Group # 1 G-cza Alba Lester Abuel Enriquito Cruz Marika Fernandez Ian Ganhinhin Michael Guevarra Page 67.

1. Jobs hope of connecting with God was fulfilled through His revelation to Job. 1. The starting point is Gods plan 1. the trademark of gratuitousness of creation 2. Yahweh speaks to Job to show His respect for human freedom 3. Jobs call for justice is legitimate, and Yahweh is committed to justice 1. Justice, in its fullness, must be understood in the context of the overall plan of God for it is there that God grants self-revelation 2. Job comes to understand more fully and deeply the language of popular faith because of spiritual struggle. Page 68. Job claims innocence and confidently says that if all accusations against him were written down, he can wear it with his head held high.

He does not try to conceal his sins just as others do because he believes that he has never sinned. Perhaps he understood that God does not punish us because we sin (unlike what his friends are saying). He is almost too confident that he challenges God to speak to him (perhaps to judge him). He is not afraid because he firmly believes that he is a good man.

"In the person of Job, alone here before God, are present all the innocent of this world who suffer unjustly and ask, "why?" of the God in whom they believed."

Job here, indeed, is innocent. But his faith has been challenged. But as human as he is, he cannot help but ask why.

Job's fear of encountering God.

Job, again just like many other men, thought God would punish and crush him upon such encounter. But God proves to be greater that what they think of Him by answering Job the way He did: powerful (perhaps authoritative) but calm (speaking from out of the storm). God again proves to be a kind God despite our being sinful. He treats us with mercy.

God's answer to Job.

It seemed as though God was not only talking to Job but mankind in general. There was no reference to Job's suffering. Perhaps, God was really just reminding man that he does not and cannot know everything about God (no amount of faith can give man this) because God is the absolute mystery. Thus, despite everything, he must remain humble.

Page 69. Gods answer to Job is of a different nature. Once Job asks to be accounted for his sins, God merely dismisses itand through it, disproves that it is through Jobs (evil) deeds that he is facing the problems that he had at that point in time as his friends suggest. Jobs innocence therefore is proven and in this way, Job succeeds in getting an answer from God.

A misconception about Gods response, however, persists. Some interpreters pay more attention to Gods presence than the content of His speeches, thinking that His presence is more than enough for Job who seeks an answer from God Himself. However, if examined closely, Gods response is clear in His speeches. God speaks twice. Once, in Chapters 38-39, concerning Gods plan (Gods design for the world itself, and His creatures) , giving meaning to his creative work, and the second one emphasizes His just governance (how He sustains life and His creatures) presented in the poetic language which invites the reader to delve more into the meaning of the text. The very presentation of the words of God in poetic nature highly increases our understanding of God. In simple poetry itself, the reader can have more than one interpretation of the text, and the richness of understanding that comes with it highlights the wisdom of the authorin this case, God. Page 70. God in his first speech in the Book of Job draws attention to the event of creation. Creation as the start of all things the foundation of God's Plan.

Where is the manifestation of God's plan in the case of Job? Job was already a good man (Job 1:1). Even God himself was proud of Job's actions and belief (Job 1:8). Yet he gave his consent to Satan to let loose his powers unto Job's family and possession. In different forms, Satan did. Yet how is this any different from what we experience today? How can we know that when a bomber attack it was not God who willed it upon the people? How can this form of evil be a part of God's plan? Gutierrez mentions in this part of the book, " At the very beginning of the speech, Yahweh expresses willingness to reveal the plan or intention, the esah of God. This revelation requires binah on Job's part - that is, understanding, discernment, knowledge of the truth of things." As we've said faith is coupled with revelation, but faith is not a blind leap it is must be with reason. Job after all things that happened to him still had faith in God, keeping in mind that all this is the punishment of God for his sins,

but at a certain point he breaks. He couldn't find reason to all the things that happened. Faith was there, yet why did Yaweh revealed himself when faith was lost? Isn't the purpose of the first speech of Yaweh more of revealing his power? As I see it the first Speech was more of Yaweh revealing his power and him being almighty, who is Job to question him? I don't understand what he means in the sentence "the reason for believing "for nothing" - the theme set at the beginning of the book- is the free and gratuitous initiative taken by divine love" so wala na talaga akong maintidihan after that point :|

Page 71. The book of Job started out with a theme of believing in nothing, in which we see the paradox of Gods love for us as given in the form of freedom. As this freedom is part of Gods plan to bring beauty in His creations. And that Gods government on earth is divine justice brought to us. This is the only motive for creation that can lead to a communion of two freedoms. (p.71) But there is confusion on what is divine justice and acts of wickedness as both are similar in the nature of its result, as of now there is no definite answer on what draws the line between divine justice and wickedness. But the author quotes that both the wicked and divine live in one world and that you cannot segregate one from the other.

Group #2 Aldover, Ivan Gonzales, Katrina Madarang, Gayle Rances, Alessandra See, Cassandra The Freedom of God (pp. 72-76) God lashes out on Job and his friends for thinking that they know when and how God punishes the sinners God criticizes the theology that presumes to pigeonhole [categorize] the divine action in history as if they knew it beforehand God criticizes religions that claim to be able to fully explain Gods works God is transcendent The justice of God is the main subject of debate. For Eliphaz and his companions, theology: Focuses on principles Gods justice is expressed in the doctrine of retribution God gives what you deserve Jobs sufferings are the result of his guilt Only recourse for Job is to repent and to ask God forgiveness for his sins Job Aware that he is a sinner Declares himself innocent as far as his sufferings are concerned According to theologian friends, this is blasphemy For Job this is a blind alley that he needs to debate with God Gods speeches are a forceful rejection of a purely anthropocentric view of creation. Not everything in this world was created solely for our purpose, therefore, we cannot explain everything solely from our perspective Nature is an expression of Gods delight and freedom in creation Therefore, the cause and effect view of nature is narrow and limited. That is not the sole purpose of nature. Justice and gratuitousness is subtly present in Gods speeches Divine love, not retribution is the hinge were the world turns However, Yahweh is aware of the lack of this Job 38: 12-15 Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place for taking hold of the ends of the earth, till the wicked are shaken from its surface? The earth is changed as is clay by the seal, and dyed as though it were a garment; but from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered. God says that he created dawn in which dawn tells us that people with evil behavior will not be triumphant in the end. Job 38: 25-27 Who has laid out a channel for the downpour and for the thunderstorm a path to bring rain to no mans land, the unpeopled wilderness to enrich the waste and desolate ground till the desert blooms with verdure?

This shows Gods power over the weather. The speeches say that God indeed has a plan, but it is not one that the human mind can grasp so as to make calculations based on it and foresee the divine action.

God is free; Gods love is a cause, not an effect. God has a plan, but it is something beyond our human understanding

Not everything that exists was made to be directly useful to human beings; therefore, they may not judge everything from their point of view. It refuses to be limited to the narrow confines of the cause-effect relationship. viewing Gods actions mainly as a means for our growth is not good for our understanding of God; doing so may confuse us more God acts but does not reveal everything for us to see; His plan will be revealed to us when the time comes This means that it is difficult and even impossible to discover in detail the reasons for Gods action, so as to be able to foresee it and as it were, manage it. Utility is not the primary reason for Gods action; the creative breath of God is inspired by beauty and joy. We cannot assume that Gods creations were all created solely for functional purposes.

Which brings us to the question: Must everything in history, including Gods divine work, be explained by human reason in theological terms? Impossible to discover in detail why God does what he does. He is mysterious, such that although we know some things about Him, it is a continuous ongoing mystery. There will always be more to learn about Him. the incomprehensible character of God Symbolic References to Divine Freedom 1. Donkey and the Ox - Donkey shows freedom as it roams wild in the wastelands - Ox shows refusal to submit to domestic tanks - Is everything that exists in the natural world really meant to be domesticated by human beings and subjected to their service? - Job adds that to be free, one must be far from God. - God rejects the anthropocentric view of creation and answers, not everything that exists was made to be directly useful to human beings; therefore, they may not judge everything from their point of view. - This expresses the freedom and delight of God in creating. - It refuses to be limited to the narrow confines of a cause and effect relationship

2. Ostrich - God has forgotten to give animals their share of understanding or wisdom. - This is an invitation to learn from Gods plan and thus show that he is not lacking in discernment. - Job is like an Ostrich that may have lacked wisdom in his life, but he is still pleasing to God the creator. 3. Horse - Utility is not the primary reason for Gods actions; the creative breath of God is inspired by beauty and joy. - Job is invited to sing with Yahweh the wonders of creation without forgetting that the source of it all is the free and gratuitous love of God. The reasoning is Gods discourse seems to be this: what folds for the world of nature, holds with all the greater reason for the world of history. o Creation is seen as a saving action of God. o It is difficult and even impossible to discover in detail the reason for Gods action.

Human Littleness and Respect for God The speeches of God demonstrate that man is not the center of the universe and that he cannot exploit everything on earth solely for his usage With Gods speech, Job answers by acknowledging his littleness but he does not admit that he has sinned. He expresses humility not resignation. This however is an important step in the abandonment of his anthropocentrism. Job knows himself to be innocent. The light has still not dawned on him Job is still full of his problems It will take a costly effort for him to go out of himself and his world God is however refusing to let Job withdraw from the debate

Group 3: Ang, Rachel Lynn de Guzman, Paolo Lim, Zachary Lirios, Sandino Ong, Justine Orallo, Max The Mysterious Meeting of Two Freedoms, Gutierrez (last paragraph of 79-81) I. Gods Second Speech and Jobs Response (Job 40: 6- 42:6 In the first speech made by God in response to Jobs call, a challenge for Job to answer Gods questions was lain out. However, Job could not bring himself to talk. Dumbfounded by what he did not seem to realize, he accepts his littleness compared to Gods infinite goodness and power. He acknowledges the fact that all things exist through Gods continuing will and love. This is better illustrated in Wisdom 11:23-26. However, in this same conversation, Job commits a form of pelagianism in which he undermines Gods power and divine grace. He fails to understand that God does not exercise absolute control over His creations. Through His grace and justice, Yahweh allows us to act in His gift of free will. In 42:3, Job refers to marvels beyond my grasp which refer to both an all-mighty God and a weak God who is heedful of human freedom. Through Job's experience, light has been shed on the quality of relationship one should have with God. On one hand, God should not be questioned. God has bestowed great marvels upon the world and to humankind, such as the creation and continual creation of existence, the workings of nature and much more. Apart from these, though, God also shows His strength ironically through His "weakness". Job beholds God's marvel by understanding that God does not control human freedom and that He understands it and abides by it. If God can't control human freedom, how would Job do so? If he were to succeed in doing such an act, he would be greater than God or even become a god himself. Even though God should not be challenged, it does not mean that people should be in a mute relationship with Him. On the other hand, human relationships with God should be kind wherein God can be addressed and spoken to as well. Thus was the reason why God's reply was stern, but soothing at the same time.

II. The theology of Jobs friends reflect a certain historical interpretation for Gods answer. (either vindication or punishment)

Jobs friends were quick to try and define Gods acts as either vindication or punishment using their own rationale.The very act of defining God, shaping him in to a predictable concrete and determinable form is antithetical to a God that is supposedly supernatural and therefore beyond our own comprehension- a domesticated god made by human hands. This act of surmising God now comes in as a different form of idolatry wherein man replaces God with his own reasoning. III. The Twin poems of Behemoth and Leviathan The stories of these two mythological beasts were included for a reason; In the same manner that God taunts Job by emphasizing His insurmountable powers, these stories were meant to grip Job with an overwhelming wave of terror that his littleness is nothing compared to Gods creative power. These two beasts were meant to represent evil forces and show that even if God doesnt annihilate them, theyre still subject to His power. These verses emphasize how everything, even chaos and disorder, were made by God. God tells this to Job because He sees how Job considers His existence as a curse due to his undeserved sufferings. This is Gods way of showing how even though the world is in itself not intrinsically evil, there is still evil in the world. IV. Ultimately, the fullness of Jobs story is completed by the twin poems of Behemoth and Leviathan. Job 40:8 emphasizes what Job has realized- that although mans capacity to fully understand the truth about the universe and to make perfectly moral judgements are limited, there is a possible way for divine freedom and human freedom to intersect.Through the constant interaction of divine and human freedom, we can affirm Gods and Jobs mutual integrity. When Job challenged Gods power through, demanding what is just and right for him (a sort of disordered love really, a kind of self-indulgence, his desire to receive Gods blessing), he seems to have questioned Gods integrity. God seems to be equally liable for a response when he admits to ruining Jobs life for no reason1 Only when Job withdraws all his complaints against God can he accept and finally understand the purpose of Gods esah (plan) as revealed through creation. God then invites Job to accept His divine mercy despite mans limited capacity for knowledge. Job finally responds to God in total humility and repentance (42:1-6) As St. Augustine would say Only when God by His grace illumines the mind can grasp the truth. Jobs complaints and rebellion against God, his exercise of freedom were instrumental in making God reveal himself, therefore allowing man to gain insight on his plan of salvation. He then fully understands that God rests on the side of human life that is authentically devoted to God and his people.2 V. Conclusion Thus, the theologian friends have made a grave error. They have tried to box God into their own logic and intellect and predict His actions, when in reality, this is not capable of occurring. If it were, then He would not be God.
1 2

Wharton, James. Job. p.173. Wesminster John Knox Press. Kentucky:1999 Ibid, p.177.

God is beyond understanding. He is beyond what is natural and capable of being comprehended by human minds. All the things in the world, even people, are marked with the signature of God, which means that we are all incapable of completely understanding anything. There will always be mystery concerning the world and the things in it. However, it is mystery that spurs people on to continue living. In the end, people will act the way they want to. There is no use controlling human freedom. The world will reveal to a person numerous experiences and things that will leave an impression. In terms of morality for example, all it takes is for the world to bombard much that it has to offer on a person and morality is swept away. That wasnt the case for Job though. He didnt fall off the moral path. This was due to his faith and relationship with God. These helped Job to mull and find what was right and true than those without a fervent relation with God. Thus, God grants man the illumination to know the good that will lead to happiness. Taking it in a wider scale, divine grace is capable of helping mankind overcome their limitations.

Group # 4 Alcantar, Nikki Chua, Jeff Ong, Mark Ruiz, JP Tanjangco, Bea Villa, Nile CHAPTER 10 My Eyes Have Seen You (A study of Jobs second reply)

(82-87)
Surrender to Love We would see the true relationship between justice and gratuitousness in Jobs second and final reply to God. His second answer is very different compared to his first reply. The First reply only focused on himself while in the second answer, it focused on God (His words, plans and presence). God did not accept the accusations made by Jobs friends, He then implicitly confirms Jobs integrity. There is a huge transformation in Job. His change of attitude is due to his understanding of God. He answered his anxieties and brings him hope. He has released him and he continues to proclaim his belief to others.

Job and Gods last conversation In Job 7, Job has had enough already. (So in Job 7:11, he says he's had enough already). He finally gives in to the suffering so he lashes out at God. He only has only one life and in comparison to God, it's only a breath -> its short and he ought to be cherishing and living it out Since Satan took everything away from Job already, Job feels as if his life is dead already - He doesnt have happiness anymore (it ended already) However: - Job's sentiment is that God is very protective of him that HE guards Jobs so much - Sea Monster (7:12) -> ancient stories said that sea monsters had to be guarded so as to not to let them escape and do damage (footnote, Bible) -> so Job is going to have to be watched over in case he does harm to others but most of all, to himself ->might commit suicide since he has nothing to live for anymore Job travels with his friends (Eliphaz, Zophar, Bildad) and they fill his heads with ideas about God that are contrary to his beliefs in the beginning. Because of his grief and his friends ideas, Job finally has had enough so he lashes out to God in pain and anger over what has happened to him because of Satan. God then replies to Jobs rants by asking him what he has known about God and His works that makes him (Job) qualified to question and get mad at God.

- Gods first response is Him asking Job if he can do Gods responsibilities. He asks Job if he was there when God created the world and if he can sustain the needs of His Creation. - Job replies that he cannot - Gods second response asks Job that if He is unfair and unjust at make Job look good, then Job ought to be proclaiming it to the world. God then challenges Job to pour out his anger to those who are proud and humble them so God may praise Job. Jobs final response is his acknowledgement that: - God is right, just and powerful. (reaffirmation of God) - That Job is ignorant of Gods work and responsibilities and therefore he cannot just question Gods actions especially those that happened to him. - With his listening to Gods response, he is now enlightened of what God does. - He is ashamed of his ignorance especially his being carried away with his friends opinions on God - Job now repents for his actions as a sign of his humility and obedience.

Jobs recognizes Gods plan Job has recognized Gods plan as a test of his faith; however, it also shows in the course of the story of how he tries his best to deny what he really feels. Moreover, he was unable to anticipate the atrocity of how these plans were going to turn out. Job was unable to realize how he was unexpectedly trying to defend the evils surrounding him. In a way, the more he was trying to proclaim his faith to God during these desperate times, the more he was unknowingly trying to support the spread of evil. Without Jobs realization and experience that such horrible events may occur, he was unable to handle the suffering he was encountering. An interesting part here is that Job has not experienced the unfortunate situations he was about to encounter, which may have been the reason why he cursed the day he was born in the end.

Job understands his limitations When God talked to Job, the latter was able to realize how foolish he had become. In the end, Job realized his quick judgment and asked for forgiveness. He was able to accept the fact that there are things beyond his control, and asked for the forgiveness of his friends, who have told him to curse God. Job then realizes the true purpose of Gods plan and how God works. Gods plan permeates with freedom and love; and Job encounters an aspect of reality he cannot wrap his mind around this doesnt make it any less real however. Though he didnt really learn anything new, because that kind of information is too difficult to understand, he has begun to understand it and hes got a long way to go. He now sees things differently for God presents a newness. The reason behind Gods asking Job many questions is to put him in his place, make him realize he doesnt know, and cannot know, everything.

The verb Know is important in Gods long and challenging speeches because God wants to prove Jobs insufficient knowledge - how it cant comprehend all the beautiful things. Job couldnt respond to Gods challenge.

Jobs life is changed for the better After Gods questions and their conversation, Job acknowledges the life changing encounter. Before, it was an indirect encounter of god, things he heard through his friends, now, its a direct encounter he witnesses. Job savours the face-to-face meeting with god; and he can feel hope, faith and most especially love. Job surrenders to God his heart is bursting within his breast. Job goes off limping, like Jacob after wrestling with an angel. Hes limping but content because he saw the Lord and the revelation opened up a new world for him. He used to acknowledge God in protest; now, he does with an acceptance inspired by contemplative love. The lines from a psalm quoted: I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I wake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form shows Job coming to a humbling realization after his encounter; he acknowledges he was wrong. The line Yes the meeting was costly? implies that yes, in a literal sense,Job had to lose so much to gain his new understandings, it also cost him his old beliefs prior to his trials Although Job complains about what is happening to him he has never thought that God had abandoned him for a single moment. Since it was his dearest desire to become close to God, it was the greatest trial to feel far away from Him. Now that he has seen God, it is more than he could have dreamed.

Jobs concludes by saying I retract and repent in dust and ashes Basically, everything is all good again and Job came out ever stronger in faith from his trials and tribulations. He realizes that God has never left him and God Himself never accused Job of anything. God reveals to Job a plan and the meaning of true justice. Job admits his disrespectfulness and wants to say sorry. Its starting to feel like a bittersweet, but mostly happy, ending. Theres just one issue left unresolved though. It is when Job says, I retract and repent in dust and ashes (Jb 42:6) What exactly is it that Job wants to retract? POSSIBILITY 1: The word retract has no object for which it speaks so we could either add an object (but run the risk of changing the entire message) or to settle with a degree of ineptitude just to keep the peace and let the story remain the same. POSSIBILITY 2: We look at other translations of the original word naham. Correctly translated, this word means to repentthis new translation was proposed a few years prior to the article.

However, even the author of this translation admits that naham used with the preposition al means to change ones mind or to reverse an opinion. -So the verse actually says, I abandon [change my mind about] dust and ashes. The phrase dust and ashes pertains to lamentation and hardships. So when Job says he retracts, he doesnt mean taking back something he has said, but he means turning away from that dust and ashes way he has been dealing with his situation. He basically says that now that he has seen God and has strongly re-assured himself of Gods presence and love, he has no reason to live life in sadness. Instead, he now decides to praise and worship God with joy. In other words: He chooses to see the glass half full instead of half empty.

Job after he rejects his attitude of lamentation Job, upon seeing things clearly, abandoning dust and ashes thus opens up a new horizon with which he can live his life, and this is motivated by the fact that his eyes have now seen. This would explain his joy in the debate with his theologian friends. Jobs reply to the dialogue with his friends was one of contemplation of God. He sees that he only has done (and seen) so much in his life to be talking even adequately about God. This can be seen in the earlier parts of the scripture, when he had felt that God has been too distant. But after this revelation, a new trust is established. In the words of Jeremiah, You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced. This calls into mind St. Thomas reason for undertaking his definitive work Summa Theologiae: contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere, roughly translated to to see and share with others what is seen. There are two things that one must be mindful of: the datum of phenomenon and the datum of faith. The datum of phenomenon, at least for Job, was his suffering. The datum of faith was his personal encounter with God; precisely, revelation. Going back to St. Thomas, we see that what is seen is a datum of revelation; the task, then, of the human person in face of the revealed truth, is to share with others and let others see. In Job, we see that his encounter with God changed him, in that, as mentioned earlier, he chose to view the glass half full instead of half-empty. From a very legalistic understanding of fulfilling the plan of God, Job comes to realize that, through his suffering, his work is never complete without grace. Job understands that he must be receptive to the infinite grace of God, that he might live with joy in his heart.

Group # 5 Buenafe, Jeriko De Vera, Nicola Gaston, Yvette Quiambao, Yssa Sibucao, Bernice Gutierrez, Beyond Justice, pp. 87-92 I. Gods love A. Freely bestowed It operates in a world not of cause and effect but of freedom and gratuitousness. If temporal retribution were the essence of how God is to treat us, then it diminishes our freedom. Gods love is essentially free, parallel with the fact that we may choose to accept it or not. B. Going beyond justice Justice alone does not have the final say about how we are to speak of God. Preferential love: Solidarity with the poor A. First stage: Transcending individual experience, opening oneself to the suffering of others, and committing to its elimination God has a special love for the disinherited, the exploited of human history. Preferential love is the basis for the prophetic way of speaking about God. But the prophetic way is not the only way of drawing near to the mystery of God, nor is it sufficient by itself. B. Second stage: Situating justice within the framework of Gods gratuitous love Gods predilection for the poor may only be understood through this perspective. The preference for the poor is a key factor in authentic divine justice. Gods love is the framework within which the requirement of practicing justice is to be located. There is no opposition between gratuitousness and justice. However, there is a contradiction between the free, gratuitous and creative love of God and the doctrine of retribution. Retribution A. Misconception of justice Justice is translated into demands made of God by human beings. B. God as a prisoner of our actions Job once criticized the theology of temporal retribution as maintained in his day but falls short and thus, could not escape the dilemma presented by his friends: if he was innocent, then God was guilty. God rebukes Job for remaining prisoner of this either-or mentality. The world of retribution is not where God dwells. The Lord is a not a prisoner of the give to me and I will give to you mentality. C. Heart of the message of the Book of Job Nothing, no human work, however valuable, merits grace, for if it did, grace would cease to be grace.

II.

III.

Human works do not justify, do not save. St. Paul says, in light of the revelation given in Jesus Christ, that human works cannot tie God's hands. Entrance into the Kingdom of God is not a right to be won, not even by the practice of justice; it was always a freely given gift. No conditions may be imposed on God. Those who demand guarantees from God show that they have no understanding of God and lack discernment needed for comprehending Gods plan. - Judith responds when the king decides to surrender the town of Bethulia in five days unless God comes to their aid. (Jth. 8:11-17)

IV.

Expectations from human beings A. Practice of faith It finds expression in works. - However, these works do not become a claim upon God, for if they did, they would betray their own meaning. Faith works through love. (Gal. 5:6) B. Ethical demand Every believer must practice justice. - This is not inconsistent with the free and unmerited initiative of God. - It acquires its full scope and vitality only when located within this gratuitousness. Justice of God A. A fundamental datum of the Bible God at no time rebukes Job for having demanded justice. For God to reproach him for this would be to contradict the promise God had made to Abraham (Gen. 18:19) nor can Yahweh contradict the act of liberation on w/c the covenant was based (Exod. 20:2). But, in the just governance of the world God doesn't follow well-trodden paths that would limit divine action. God walks a path in freedom. B. Not bound by the formalities of human justice C. Expression of sovereign freedom and goodness Deliverance: Object of Jobs contemplation A. Restoration of Jobs life Job refuses to be imprisoned in a narrow ethical order. He draws inspiration at every moment from the free and unmerited love of God. B. Rejecting the theology of retribution Job has not been freed from the necessity of practicing justice, but only from the temptation of imprisoning God in a narrow conception of justice. He has been freed from the subtlest form of idolatry. He sees God as completely free, untrammeled by the narrow theological categories in which Job had been trying to enclose Gods dealings with humankind. C. The language of contemplation and worship It supplements the language used by the prophets in speaking of God. God is a presence that leads amidst darkness and pain, a hand that inspires confidence. Job flung upon the impossible and into an enigmatic future. And in this effort he met the Lord.

V.

VI.

Group # 6 Bartolome, Kyle; Buena, JC; Cruz, Kristan Gabriel; De Villa, Isiah; Jimenez, Ethel; (Pages 93-98) The movement of the Book of Job is twofold: - A forward, linear movement and a circling movement of deepening insight into the answer to the opening question: Is it possible to believe in God without expectation of reward, or for nothing? To answer the question, the poets come upon the Doctrine of temporal retribution - To be a believer requires a certain ethical behavior Correct way of talking about God within the most strained and knotty of all human situations: - The suffering of the innocent SONG AND DELIVERANCE - to inquire in the possibility of finding language about God that does justice to the situation of suffering - His determination to seek and find -a gift from the Lord- leads him through a battlefield in which the shots come at him from every side - his personal courage and his trust in God impel him to follow paths that are a challenge to the theology of his day - the Poet of Job is guided by Gods hand to discover ways of talking about God - Experiencing of unjust suffering and moving realization of the suffering of others together -Accepting adversity, rebelling, struggling with God but keeping hope in Him and surrendering to His presence and unmerited love *These paths are not simply parallel, they cross and enrich each other, and converge to yield a correct way of talking about God - All prophecy has its starting point an encounter with the Lord and the Lords unmerited love Prophetic and contemplative are two required languages; they must be combined and become increasingly integrated into a single language. Prophetic language makes it possible to draw near to a God who has a predilection for the poor - God has a preferential love for the poor because they are living in an inhuman situation that is contrary to Gods will - The gratuitousness and universality of Gods agapeic love is the ultimate basis for the privileged position of the poor - Belief in God and Gods gratuitous love leads to a preferential option for the poor The gratuitousness and preferential love for the poor are inseparable in our contemplation of God and our concern for the disinherited of this world. Prophetic language supports and reinforces language inspired by contemplation * two different approaches in emphasizing God and the poor. - Mystic language nourishes popular faith, Contemplative language nourished by popular faith *mystic language strengthens popular faith to be active against injustice likewise,

contemplative language becomes more community-minded because of the empowerment. -Mystical language expresses the gratuitiousness of God's love; prophetic language expresses the demands this love makes. *the two languages support and strengthens the other, they are inseparable. - twofold language of Jesus -> to show Fathers Love - this shows the connection between the mystical and contemplative language, to express the gratuitiousness of god's love and to see it that it gets what it wants, which is in relation to the poor, justice. - ISAIAH 42:1-5(bring forth justice) * The role of the servant is emphasized to bring forth justice amidst any suffering which he may face, for he is anointed by the spirit of God. 'Annointed with the Spirit of the Lord... to restore the full justice of God' - we need the help from the Almighty God to be able to "choose" to do justice on earth - how do we know when we are "finally" doing God's justice? "Sing to the Lord a new song, his praisse fro the end of the earth!..." - "his" refering to God not being capitalized, unless referring to the person singing in that his (the person singing) praise will be heard from the end of the earth '...deliverance...thanksgivng...' - deliverance + thanksgiving - go hand in hand in that we should give thanks to the Lord for delivering us from evil For the same reason...given love of God' - doing good (justice) for goodness's sake and nothing more 'The world of unmerited love...renders it unauthentic' - seems to emphasize on the Word's need for both physical and immaterial presence to have a stronger hold. - ...understandable in a way but hard to explain/expound - Our theological reflection starts - from the experience of the cross and death to the joy of the resurrection and life - Job - Starts from the experience of unjust human suffering - reminds us of the call for justice that issues from God the liberator - We are witnesses of Jesus who offers himself as the way - Jesus speaks to us of the Father - discourses language about God achieves its greatest expressiveness - teaches us that the talk of God must be mediated by the experience of the cross - accepts abandonment and death to reveal God as love - Universal love and preference for the poor - purifies human history and transcends it - Sin - refusal to accept the message - brings Jesus to his death - When a man of deep faith experiences loneliness, he must turn to God. (Ps.22 1-3)

- Complaint and hope go together. Complaining does not exclude hope. We saw this in the case of Job. - Confidence in God grows as the psalmist remembers God is the one who delivered the Israelites from slavery and deprivation. (as we read from Exodus) - All the more reason, then, for him to describe his own pitiful situation in all its bleakness. *This man who laments knows that God does not regard suffering as an ideal. His complaint is filled with a longing for life. - People who have experienced misfortune and abandonment but have not said a word about his personal faults. (Ps. 22 6-8, 14-17) -These people are suffering because of the injustice in the world.