Morality in Job
Morality in JobMorality in Job
Why do bad things happen to good people? This question has perplexed man since the dawn of religion and the belief in higher power(s). A good person, according to religion, is someone who devotes his or her life to God by adhering to the ethical code of behavior. Simple-minded logic would lead to the belief that God would reward a person who is moral and decent. However, daily life shows us that even the best of men can have terrible things occur to them. The Book of Job is the story of the perfect man and his ultimate test of righteousness. The fact that Job was punished, even though the purpose was to serve as a test, seriously questions whether morality matters in the lives of those who strive only for material wealth. Those who manage to look deeper into the purpose of morality can understand why it is so important.
The fact that Job is “upright and blameless” is never disputed. Throughout The Book of Job, Job maintains his morality and has an extremely high assessment of himself. Job’s evaluation of himself agrees with what God says about him to Satan. This indicates that it is possible to be a decent person. Religion teaches us morality is important in order to strive to be a righteous person. God is known to wish man to live decent lives, not just avoiding evil, but encouraging the good. However, we are not necessarily blessed for decent morality. Job’s dilemma is figuring out why he’s having so much trouble if he’s has led such a good life.
Job always holds his head high before God, despite the torture he experiences. Job knows that there is something behind the suffering he must endure and God must have a purpose for his actions. Without indicating any reason, God took away the “justice” that Job felt he deserved for being a moral and righteous man (Job 27:2). Job is the only man in existence who truly merits such a trial before God. Because of his unwavering faith and continued “upright and blameless” behavior, Job is closer than any other human being to God. Job knows that no man is in a position to question God; he merely wants to understand why he is experiencing such pain and suffering. God does not answer Job’s request, and so Job’s soul is extremely “bitter” (Job 27:2). However, even with this bitterness, Job never sins. Job holds on to his sense of morality, because that is his essence and only source of redemption.
Morality is the first step in righteousness. Our integrity reveals whether or not we have God’s heart in us. Job possesses outstanding integrity and faith in God, and thus God does not condemn him. Until Job dies, he pledges that he “will not put away” his “integrity” (Job 27:5). Because of this integrity, Job ultimately receives God’s grace. Job recognizes the integral presence of God and describes the “the breath of God” in his nostrils (Job 27:3). Job continues to use the metaphor of the respiratory system to declare that as long as he lives, and breathes the air, he shall not sin, his lips “will not speak wickedness” nor his “tongue utter deceit” (Job 27:4). Job’s integrity reinforces the significance of his morality. God is forever part of the air he breathes, his entire existence. Despite the pain and suffering that Job endures, his sense of morality and faith in God and His higher reasons never waiver.
Though it is true that Job questions God’s fairness and goodness and love, and despairs of his own life, Job refuses to turn his back on God. However, Job does not question God’s decision or say that He “is right” for that would go against Job’s beliefs that God is supreme (Job 27:5). Job does not lose his morality and does not sin. He may have given up on God’s justice, but he stubbornly refuses to give up on God. Job continues to follow his moral guidelines of being “upright and blameless”, promising to hold his righteousness “fast” and “not let it go”. He does so because of his “heart”, which represents his entire being (Job 27:6).
Chapter 27 shows how Job has maintained his integrity and held steadfast to his morals and values. Job ultimately passes the test of goodness by clinging to his morality even though it might not have brought him salvation. Thus, he follows his own beliefs of morality rather than yielding to pious dogma. Job follows his code of ethical behavior because he has no reason to stray off his righteous path. Job is not tempted by material pleasures, and thus has little reason to abandon his morality. Job simply wants to understand why these terrible things have happened to him. The fact that he does not lose his morality puts him in a position to seek understanding. Thus Job’s morality is an integral part of his being and a foundation over which he can seek deeper understanding and meaning.
In Jeremy Bentham’s Principles of Morals and Legislation, advanced utilitarianism as the basis for reform. He claimed that one could scientifically ascertain what was morally justifiable by applying the principle of utility. Actions were right if they tended to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. A basic religious sense of morality lay under Bentham’s philosophy as well. Bentham introduces a general example of a bad event happening to a person. He establishes that even with morality, accidents are indeed possible, making the event a calamity. In this way, Bentham illustrates a point that is similar to Job’s situation. Despite a person being decent, calamities can occur for no apparent reason. Rather than question the higher purpose of this event, Bentham simply accepts it. Bentham continues to illustrate the importance of morality by establishing that bad things will happen to the immoral, either by God or man.
When seen as a whole, Job is a book about morality. It tells the story of one man selected to undergo a staggering test of morality in the most dire of circumstances. His trial and response present a message that applies not just to suffering people, but to every person in the world. Most of the time, our visual faculties admit a narrow spectrum of “natural” light; Job temporarily lifts our blinders and reveals the supernatural activity going on behind the scenes. The presence of a higher power makes morality essential to leading a good life. Even putting this high power and religion aside, Job teaches us that morality is important because it puts us on a higher plane of existence. With a good sense and practice of morality, we are put in the position of being able to understand the deeper ways of the world.