Job 9:1-15, 32-35

Job Replies: There Is No Mediator

9:1 Then Job answered:

2 “Indeed I know that this is so;

but how can a mortal be just before God?

3 If one wished to contend with him,

one could not answer him once in a thousand.

4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength

--who has resisted him, and succeeded?--

5 he who removes mountains, and they do not know it,

when he overturns them in his anger;

6 who shakes the earth out of its place,

and its pillars tremble;

7 who commands the sun, and it does not rise;

who seals up the stars;

8 who alone stretched out the heavens

and trampled the waves of the Sea;

9 who made the Bear and Orion,

the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;

10 who does great things beyond understanding,

and marvelous things without number.

11 Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him;

he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

12 He snatches away; who can stop him?

Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

13 “God will not turn back his anger;

the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him.

14 How then can I answer him,

choosing my words with him?

15 Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him;

I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. (Job 9:1-15, NRSV)

32 For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him,

that we should come to trial together.

33 There is no umpire between us,

who might lay his hand on us both.

34 If he would take his rod away from me,

and not let dread of him terrify me,

35 then I would speak without fear of him,

for I know I am not what I am thought to be. (Job 9:32-35, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from September 1, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two):

Job begins his response to Bildad by conceding a point. “Indeed I know that this is so;” he says (Job 9:2a). But what point is he conceding? That “God will not reject a blameless person” (Bildad, 8:20a)? “If you are pure and upright,/surely then he [God] will rouse himself for you” (Bildad, 8:6)? According to Leong Seow, “Eliphaz had cited the axiom that no human can ‘be righteous’ (Heb. ‘yitsdaq’ [qD!c4y9]) before God (4:17). Job seems to agree, except that he uses the term in a legal sense. No one can be just (‘yitsdaq’ [qD!c4y9]), that is, declared innocent before God because the deity holds every advantage” James L. Crenshaw defines alternative meanings. “Job either agrees with Bildad’s concluding remarks or insists on the truth of the rhetorical question, ‘how can a mortal be just before God [lx2, ’ēl]?’ If the former, Job speaks ironically; if the latter, he emphasizes the utter impossibility of being vindicated before God” (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 338 on Job 9:2-4). Crenshaw agrees with Seow abut the shift in the meaning of the verb qdc (ts-d-q), which he says, “carries two senses, ‘to be just’ and ‘to be legally in the right’. The prophet Jeremiah also despaired of receiving a fair trial, because YHWH acts as prosecuting attorney and judge (Jer. 12:1). Eliphaz has asked, ‘Can a mortal be more just than [“righteous before” NRSV text] Eloah [h1Olx$, ’ ^elô^ah], (4:17a, see NRSV margin), but Job uses different language (‘im [Mx9], before)” (ibid.). When Job says, “If one wished to contend (byr9l!, lārîv) with him, / one could not answer him once in a thousand” (Job 9:3), Crenshaw takes it as “a decisive shift, . . . one from morality to legality. Job introduces an entirely different metaphor, of the heavenly Judge. He uses the technical word for a lawsuit (rîb [byr9) but quickly acknowledges the absurdity of such an idea” (ibid.).

Mayer Gruber doesn’t see a “shift” here; rather, following the recent Jewish translation, “Man cannot win a suit against God, / If he insisted on a trial with Him, / He would not answer one charge in a thousand” (vv. 2b, 3, NJPS 1985, 1999), he says,

As suggested by the colon at the end of 9:2a, the following clause, 2b, Man cannot win a suit against God, is a paraphrase of the main thesis of the dream vision (4:12-21) set forth there in the form of a double rhetorical question, ‘Can mortals be acquitted by God? Can man be cleansed by his Maker?’ (4:17) In fact, it would be better to translate the Heb. As a question: ‘Can man win a (law)-suit before God?’ Since Job shares Abraham’s view that ultimately ‘the Judge of all the earth will deal justly’ (cf. Gen. 18:25). Job would like to take God to court and sue Him for treating him unjustly. Job explains in this passage, however, that he has decided not to do so because the dream vision has taught him that there is no point in taking God to court. (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, p. 1516 on Job 9:2)

Gruber’s interpretation continues to be influenced by his attribution of the dream vision to Job rather than Eliphaz. It is tempting to see here a difference between Gruber’s Jewish view that God’s judgment will be fair in the end (Abraham and Job), and the Christian view of Crenshaw, which seems to hint at the doctrine of justification by faith. But it is clear, in any case, that Job’s friends say he is getting what he deserves, but he sees himself in a one-sided contest with God. “He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength,” says Job; “who has resisted him, and succeeded?” (v. 4). God “removes mountains,” says Job (v. 5), “shakes the earth” and controls the sun (vv. 6, 7); he “stretched out the heavens / and trampled the waves of the ‘Sea’ (My!, yām)” (v. 8). An alternative translation of verse 8b is, “trampled the back of the sea dragon” (NRSV text note b). According to Seow, these are “idioms used elsewhere to praise God’s power (cf. 5:9; Ps. 29; Am 5:8-9) [which] are used here to suggest the impossibility of true justice in the face of such overwhelming disparity of power” (on vv. 4-11). Gruber focuses on verse 8a, “Who by Himself spread out the heavens” (NJPS 1985, 1999), which he says is

an expression borrowed from Isa. Chs. 40-66, where it occurs five times: see Isa. 4l0:22; 42:5;44:24; 45:12; 51:13. This description of God is best known from the Adoration or ‘Aleynu’ recited at the end of every synagogue worship service. Ironically, while Job here invokes God’s mastery over the forces of nature as an argument why God should not be afraid to meet Job in court, the LORD, in chs. 38-39, invokes His mastery over the forces of nature as an argument why Job, who has no such mastery, is incapable of understanding how the universe is governed. Equally ironically, in 40:3-5, Job concurs and apologizes. (Gruber on Job 9:8a)

The reference to constellations in the sky, the Bear (wfA, ‘āš, “[constellation of] Leo,” William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 1971, 10^th corrected impression, 1988, s.v. wfA), Orion (lys9K9, k^esîl), and Pleiades (hn!yK9, kîmāh) uses “in the translation the familiar names of the constellations derived from Greek traditions [which] are substituted for the Heb. terms; cf. 38:31-33; Am. 5:8” (Seow, op. cit., on v. 9). But the point is a description of God’s power. God “does great things beyond understanding, / and marvelous things without number” (v. 10). He “passes by” so quickly that Job “cannot perceive him” (v. 11). He “snatches away” and no one can oppose him (v. 12). Even “the helpers of Rahab [‘a mythological sea monster symbolizing cosmic chaos (Job 26:12; Isa. 51:9; Ps. 89:10),’ Seow, on v. 13] bowed beneath him [God]” (v. 13). Job, though he is innocent (v. 15) simply cannot answer God (i.e. God’s charges in the ‘lawsuit’) (vv. 14-15). According to Seow, “Bildad had called upon Job to plead for mercy with God (8:5), but it is a perverted justice when an innocent victim has to plead for mercy with the accuser” (op. cit., on v. 15).

In the following verses, Job stresses his inability to approach God on reasonable terms (vv. 16-19). “Though I am innocent,” he says, “my own mouth would condemn me; / though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse” (v. 20). Though Job is “blameless” (MT!, tām, cf. 1:1, 8; 2:3), God “destroys both the blameless and the wicked” (v. 22). Job’s life is short (vv. 25-26). He is fearful of his suffering (v. 28), but more so of God’s condemnation (v. 29). The contest is unfair because “he is not a mortal, as I [Job] am, that I might answer him, / that we should come to trial together” (v. 32). “There is no umpire (H1yk9Om, môkhîach) between us, / who might lay his hand on us both,” says Job (v. 33a). “The umpire; or arbitrator (H1yk9Om, ‘mokhiach’) was a figure in Israelite dispute resolution who apparently functioned ‘in the gate’ (Isa. 29:21; Am. 5:10), i.e., where much of a town’s public business was conducted. Independency and impartiality were essential if the ‘mokhiach’ was to function properly” (Seow on vv. 33-35). The chapter, not the speech, concludes with a reaffirmation of Job’s innocence: “If he would take his rod away from me,” says Job, “and not let dread of him terrify me, / then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be” (vv. 34-35).

Acts 10:34-48

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days. (Acts 10:34-48, NRSV)

On July 13, 2007 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to July 6, Year One), comments were repeated from September 1, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two), when they were repeated from July 8, 2005 (Friday of the week of the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year One). The comments are repeated again here with some editing and supplement:

As is indicated in yesterday’s reading, Peter and some Christian believers from Joppa have been welcomed by the gathering in the house of Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea. Cornelius has given Peter an open to speak. “So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say” (Acts 10:33b). And, based on his own visionary experience (10:9-16), and the report of Cornelius’s experience (vv. 30-32, cf. vv. 3-6), Peter begins by summing up the divine message. “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (vv. 34-35). Peter’s message, or Luke’s summary of it, is brief. Christopher R. Matthews calls it “a synopsis of Luke’s Gospel” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Acts 10:36-43). Peter begins with reference to the message about Christ. “You know the message (lovgoV, logos) he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace (eijrhvnh, eirēnē) by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all” (v. 36). “Peace” is a theme favored by Luke, for example, on the lips of Zechariah (1:79), the heavenly Christmas angels who sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, / and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (2:14), Simeon (2:29), and in Jesus’ words to the woman of the city called a “sinner” (Lk. 7:37), “Your faith has saved you; go in peace (eijrhvnh, eirēnē). Jesus’ words to the woman with a hemorrhage are similar: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace (eijrhvnh, eirēnē)” (Lk. 8:48 = Mk. 5:34; the words “go in peace” are lacking in Mt. 9:22). Compare also Luke’s version of the crowd’s acclaim at the triumphal entry: “Blessed is the king / who comes in the name of the Lord! / Peace in heaven, / and glory in the highest heaven!” (Lk. 19:38; contrast Mk. 11:10; Mt. 21:9). According to Peter’s message in Cornelius’s house, the message of “peace by Jesus Christ . . . spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced” (Acts 10:37; cf. Lk. 3:3-16). It was a message about “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38a; cf. Lk. 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18-21); about how he [Jesus] went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38b; cf. the series of miracles in the ministry of Jesus beginning with the exorcism in the synagogue at Capernaum, Lk. 4:31-37). “We are witnesses,” says Peter, “to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:39-41). Peter continues: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead” (v. 42; cf. Lk. 24:49; Acts. 1:8). Peter’s remarks are concluded with reference to how “the prophets testify” about Jesus: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43; cf. Lk. 24:2;6-27, 44-47).

Peter’s sermon and the accompanying circumstances–the two visions, a receptive God-fearing Gentile Cornelius and those assembled in his house–led to a Gentile Pentecost: “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word” (v. 44). We may wonder at the surprise that Luke records: “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God” (vv. 45, 46a). As noted yesterday, they serve as witnesses to what happened here (cf. v. 23 and comments yesterday). According to Matthews, “The circumcised believers knew by the speaking in tongues (2:4-11) that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles before [water] baptism” (op. cit., on vv. 44-48). So Peter, recognizing that the essential baptism has already occurred (cf. Lk. 3:16), proposes to baptize these Gentile believers, asking, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (v. 47). And he directs that this be done. “So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (v. 48a). Is it fair to say that he decided to baptize with water those who had already been baptized with the Holy Spirit? In any event, his ministry was greatly appreciated for “they invited him to stay for several days” (v. 48b).

John 7:37-52

Rivers of Living Water

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division among the People

40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiahdoes not come from Galilee, does he? 42 Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” 46 The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” 47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? 48 Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51 “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” (John 7:37-52, NRSV)

The following comments are based, with editing and supplement on comments of March 13, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Lent, Year One), comments were repeated from February 6, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), comments that were repeated from March 1, 2005 (Tuesday of the week of the Third Sunday in Lent, Year One), repeated again on September 1, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two), and again on December 29, 2006 (Friday of Christmas Week, References for December 29, Year One):

In yesterday’s reading Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the Festival of Booths (Sukkoth, Jn. 7:2), or Tabernacles (cf. NRSV text note d), where his controversy with “the Jews,” that is, the religious authorities, “escalates” (cf. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Jn. 7:1-52). Although they tried to arrest him, they failed because, as John tells us, “his hour had not yet come” (Jn. 7:30). Some of the people do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah (v. 27), but others do believe, based on Jesus’ “signs” (shmei:a, sēmeia, v. 31). When Jesus says he will be going “to him who sent me,” that is to his Father (v. 33), adding, “You will search for me, but you will not find me, and where I am you cannot come” (v. 34), the Jews are confused about his meaning (vv. 35-37). “They miss the point,” says Hendricks, “thinking that he is going to the Jews of the Dispersion, those living outside Palestine among the Greeks (Gentiles)” (ibid., on vv. 34-35).

In today’s reading, Jesus claims that the symbolic meaning of the festival is about him and the salvation available to people through him. “On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water’ ” (vv. 37-38; cf. Prov. 18:4; Isa. 58:11). John explains: “Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (v. 39; cf. 16:7; 20:22; Acts 2:4).

According to the Mishnah (Sukkah M 4:9, 10; trans. Jacob Neusner, 1988), an important part of the celebration for the Festival of Booths (Sukkoth) was the water libation:

4:9 A. The water libation: How so?

B. A golden flask, holding three logs in volume [about 1 liter], did one fill with water from Siloam.

C. [When] they reached the Water Gate, they blow a sustained, a quavering and a sustained blast on the shofar.

D. [The priest] went up on the ramp [at the south] and turned to his left [southwest].

E. There were two silver bowls there.

F. R. Judah says, “They were of plaster, but they had darkened because of the wine.”

G. They were perforated with holes like a narrow snout,

H. one wide, one narrow,

I. so that both of them would be emptied together [one of its wine, flowing slowly, the other of its water, flowing quickly].

J. The one on the west was for water, the one on the east was for wine.

K. [If] he emptied the flask of water into the bowl for wine, and the flask of wine into the bowl for water, he has nonetheless carried out the right.

L. R. Judah says, “A log [of water] would one pour out as the water libation all eight days.”

M. And to the one who pours out the water libation they say, “Lift up your hand [so that we can see the water pouring out]!

N. For one time one [priest] poured out the water on his feet.

O. And all the people stoned him with their citrons [a kind of fruit 3 ½ to 9 inches or larger]

4:10 A. As the rite concerning it [was carried out] on an ordinary day, so was the rite [carried out] on the Sabbath.

B. But on the eve of the Sabbath one would fill with water from Siloam a gold jug, which was not sanctified,

C. and he would leave it in a chamber [in the Temple].

D. [If] it was poured out or left uncovered, one would fill the jug from the laver [in the courtyard].

E. For wine and water which have been left uncovered are invalid for the altar.

Although the Mishnah records the teaching of Rabbis, some from the time of Jesus and before and some later, about the ritual for the Festival of Tabernacles–recorded at a time after the destruction of the Temple, so there was no way to carry out these instructions–Jesus probably observed a ceremony carried out as described in the above quotation. “For seven days,” says Hendricks, “water was carried in a golden pitcher from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple as a reminder of the water from the rock in the desert (Num. 20:2-13) and as a symbol of hope for the coming messianic deliverance (Isa. 12:3)” (op. cit., on Jn. 7:37-39). So when Jesus stood and cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (vv. 37-38), he was making a claim to be the fulfillment, the replacement, if you will, of what they were celebrating. John explains for us readers, that “he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (v. 39; cf. 14:26; 16:7, 13; 20:22; Acts 2:4). But some who heard him debated whether Jesus was “really the prophet (v. 40; cf Deut. 18:15) or “the Messiah” (v. 41), who should be descended from David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12; Ps. 89:3-4) and come from Bethlehem (v. 42; cf. Mic. 5:2; Mt. 2:5-6). The result was indecisive: “So there was a division in the crowd because of him” (v. 43), and some “wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him” (v. 44). But when the temple police returned without arresting him and were questioned (v. 45; cf. v. 32), they began to sound like believers. “Never has anyone spoken like this!” (v. 46), they said, which drew an angry response: “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you?” (v. 47). Their questions claim the authority of those who should know. “Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?” (v. 48). They deride those among the crowd who tend toward belief (cf. vv. 25-26, 31, 43). “But this crowd,” say the Pharisees, “which does not know the law–they are accursed” (v. 49). According to Hendricks, John thus “describes the dismissive tone of the religious authorities toward the crowd, mostly provincial pilgrims, whose spiritual welfare they are supposed to serve” (ibid., on v. 49).

At this point we meet a rather timid Nicodemus–“a leader of the Jews” (3:1) who came to Jesus earlier. Whether he was a member of the Council (Sanhedrin) is unclear, but he is called “one of them” (v. 50) that is, among the chief priests and Pharisees who challenge the police for their failure to arrest Jesus. He asks, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” (v. 51). The question, introduced by the negative particle mhv (mē) rather than ouj (ou), implies a negative response, “No, of course it doesn’t.” According to David K. Rensberger, revised by Harold W. Attridge, “Whether John presents Nicodemus as one who truly believe in [Jesus], however is in doubt. Here Nicodemus begins to defend Jesus but goes no further than an appeal to the law (i.e., the Pharisees’ law)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Jn. 7:48-52). Even so, it is enough to evoke a scornful response from the chief priests and Pharisees. “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee” (v. 52, cf. vv. 40-41). According to Rensberger and Attridge, “Galilee was regarded by many Pharisees as religiously lax; see also 1:46” (ibid.).

For John it is clear that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, sent from heaven and the fulfillment of all of the Jewish hopes, including those celebrated in the ritual of the Festival of Tabernacles. But it is also clear that he meets with mixed results, largely negative responses at this time. Nevertheless, the promise of living water (vv. 37-38; cf. 4:10-15), and the anticipation of the pouring out of the Spirit (cf. 14:26; 16:13; Acts 2:4, 17) show that the seeds of faith have been planted within those who do respond, and that many others, including you and I, will “come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing [we] may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31).

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net