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The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God | 
 enlarge | Authors: John Piper, Ric Ergenbright
Publisher: Crossway Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $16.19
You Save: $3.80 (19%)
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Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 353259
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 80
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 1581344554
Dewey Decimal Number: 242
EAN: 9781581344554
ASIN: 1581344554
Publication Date: June 26, 2002
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Product Description
We have heard the story of Job. His riches destroyed, his family taken, and his own body afflicted. We can only imagine the depth of his loss and pain. Yet as we ponder Job's misery, do we see the threads of God's mercy throughout it? We will all face suffering at some point in our lives; it is inescapable. But what makes calamity endurable is not that God shares our shock, but that through every flame of pain and flood of fear His sovereign goodness sustains us. John Piper's interpretive poem and the stunning photography of Ric Ergrenbright remind your heart of the unshakable fact that God governs all things for His good purposes. Allow your eyes to see life--to see God--in new and powerful ways. And let your spirit rest, knowing that the Lord is not only sovereign, but sweet.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Beautiful thorned Rose April 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
While I bought this book as an addition to my collection of landscape books, Piper's gorgeously wrought poem about Job's simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting story was a lovely bonus. God blessed Piper with a way with words just as He blessed Ergenbright with a talent for capturing images of His glory.
The only great flaw with the poem was that Piper let his Calvinistic views slip into it and indicated that God and not Satan was responsible for Job's suffering. Not only is Satan not mentioned until the end of the poem, but Piper completely omits any mention of the exchange between God and Satan before Job's calamity and instead installs a non-existant conversation between God and Job in which God strongly hints that He's considering taking Job's children to "let you know me more." This is very wrong; not only did this conversation NEVER take place between Job and God, but this image of God is loathsome to me. Killing innocent children just to bring an already righteous man closer to God? This is not only nonsensical, but paints God as a being who only thinks of us as pieces on a chessboard. Piper speaks of throwing God's sovereignity overboard by not acknowledging His hand in everything, but this is not true; God will not thank us for giving Him credit for Satan's foul doings! God's goodness and Satan's sadistic and hateful harm done to the human race are not connected at all. Piper's implication turned my stomach and completely opposed what I got from Job's story (which I re-read after reading this book), almost completely ruining the poem for me.
I actually considered returning the book, until I realized that Piper's personal take on Job's story was not the most important aspect of the book: the story itself was. I don't have to agree with Piper's reason for Job's suffering in order to appreciate the grand majority of the poem. The most important and central message is still there: Job's incredible faith and God's eternal mercy in relieving him of his suffering and giving him new life and new meaning. These points were eloquently caught in Piper's gorgeous and empathetic prose. Ergenbright's talent cannot be overlooked either, however; his gorgeous pictures wonderfully compliment the poem, often fitting the description, both literal and metaphorical, that Piper gives in the story.
Because of my initial disappointment, I orginally intended to write a review warning readers that only those of Calvinistic views could appreciate it. Happily, upon further reflection of both myself and the poem, I realized I was wrong. There is a gem here for everyone: we have all suffered and clung to a shred of hope in a tunnel of darkness. This book shows that the only eternal hope is our Lord Christ. Hold to Christ, and He will carry you to a new dawn.
 Job January 11, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wow! What insight! Very touching and real. The song included added a wonderful touch. I now have a greater understanding of Job and his great pain.
Faith triumphs over despair July 20, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I discovered this book (with accompanying CD) on my mom's coffee table and picked it up because the author was a college classmate. This is an exquisite retelling of the story of Job from the Old Testament in a lyrical poetic style reminiscent of some of C. S. Lewis's poems. The word images are vivid and visceral. The persistence of Job's trust in God in the face of unimaginable suffering gives a thoughtful response to the question of how an omnipotent and loving God can co-exist with evil. The ending scene, Job's conversation with his young daughter, is touching. I've enjoyed this book, both reading the text and listening to the CD. (Some authors can't read their own works, but this preacher/author definitely can). I keep placing orders for this book to give as gifts to friends or co-workers who experience difficult times.
Had to be written! September 10, 2005
In our pleasure-hungry culture, suffering is shunned and avoided at all costs, to our harm. I know Ric Ergenbright and he said many publishers would not touch this book because, poetry does not sell and books about suffering do not sell. But, Crossways saw the need and published it because it needed to be. Piper does a masterful job of capturing the message of the Book of Job. His reading of the book on the included CD is worth the price alone. Ric's photos are quality and fit with the text.
The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God September 7, 2005
This is an awesome book. The book of Job is a very defining time and commitment in our faith yet to some it is very difficult to read and understand. Mr. Piper does a great job converting the book to the poetic format in the book and it will open your eyes to understanding this critical book in the bible.
After reading this book - my favorite book in the Bible is Job and I feel we all can relate to his challenges in life as well as how God has saved all of us.
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