Chapter Nine - Job - Why Do Good People Suffer?

As a result of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. describe the main events in Job's life;
2. list Job's friends and summarize their arguments; and
3. discuss key aspects of the relationship between Job, God and Satan.

This chapter is divided into the following four major parts:

1. introduction;
2. prologue (1:1-2:13);
3. dialogue (3:1-42:6); and
4. epilogue (42:7-17).

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Poetical Books

In Chapters 9-11 of this course, we are concerned exclusively with the five poetical books. These books are often called "wisdom literature" because the style is very similar to extra-biblical literature that bears the same name and also their message represents the wise observations and interpretations of everyday life.

1.1.1 Purposes

The poetic books are charged with feeling, they appeal especially to the human emotions and will, and so are very persuasive in exhorting and reproving. They deal with problems and experiences common to all mankind, which make them timeless and universally attractive.

The poetical books present a discussion of five questions which involve the basic issues of life.

1.1.2 Types

There are three main types of Hebrew poetry:

1. lyric. The poetry was originally accompanied by music on the lyric. Most of the Psalms are lyric. Religious lyric poetry expresses the poet's emotions as they are stirred by and directed toward God.

2. didactic. This is sometimes referred to as a gnomic type, because the unit of thought is a gnome, or maxim. The main purpose is to share observations and evaluations of life, not to communicate feeling as such. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are examples of this type.

3. dramatic. In Hebrew drama, the action is mainly that of dialogue, to get across thoughts and ideas. Job and the Song of Solomon are of this type.

1.1.3 Characteristics

Some of the distinguishing characteristics of Hebrew poetry are the following:

1. Hebrew poetry does not depend on rhyme or meter as such, but is built around a thought pattern. This allows the author much liberty in terms of the structure of a single line, and accounts for the large variety in line lengths, from very short to very long.

2. Parallelism is the essential feature of Hebrew poetry. It is the structure of a verse which shows correspondence between two or more lines of that verse. For example, after  a statement has been made in the first line of a verse, that thought is repeated, enlarged, or even contrasted in the remaining line or lines.

In reading these books you may not immediately recognize the poetic elements. It is important to remember that Hebrew poetry is based on parallelism of thought, not parallelism of sound. More will be said about this as we move through these Chapters.

1.1.4 Location of poetical books in the Old Testament canon

The Old Testament has been called the "Drama of Redemption." This course breaks into the drama at the middle of Act I. The 17 historical books form the foundation for all the following books in the Old Testament canon. Genesis-Esther take us from the beginning to the end of the Old Testament, historically speaking. The poetical and prophetical books that follow fit into this historical framework.

Below chart shows the place of poetical books in the Old Testament canon:

(Source: Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Chicago: Moody Press, 1978 Edition, p. 218, by Irving L. Jensen)

Location of Poetical Books in the Old Testament Canon

1.2 The book of Job

1.2.1 Author

The book is named for its main character, not for its author. The book of Ruth is another example of a writing so named. The text of this book does not indicate its author, and there is no consistent tradition even in rabbinic circles as to who the composer of this work might have been. The Talmud ventures only to suggest that the writer must have been someone who lived prior to the time of Moses. There seems to be nothing in the internal evidence of the text itself to furnish a clue as to the author's identity. Jacques Bolduc (1637) suggested that it may have been secondarily the work of Moses himself, who found it in an original Aramaic form and felt it worthwhile to translate into Hebrew.

1.2.2 Date of the events

Inasmuch as Job contains no references to historical events and reflects a non-Hebraic cultural background concerning which we possess little or no information, it is not easy to assign a probable date for the lifetime and career of Job. The district of Uz, in which the action took place, was located in northern Arabia; the Septuagint refers to it as the land of the Aisitai, a people whom Ptolemy the geographer locates in the Arabian desert adjacent to the Edomites of Mount Seir. Job's friend Eliphaz came from Teman, a well known locality in Edom. Elihu came from the Buzites, who probably lived adjacent to the Chaldeans in northeast Arabia. It is important to bear this in mind when weighing the force of arguments based upon absence of Mosaic influence.

The events have taken place in a patriarchal society in the second millennium B.C. (i.e. pre-Mosaic date before 1500 B.C.), around the time of Abraham. Several facts support this dating:

1. Job lived more than 140 years (42:16), a not uncommon life span during the patriarchal period;

2. the economy of Job's day, in which wealth was measured in terms of livestock (1:3), was the type that existed in this period;

3. Job indicates a patriarchal family-clan type of organization far more reminiscent of Abraham's time than of post-Exodus conditions.

4. The offering of sacrifice by the head of the family rather than by an official priesthood would also be pre-Mosaic.

5. The mention of qesita as a piece of money (Job 42:11) suggests a date at least as early as Joshua (cf. Joshua 24:32), if not the patriarchal period (cf. Genesis 33:19).

6. The absence of any reference to the nation Israel or the Mosaic Law.

7. This foreign locale would also account for the comparative rarity of the name Yahweh in most chapters of the book. Job shows a distinct preference for the pan-Semitic term, 'Elohim,' for God. ("Yahweh" occurs twice in chapter 1, once in chapter 2, once in chapter 12, once in chapter 38, three times in chapter 40, and five times in chapter 42.). This evidence from the use of the divine names certainly tends to confirm the theory of non-Israelite background.

8. Albright in his chapter on the "Old Testament and Archaeology" traces a noteworthy resemblance to the account of the "Babylonian Job." This is the story of a righteous man who underwent the bitterest agony of body and spirit, even though he was conscious of having lived an upright life, and nevertheless remained steadfast in the midst of his afflication. Ultimately he was granted a happier life than ever, to the glory of Marduk, the god of Babylon. This Babylon account may go back to 1200 B.C., and may rest upon materials even earlier. 

1.2.3 Date of the composition

It is necessary to distinguish between the date of the events contained in the book and of the composition of the book itself. Job himself lived in the patriarchal age. The book reflects this type of life. It might naturally be supposed to have been written soon after the events themselves. Nevertheless there is the widest divergence of opinion on this point, some estimates, as we shall see, deferring the time of authorship until after the Babylonian Exile (for a full discussion of the five main views see Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Chicago: Moody Press, 1966, pp. 441-446).

The five main views are as follows:

1. during or after the Babylonian Exile;

2. in the generation of Jeremiah;

3. in the reign of Manasseh;

4. in the reign of Solomon; and

5. in the patriarchal age.

1.2.3.1 During or after the Babylonian Exile (6 B.C.)

This view is advocated by Genung in ISBE, who classifies the book of Job as mere legend. He interprets it as electing at least indirectly the long imprisonment and eventual release of King Jehoiachin.

It should be noted, however, that Jehoiachin's career bears little analogy to that of Job; there is no evidence that Jehoiachin was any more godly than his wicked father, Jehoiakim, nor was he restored to his kingdom at any time prior to his death. He was simply granted more pleasant conditions during his confinement in Babylon. 

1.2.3.2 In the generation of Jeremiah (late 7 B.C.)

This is the view of J.E. Steinmueller (CSS, 2:165), who feels that there is a striking similarity between Job and the writings of Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 12:1-3 and Job 21:7; Jeremiah 20:14-18 and Job 3:3). He thinks it significant that the land of Uz is mentioned outside of Job only in Jeremiah 25:20 and Lamentations 4:21.

Yet this evidence can scarcely be called compelling; the similarities referred to are quite vague in character and consist of common-place sentiments which can be found in the writings of many ancient authors. The fact that Uz is mentioned in Jeremiah 25:20 is hardly of pivotal significance, unless it can be proved by other evidence that the name had not arisen until the age of Jeremiah or else was completely unknown to the Hebrews before his time.

1.2.3.3 In the reign of Manasseh (7 B.C.)

Ewald and Hitzig were proponents of this view. This was an age of moral degeneracy and social injustice, a time when questions concerning divine providence would call for anxious scrutiny, with error on the throne and truth on the scaffold. Therefore the prominence given to the suffering of the innocent and the prevalence of misfortune and calamity, "The earth is given into the hands of the wicked" (Job 9:24), accords well with the time of King Manasseh.

But these allusions in Job do not indicate any more widespread misfortune than could be found in many periods in Hebrew history, or indeed in human experience generally. The author quite clearly is referring to the hardships of individuals here and there as exemplified by Job himself. There is no suggestion whatsoever that national misfortunes are referred to or that what is afflicting Job is intended to be parabolic for the distress of Israel generally.

1.2.3.4 In the reign of Solomon

This view was advocated as early as the time of Gregory Nazianzen (fourth century A.D.) and also by Martin Luther, Haevernick, Keil, and Franz Delitzsch. In the conservative handbooks on Old Testament introduction, it is favored by Raven, Young, and Unger. The grounds adduced for this dating fall generally under these heads:

1. Solomon's age was one of prosperous leisure in which literary pursuits were practiced against a background of national self-realization;

2. the age of Solomon devoted particular interest to hokma and pondered the deepest practical problems of life;

3. there is a similar exaltation of godly wisdom in Proverbs 8 to that which appears in Job 28; and

4. a fairly extensive knowledge of foreign countries indicates a wider acquaintance with the contemporary world than North Arabian conditions would presuppose. In Solomon's time, of course, there was the widest acquaintance with the foreign nations.

It cannot be denied that these considerations possess a certain cumulative force. However, this view has the following problems:

1. They cannot be regarded as conclusive, for most of the four features above mentioned are reconcilable with an earlier date as well, particularly if the account was composed by a non-Israelite author on non-Israelite soil.

2. If the composition of this book was in the reign of Solomon, then the events themselves took place four centuries or more before Job was written—and most of these writers consider Job to have lived at least as early as the time of Moses—then it is difficult to see how an accurate record could have been maintained of the actual remarks expressed by Job and his four counselors.

Delitzsch therefore suggests that the book was not meant to be a historically accurate transcript of words actually spoken in the patriarchal period, but that it was probably intended as a drama for which the dialogue had been composed by the author.

1.2.3.5 In the patriarchal age

If the contents of Job are to be regarded as historically accurate and a faithful transcript of the actual conversations of the five men involved, it would be natural to assume that this record was composed soon after Job's restoration to prosperity, the final addition, 42:16-17, having been completed not long after his decease. If therefore Job's career took place before the time of Moses, the book itself must date back to that same approximate era. This was the view of the Talmud and was widely held by Christian scholars until modern times.

Oppositions to this view are as follows:

1. The mention of the worship of the sun and moon in Job 31:26 would exclude a period of composition earlier than the rise of Mesopotamian cults in the latter days of the Jewish monarchy. However, the worship of the sun and moon had been carried on by Sumerians, Akkadians, and Egyptians from time immemorial, and the earliest Old South Arabic inscriptions which have survived indicate vigorous cults of this type flourishing in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula.

2. The traces of the influence of the Mosaic law were found in Job 24:2-11. This passage mentions: (a) the wickedness of keeping pawned clothes overnight (forbidden in Exodus 22:25); (b) the custom of reserving for the poor the gleaning of the fields of the rich (prescribed in Leviticus 19:9); (c) the wickedness of moving the boundary marker of a farm (cf. Deuteronomy 19:14). However, a second reading of this passage in Job reveals that it amounts to only a statement that the poor have been reduced to gleaning the fields of the rich, and that having pawned their clothes to the wealthy they are forced to sleep naked overnight. This falls short of invoking any legal sanctions in either case. As for denouncing the moving of a boundary marker, this was a commonplace sentiment throughout the Fertile Crescent, from Sumeria to the Nile. It turns out, therefore, that the case for an acquaintance with the Mosaic code cannot be sustained for the book of Job.

I think that this view is the correct one due to the following reasons:

1. If the contents of Job are historically accurate and a faithful transcript of the actual conversations of the five men involved, it must be composed soon after Job's decease and by the eye-witness of the events.

2. The absence of any knowledge of the existence of the Mosaic code and and God's covenant with Israel in the book of Job.

There is a complete unawareness of any other monotheistic culture to be found in any adjacent region of western Asia than that represented by Uz, Teman, Shuah on the Euphrates and Naamah (from which the three comforters had come). Surely if the Hebrew nation, devoted to the exclusive worship of the same God (El, Eloah, Elyah, Shaddai and Yahweh) had already settled in nearby Canaan, some allusion to them would surely be expected in the conversations between Job and his counselors. Why is there no awareness whatever of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob or Moses or Joshua? Every other book in the Old Testament presupposes Abraham and the Torah and God's covenant with Israel. How can Job center attention upon God and the basic principles of theology without any cognizance of Israel and God's Lordship over this monotheistic nation? The only reasonable explanation for this is that the episode of Job's trial and the written record of his experience was written down before the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and before the departure of Israel from Egyptian bondage. This implies that the original composition was written in a language other than Hebrew, even though it was later translated into the form which has been preserved in the Hebrew Bible. If so, Job is actually the earliest book in the Bible, and that it was included in a Hebrew translation as a part of Scripture because of its perceived value as solving the age-long problem of how undeserved suffering can befall even sincere and godly believers.

1.2.4 The literary form

The literary form of the book is difficult to identify. It has been termed a dialogue, a drama and a lyric poem (Andrew W. Blackwood, Devotional Introduction to Job, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1959, pp. 14-19). The problem has arisen because the book contains characteristics of all these forms and yet possesses a form and literary style that is unique to this book alone.

In my opinion, Job can be classified as dramatic poetry. The book is recognized even in the secular world of literature as the most magnificent dramatic poem ever written. In drama, not everything spoken by the actors is necessarily true. This is so in the book of Job, where, for example, Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, give their own interpretations of Job's afflictions, and are later rebuked by God for not speaking "what is right" (42:7). The speeches of Job's three friends take up nine chapters of the book.

Whichever the literary genre, it is imperative that we do not deny the historicity of the book or of Job the individual. The historicity is affirmed in both the Old Testament (Ezekiel 14:14, 20) and the New Testament (James 5:11).

1.2.5 The place of Job in the Bible

Job is the first of the five poetical books. If Job lived before or outside the Abrahamic setting, an interesting comparison may be made between the poetical and historical books. This is shown on below chart.

(Source: Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Chicago: Moody Press, 1978 Edition, p. 263, by Irving L. Jensen)

Place of Job in the Old Testament Canon

The book of Job is intimately related to the New Testament, even though it is explicitly quoted only once by a New Testament book (1 Corinthians 3:19, quoting Job 5:13). The problems and questions of the man Job are answered completely and perfectly in Christ. It should be very clear why Christ's ministry is the culmination and interpretation of all Old Testament history. Like the other book of the Old Testament Job is forward-looking to Christ. Questions are raised, great sobs of agony are heard, which Jesus alone can answer. The book takes its place in the testimony of the ages that there is a blank in the human heart which Jesus alone can fill. Were it not for the atoning work of Christ neither the faith of Job nor that of any other Old Testament saint would have availed to bring them into the heavenly city, written about in Hebrews.

"These men of faith I have mentioned died without ever receiving all that God had promised them; but they saw it all awaiting them on ahead and were glad, for they agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven ... And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16).

1.2.6 The geographical setting of the book of Job

The geographical setting of the book of Job is shown in below map:

(Source: Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Chicago: Moody Press, 1978 Edition, p. 258, by Irving L. Jensen)

Geography of Job (Circle Area) and Present Day Kingdoms

1.2.7 Purposes

The book of Job answers questions asked by people who believe in God but who are stunned or mystified by the complex problem of pain. Here are some of those questions:

1. Does justice triumph?

2. Is God intimately concerned about the lives of His children?

3. Why are some godly people crushed with tragedy?

4. What are the enduring values of life?

5. Is Satan real?

6. Is there a life beyond the grave?

The very fact that God inspired a book like Job to be written and included in the canon of the Holy Bible is strong evidence of His love for His children. This book records His perfect answers to the many agonizing questions about life. Through those answers, severe trials and testings in life take on a new quality.

Job is a book about a physical and spiritual experience of an ancient patriarch whose faith was tested to the uttermost. Its main purposes are not to teach Israelite history, Messianic prophecy and the fundamental teachings of how to be saved. The underlying purposes of Job are the following:

1. To reveal who God is.

2. To show the kind of trust He wants His children to have (i.e. trust God even though you cannot fully account for your circumstances). Approved by God means "tried and found true" (cf. Romans 16:10).

3. To reveal His favor toward His children and His absolute control over Satan.

4. To answer man's questions about why a righteous person may suffer while an evil man may be healthy and prosperous.

The theme of the discussion is the suffering of Job. He is presented in chapter 1 as the model believer. This, in turn, raises the question as to the cause of his calamities. It is not difficult for us to accept human suffering, when it is evil people who suffer. But why a man who, from all outward appearances, is good must suffer is a perplexing problem. The central problem of the book is indicated in the title of this lesson — "Why Do Good People Suffer?" In the development of this main theme several other subordinate truths unfold:

1. the relation of man to the spirit world;

2. the inadequacy of human philosophy to account for human problems; and

3. the graciousness of God's purposes.

1.2.8 The main characters of Job

The book's five main characters are Job, Elihu and Job's three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Read 2:11-13 and 32:1-5 for a brief introduction to these men. Since they are key characters in most of the book's drama, it would be helpful now to learn more about them and their views on life before surveying the book.

1.2.8.1 Job

Job was a real person, not a fictitious character (read Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11). There are two possible literal meanings of the name Job. If the name's origin is in the Arabic language, it means "one who turns back" (i.e. repents). If its origin is Hebrew, it means "the hated (persecuted) one." It is interesting that both of these meaning are reflected in experiences of Job as recorded in the book bearing his name.

Listed below are a few things known about this man:

1. Job was a native of the land of Uz (1:1). This region was somewhere northeast of Palestine, near desert land (1:19), probably between the city of Damascus and the Euphrates River. This would place the region near the boundary lines of present-day Iraq and Saudi Arabia (see the Map provided in the above section 1.2.6). Read 1:3 and note that Job was from an area called "the east."

2. As I have mentioned in the previous section 1.2.2, Job probably lived before the time of Moses. Job lived some time between the tower of Babel event and the call of Abraham, or shortly thereafter. Read Genesis 11:9-12:1 to fix this chronological setting in your mind. Then read the words of God in Job 39 and note the different kinds of animals, including the horse, with which Job was familiar.

3. Some have suggested that Job was as old as 60 when the experiences of the book took place. Whatever his age, we know nothing of his earlier life. Questions which remain unanswered include: Who were his parents? From whom did he first learn about God? How widespread was his witness for God?

4. Job was very wealthy (read 1:3, 10). He and his sons were homeowners in a large city of the region (cf. 1:4; 29:7). The ruins of over three hundred ancient cities in the area of Uz have been discovered by archaeologists, indicating a very active civilization in this region in those early days.

5. He was a respected and popular judge and benefactor of his fellow citizens (29:7-25).

6. He was a righteous man in God's eyes (read 1:1,5,8; cf. also Ezekiel 14:14-20 and James 5:11). What does the last phrase of Job 1:5 suggest about his relationship to God?

7. He lived to a very old age (42:16-17). If Job was as old as 60 when he was first tested (chapter 1), then he was at least 200 years old when he died (note: 60 + additional 140 years = 200 years). Compare this with the longevities of the people listed in Genesis 11:10-26 (cf. also Genesis 25:7).

1.2.8.2 Elihu

Listed below are a few things known about this man:

1. Name means "He is my God."

2. Native of Buz (possibly of Arabia or Syria).

3. The youngest of the four men, not an intimate companion of Job's three friends.

4. One of his main contentions: God is good (33:24). Of the four men, Elihu gave the best diagnosis of Job's plight, saying that sufferings are often God's way of refining the righteous. He did not go far enough in his diagnosis, however.

1.2.8.3 Eliphaz

Listed below are a few things known about this man:

1. Two possible meanings of the name: "God is fine gold"; or "God is dispenser."

2. Native of Teman (2:11), a city of Edom, southeast of Palestine, which was traditionally famous for its wise men (Jeremiah 49:7).

3. The leading spokesman of the three friends.

4. The "scientist" of the group; his speeches show clearer reasoning and more considerate criticism than those of the other two friends.

5. Noble, sincere, wise and courtly.

6. Two of his main contentions: God is perfectly pure and righteous; and man brings trouble on himself (5:7).

1.2.8.4 Bildad

Listed below are a few things known about this man:

1. Name means "Son of contention."

2. Native of Shuah (Sukhu of the Euphrates region?)(2:11)

3. A traditionalist (cf. 8:8-10); more argumentative than Eliphaz.

4. Charged Job with godlessness (8:13).

5. One of his main contentions: God never twists justice (8:3).

1.2.8.5 Zophar

Listed below are a few things known about this man:

1. Name means "hairy," or "rough."

2. Native of Naamah, or Naamath (2:11), probably of North Arabia.

3. Possibly the oldest of the three friends.

4. A dogmatist and moralist; blunt; sometimes displayed a holier-than-thou attitude.

5. Charged Job with boasting (11:2-6).

6. One of his main contentions: God knows iniquity when He sees it (11:11).

1.2.9 Prominent subjects

Of the many important subjects of the book of Job, three are especially prominent:

1. Satan;

2. the problem of pain; and

3. genuine trust.

1.2.9.1 Satan

Much can be learned about Satan from the book of Job. For example, Satan is not a name representing impersonal evil; Satan is the personal enemy of God and His children. The persons and events of the narrative of Job are real persons and actual events. "There was a man. . . . There was a day. . . . Then Satan . . . smote Job" (1:1, 6; 2:7). This is precise, genuine history. And, lest one think that Satan is no longer active in accusing the children of God, the last book of the Bible reveals the sober truth of Satan's continuing work until end
times: "The accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10; cf. 1 Peter 5:8).

Satan first appears in the story of man in the Garden of Eden. Recall the account of his beguiling Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-7). The text refers to him as "the serpent." How do you know that this was Satan? (cf. Revelation 12:9.) Why is Satan anti-humankind? Note that the name Satan literally means "adversary." Of its nineteen appearances in the Old Testament, fourteen are in Job. The name devil means "slanderer," and is found only in the New Testament (sixty times).

1.2.9.2 The problem of pain

The book of Job is the Bible's fullest treatment of this vexing problem. The summary given below shows how the book opens with the problem and concludes with the solution.

1. The Problem of Pain: Why do the righteous suffer, and the wicked prosper?

2. The Wrong Answer of Job's Three Friends: Suffering is God's judgment for sin.

3. The enlightened answer of Elihu: Suffering is God's way to teach, discipline, and refine.

4. God's perfect answer: Suffering is a test of trusting God for who He is, not for what He does.

1.2.9.3 Genuine trust

The book of Job teaches that the person with genuine trust worships God basically for who He is. That person may have unanswered questions as to why God does what He does, but he still worships God wholeheartedly for who He is. Job the combatant became Job the worshiper when he heard God reveal Himself to His smitten child (38:1 ff.). E. Heavenor writes: "The Word came through a fresh vision of God. . . . That Word brought a transformation which the word of man had been totally unable to achieve. . . . The Word convinced Job that he could trust such a God".

1.2.10 Outline

The outline of the book is as follows:

1. Chapters 1:1-2:13 constitute a prologue in prose in which the theme of the book is introduced.

2. Chapters 3:1-42:6 present a poetic discussion of the problem of the book.

3. Chapter 42:7-17 bring the narrative to a conclusion.

2. PROLOGUE (1-2)

Job is introduced in the first five verses of the book. The description of the nature and quality of his spiritual life illuminates the discussions in heaven that follow.

2.1 Job Is Introduced (1:1-5)

In terms of his spiritual development. Job is portrayed as a well-balanced, mature believer. He not only lives a life of separation from evil, but, on the positive side, is perfect and upright before God. His life evidences more than just an adherence to outward religious ritual. He is a man whose inner devotion to God is evident to all.

Job is well endowed with worldly goods. It is clear that he controls these possessions. They do not control him. Job's relationship to material and financial things is healthy because his relationship to God is sound. Believers who are rightly related to God will also be rightly related to their finances. Believers who worship material possessions have problems in their relationship with God.

Job's domestic life is also described in this paragraph. He is a man who spends time with his family. They feast together and enjoy each other's company. He also takes his place as the spiritual head of his household. The opening verses show Job offering sacrifices as befits a spiritual leader of that period. He shows deep concern for the spiritual welfare of his family. And he does all this continually (1:5). Consistency is one of the outstanding features of Job's life. Such a man is an exemplary believer. The suggestion that he might be suffering because of some great evil he has done is thus ruled out.

2.2 Job Is Attacked (1:6-2:13)

In this section the scene shifts twice from heaven to earth. The interviews in heaven determine the course of events on earth.

SCENE  I: INTERVIEW IN HEAVEN (1:6-22)  ---->  OUTCOME ON EARTH: Job's possessions attacked

SCENE II: INTERVIEW IN HEAVEN (2:1-13)  ---->  OUTCOME ON EARTH: Job's person attacked

2.2.1 First interview in heaven (1:6-22)

In the first interview (1:6-12), God initiates the discussion concerning Job and his loyalty Him. Satan does not question God's evaluation of Job. Job's life speaks for itself and is beyond dispute. But he does question Job's motivation. God has obviously prospered and protected Job. Anyone would serve God under such conditions. The suggestion is that Job does not serve God because of any inherent devotion to God Himself, but because Job finds it profitable to do so. It seems that he is being paid for his piety. It is to refute this charge that God allows Satan to launch his first attack on Job. God can thus demonstrate that even when Job's possessions are removed he will not repudiate Him.

Satan is consequently given the permission he desires. It is important to remember that athough Satan may now buffet Job, the whole procedure is under the control of God. Satan is restricted in what he can do.

The outcome follows immediately (1:13-22). Four messages are brought to Job in rapid succession reporting his losses. The attacks become more intense as the chapter progresses. The last catastrophe, the death of Job's children, is the most severe of all. Job's reaction is described at the end of the chapter. He worships God even though all of his material possessions are gone. He recognizes that he is merely a steward of God's goods. God has every right to take what belongs to Him. Through the experience he does not suggest that God may have made a mistake. Job has not been given an explanation for what happens. But he trusts God anyway.

2.2.2 Second interview in heaven (2:1-13)

The second interview (2:1-6) follows the pattern of the first. God points out that Satan's charge has been refuted. His possessions are gone and yet Job "still holdeth fast his integrity" (2:2). The answer of Satan implies that the first test was not rigorous enough. Job has experienced no physical pain. God thus allows Satan more latitude in his second assault on Job. This time he is allowed to touch Job's person. Even here, however, God limits Satan's activities (2:6).

The touch (2:7-13) is in the form of a severe case of boils, which cover Job's entire body (Job's affliction has often been diagnosed as elephantiasis. For other suggestions, see Blackwood, Devotional Introduction to Job, pp. 163-166). We should remember that Job's suffering, along with being undeserved, unexpected, and intense, is still unexplained. God has not sent one ray of light to suggest why all this has happened. Job's wife encourages him to renounce God. She makes a mistake that is often repeated when tragedy strikes. She implies that trouble means that God is not concerned. Tragedy may have a multitude of meanings for the believer. But one thing it never means: it never means that God does not care. Again Job shows trust in God.

3. DIALOGUE (3:1-42:6)

The middle section of the book is cast in poetic form. It consists of a round or speeches. Each of speakers seeks to throw light on Job's problem; namely, why this man has encountered such overwhelming tragedy. The sequence of speeches follows this order:

3.1 Job's Lament (3:1-26)

Job has time to reflect on his tragedy and his attitude becomes one of perplexity. The monologue reveals that although Job is the ideal man, he is also a real man. He is pictured throughout his ordeal not as he ought to be, but as he is.

Job begins to express his doubts audibly, thinking that his three friends will understand. The chapters that follow reveal that his audience does not have the empathy he thought it had. Job raise two questions:

1. Why was I born? This is a familiar question. Despair has led numberless sorrow-burdened souls to raise the same issue. No one asks to be born.

2. Why can I not die? (cf. 3:20ff.) This would end my inner restlessness. Job's three friends are ready to supply answers to his problem.

3.2 The Three Friends (4-28)

The section follows a pattern in which each of the three friends speaks three times. Job replies to each in the course of the discussion.

Note: * Zophar's name is not mentioned in the final speech, but he is probably the speaker.

Although each discourse has minor variations, the basic argument is this: "God always deals with man justly God uses suffering to punish man for his sin. If a man is punished he is only getting what lie deserves. Since Job is suffering, he must be a sinner and so he deserves it. He should acknowledge his sin and then God would listen to him" (e.g.. 4:7-8; 8:3-7; 11:1-6).

As the speeches continue, Job's comforters add little light to what has been said before. They merely become more stubborn in their own philosophies. Job's responses show that he possesses more insight into the situation than they. Searching in the dark, Job occasionally grasps a great spiritual truth (cf. 19:25-26).

A reading of these long speeches reveals certain characteristics of the three "comforters." Job describes them as "miserable comforters" (16:2) and the following observations substantiate his evaluation:

1. They believe all suffering is due to sin. People often make this error today. If someone becomes ill, many believe that he "lacks faith" or that there must be sin in his life. It is true that suffering may be the result of sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29-32), but to attribute all suffering to this cause is a hasty generalization (cf. John 9:1-3).

2. They picture God as a cruel master, waiting to pounce on us and punish us for the smallest infraction. They lack an appreciation of the love and grace of God.

3. They have easy answers to complex problems. It is unwise to supply stereotyped answers to individual problems. This comforters interpret Job's problem in light of the facts they know, but they do not know all the facts.

4. Their attitude toward Job personally exhibits a lack of sympathy. They had never experienced the adversity Job encountered. It is easy to dispense worthless advice in areas in which we have had little personal experience.

5. The comforters exhibit an attitude of self-righteousness. They "talk down" to Job rather than try to help him on a person-to-person basis.

This section sounds a warning to be remembered when we assume the role of an advice dispenser. We must guard against making the errors of these friends. We should not hesitate to admit that we do not know all the answers. The three friends never made this admission. They tackled a job that was too big for them. In so doing, they spoke too soon, said too much, and made mistakes.

3.3 Job's Concluding Monologue (29-31)

In this section Job summarizes his basic attitude. As he scrutinizes his own life carefully, he can find no fault. As a result, he feels that God has not been fair with him (cf. 30:20-21). Job's attitude has changed from what it was in chapters 1 and 2. He now demands an explanation from God. He exhibits anything but the "patience" for which he is so famous. It should be noted here that the word "patience" in James 5:11 which is used to describe Job is better translated "steadfastness" or "endurance." Job endured his trial without actually turning his back on God. But he was not patient in the sense that he endured his trial without complaint.

3.4 Job and Elihu (32-37)

The advice of Elihu marks an advance in the argument. Elihu's words reveal that he has a better understanding of the problem than his three predecessors. Whereas the three friends are condemned both by Job and by God, Elihu is condemned by neither. His remarks are imperfect, but they do show an understanding of Job's problem. He points out in the speech that suffering may be more than punishment. Suffering often has a teaching value. He also emphasizes that Job should not blame God, since it is impossible for God to be unjust (34:10-12). The speech of Elihu prepares for the final speaker, Jehovah Himself.

3.5 Job and Jehovah (38:1-42:6)

God intervenes at this point in the discussion. God's purpose is not to answer Job's questions, but to silence him. The narrative is not a refutation of the arguments that have been presented, but rather a revelation of God Himself. God reveals Himself twice and there are two responses.

FIRST REVELATION OF GOD (38-39)  ---->  RESPONSE OF JOB (40:1-5)

SECOND REVELATION OF GOD (40:6-41:34)  ---->  RESPONSE OF JOB (42:1-6)

In chapter 38, God asks a series of questions. Where was Job when the earth was created? Can Job control the oceans? The stars? The snow? This approach is meant to show Job that he is not wise enough to question God's ways. To question God's dealings implies that one knows more than God. If this were true, a man would be able to administer God's universe as well as He. Job acknowledges his error in 40:3-4a and admits he has no answer. But God is not finished. God reveals Himself a second time in 40:6ff. God now directs Job's attention to the greatest animals of all, the behemoth on the land and the leviathan in the sea. A detailed description is given of these two animals. These are usually mistakenly identified as the hippopotamus and the crocodile.

Once again God's power is stressed. Job cannot control such animals. Job admits (42:3) that he did not know what he was talking about and falls before God in repentance.

God's wisdom and power are emphasized in these chapters. If one questions the manner in which God deals with him, he belittles both omniscience and omnipotence of God. It should be pointed out that God never answers Job's question. This is no longer necessary. Job has seen a revelation of God's character and he realizes that God does not owe him an explanation. If God is great enough to have created the universe and to control it, He is certainly wise enough to look after Job.

There is a profound lesson in this for us. We are to yield unreservedly to what God allows to enter our lives, even if we don't understand everything. God may disclose why certain things happen. But if He does not choose to do so, we are not to demand an explanation.

3.5.1 What is Behemoth?

Scholars have labored to identify this animal. The word seems to mean gigantic beast, so commentators generally have decided it must be an elephant, hippopotamus, or rhinoceros. The problem with such an identification is that it doesn't fit. No known living animals conform to the characteristics described in the book of Job. The reason commentators are unable to identify this mighty animal is that it is now extinct. They limit their thinking of the word "behemoth" to existing animals, insist on calling the "behemoth" a hippopotamus. The problem with such an identification is that it doesn't fit the characteristics of the animal "behemoth" described in Job 40:15-24 on the following ways:

1. This creature had a tail like a cedar tree (Job 40:17). These words certainly could never be used to describe an elephant or a hippopotamus.

2. This creature described is so huge he could drink up a river and was not in a hurry (Job 40:23). One reason he didn't need to hurry was that his massive size insured he need not fear any animal who also would have approached the river to drink.

One of the principles of Bible interpretation is: "Interpret a word in relation to its sentence and context." It means that the context will almost always tell you a great deal about the word. If we interpret the word "behemoth" in relation to its immediate context, then it seems to mean gigantic terrestrial dinosaur due to the following reasons:

1. No known living animals conform to the characteristics of "behemoth".

2. The behemoth was identified by the God as the largest of all land animals.

3. The message emphasizes God's great power in creation.

3.5.2 What is Leviathan?

Some early days Bible translators and commentators are unable to identify this mighty animal is that it is now extinct. They once again limiting their thinking to existing animals, insist on calling the "leviathan" a crocodile. The witness of the great beast behemoth is brought into still sharper focus when God begins to speak of leviathan. As the behemoth was the greatest terrestrial animal, the leviathan was the greatest aquatic animal. Like the behemoth, it seems to be extinct. A crocodile doesn't fit the characteristics of "leviathan" (Job 41:1-34) on the following ways:

1. The leviathan was impregnable to human efforts to capture or slay him (Job 41:7, 9, 10, 26). Yet zoos are full of crocodiles, and crocodiles have been hunted so successfully that they are often considered an endangered species. The same applies to whales.

2. The leviathan was capable of breathing out fire out of his mouth (Job 41:18-21). However, crocodile does not breath fire.

If we interpret the word "leviathan" in relation to its immediate context, then it seems to mean gigantic aquatic dinosaur due to the following reasons:

1. Dinosaur fossils showed that some dinosaurs were capable of breathing out fire.

2. Ancient human records have mentioned fire-breathing dragons.

3. Other Scriptures indicated that whales may be translated as sea monsters or dragons (Genesis 1:21).

4. Other Scriptures identified the leviathan as a dragon (Isaiah 27:1).

For further discussion on the identity of the behemoth and leviathan, please study section 5.3, Chapter 10, of the course: Apologetics.

4. EPILOGUE (42:7-17)

4.1 The Restoration of the Three Friends (42:7-9)

God rebukes the three friends. They had not admitted the error of their statements as Job himself had. Job acts as a priest and accepts the offerings of the friends. They had tried to restore Job to a right relationship with God. God uses Job to so restore them.

4.2 The Restitution of Job (42:10-17)

Job receives abundantly all the material possessions he had lost. Health, wealth and family are given to him. But Job's greatest legacy was spiritual. Through this experience he had learned lessons about God and himself that could not have been gained any other way. This is what James means by "the end of the Lord" (cf. James 5:11). It is the end of the story, not the beginning, that sheds light on the problem of suffering and pain. 

5. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Chicago: Moody Press, 1964 Edition, by Gleason L. Archer, Jr.

2. Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Chicago: Moody Press, 1978 Edition, by Irving L. Jensen.

3. The Remarkable Record of Job, Baker House Book, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994 Edition, by Henry M. Morris.

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