God continues 'He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons of war.' This verse describes the horse's behavior, particularly the horse's eagerness for war. The horse paws the ground, exults in strength, and actively goes out to meet weapons of war. The verse presents the horse as enthusiastic participant in violence. The horse's instinctive attraction to battle suggests that divine creation includes creatures inclined toward violence and warfare. Job did not create this inclination; God did. The verse raises profound implicit questions: if God created creatures inclined toward violence and warfare, and if such violent inclinations are part of divine creation, how can Job complain that divine creation includes suffering? Is suffering not necessarily woven into a cosmos in which creatures are inclined toward violence?

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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