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Trusting God in the Darkness is an incredibly helpful volume by pastor and author Christopher Ash. This short volume is packed with many deep truths about the book of Job. I consider Ash an expert on Job considering he’s written other volumes about it including a commentary. One of the aspects of Trusting God in the Darkness that I most enjoyed is that while it does focus on the message of Job, it also examines it from a literary standpoint.
I was fascinated as I learned that the content of Job is about 95% poetry. Ash begins the book with the observation that, “Job is the neglected treasure of the Christian life,” (pg. 11). The primary reason I chose to read Job earlier this year was to find hope in the midst of my miscarriage and having read it, I understand and share Ash’s sentiments toward the book.
One of the biggest questions I had, as I read Job, is how does it point to Jesus? The events of Job occur at a curious point in the story of Scripture as they fall between Genesis 11 and 12. It is clear from Job 42:2 that even Job’s suffering couldn’t stop God’s plan and we understand from Genesis 3:15 that ultimately, God’s plan was to send Jesus. I found it fascinating to learn that Job served as a foreshadow of Jesus or what theologians commonly refer to as a type of Christ.
Regarding this, Ash wrote, “. . . two thousand years ago another blameless believer was with three friends, in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42). And as he suffered in anticipation of the agony of the cross, he too was deeply alone. ‘Could you not watch one hour?’ (14:37). But they could not. And then on the cross he too was in deep darkness. Deeper than the darkness of night. Deeper even than Job’s darkness. And from his lips came the cry of dereliction, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34). And this believer has so plumbed the depths of human sorrow that he alone can walk with human beings in their sorrow,” (pg. 43).
Trusting God in the Darkness helpfully brings to light many of the details of Job’s story that are obvious but often missed. Learning that he was unaware of the conversations between Satan and God and that he never had his questions answered was new to me. It was especially interesting to read about what Job’s friends had right as they counseled him and what they had wrong. As I process through my loss and grief, I’m thankful that Ash highlighted the importance of speaking the truth in love to sufferers and doing so in a manner that is gentle and timely.
Trusting God in the Darkness concluded with Ash encouraging readers to leave their questions at the feet of Jesus. It was helpful for me to learn about a saint who went before me in suffering and who had also experienced what it is like to have questions that went unanswered. My heart was filled with hope as Ash drew many parallels between Job and Jesus that I hadn’t observed before. I quickly devoured Trusting God in the Darkness and was sad when it came to an end. This is an incredibly helpful resource that I look forward to reading again.
I received Trusting God in the Darkness compliments of Crossway in exchange for my honest review.
