Lord of the Shadows

The title character of the book of Job suffers terribly, but we should not mistakenly think that this book is just about Job. It is about all of us, and ultimately about God. Many have thought that the book simply restates the perennial questions that plague humankind in a world full of suffering. But often our questions are limited to why the righteous suffer; we must learn instead to ask better questions so that we might find more significant answers. John Walton suggests that the book is ultimately about God's righteousness and his sovereignty regarding all that happens in this world. Walton also shows the inadequacy of what he called "the Retribution Principle," under which most of the characters in Job operate. In a creative way, Walton brings in Kelly Lemon Vizcaino, a young Christian woman who from the age of twelve has suffered immensely as the result of an automobile accident. Throughout the commentary, reflections from Kelly show how Job's experiences can help believers yet today cope with human suffering. - Back cover.