Job 1:21
It intrigued me to see, as Odysseus under the guise of a beggar tested the various persons in his home, how the point was made clearly that he had been a "righteous" man. Eurycleia, his personal servant says that no mortal had ever given richer offerings to the gods than Odysseus. So it stands to reason that his unluckiness is not blamed on something he did wrong. The only answer here, in my mind, is that Homer is trying to communicate a point also uttered by Job in scripture. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. I believe the Greeks believed the same of their deities. The bestowal of blessings and curses is not left to the reasoning of man, but rather is attributed solely to divinity. And whether said bestowal is agreeable or not does not negate the place of praiseworthiness.
P. S. I commented on Sydni's post.
I love the fact you posted this because as I read through book 18, Job kept popping into my mind as Odysseus spoke to the suitors.
ReplyDelete