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Milton Wright, brother of soul star Betty (and not the father of Wilbur and Orville, obviously), on this track from his 1977 Spaced album, allows just enough of his upbeat soul vibe to catch our attention before he casually asks us what we know about Job, the Old Testament personality. We learn that Job “eschewed evil” – and how many times have you heard the word “eschew” being used on a groovy soul number with a cool flute riff? – and feared the Lord.
Now, the God of the Old Testament was a pretty rough deity. He almost had Abraham slaughter his son, and he took everything from poor Job, a thoroughly good guy, and delivered him to Satan. It was, of course a test, to see whether Job would curse God for what seems to be a cruel abandonment. Job complains a bit, but sticks by God, who not only returns Job’s wealth many times over, but also gives him seven sons and three beautiful daughters. Job supposedly died at the age of 140.
Wright then turns his attention to Moses, another biblical figure who lived to a ridiculous age. Poor guy had to lead the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, a trip that lasted an improbable 40 years, and as he stood on Mount Nebo and saw the big prize, he dropped dead.
The OId Testament is not always a heartwarming document…
