love

and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with the deceitful,

nor do I associate with hypocrites.

5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers