Author: It is not known exactly who the author of the Book of Job is. Some scholars attribute it to Moses. Others, to one of the old wise men, perhaps even Solomon himself, whose writings can be found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
Background: The Scripture itself gives testimony that Job was a read person. He is mentioned in Ezekiel 14:14 and James 5:11. Job was a Gentile and it's thought that he descended from Nahor, Abraham's brother, who knew GOD as "Shaddai", the Almighty (the book refers to Shaddai on three occasions). Job was a wealthy man and lived a seminomadic life.
Content: The Book of Job has been described as a dramatic poem contained in an epic story. Chapters 1 and 2 are the prologue and serve as a backdrop to the story. Satan presents himself along with the sons of GOD and questions Job's piety by affirming, "Does Job fear GOD in vain?" (1:9). He continues speaking and suggests that, if he loses everything he has, Job would curse GOD. GOD allows Satan to test Job's faith, depriving his of his goods, his family and, finally, of his health. Even so, "Job didn't sin with his lips" (2:10). Then, three friends visit Job: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, who are so affected by the deplorable conditions in which they find Job, that they sit next to him silently for seven days.
The majority of the book is dedicated to the three dialogues between Job and Eliphaz, Job and Bildad and Job and Zophar, followed by the challenge launched at Job by Elihu. The four men seek to answer the question, Why does Job suffer? Eliphaz, leaning on experience, affirms that Job suffers because he has sinned. He argues that those who sin are punished. Since Job suffers, it's obvious that he has sinned. Bildad, leaning on tradition, suggests that Job is a hypocrite. He also infers that if Job faces problems it's because he has sinned, "If you were pure and upright, surely later he would awake for you" (8:6). Zophar condemns Job for his verbosity, presumption and sinfulness, to conclude that what he receives is less than he deserves, "You will know then that GOD has punished you less than your iniquity deserves" (11:6).
The three men come to the same fundamental conclusion: Suffering is a direct consequence of sin, which is always punished. They say that it can always be known if a person pleases or displeases GOD by observing if he enjoys material prosperity or suffers adversities. They falsely assume that people can understand GOD's ways without taking into account the fact that divine punishment or blessings extend beyond this life.
In his response to these friends, Job maintains that he is innocent. According to him, the experience shows that the believer as well as the unbeliever suffer and enjoy prosperity. He laments his deplorable condition and turns his anger against his interlocutors for accusing him instead of consoling him.
After the three friends have concluded, a youth called Elihu confronts Job, who decides to not respond to his accusations. Elihu's argument is the following: GOD is above every human being, therefore, a person has neither the right nor the authority to ask him for explanations. Some of the things that GOD does are humanly incomprehensible. At the time , Elihu suggests the GOD will speak if we listen to Him. He stresses the attitude of the one who suffers; that is, a humble attitude permits GOD to intervene. This is the pith of his message: Instead of learning from his suffering, Job confronts GOD with the same attitude as the unbelievers, and still suffers affliction because of that. Elihu's call to Job consists in: Put your faith in GOD instead of asking for explanations; change your attitude and show humility.
It shouldn't be concluded that all the opinions of Job's friends represent the viewpoints of GOD in those times. As GOD has continued revealing his nature throughout history and the Scriptures, some of these concepts have been shown to be incomplete. As is natural, this doesn't make this text less inspired, but gives us a version inspired by the Holy Spirit of what occurred then.
When the four have finished, GOD responds to Job from a whirlwind. By doing so, he doesn't attempt to explain the why of Job's sufferings, but aims to humble him through a series of interrogations. When we inspect the words that come from the whirlwind we arrive at three conclusions about Job's suffering: It is assumed that he wasn't supposed to know why he suffered. Some aspects related to human suffering are possibly that GOD can't explain himself to us without at the same time hindering his will; GOD participates in human affairs: Job and his pain are important enough to GOD for him to speak. Perhaps GOD's purpose was to wear down Job's feelings of self-esteem, self-justification and self-sufficiency, so that he would find his all in the LORD.
Literary Background and Parallels: (HBH)
Outside the Bible. The ancient sages wrote a great deal about human suffering. The Mesopotamian myth of Atrahasus tells of human affliction by the apparently blind wrath of the gods. Canaanite literature from Ugarit describes the trials of King Keret who, like Job, lost seven sons. In a Babylonian hymn to Marduk, a sufferer bewails his losses with as much pathos as Job. An even older Sumerian work models the complaints one ought to raise to one's god when calamity strikes. The Egyptian Protests of the Eloquent Peasant challenges social injustice and has a structure somewhat like Job's.
The ancient literature of lamentation certainly influenced Job, particularly in the way Job expressed his complaints. But no true parallel to Job exists outside the Bible. The Book of Job does more than grieve over human pain. Job's travail poses questions never considered in any other literature. Its literary structure, moreover, has no true parallel.
Inside the Bible. Job is in many ways like other writings in the Bible and yet is in a class by itself. Some of the types of biblical material found in Job follow:
Laments. Job repeatedly bewailed what had befallen him, as in 3:1-26; 6:2-7; 10:1-12. Compare Psalms 22:1-18; 102:1-11; Lamentations 3:1-20.
Hymns of Praise. Job often praised GOD for His power and righteousness, as in 5:9-16 and 26:5-14. Compare Psalms 94 and 97.
Proverbs. Pithy statements of wisdom and metaphor appear in Job 5:2 and 6:5-6. Compare these respectively to Proverbs 14:30 and Isaiah 1:3. Also note the wisdom sayings in Job 28:28 and Proverbs 1:7.
Prophetic Speech. The friends sometimes claimed to have had prophetic experiences, and they preached as the prophets did. See Job 4:12-14; 11:13-20; 32:8.
Wisdom Poems. Job has several lengthy poems on the value of wisdom and right behavior. Compare Job 28 to Proverbs 30:2-4 and Job 8:11-22 to Psalm 1.
Numeric Sayings. Compare Job 5:19 to Proverbs 30:21.
Reflective Questioning. Job sometimes bluntly challenges conventional wisdom. Compare Job 21:17-19 to Ecclesiastes 9:2-3.
Apocalyptic. Job has some features in common with books like Daniel and Revelation. The earthly struggle is part of a heavenly conflict between GOD and Satan (Job 1-2). Human foes tempt the believer to abandon his perseverance (Job's wife and three friends). But faithful endurance leads to triumph and blessings (Job 42).
The Book of Job draws on many types of literature to set forth its message, but it does not belong to any one of these categories. It must be interpreted as unique both in literary type and message.. Job is not a conventional book.
Unity and Integrity: (HBH) Some scholars assert that portions of the book are later additions - that is, that they were not written by the original author and are not true to his intentions. The prologue, epilogue, and Elihu speeches are often so regarded. Many allege the writer of the Elihu speeches was a pious Israelite who was offended at much of what Job had to say and felt a need to correct it. But the book makes no sense if the prologue and epilogue are deleted. The Elihu speeches are essential to the plan of the book. We cannot interpret Job by omitting difficult or unusual chapters.
Central Problem: (HBH) The Book of Job confuses modern readers Often said to be about the problem of why the righteous suffer, it never really solves that problem. To be sure, some readers believe that the prologue resolves the problem: suffering is a test of humanity in a cosmic trial before GOD and Satan. This concept is present in Job and has validity.
But this hardly explains the whole book. If this is the message of Job, then the dispute between Job and his friends, the very heart of the book, is pointless. Also, although GOD never said that Satan was the reason for job's pain, Job was satisfied by GOD's answer. This implies that the prologue is not the whole answer.
Job actually says remarkably little to explain the problem of pain. Instead, the speakers hurled lengthy and highly poetic speeches at one another in which they alternatively insisted or denied that the wicked suffer retribution for their deeds. Unlike modern Christian theologians, they scarcely considered other explanations for pain and evil. Even GOD, in His lengthy speeches, said not a word to explain why Job had suffered. The Christian who reads Job for an explanation of the trials and suffering of life may leave more bewildered than comforted.
The fault, however, is not with Job but with us. Although suffering is an important factor in the book, the central question is not why the righteous suffer but why a person should serve GOD. Or, to put it in the terms of the one who first posed the question, Satan, "Does Job fear GOD for nothing?" (1:9).
And why should a person fear GOD? For Job's friends the answer was simple: because that is the safe thing to do. Wickedness invites the fury of an angry GOD, but righteousness brings prosperity. This reasoning, moreover, dominates not only the friends but also Job himself at the beginning (1:5). He was one of them. But the undeserved pain of his own life and the condemnation by his friends, like the successive blows of a whip, drove him to face questions he had never faced.
That reality, which he finally proclaimed in chapter 21, was that in his experience the wicked were not often brought to calamity for their sin: "They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace" (21:13). In exasperation Job cried out, "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?" (21:15) even as he called on his friends to cover their mouths in horror (21:5). Not only his world but theirs had collapsed.
Where is the answer to Satan's challenge and Job's anguished outcry? It is found, of course, in the text of the book itself. In the following comments, we will travel through the book and seek that answer.
Theological Contribution: (IBD) The Book of Job teaches us to trust GOD in all circumstances. When we suffer, it usually is a fruitless effort to try to understand the reasons for the difficulty. Sometimes the righteous must suffer without knowing the reason why; that is why it is important to learn to trust GOD in everything.
This masterful book also shows very clearly that GOD is not captive to His world, His people, or our views of his nature. GOD is free; He is subject to no will but His own. He is not bound by our understanding or by our lack of it. Job also discovered that GOD is a GOD of great power and majesty. When we see how great He is, we realize just how little we are. Like Job, we want to bow down in humble submission.
The Book of Job also teaches us that GOD is good, just, and fair in His dealings. He restored Job's fortunes and gave him more than He had ever enjoyed. GOD always replaces the darkness of our existence with the light of His presence when we remain faithful to Him.
Special Considerations: (IBD) The dialogue sections of the Book of Job are written in poetry. Great truths are often expressed in such poetic language. These great truths are worth the slow, reflective reading it sometimes takes to grasp their meaning. Great art like that in this book often challenges our understanding. That is why we need to come back to it again and again.
Personal Application: The Book of job teaches several lessons: 1) GOD is sovereign. We cannot understand his actions calling only on rationality; faith should rest in the love of GOD and in our knowledge of Him. Divine sovereignty means that GOD is Almighty; He knows all, is everywhere and his decisions are indisputable (Jer. 10:10; Dan. 4:17). GOD is the author of all the power of the universe. 2) We understand ourselves and our lives according to how much we understand the character and actions of GOD. When we understand that GOD is benevolent with us (John 10:10), that GOD cares and communicates this care to his children - as he did with Job -, this changes everything. Faith should have a place on which to rest. When a profound suffering threatens the basics of faith, as was the case with Job, an assault on our beliefs can destroy us, unless we have these truths well rooted. 3) In times of tragedy we face the temptation of making GOD our adversary and not our advocate. If we take Job as a model, we can declare ourselves innocent and question GOD's righteousness, or we can humbly bow down and wait for Him to reveal himself and his will for us. 4) The battle of faith is something personal. Each one passes through the crucible of life by himself; We must face the challenges to our faith in GOD resisting uncontrollable forces and gaining our own triumphs. The moment will come in which our families and friends will abandon us and we must stand on our own feet.
Christ Revealed: There are no direct references to Christ in the Book of Job; however, Job can be seen as someone who anticipated him. Job suffered much and was stripped of all that he had, but at the end he was restored and became a mediator in favor of his friends. Christ stripped himself, taking human form. He suffered, was persecuted for a time by men and demons, he felt abandoned by GOD and became a mediator between Him and human beings. The major difference between Christ and Job is that Christ chose to strip himself of everything, while Job's misfortunes were due to circumstances beyond his control.
The Book of James calls the reader's attention to the patience and perseverance of Job. James affirms that, just as GOD's intention toward Job was good, so it is for us (5:11).
The Holy Spirit in Action: Elihu, in his debate with Job, makes three significant declarations about the role of the Holy Spirit in relation with GOD's people. In 32:8 he says that human understanding doesn't depend on the age or station of life, but it's a fruit of the action of the Spirit of GOD. The Spirit is then the author of wisdom, giving people the ability to find sense in life. Knowledge as well as human wisdom are gifts of the Spirit of GOD.
The Spirit of GOD is also the source of life itself (33:4). Apart from the direct influence of the Spirit, human beings, such as we know them, would not have come to exist. It was thus from the creation and thus it will be forever. Elihu affirms that his own experience gives testimony of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of GOD is the Spirit of life.
As the Spirit gives life and wisdom to human beings, he is also indispensable for the reproduction of the human species. If GOD turned his attention away from humanity, if his Creator Spirit withdrew from the life of this world, it could put an end to history (34:14,15). What Elihu points out is that GOD is neither selfish nor capricious. Because he cares for human beings, he constantly sustains them with the supply of his Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit in the Book of Job is the Creator and sustainer of life, who gives it sense and rationality.
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