For God does speak — now one way, now another — though no one perceives it. - Job 33:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 18, 2015): Job 33

Sun Tzu was a master of military strategy during the 6^th Century B.C.E. His best known work is “The Art of War” – a book which continues to have a significant impact on our culture more than 2500 years after it was written. “The Art of War” is used a strategy manual in many of our competitive endeavors – including business and sport.

One of the more well-known stories of Sun Tzu tells of Sun Tzu’s rise to prominence. Before the King of Wu hired Sun Tzu, he tested him. He asked him to make a fighting force out of his 180 concubines. Sun Tzu took the women and formed two companies, and then he place the king’s favorite concubines at the head of each of the companies. He then commanded the women to face right. The women giggled. Sun Tzu stepped back. He taught that the general’s (in this case himself) first obligation was to ensure that the order was understood. He needed to make sure that his army of women understood what it was that was being asked of them. After taking that step and teaching what was expected, he once again ordered the women to face right. The women giggled. And Sun Tzu, over the protestations of the king, had the two favorite concubines at the head of each company executed. He raised two new woman to the head of the company, but now there was a difference. They understood both the command as well as the penalty for failure. And women performed their maneuvers perfectly. The story leads us to one of Sun Tzu’s lessons. “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders ARE clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers” – Sun Tzu.

Elihu seems to make an accusation here. The idea that has been argued by all of Job’s friends is that Job is guilty of sin, and therefore is now receiving his punishment. But Elihu changes the charge slightly. He asserts that God has spoken, that God always speaks, we just don’t hear him. If that is true, then the next question that needs to be asked is “why are we not hearing him?” Is it our fault, or is it God’s. If it is God’s inability to make himself heard, then how can we be held responsible. He speaks, but we have not been created in such a way that we can hear the delicate sound of his voice. We dream, but we don’t remember the dream, or can’t make sense of the dream. God speaks, but his voice is too soft for us to hear. Sun Tzu is right. The responsibility of the General is to make sure that his voice is heard. And if this is the meaning behind Elihu’s words, then God has not done that. But if we are the giggling women who hear God’s words, understand God’s words, but refuse to follow the words of God then we are the ones who are responsible - and we must bear the punishment.

Elihu is right – God is speaking. But Job has heard his voice. His actions are evidence that he has heard God and is willing to obey. The commands of God have been clear. Job was to take care of those less fortunate, to act with compassion and mercy, to make the world a better place through the material things that he possessed. All of these things Job has done. And yet, he is still in this place of judgment. And the problem goes back, not to what Job has hears, but rather to what was not heard – God’s discussion of Job with Satan in heaven. So for that discussion Job has not been made responsible.

Having said that, Elihu seems to admit that he and the other friends of Job are on the same level as Sun Tzu’s giggling women – they have not heard the command of God (Elihu freely admits that “no one perceives” what it is that God is saying) and for that they would be responsible. It was not that they couldn’t hear God, because Job had heard God. They just didn’t want to hear his words – they were satisfied to sit in the corner and giggle, and then pass judgment on Job.

Sometimes it seems that nothing has changed. The critics still seem to be the ones who are sitting in the corner giggling and then passing judgment. And while we can’t expect that to improve, we can recognize who they are who sit in judgment over the things of God in this world, and ignore them as we try to do the will of God that we have heard – to go and love the world that God so loves.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 34