AN EXEGESIS OF DIVINE ECONOMY AND HUMAN AGONY IN GENESIS 1 AND JOB 3: IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA

There is a literary tension between the texts of Genesis 1 and Job 3. Genesis’ creation account in chapter 1 is utterly destroyed by Job 3. All that God created from day one to day seven: light, firmament, dry land, luminaries, aquatic creatures and birds, great terrestrial creatures and man, the Sabbath and the entire universe are implicated in the lament of Job 3. Then, there are seemingly glaring disagreements between the two creation accounts (Gen. 1 and 2) purported to convey the same event; different introductions, difference in core dictions, order of creation, generic and tonic differences, disparities in the narrative voice and characterization of God. The objectives of this research are: to analyse Genesis 1 and Job 3, and link the passages with Nigeria context. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher adopted a variety of literary sources and collected, analyzed and interpreted using a synchronic exegesis; a monopolar exegetical approach valid for reading narrative texts of the scriptures. The researcher finds out that God establishes a good economic, political, social and religious order but certain characteristics of the human nature expressed as corruption, crime, crisis, poverty, greed and others have polluted the order. The researcher also learned that the texts of Genesis 1-3 and Job 1-3 simply have apparent tensions. The researcher therefore described these apparent tensions and suggests that Job 3 be read as a lament. Meanwhile the alleged contradictions in Genesis 1-3 and Job 1-3 are explained as generic, complimentary circumstantial and anthropormorphic. The researcher argues that if Nigerian Christians respect the Bible as the rule for their conduct there will be a relative sense of responsibility in the country. Therefore, he recommends that there should be respect for the cultural mandate; care for the world outside of one’s self as required by God (Gen. 1:28).There should be a personal and universal application of the Golden Rule as taught by the Lord of the Church in Matthew 22:37-40. Love for God and for one another can regulate very well our interaction with other humans and the rest of the universe