Summary of Job
Iyyob is the Hebrew title of this book. If the title is derived from the Hebrew word for persecution, it means ‘persecuted one’; if from the Arabac word, it means ‘to come back or repent’. Repentant one or persecuted one.
Author? Job, Elihu, Moses, Solomon, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, and Ezra. Non Hebraic cultural background may be gentile authoriship. One Talmudic tradition holds Moses as author, as he lived in Midian, a country adjacent to Uz.
Outline (Talk Thru the Bible):
God and Satan - “The Devil’s Advocate” - Job 1-2.13
1st Cycle of Debate 3.1-14.22
2nd Cycle of Debate 15.1-21.34
3rd Cycle of Debate 22.1-26.14
Final Defense of Jo**b 27.1-31.40
**Elihu 32.1-37.24
God and Job - Big Questions, Repentance
Three Broad Categories:
The
The Debates of Job
The
God and Satan / The Dilemma of Job - “The Devil’s Advocate” - Job 1-2.13**
There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.
4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days— Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s
6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching
8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
Description
The Text Says: Blameless, complete integrity, shaping the spiritual life of his family toward God regularly
God’s description: He is the finest man in all the earth. Blameless, complete integrity.
He fears God. He stays away from evil.
God’s heart toward Job is delight. Satan, the accuser, wants to dismantle God’s delight and blessing. God is unchangeable, Satan attacks the object of God’s affection.
Are you the Devil’s Advocate?
Job 1.9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.”
** So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.
Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not
ESV: In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Job 2.1 One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”
(No difference in the description of Job!!)
Does Evil or Sin Originate From God?
Jer. 7. 30 “The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. 31 They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have
Job 2.4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
** 7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity?
10 But Job replied, “You talk
11 When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was
The Debates of Job
1st Cycle of Debate 3.1-14.22
Job’s speech - 3.1-26 - “I Should Have Never Been Born”
Eliphaz’s First Speech - 4.1-5.27
Job 4. You must have done something!! (The Innocent Do Not Suffer)
7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed?
8
Job’s Response - 6.1-7.21
Job 6.14 “One should be kind to a fainting friend,
but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.
Job 13
4 As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless
5 If only you could be silent! That’s the
6 Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments.
7 “Are you defending God with lies?
Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?
8 Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him?
9 What will happen when he finds out what you are doing?
Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?
10 No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor.
11 Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you?
12 Your platitudes are as valuable as
Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.
13 “Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences.
14 Why should I put myself in mortal danger and take my life in my own hands?
15 God might kill me, but I have
I am going to argue my case with him.
16 But this is what will save me—I am
If I were, I could not stand before him.
2nd Cycle of Debate 15.1-21.34
3rd Cycle of Debate 22.1-26.14
Final Defense of Job 27.1-31.40 (monologue)
Elihu 32.1-37.24
Job’s three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence.
2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him. 3 He was also angry with Job’s three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments. 4 Elihu had waited for the others to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily. 6 Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said,
“I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think.
7 I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’
8 But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them,
that makes them intelligent.
9 Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.
10 So listen to me, and let me tell you what I think.
20 I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers.
21 I won’t play favorites or try to flatter anyone.
22 For if I tried flattery, my Creator would soon destroy me.
Elihu is NOT rebuked by God. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are rebuked by God and commanded:
Job 42.7 - fter the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.”
Elihu
1. Exalts the Character of God
2. Denounces the Misrepresentations of God
3. Challenges Job for justifying himself rather than God
The case by God
Job 38. Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom
with such ignorant words?
3 Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.
Job’s Repentance: Turned from his idea of ‘good’ to God
Job 42
Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
5 I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! 11 Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
12 So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. 14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
16 Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. 17 Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.
