• A long time ago...in this same galaxy...

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said: “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts”. Thus, did Job continually.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan:

Ø “Whence comest thou?”

Then Satan answered the Lord, and said:

Ø “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

And the Lord said unto Satan:

Ø “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

Then Satan answered the Lord, and said:

Ø “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

And the Lord said unto Satan:

Ø “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.”

So, Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house.

And there came a messenger unto Job, and said: “The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: “The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: “The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said: “Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said: “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:1-22)

Being one of the most admired figures of both Judaism and Christianity as also the Islam, Job was known as an example of patience, wisdom, faith and loyalty. Some believe he indeed existed; others say he was invented. Whatever be the nature of his existence, fictional or real, Job undoubtedly might be an inspiring figure. Just like in our beloved SW universe, there is also a character which life has many similarities: Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. I know, Kenobi never had any properties, nor servants or wealth of any kind, nor even wife or children. But his life had parallels with Job's in relation to the people he cared and loved...and that he lost.

• ...and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Is known that Obi Wan was one of the best Jedi Masters ever. The first in almost a millennium to defeat a Sith...and as padawan. Specialist in Ataru, and a master of Soresu, Kenobi was one of the greatest lightsaber duellists of his time. The only one to manage to kill Grievus and defeat Vader (on Mustafar), also recalling his Force abilities and powers...as his charm and calm demeanour specially at resolving disputes without a single battle, which would earn him the sobriquet "The Negotiator", even being a Jedi guardian. During the time of CW, Obi-Wan's reputation and talent on the battlefield and his legendary diplomacy skills had him promoted to Jedi Master, and he was granted a seat on the Jedi High Council.

Indeed, Obi Wan was all these things, but he always recognized that all he was and had was thanks to the Force. Throughout much of his early apprenticeship to Qui-Gon Jinn, Kenobi possessed strong fondness for rigid rules and a largely by-the-book attitude when it came to matters such as the Jedi Code. In many ways, he represented the strength of the old Jedi Order: steadfast, selfless, and modest. He let himself be guided through the Force and was always willing to do its will. His humility allowed him to try to understand its designs, even when he was not agreeing. And it was exactly because of all these peculiar traits that allowed Kenobi to face and win all the tests he had been through during his life. Just like Job.

• God and the Force vs. Satan and the Sith lords:

As it was cited above, Job's disgrace and misery came as a result of "a bet" between the Devil and God, with the former being sure that Job would curse God and fell into darkness if he took everything from him. Being aware of His victory, God gave the licence to Satan do whatever he wanted to do with Job, with the solely condition of not killing him. And as the same way that Satan used all his resources to attack the Jew, also did the dark side against Kenobi, with its most formidable agents: Darth Maul and Darth Sidious. Maul could be stated the analogue of the Sabeans and Chaldeans raiders, while Sidious would represent "the fire of God and the great wind", as a metaphor of a "force of nature".

Just as the raiders took away from Job his animals and slain his servants, also Maul took twice away from Kenobi two people he cared deeply. First his master on Naboo, and though then Obi Wan had "avenged" him by "killing" the zabrak obtaining a great Jedi victory, it was more a loss than a winning; but perhaps the worst one was in Mandalore, when again Maul, a decade later surfaced to get his revenge against Kenobi, taking the life of someone - the duchess Satine Krynze - who didn't have nothing to do with, only to make Obi Wan suffer. And even that the Jedi may have found himself guilty and had cursed himself for his lover's death, just like Job accepted God's will over him (the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away), also did Kenobi about the Force's will over Satine’s passing (there is no death, there is the Force), over Maul’s actions (there is no passion, there is serenity) and with great sorrow, put himself together, holding tightly in his beloved Jedi Code, reciting again and again in his mind, as an analgesic to his body and soul (there is no emotion, there is peace).

However, the checkmate came when the fire from the heaven and the great wind personified in Darth Sidious burned the Jedi (Order 66) consumed the Republic (Galactic Empire), and took away one of the things that lasted to the Jedi Master: Anakin. But unlike Job, that had to mourn his ten children all at once, Obi Wan had to face Vader for his own sake. I see the duel on Mustafar as not only a duel, but a triple battle: Vader fighting Obi Wan at same time he (the Sith) is struggling with Anakin in his mind; and Obi Wan knew it, and was trying his best to get the young Skywalker back …but in vain. We all already know the end. And worse. In a way o another, Kenobi was the responsible to cripple Anakin forever, becoming indirectly, one of the contributors to the creation of the deadliest cyborg in the galaxy history. Obi Wan not only “lost a child” but also had to “kill him”, in order to survive (all this without counting Padme’s death).

• The parable of the desert and the eternal redemption

In Christian theology, the desert is seen as a metaphor of tribulation times or a test sent by God to make the believer grow in faith and spiritually. One of the most famous and emblematic is the 40 days period in which Jesus Christ passed on the desert, to test himself before beginning his ministry. It is also an analogy to the 40 years the Jewish people passed on the desert in their path from Egypt until Canaan, guided then by Moses. In the case of the Messiah, he was tempted from time to time during his quarantine by Satan: to show his abilities on his own benefit and use them to achieve power and lead the people of Israel to their independence from the romans and be a great ruler…things that Jesus naturally declined, because he was well aware of his real mission on Earth.

Job also passed through a desert, not physical but spiritual: he lost his wealth, he lost his health, he even cursed himself, but in any moment he cursed God for it, accepting his misery as part of the Lord designs for him, comprehending that his time had arrived and death was his only hope to save his soul. Also, in a way, Obi Wan, now called Ben. However, the Devil´s temptations was not a person, but a place. A desert planet, home to one of the most dangerous crime lords of the galaxy…but also home of the galaxy ultimately hope: to defeat the empire, the Sith, and restore balance to the Force again…and to redeem him. After all, he was “the responsible” for a Skywalker demise, he could not let another to fall. At least in Owen Lars’ point of view.

Indeed, while Job was in his spiritual desert, three friends visited him with the intention to be at his side and help him in his mourning. But analysing deeper the situation, they concluded that Job sinned against God and that his punishment was well deserved, but he was too pride to recognize it. Nonetheless, Job was aware of the true of his situation, and remained loyal to his beliefs, and to the hope that God would redeem him. Owen, like Job’s friends, didn’t understood (and probably never would) the real reason for Anakin’s doom, and so was easier to blame Kenobi for the whole thing; while Ben, although saddened, remained firm on his beliefs and faithful to his mission: not exposing himself unnecessarily, helping always when he could, and also closing arcs of his past (his final duel with Maul that, imho, was pretty dumb).

And finally, after an undetermined time, God then appears to Job and his friends out of a whirlwind, not answering Job's central questions. Job, by staying silent before God, stresses the point that he understands that his affliction is God's will even though he despairs at not knowing why. Job appears faithful without direct knowledge of God and without demands for special attention from God, even for a cause that all others would declare to be just. And the text gives an allusion to Job 28:28: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding".

In Kenobi’s case, his final confront was with his former apprentice, but not to defeat him again and restore his former life…but to die. Ben knew this and he had 19 years to prepare himself to face his fate. While Job had his life restored gaining the double he had before, Ben gained something else, something better actually: he transcended, becoming one with the Force and achieving eternal life… approving his test and completing his task. Even posthumously.

Although I’m glad we’re getting a Kenobi show soon, I don’t expect nothing from it. Not because it’s from Disney, but because I already got all the information a need from Obi Wan’s example to know how to edify me, inspire me and help me to learn how to face a “desert” in my life, and how to never lose faith and hope. A tv series only will portray these ideas in an audio-visual form, with the astonishing Ewan McGregor performing it. Kenobi’s character is complex enough to write a full thesis having him as a main subject related to other things. Job’s story and biblical parallelisms are just one of them. But what really incited me to write this short analysis (more a homage) is to make a counterpoint on the already worn out figure of Obi Wan, specially because of the memes that the PT rendered through the years. Though I know that “Hello There” and “the Higher Ground” are fun and already consecrated in the fandom, their unintentional misuse sometimes overshadows the truly brightness of the character. In my opinion, of course.

I’d like to thank @Revival Stories2020 who, in a curious comment from a post that didn’t have nothing to do with Kenobi but in which he was mentioned, inspired me to do this simple, yet touching analysis about two figures that, apparently looked like losers but were in fact champions. As we all are.

May the Force be with you…always!