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    The Trials of Job

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    roe
    The document provides an overview of the biblical book of Job, including its structure, characters, themes, and purpose. It discusses Job as a central figure who endures great suffering and loss, along with his counsel from friends. While the author is anonymous, the book was likely written in the late 7th to early 6th century BC to address the problem of evil and suffering in the world from a theological perspective.

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    The Trials of Job

    Uploaded by

    roe
    13 views11 pages
    The document provides an overview of the biblical book of Job, including its structure, characters, themes, and purpose. It discusses Job as a central figure who endures great suffering and loss, along with his counsel from friends. While the author is anonymous, the book was likely written in the late 7th to early 6th century BC to address the problem of evil and suffering in the world from a theological perspective.

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    17. the Trials of Job

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    The document provides an overview of the biblical book of Job, including its structure, characters, themes, and purpose. It discusses Job as a central figure who endures great suffering and loss, along with his counsel from friends. While the author is anonymous, the book was likely written in the late 7th to early 6th century BC to address the problem of evil and suffering in the world from a theological perspective.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    13 views11 pages

    The Trials of Job

    Uploaded by

    roe
    The document provides an overview of the biblical book of Job, including its structure, characters, themes, and purpose. It discusses Job as a central figure who endures great suffering and loss, along with his counsel from friends. While the author is anonymous, the book was likely written in the late 7th to early 6th century BC to address the problem of evil and suffering in the world from a theological perspective.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    of 11

    The Life and Trials

    of Job
    Wisdom Literature
    Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, (Song of Solomon)

    • Wisdom Refers to the Skill of Applying Knowledge.


    • Other O.T. Literature Establishes God’s
    Salvation History.
    • Wisdom Lit. Assumes Salvation History as
    Foundational.
    – It does not seek to add to the chronological
    happenings of the nation of Israel/ God’s covenants.
    – It addresses the human desire and quest for finding
    “order” and “meaning” in the world.
    Two Types of
    Wisdom Literature
    1. Proverbial Wisdom
    – Short sayings stating rules for personal happiness & welfare
    – Sayings that condense experiential wisdom making acute
    observations about life.
    2. Contemplative or Speculative Wisdom
    – Monologues, dialogues, essays, or stories which delve
    into basic problems of human existence
    • The meaning of life
    • The problem of pain and suffering
    • The path to success
    Job
    Structure and Outline
    • The Prologue Chapters 1—2
    – Job Introduced Chapter 1:1—5
    – Job’s First Test Chapter 1:6—22
    – Job’s Second Test Chapter 2

    • The Dialogue Chapters 3:1—42:6


    – Job’s Lament Chapter 3
    – Job and His Friends Chapter 4—37
    – Job and God Chapter 38:1—42:6

    • The Epilogue Chapters 42:7—17


    – God Rebukes Job’s Friends Chapter 42:7—9
    – God Restores Job Chapter 42:10—17
    Job
    • What Is Job?
    “Job” is the name of the central figure of the
    book. It can be loosely translated to mean “an enemy”
    because of how he laments being treated as if an
    enemy of God. Little is known about him or his
    ancestry. Job lives in a place outside of Israel and has a
    non-Jewish name, but He is clearly a worshiper of the
    God of the Jews. The book recounts the intense loss
    and traumatic suffering of Job, the counsel of his
    friends, the revelation of God to him, and the
    restoration of his health, family, and fortunes.
    Job
    • Who Wrote Job?
    The author of Job is anonymous. The author seems to
    be one of “the wise,” from whom were some of the Proverbs
    (see Proverbs 24:23) since the author makes frequent use of
    proverbs (see Job 4:8; 5:7; 11:12). The author is also a highly
    intelligent individual, based on the knowledge of astronomy
    (9:9; 38:31), meteorology, (38:22-38) mining (28:1-11), and
    nature (9:26; 8:11-19; 39:1-41:34). Based on some of the
    language used, Job might have lived during the time of the
    patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in the 18th to 21st
    centuries B.C. However, the book was probably written much
    later. Since Ezekiel mentions Job, and since Isaiah is quoted in
    Job, it was likely not written before 740 B.C. or after 571 B.C.
    The best conclusion, then, is that it was written sometime in
    the late seventh to early sixth century B.C.
    Job
    • Why Was Job Written?
    The book of Job addresses one of the most
    complex issues of all time: the nature of evil and
    suffering. Perhaps put a better way, however, is that the
    book addresses the nature of God in a world filled with
    evil and suffering. Mankind has forever wrestled with the
    age-old questions of how and why evil and suffering exist
    if God is truly good, sovereign, and just. The author does
    not provide simple answers (none exist), but instead
    provides a theological and practical defense of the
    goodness and justice of God as well as insight into right
    perceptions and attitudes regarding suffering.
    Job
    Characters in the Book of Job
    • Job wealthy & blessed, blameless and upright

    • Yahweh the LORD, God of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob

    • Satan literally “the adversary;” asks Yahweh to test Job

    • Job’s Wife suffered GREAT loss but lacked the faith of Job

    • Eliphaz friend of Job (Chapters 4—5, 15, 22)

    • Bildad friend of Job (Chapters 8, 18, 25)

    • Zophar friend of Job (Chapters 11, 20)

    • Elihu younger friend of Job (Chapters 32—37)


    Why Job Likely Pre-Dates
    God’s People, Israel
    • His possessions, like Abraham’s and Jacob’s were
    counted in sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, & servants.
    (1:3; cf. Gen. 12:16; 32:5)
    • He performed his own sacrifices apart from using any
    priest. (1:5)
    • His land was subject to the raids of pillagers.
    (1:15—17)
    • His life span is matched only in the Penteteuch
    (42:16)
    • An ancient, righteous hero named Job is cited by
    Ezekiel in connection with Noah and Daniel.
    (Ezek. 14:14, 20)
    Job
    Key Themes and Theology in Job
    • The Freedom of God (Sovereign Will)
    • The Problem of Evil
    • Retribution and Justice
    • The Goodness of God
    • The Purpose(s) of Suffering
    • Righteous Response To/ Strength In Suffering
    • How To/ Not To Respond to Others’ Sufferings
    Job
    Final Analysis from Hauer
    (pg. 172)
    “So, in the final analysis, the Book of Job
    dramatizes two quite different roads to the basic
    truth that faith in God cannot be a conditioned
    response to the expectation of reward or the fear
    of punishment. God is not a heavenly
    behavioralist who practices operant conditioning
    on humankind!”

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