Job's perception of God's hiddenness and the friends' judgment

The divine mysteries are distinct from what is visible. For God cannot be seen in secret through the works of providence and creation, but only in what is revealed. It has been said: 'because The knowledge of God is clearly seen in them;in them;in them; for God has revealed himself to them. For his invisible things, understood from the creation of the world through the works, are seen' (Rom 1:20). Therefore, to be hidden by God is salvation, but to be hidden as Adam was is useless, which he says does not happen because of the absence of sin: 'withhold your hand from me' (Job 13:14) and the following, 'that these may be instructed, that they may not suffer this because of sin' (Job 13:15). For the friends intended only that he suffers because of sin' (Job 13:15). Then you will call, and I will answer you; or you will speak, and I will give you a reply' (Job 36:23). Through many things he shows his boldness toward God, so that in this he might lead them to a true understanding of what is happening to him. And this is proof of his righteousness.

And you have this also concerning the priest Moses, who was made worthy to speak to God in 'Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice' (Exod 3:9). But the answer from God should not be thought to be a mere voice, but a divine energy, through which he speaks to God. 'How many are my sins and my lawlessness? Teach me what they are' (Ps 51:5). Again through them he says such things, so that they may learn that one who has sin and lawlessness does not know Godhe himself, having said 'I know that I shall appear righteous' to the friends, speaks reverently to God, saying, 'Teach me how many my sins are' (Ps 51:5). Similar to this is 'I know nothing about myself, but I am not justified by this; the one judging me is the Lord' (1 Cor 4:3). It is also good to learn from mistakes, so that we may turn away from them.

'Why do you hide from me, and consider me your adversary?' (Job 13:22). This is due to their misunderstanding; for God dwelling in him was not hidden from him, but because of their thinking this, these things were said. 'For these think that you are against me, supposing that I suffer because of sin (Job 13:23).' Or, like a leaf moved by the wind, or like grass carried by the spirit, you have opposed me.

Regarding me, the whole of the understanding would be thus: 'Why do you hide me, supposing me to be against you, like a leaf moved by the wind and grass carried by the spirit?' This turns out to be characteristic of a changeable manner and fickleness, according to that which is said by the Savior concerning John: 'Why did you go into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?' (Matt 3:7)—instead of 'something easily dismissed and falling by chance.' These things, as previously said, Job says toward the dispute of the friends.

‘That you have recorded evils against me, and you have left for me the sins of youth.’ It is clear that he speaks toward their assumption; for now he says 'evils' regarding the afflictions. For the friends, supposing that he suffers through sin, he himself joined to 'you have recorded evils against me' the 'you have left for me the sins of youth,' meaning that 'from which my friends, running against me, judge me to be suffering through sin, they have the following: to suppose that the sins of youth have been left around me

'You put my foot in mire.' He does not say these things according to his own will, but toward the one supposing that every one being afflicted undergoes this. Being smoothed out, it would be thus: 'The power of my walking, by which I act rightly, was understood differently by them as being of my sinning, and because of this, by participating in tribulations, you placed it in mire.' For he himself acted in a certain way, giving it out to the one asking, from which it happened that his foot was placed in mire, being prevented by them, as it is said, from sins, not wanting their the progress of the righteous, which is the ability to perceive correctly.

For since you are accustomed to the Scripture and to those things established from opinion to say that the one acting speaks as if from God because of the agreement, it will be clear to you from 'God handed them over to sufferings of dishonor' (Rom 1:28) and 'to a reprobate mind' (Rom 1:28) and 'the desires of their hearts' (Rom 1:28). If even through the total affliction he could no longer perform for himself the things toward the needs or the requirements or other things—as he also has said—'but my door stands open to everyone coming'—he was saying this, realize, which he did not ignore because it had happened to him through struggle. For many such things God does because of the benefit, as from...