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Job has demanded an audience with God, but now that God has granted it, Job can only remain silent. "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to you? I lay my hand on my mouth" (Job 40:4). Job is silenced because he has been overwhelmed by the presence of the almighty God. Suddenly, his afflictions are not his primary concern. He proclaimed, "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees you" (Job 42:5).

Later, another man of faith, the apostle Paul, would write that his sufferings "are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). This is not to suggest that Job and Paul's afflictions were not intense. But standing in the splendor and majesty of God is an experience that transcends the sufferings of this corrupt age.

Some might say that Job's lament was out of character for a man of faith. But I think that it was Job's lament—his reckless and daring challenges—that brought him face to face with God. He experienced what can be called the dark side of the glory of God. This does not suggest God's absence, or even his displeasure. It does suggest his presence in such a way that leaves us feeling abandoned. It is during these times that we truly experience the utter holiness of God, realizing that he is wholly other, beyond human scrutiny. During these times, lament is the only proper human response.

One of Job's friends, Elihu, offered words of counsel that we should consider. "There are times when the light vanishes, behind darkening clouds; then comes the wind, sweeping them away. And brightness spreads from the north. God is clothed in fearful splendor" (Job 37:21-22, New Jerusalem Bible). The winds bring the storms, which hide the splendor and glory of God, and the winds cause the storms to pass again, revealing the brightness of his glory. The story of Job reminds us that the winds that bring the storm and the winds that blow away the storm belong to God.

The story of Job ends with his wealth and posterity restored. So then, what is the point of the story? Are the rewards of Job's faithfulness and integrity to be understood in terms of the restoration of his fortunes? Are all things as they were? Not at all! The Job of the first chapter was perfect, blessed, and without adversity. But he had never seen the splendor and glory of God. The Job of the last chapter has been sorely afflicted, and those times cannot be forgotten. Job has been deeply wounded. But he has survived warfare with God; he has seen God.

The Spirit (ruach) of God moves in the lives of believers in a variety of ways. He draws us into God's presence so we may receive the blessings of salvation. He continues to move in our lives, sometimes in a gentle and restful breeze, and at other times like the winds of a great storm that disrupts our lives. The Spirit's work in our lives is to draw us into God's holiness so we may experience his glory. We prefer to experience his glory rather than his holiness. But as Job testifies, we can experience his glory only after we have been confronted by his holiness.

As Spirit-filled believers, we must make room in our theology for a God who is utterly free from our sentimental caricatures. We must make room in our spirituality for profound lament. We should recognize that true victory does not come without intense struggle. We must give room for the Spirit of God to blow mightily through our lives and through our churches. In doing so, we may find ourselves wounded, but whole, and, prayerfully, holy.

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October 2004, Vol. 48, No. 10