God continues 'He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword.' This verse presents the horse as fearless and undeterred by weapons. The horse's laughter at fear and failure to turn back before swords suggest a creature whose nature is not merely peaceful but active in violence. The characterization of the horse as fearless and persistent in violence suggests that divine creation includes creatures whose nature is to engage in violence without hesitation. Job did not create such a creature; God did. The verse again raises implicit questions about divine creation: if divine creation includes creatures inclined toward violence, and if violence produces suffering, is not suffering an inevitable feature of a cosmos with such creatures? Is Job's complaint against divine justice justified if the cosmos itself is structured to include violent and powerful creatures?

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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