The following is an excerpt of F. LaGard Smith’s take on the deportation of the Jews and the relevancy of the book of Job as written in The Daily Bible In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings.
“Now some 45 years following the first deportation from Judah, God’s chosen nation continues to be a dispersed people. By this time many of them must wonder if there is still a God-not a “state God” attached to a nation which has been virtually destroyed, but a personal God who knows their personal misery and still cares. Even the wicked and rebellious exiles, who by now must have bent their knees in prayer for deliverance, are surely thinking that God no longer hears them. For a nation in suffering, there are many questions to be asked: how can they believe in a God who would allow such suffering? On the other hand, how can they curse God in times of adversity when he has previously brought such prosperity? Is their faith to be contingent upon economic well-being?”
“The ones who must be most perplexed, however, are the faithful ones who never understand their personal involvement in the first place. After remaining true to God while almost everyone else chased after idiolatry and wickedness, their reward has been the same-and sometimes worse. They too were taken captive. They too saw swords enter their children’s bodies. In the siege of Jerusalem they had starved and been victims of pestilence and plague. Here in captivity they still often go hungry and are poorly clothed. Whatever happened to the promise that the righteous would be blessed? Why were some of the wicked not take into exile, but rather allowed to prosper under the same government that has enslaved their fellow countrymen? Where is the justice of God in these circumstances? And if punishment is for the wicked, what sin has led to the suffering of the righteous?
Of course, these are the same questions which every generation asks about death, sorrow, pain, and suffering. . . Job’s steadfastness following more adversity than most people will ever face has been legendary. “
Do we question why the same battles take place in our world today? The same struggles with death, sorrow, pain and suffering that went on during Job’s time, are still going on today. We need to take comfort and find the strength to go on by time spent in prayer, study and fellowship with the body. Please pray for our country and the world that God will intervene as He did for His chosen people in the past.