Some commentaries trumpet their contemporary relevance; others excel at close observation or textual analysis. Few bring all these skills together, but Christopher Ash’s recent volume on Job is among their number. Weighing in at almost 450 pages of meaty exposition, this tome gives an intimidating first impression. But Job is a long book, and its 42 chapters each receive just over 10 pages of Ash’s attention. This fact makes Ash’s comments fly swiftly and land hard.
Readers of Job often wrestle with lofty questions about the suffering of innocents, the place of lament, and the problem of evil. Asked from a posture of comfort or philosophical whimsy, such questions are what Ash refers to as “armchair questions.” And he contends that the book of Job deals not with armchair questions but with wheelchair questions—those asked from a position of weakness, desperation, and even devastation. Ash walks through Job’s lengthy speeches with a painstaking interest that never gets tedious. He explains each character’s arguments, stanza by stanza, showing that though humanity’s concerns have changed, they have ever stayed the same. And he shows that Job’s suffering makes most sense as preparing the world for Jesus’ suffering. Because bad things happened to a good man, good things might just happen to bad people—we can be reconciled to God.
Crossway advertises the Preaching the Word series as being “by pastors for pastors,” but don’t let this tagline deceive you. Ash’s writing is straightforward and engaging enough to leave no layperson behind. I’ve read more than 50 commentaries over the years, and Ash’s is one of the very best.
It’s available for $30.15 at Amazon and $29.35 at Westminster Books.
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