A Tale of Two Poets

The book of Job has been fascinating for me to read and I am nearly finished. But with each book I have read many misconceptions and questions that I had were quickly changed and answered simply by reading. For example, I use to think this was a short book, but it is not. I also use to think it was mainly a narrative, but it is actually mostly a dialogue between Job and his friends. Job has always interested me because it is one of the oldest texts in the history of the world and the oldest of all the scriptures. Yet, it is placed not at the beginning of the Bible, but in the middle of the O.T. and, in particular, next to the book of Psalms. This is weird to me. But after reading the book I see why this is. There is one particular passage that really sums up the entirety of the story- chapter 23.
I won't write the entire chapter, but I do recommend you read it. When you do it should sound somewhat familiar to a passage in Psalms. In fact, it is almost the exact opposite of Psalm 139. Job says,
8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
and backward, but I do not perceive him;
9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him."
David says in the Psalm;
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.

Kinda similar, yet oopposite. Job can't seem to find God in his circumstances, and David can't get away from God. I can relate to both. Sometimes it seems God is nowhere to be found, and sometimes He seems to be constantly by my side, leading me. The truth is that God never abandons us, but that doesn't mean that Job abandoned God. Job is at a place where he can't rely upon anything else other than faith in God; and though he cannot see him, Job is left to trust that God is still true to his word.
This is why he says;
10 But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
14 For he will complete what he appoints for me,
and many such things are in his mind.
And why David says;
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!


I notice that throughout the Psalms, David, who was a king and a warrior, experienced a lot of ups and downs in his relationship with God. Job was an ordinary family man who experienced his share of ups and downs too. I think these books are next to each other so that we can peer into the lives of men who percevered through hardships and trials and came out as fine gold. This gives me great hope for what God can do with you and me.