Job

With Esther, we end the linear narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures. And if we can draw one lesson from Genesis through Esther, it is this: "If we do what God says, all will go well; if we don't, it won't." And then we turn the page to Job. Job does everything God wants, and his life is a disaster! As we know from our own experience: bad things often happen to good people, even when they are fully aligned with God. So what gives? Job explores this paradox, calling into question the fundamental lessons we learn in the first 700 pages of Scripture. Each book after Esther in the Christian canon of the Hebrew Scriptures is a recapitulation into the main narrative. Job takes us back to the start, to the time of Abraham, and it raises serious questions.