Book: Job
Theme: Why serve God? Should character/virtue depend on a universe that operates on the basis of reward and punishment?
Key Verse: Job 21:15 “Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?”
Introduction
Book Overview
Date
Background
Characters
Outline/Structure
Interpreting the Book of Job
The Problem
The Purpose
Solutions
Conclusion
Introduction
Profound questions of life are addressed in the book of Job. He represents people who suffer – specifically innocent sufferers. It is one of the most widely acclaimed pieces of literature in the Bible with a unique combination of prose narrative and poetry.
It is dramatic and powerful in its depictions of all who are in the story. It is difficult and often mis-interpreted theologically. Yet its message and function in Scripture is unique and relevant.
Discussion/Reflection Questions #1
“Have you ever felt abandoned by God?”
“In your view of God, is He responsible for good and evil?”
Book Overview
Date
The date of this book is very significant. It is set in the days of the patriarchs. It is perhaps the oldest book in the Bible. Patriarchal or pre-patriarchal. Sabean and Chaldean marauders are from patriarchs (2nd millennium B.C.). Job’s sacrifices indicate that it was prior to the time of the establishment of official priests.
Job’s longevity is similar to those found in Genesis.
Background
Job was an Edomite, and although he is not a Hebrew he still is a follower of Yahweh and is a devout monotheist. The pop-theology of the day included the belief that if a person is righteous, they will be blessed. If they are wicked, they will suffer. This is assumed, along with a principle of retribution. Since He is just, suffering must come as punishment. It is a simple and logical formula.
That since God is one, suffering must come from him as well. They believed that God was the ultimate source of both blessing and suffering. This was their view of God. Many Christians still have this view. We understand now that this is an incomplete view of God – He had not yet sent the messiah to atone for the suffering of the world. They had not yet read 1 John.
Characters
Job: An Edomite. Therefore there is no mention of the covenant or the law. Wealthy and a righteous man. “blameless”, “upright”, “fears God”, “avoids evil”.
God: El Shaddai is the common name used for God in the book of Job. It refers to “the Almighty”, whereas Yahweh is the later developed and more specific name used to identify the God of Israel.
Satan: Literally, “the accuser” – with the definite article. Not the proper name, Satan. A doctrine of the person “Satan” had not been developed. Challenges God with the observation that blessing the righteous calls into question their true righteousness.
Eliphaz: Tried to persuade Job to repent. Mystical, prophetic, and cold. Not very sympathetic.
Bildad: Tried to persuade Job to repent. Believes in God’s justice and therefore implores Job to pray and repent. Appeals to tradition.
Zophar: Tried to persuade Job to repent. Orthodox. Concludes that Job deserves more punishment and that he is unaware of his sins.
Elihu: Young, makes speeches one after the other without reply from Job, then he disappears from the book. Yahweh ignores him, even though He refers to the friends. Self-important and pompous.
Outline/Structure
Literary features: This book includes laments (3:1-26), hymns of praise (5:9-16), proverbs (5:2, 6:5-6), prophetic speech (Job 4:12-14, 11:13-20), wisdom poems (Job 28), numeric sayings (Job 5:19), reflective questioning (Job 21:17-19) and apocalyptic literature (Job 1-2).
It is a unique combination of prose and poetry with the prose prologue and epilogue.
Outline of Job
I. Prologue (in prose) (chaps. 1-2)
A. Job’s character (1:1-5)
1. His place and piety (1:1)
2. His prosperity (1:2-3)
3. His posterity (1:4-5)
B. Job’s calamities (1:6-2:10)
1. The first test (1:6-22)
2. The second test (2:1-10)
C. Job’s comforters (2:11-13)
II. Dialogue (in poetry) (3:1-42:6)
A. Job’s complaint (chap. 3)
1. He wished he had not been born (3:1-10)
2. He wished he had died at birth (3:11-19)
3. He wished he could die then (3:20-26)
B. The first cycle of speeches (chaps. 4-14)
1. Eliphaz’ first speech (chaps. 4-5)
2. Job’s first reply to Eliphaz (chaps. 6-7)
3. Bildad’s first speech (chap. 8)
4. Job’s first reply to Bildad (chaps. 9-10)
5. Zophar’s first speech (chap. 11)
6. Job’s first reply to Zophar (chaps. 12-14)
C. The second cycle of speeches (chaps. 15-21)
1. Eliphaz’ second speech (chap. 15)
2. Job’s second reply to Eliphaz (chaps. 16-17)
3. Bildad’s second speech (chap. 18)
4. Job’s second reply to Bildad (chap. 19)
5. Zophar’s second speech (chap. 20)
6. Job’s second reply to Zophar (chap. 21)
D. The third cycle of speeches (chaps. 22-31)
1. Eliphaz’ third speech (chap. 22)
2. Job’s third reply to Eliphaz (chaps. 23-24)
3. Bildad’s third speech (chap. 25)
4. Job’s third reply to Bildad (chaps. 26-31)
E. Elihu’s four speeches (chaps. 32-37)
F. God’s confrontation (38:1-42:6)
1. God’s first speech (38:1-40:2)
2. Job’s first reply to God (40:3-5)
3. God’s second speech (40:6-41:34)
4. Job’s second reply to God (42:1-6)
III. Epilogue (in prose) (42:7-17)
A. God and Job’s friends (42:7-9)
B. God and Job’s fortunes (42:10-17)
Discussion: How did Job’s suffering point to the need for resurrection and for a mediator? (see 5:1; 9:33-35; 16:18-21; 19:25-27; 33:23-30)
Job 28 is a magnificent poem on the true source of wisdom. Brilliant and beautiful expression of the genius of the author.
Interpreting the Book of Job
The Problem with the book of Job
Satan challenges God by stating that blessing is counterproductive to the development of true righteousness. It messes with people’s motives.
God’s policies are on trial. Job is the example of this test. The problem though has to do with the fact that in this story God assents to the destruction of Job’s possessions, family and health. God gives verbal assent to satan to wreak havoc on all that Job has. So this calls into question the goodness of God. Is He good? Is He not incapable of harming His children since His very nature is one of love? Is He not just? Where is the justice in this? Where is His protection? Can I trust Him?
The Purpose
Many say that Job answers the question of why the righteous suffer.
The answer to this question could be “Because He lets them suffer.”
I think the question that this book really addresses is “Why should a person serve God?” Satan asked, does Job fear God for nothing? (1:9). Satan sneers at Job’s piety as being an expression of self-interest.
To be blessed?
To have an easy life?
Does virtue hinge on a universe operated by the principles of reward and punishment?
Satan begins by contending that people are righteous only to be blessed. That righteousness does not exist for righteousness’ sake.
Job’s friends served God because it is the safe thing to do. It makes one prosperous. It keeps one from God’s anger. This is what Job’s friends believed and what Job believed (1:5) – at least at first.
This book was written to debunk this myth.
It was also written to end the misguided theory that suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure. We don’t always get what we deserve.
It is not written to solve the problem of suffering. We can deal with this issue, but not from this book alone. Even God does not address this issue during the Divine speeches.
Purpose of Job:
1. To answer the question, “Why serve God?”
2. To debunk the myth that blessing and suffering are directly linked to one’s righteousness and to God’s approval.
Discussion:
How has hardship enabled you to see God more clearly?
How can hardship take God from the theoretical to the experiential?
Do believers today continue to hold onto a view of God that correlates personal suffering to one’s sin and personal blessing to one’s righteousness?
Solutions
Keys to Interpretation:
A basic understanding of progressive revelation:
The earliest writers of the books of the Bible, even though they were inspired to write, had a view of God that was limited to the revelation of that time. Job is considered to be one of the oldest books of the Bible. So his understanding of God was based on a limited revelation.
· What was the Job and the author’s understanding of God?
· What is the main point of what is being taught?
Options for interpretation:
A literalist view
A non-literalist view
Dramatist view
Exceptional instance view
Literalist: The view that God was and is responsible for good and evil. Satan has access to God. God is to be worshiped even when He makes us suffer. A literalist sees that God will occasionally make us suffer and it is up to us to praise Him in the middle of our suffering. When someone dies this person sees God’s hand in that death and their faith in Him will not be shaken. The literalist will also see the dragon in Job 41 as evidence that dragons once lived on the earth.
Non-literalist explanation: The dialogue is not offered as a direct transcript quoting the precise words of each person involved. The literary genre is “wisdom literature” which as we have seen, includes some allegory, metaphor, stories/scenarios written to make a point, etc. Some would see this entire book as a story told by God to make the main points debunking the myth that prosperity is directly linked to righteousness and suffering is the result of justice.
Secondly, it challenges us all to serve God for who He is, not what He does for us. This view focuses on the main point and balances the “problems” against the whole revelation of God. Asks the question, “Could God have inspired a drama/story like this in order to communicate the primary messages of the book, which include the facts that this is not a system of merits, blessing and punishment, good people do suffer, our motivation to serve God is for He alone, etc.
Dramatist explanation: Similar to the non-literalist: This person sees this is a divinely inspired drama, with rich characters, imagery, powerful emotions – given by God as a mean of communicating the truths of the message of Job, although not meant to be taken as a full disclosure of God’s character or satan’s power.
Exceptional instance explanation: This view believes that the events of Job took place as written in order to communicate the main messages of the book. Proponents of this view affirm God’s goodness and justice and would say that in Job’s case God did something unusual in order to communicate the message of this book. It is not to be taken as normative or as an explanation of why people suffer or as a statement of God arbitrarily allowing Satan to have his way.
Conclusion (Chapters 38-42)
The message of the book of Job:
Did Job fear God for nothing? (Getting back to Satan’s question)
No.
We do not serve God for the dangling carrot. This faith will outlast any eventuality. Even innocent suffering should not quench the fires of our devotion.
Job learned that the real benefit of serving God was not in what He does for you – it isn’t about your health or wealth or kids – it is about God Himself. He is the benefit. Job meets suffering and sorrow with unwavering trust.
Job learned that even if serving God meant losing everything he had, he could still trust God. For he still had God, and God was enough.
Key verse: 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
Through suffering God had moved from the theoretical to the real.
Furthermore, we learn that God is not under an obligation to reward the righteous for their righteousness.
In the end we see that Job is able to maintain integrity even when he is not being blessed for it. He vindicates himself, and God.
God’s practice of blessing the righteous is not a hindrance to true righteousness.
No one is wise enough to call God’s justice into question – and we don’t need to question His justice. Now we know about the cross, the mediator, justice, His goodness, we know so much more than Job knew.
What does the book offer as an appropriate response to suffering?
What is the difference between serving God for God Himself and serving Him in order to be blessed? How does Job help us see the difference? Close in prayer
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