By Fr. George Dorbarakis
1. The Righteous Job was from the land of Ausitis, which lay on the borders of Idumea and Arabia, and he was one of the descendants of Esau, so that he was of the fifth generation from Abraham. His father was named Zareth and his mother Bosorra. He had been given the name Jobab and he prophesied for twenty-five years. He lived around 1925 B.C. The Lord bore witness concerning him that he was a righteous and blameless man and better than all the people of his generation; for this reason the devil asked God to test Job. Indeed, after the permission given to him by God, the devil stripped Job of all his possessions, afflicted him with dreadful and unbearable sores, and finally departed in shame, because the righteous man proved unbending and unyielding in all the assaults of temptation. At the end of his struggles, God Himself rewarded him and restored to him what is revealed in the account concerning him. After his trials he lived one hundred and seventy years, which means that altogether he lived two hundred and forty-eight years.
2. Saint Job has remained in history as the supreme example of patience. “His patience is Job-like,” we often say when we wish to describe a person who truly endures without complaint the sorrows that befall him. And not without reason: this man passed through such sufferings in his life, by God’s allowance, that even hearing of them causes anyone to shudder.
He lost all his possessions; he lost all his children in a single moment; he was covered with every kind of disease, even those considered contagious, so that he could not dwell with others; not only did he receive no support from his wife, but he was also subjected to many accusations from her; and finally, from the supposed consolation of friends who came to visit him for that purpose, he saw even them turn against him. And in all this, his only response was:
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
What was the purpose of God allowing so many trials to come upon one who was so righteous? Certainly his further sanctification, for a human being never becomes perfect in this life; there is always further progress. But also his being set forth throughout time as an example that would help others.
And this is precisely what his liturgical Service emphasizes from the very beginning:
“You gave as an example of patience, O most good One, Job the much-contested, in virtues and words and divine deeds, and You truly correct those shaken by misfortunes” (Vespers Sticheron).
What one might be tempted to count as a “negative” in this holy and righteous man is the fact that, at the end of his trials — when even his friends condemn him, telling him that surely his sins brought him to such a state — he rejects their accusations, insisting that he has done nothing wrong and therefore cannot understand the cause of his sufferings.
And although this claim can indeed appear problematic — since it begins from the assumption of his own righteousness and holiness — we must place it within quotation marks, because Job stands within the framework of the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ had not yet come to reveal that the path of man in this life, after the fall into sin, is a path that necessarily passes through suffering and trials. More precisely, suffering and trials would henceforth become the means of advancing the human being toward holiness and of raising him into the life of God. The proof is Christ Himself, who passed through the Passion in order to reach the Resurrection. His words are clear: “Through many tribulations you must enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” and: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.”
From that time, Christians came to understand that they cannot reject temptations and trials, and that these trials are precisely the means by which they partake of the glory of Christ, as “heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him. For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us” (cf. Romans 8).
Thus, Job’s reasoning — “Why do I suffer, when I am righteous?” — is the reasoning of the Old Testament man (understandable to a degree, since the reality of life after death had not yet been fully revealed), who assumes that the righteous ought to enjoy only the blessings and glory of God because he keeps His will.
But this is precisely also the reasoning of his “friends,” who came to “console” him: if you suffer such things, then you must have sinned. And the discussion would have led to a dead end, had not God Himself intervened at the end of their dialogue to rebuke both the friends and Job, with the essential message: “Trust in My love, even if you do not understand it.”
This divine response is, in fact, the ultimate answer to the broader problem that has troubled humanity in every age: why do the righteous suffer? Where is the justice of God, when we see so many injustices — wars, poverty, diseases, the deaths of young children, and so on? The answer of God rises above human reasoning; it belongs to the level of faith — faith in Him who calls man to trust in His love, even when human logic cannot comprehend it.
The Righteous Job, of course, was tested like gold (cf. Ode 3), and his brightness shone all the more. For this reason God ultimately rewarded him doubly and set him forth as an eternal model.
The Holy Hymnographer rightly insists on Job’s virtue and holiness. The entire hymnography dedicated to him is a hymn to his virtues, his faithfulness to the word of God, and his supernatural faith. The Hymnographer does not “turn aside” into the theological problem mentioned above — there is not even a single hymn that addresses the question of theodicy directly.
For the holy poet, “Job has been worthily crowned with the splendor of patience” (Ode 9), revealing also the foundation of this patience — his holy humility:
"As it is fitting for a man to behold Your glory, having perceived the invisible, Job, seized with fear and reverence, cried out in great terror: I am dust and ashes, but You are the Lord” (Ode 9).
And likewise his fervent love for his neighbor:
"Healing the pain of the sorrowing heart, you poured forth tears of compassion from your eyes, being a protector of orphans and widows, O glorious Job" (Ode 6).
Therefore, “we all honor and hymn your memorial” Kontakion).
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.