The Contest

“He who does not punish evil, commands it to be done.”

-Leonardo Da Vinci

Satan doesn’t punish evil, he commands it. This is exactly what he does, and what we usually avoid. What it means, is that evil is wrong, and that is entirely, true, evil is evil. The same way God is God, and good is good. It was as if God and Satan were playing a game. Job’s life, a contest for his happiness, for his believes. We have always been taught that God is the “good one”, yes, he is the best the one to follow, and our hearts always guide us to him. I am not saying it is wrong, it is simply to forced, the truth, of what we have to believe. Then comes the image we have of Satan, the one taught to us, the mean guy, who frightens our insides, without notice he is there, wondering why evil wasn’t before. I find then Job to be an unpredictable person, as most humans, he is in the middle of a question, waiting to be answered, but all he needs is patience. Evil or good? It is really all up to him. God directs to humans as his servants, something Satan doesn’t agree with, “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” (Job 2:4), Satan criticizing God, for what man is to be proved. Job is the first one to analyze the options, Satan or God? As if not determined right or wrong among them. He has this anger towards God, which somehow leads to the acceptance of evil. Job then is forced to question God, as if he weren’t enough, “Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?” (Job 6:30), pure judgment, definitely undiscovered.

What I would then suggest, is that evil is a state of mind, specially in Job, to which God doesn’t give answers to his questions (but this is the true mystery about faith, about religion itself). Wisdom is Job’s tool, used to discriminate between good and evil, his choice towards a decision. At the end it is clear, Job fears God, avoids evil and pursues wisdom. Job was a man who wanted to learn.