Job 16:12

I was untroubled – but He shattered me,

   Seized me by the nape, and crushed me,

He set me up as a target,

 

I put ‘plot my routine’ on my to do list and it seems as though I mentally put it on the not ‘going to do that’ to do list. I think I now have four to do lists and one is the things I just never work on. I do want to get this routine in place, but it seems to have been months since I finished reading the book and determined to do so.

The cat is sitting on my notes, so I’ll get back to them later.

When I read this verse, I picture the actions of the prologue being remembered in the poetry. I get the feeling that Job of the prologue is tough to have a perfect life with tons of possessions and a great role in life. But I get the feeling he was really working hard to be what God wanted him to be. You can’t manage all those animals and servants and still be the man about town if you spend all your time enjoying the fruits. Untroubled is not the same as easy street.

Job’s negative view of God’s actions (seized, crushed, shattered, and set up) are not untrue. God puts us in situations to build our reliance upon Him. He sets us up so that others can see how we respond to these challenges. Christians get cancer, they get too old to do everything they used to, and they fall behind the ever changing march of technology and what is ‘right’ to the world.

I read a meme about a doctor who took steps to show that cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. I always thought that was an old wives tale, but always refrained from cracking any joint just in case. My ankle I broke that fateful Christmas Eve seems to pop with every step and loudly with every step up any stairs. I don’t have any fear of arthritis from that anymore.

Cat moved.

‘Untroubled’ was also ‘at ease’, ‘all was well’, ‘at peace’, and ‘tranquil’. ‘Shattered’ was also ‘broken’, ‘shook’, and ‘smashed’.

‘Seized’ was also ‘taken’ and ‘grabbed’. ‘Nape’ was also ‘neck’.

Assuming Job was a real person and his story is real, then God used the actions of Satan to bring glory to God, to bring Job closer to right relationship with God, and to use Job to direct the attention of others towards God. And this is what I think makes the story of Job so fascinating: that God actually interferes with the world to love us. Without this understanding, who could believe He sent His only Son to die for our sins? Ever part of scripture is good for learning. This is my paraphrase of something someone wrote in the New Testament and it is true, even if there never was a Job and his story was all made up.

 

Written 6/26/25, Posted 8/27/25, Job 386