Echoes of Job in Romans

Job and his Three Friends  --  By James Tissot  --  c.1896-1902

I recently finished a study on Romans 9-11. Remember that crazy section about God's purpose of election and a remnant chosen by grace and the partial hardening of Israel?

Brain-spinning awesomeness!

God is absolutely wise, good, just and powerful. He is working out his plan to save his people, both Jews and Gentiles, through his Son Jesus Christ. I enjoyed exalting God with Paul at the end of chapter 11,

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

As I meditated on that beautiful doxology of Romans 11, I felt like I had heard something like that before. So I read through the book of Job. And then I read it again…and again.

More brain-spinning awesomeness!

When I compare the book of Job and the doxology of Romans 11, I hear echoes of Job in Romans. I'm not saying that Paul directly quotes Job. I'm suggesting that Paul, who had a deep grasp of the Old Testament, was influenced by Job as he wrote Romans. Let me show you. Below is a chart of comparison between Job and Romans 11:33-36. I recommend you read each box slowly, from left to right.

Job	Romans 11:33-36
(12:13) With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. (21:22) Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? (28:12,14,23) But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.	Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
(9:10) God does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. (36:26) How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. (37:5) God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. (37:23) The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.	How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
(36:22-23) Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’?	For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
(35:7) If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? (41:11) Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.	Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
(42:2) I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.	For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

(The quotations from Job are spoken by Job, Elihu and Yahweh.)

As I pondered these similarities, I arrived at some interesting conclusions.

Maybe we need to change our thinking regarding the "BIG questions" of Job and Romans. We often struggle with questions like:

How can we reconcile, "All the evil that the LORD had brought upon Job" (Job 42:11) with, "Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong" (Job 34:10)?

How can we reconcile, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people" (Rom 10:21) with, "He hardens whomever he wills" (Rom 9:18)?

How can we reconcile, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10) with, "Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice" (Job 34:12)?

How can we reconcile, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom 10:13) with, "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace" (Rom 11:5)?

We feel tension in these verses. We feel tension between the suffering of the righteous and the wise providence of God. We feel tension between God's desire that all people be saved and God only choosing some to be saved. We feel like we have to "resolve the tension" or "solve the problem." Sometimes, we're tempted to ask, "Is there injustice on God’s part?" (Rom 9:14). Or maybe we're tempted to cry out with Job, "Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice" (Job 19:7). Sometimes the tension causes anger, despair, division or doubt.

But maybe we need to change our thinking. Maybe when we feel this tension about the suffering of the righteous or election by grace, we should find ourselves where Job and Paul found themselves.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" (Rom 9:20)

Maybe it's ok for us to hold these things in tension. Maybe it's ok to look past the tension to the God who, "laid the foundation of the earth," and "caused the dawn to know its place" (Job 38:4,12). Let's fix our eyes on the God who, "raised Jesus from the dead" and "is Lord of all" (Rom 10:9,12). Let's focus our attention on the God who, "covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark" and "can number the clouds by wisdom" (Job 36:32, 38:37).

Now, I'm not suggesting that we throw up our hands and throw away diligent study of the Word. No way! I love studying the Bible. Exegesis is my favorite hobby. I am saying that our careful exegesis must help us understand the original intent of the authors. And the author of Job wants us to see that God is the hero of the story. And the author of Romans wants us to see that God is the hero of the story. The author of Job wants us to hear Job's final confession to Yahweh, "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). And Paul wants us to join him in his doxology, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom 11:36). Job and Paul surrendered themselves to Almighty God, King of the Universe. They humbled themselves under the wisdom of Yahweh, believing that he has a good plan. And even if they can't yet see every outcome of God's good plan, they still joyfully trust him.

So what about real life application for us today?

When we face dark valleys of suffering we can trust Yahweh and worship him as the one who has the power, authority, freedom and wisdom to work out all of his good plans for his glory. We can surrender our selfish desire to know why and simply rest in the God who, "does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous" (Job 36:7). When we wrestle with the tension of election by grace, we can trust Yahweh and worship him as the one who has the power, authority, freedom and wisdom to work out all of his good plans for his glory. We can surrender our desire to know why or how or when and simply rest in God, "who has mercy" (Rom 9:16).



Resources:

G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI;  Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic;  Apollos, 2007).

Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988).

James D. G. Dunn, Romans 9–16, vol. 38B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998).