上帝的权能与智慧——《约伯记》中神意主题的展开

God's Sovereignty and Wisdom:Divine Providence as a Theme in the Book of Job

在犹太教和基督教传统中,《约伯记》往往被视为一部描述和体现神意(divine providence)的作品——约伯遭受的苦难被视为上帝对义人的考验,而最后的大团圆结局则是上帝对经受了考验的义人的酬报或恩典。然而与此同时,从古至今也不断有学者指出,《约伯记》是一部关乎神义(divine justice)的杰作,尽管前现代的解经家倾向于把《约伯记》当成为神义辩护之作,但更具批判意识的现代圣经学者们却认为它激烈地挑战并置疑了神的正义。事实上,置疑神义和首肯神意构成了《约伯记》全书彼此交织又相互冲突的两条主线。本文意在通过对《约伯记》中"耶和华讲辞"(38-41章)与"智慧诗篇"(28章)的层层疏解,揭示书中神意主题的展开。在耶和华讲辞中,上帝创造宇宙的谋划和维系及统治宇宙的权能成为神意的高度体现,而在智慧诗篇中,"上帝的智慧深不可测、惟有敬畏上帝才能通达智慧"则构成表现神意的另一维度。在《约伯记》中,神意法则的提出一方面缓和了由置疑神义带来的尖锐与激进,另一方面,它本身也构成对约伯所提出的神义问题的间接回应。

Traditionally,both in Judaism and Christianity, the Book of Job was said to be a book whose theme was of divine providence.From this angle,Job's suffering was seen as a divine trial,and the happy ending a Recompense or Grace to the righteous one who stands the test.At the same time,down the ages,many held that the major concern of book was on the issue of divine justice.Although the premodern commentators thought it to be a defense of divine justice(or a theodicy),most modern critical scholars saw in the book a severe challenge to God's retributive justice.To the present author,the dimensions of questioning the validity of divine justice and the confirmation of divine providence are juxtaposed in the book.They come into conflicts and contradict one with the other.This paper intends to explore how the theme of divine providence develops in the YHWH speeches(chs.38-41) and the Wisdom Poem(ch.28).While the YHWH speeches showing a marvelous Creator whose sovereignty to the whole universe makes everything in order, the Wisdom Poem teaches us that God's wisdom was unfathomable,only through'fearing of the Lord'can one access to the wisdom.In the Book of Job,the theme of divine providence can be taken as an indirect response to Job's questioning of divine justice.On the other hand,it also mitigates the radical nature of the book.