“The Classics” (Job 42:7-9 ) [Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Job sub-series - # Job 42:7-9

“It changes you”, he said to class
On Job – now I am glad – alas
His intro-class long years ago
Had meanings I still need to know.

“A classic must be wrestled down
Until deep-meanings can be found;
Some books give warm and fuzzy feel –
Not these! At end you’re moved to kneel –

And say your thanks to God above
For sharing such great gifts of love
Through narratives like Job and such,
By which, through ages, folks are touched.

I’d worked some hours on “Frame” of yarn –
Two chapters at the first, where harm
Comes to Job’s setup, then three friends
Come visit him, ’till story ends –

And then, before all is restored,
An incident’s described, before
Three friends go back to their home-towns –
Repentance-stage for them is found.

For me, it to the surface brought
The piece on “Sacrifice” once taught
To us so many years ago –
Both Jewish, Catholic ways they showed –

Us so we’d comprehended their ways –
“Not ours, of course”, Professor says,
To set us at our ease – but here
This different is – for me, made clear.

Note sacrifice in chapter one,
Job offers after daughters, sons,
Have parties, lest, trash-talking God,
They screw things up there on Job’s sod.

Then, here in forty-two verse seven,
The theme’s picked up with voice from heaven,
“I’m quite annoyed at you and your
Two other friends – indeed quite sore.

“You had no good words for Me, folks –
Trash-talking quite describes you blokes;
Not like my servant – Job, who’s hurt
Beyond belief – yet not a word –

“Passed through his lips in awful time;
So here is what I have in mind –
Take seven calves and seven rams
To Job, for sacrifice – he can –

“Burn them for you (don’t you guys try!
No way, and I just told you why),
For in consideration of
Friend Job, I’ll bear with you, because –

“He is My man, swell dude indeed;
He’s got no calves or rams to feed
The flames of Holocaust to Me;
With gifts from you, he’ll intercede.”

And why was this act to be done?
That to God not have to inflict on
The three, castigo (punishment)
For having said no words that went –

From them to ear of suffering Job –
Good words of God, to ease Job’s load;
It seems God was not thus amused
By talking trash through words they used.

The meaning of a “Sacrifice”
Is letting go of something nice,
Not trash, but treasure – letting go
Of part of life, that God might know –

That hearts had changed – corrected now,
They’d carry on, as God allowed
Them to move forward; attitudes
Adjusted – hence, adjusted dudes.

I note God told them what to do;
It’s Job, not they, who executes
The sacrifice – Job’s hooked right in
With God, so he can thus begin –

To do for them what they can’t do –
Be reconciled – like me and you;
Like friend who puts a good word in
That things have changed – new life begins.

The Jews and Catholics both have this –
The “Priest” presides – by heaven kissed;
Priest first cleans out his Jewish life,
Then offers others’ sacrifice.

The Catholics restrict as well
Who can perform this act; thus tell
The folks – “Christ Jesus is the Lamb
Who reconciles – that all might stand –

“In presence of our God once more,
Relationship with God restored;
Just as with Job’s three friends in yarn,
Because of Job they were not harmed.

“For Christ it is who intercedes
On our behalf, to meet our needs
Of life restored – relationship
With God – from whom all life exists.”

The Protestants take different tack,
But book of Job informs all that –
As we soak in the author’s words,
This classic’s treasures can be heard.

Thanks Lord for this.

navigation