The Book of
JOB
Author: Uncertain; Perhaps Moses or Solomon
Date: Unspecified (Fifteenth-Second Century B.C.)
Theme: The Suffering of the Godly and the Sovereignty of God
Key Words: Sin, Righteousness
Author. The authorship of Job is uncertain. Some scholars attribute this book to Moses. Others attribute it to one of the ancient wise men whose works can be found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, perhaps even to Solomon himself.
Date. The manners, customs, and general life-style of Job are from the patriarchal period (about 2000–1800 B.C.). Scholars differ, however, regarding when it was compiled, as its writing was an obvious recording of a long-standing oral tradition. Those who attribute it to Moses opt for a fifteenth century B.C. date. Others opt for as late as the second century B.C. Most conservatives assign it to the Solomonic era, the mid-tenth century B.C.
Background. Scripture itself attests that Job was a real person. He is referred to in Ezekiel 14:14 and James 5:11. Job was a Gentile, is thought to have been a descendant of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, and knew God by the name of “Shaddai”—the Almighty. (There are 30 references to Shaddai in the Book of Job.) Job was a wealthy man living a seminomadic life-style.
Content. The Book of Job has been called “a dramatic poem framed in an epic story” (J. Sidlow Baxter). Chapters 1 and 2 are a prologue, which give the setting of the story. Satan presents himself, with the sons of God, and challenges the piety of Job, stating, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (1:9). He goes on to suggest that were everything to be taken away, Job would curse God. God gives Satan permission to try Job’s faith by stripping him of his wealth, his family, and finally, his health. Yet, “Job did not sin with his lips” (2:10). Job is then visited by three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, who are so overwhelmed by Job’s deplorable condition that they sit in silence with Job for seven days.
The bulk of the book is taken up with three dialogues between Job and Eliphaz, Job and Bildad, and Job and Zophar, followed by Elihu’s challenge to Job. The four men seek to answer the question, “Why does Job suffer?” Eliphaz, basing his answer on experience, states that Job suffers because he has sinned. He argues that those who sin are punished. Since Job is suffering, obviously he has sinned. Bildad, resting his authority on tradition, suggests that Job is a hypocrite. He, too, takes the inferential approach and says that since trouble has come, Job must have sinned. “If you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you” (8:6). Zophar condemns Job for verbosity, presumption, and sinfulness, concluding that Job is getting less than what he deserves: “Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves” (11:6).
The three men come to the same basic conclusion: suffering is the direct outcome of sin, and wickedness is always punished. They argue that one can ascertain God’s favor or disfavor toward a person by looking at his material prosperity or adversity. They falsely make the assumption that people can comprehend the ways of God without taking into account the fact that divine retribution and blessing may extend beyond this present life.
In his replies to his friends, Job maintains his innocence, stating that experience proves that both the godly and ungodly suffer and both enjoy prosperity. He laments his deplorable condition and tremendous losses, venting his anger at them for accusing him rather than bringing him comfort.
After the three friends have concluded, a younger man named Elihu confronts Job, who chooses not to respond to his accusations. Elihu’s argument is: God is greater than any human being; therefore, a person has no right or authority to require an explanation of Him. He argues that some things that God does are humanly incomprehensible. At the same time, Elihu suggests that God will speak if we will listen. His emphasis is on the attitude of the sufferer, that is, an attitude of humility allows God to intervene. This is the core of his message: instead of learning from his suffering, Job has the same attitude toward God as do the ungodly, and this is why judgment still afflicts him. Elihu’s appeal to Job is: 1) to have faith in God Himself rather than to demand an explanation; 2) to change his attitude to one of humility.
It should not be concluded that all the objections of Job’s friends represent other than the view of God contemporary to their times. As the revelation of God’s nature has unfolded through history and the Scriptures, we find that some of their views have been shown as incomplete. This, of course, does not make the text less than inspired, but gives us a Holy Spirit-inspired report of the incidents as they occurred.
When the four have concluded, God answers Job out of a whirlwind. His response does not attempt to explain Job’s sufferings, but by a series of interrogations, He seeks to humble Job. As we review the whirlwind address we come to three conclusions regarding Job’s suffering: 1) Job was not meant to know the explanation of his sufferings. Some things about human suffering God cannot possibly explain to us at the time without destroying the very purpose they were designed to fulfill. 2) God is involved in human affairs: Job and his grief meant enough to God to cause Him to speak. 3) God’s purpose also was to bring Job to the end of his own self-righteousness, self-vindication, and self-wisdom, so he could find his all in God.
Personal Application. The Book of Job teaches several lessons: 1) God is sovereign. We cannot understand His workings by rational thinking alone; faith must rest in God’s love and our knowledge of Him. Sovereignty means that God is all-powerful; He knows all, He is everywhere present, and His decision is final (Jer. 10:10; Dan. 4:17). God is the author of all the power of the universe. 2) We understand ourselves and our lives in direct relationship to our understanding of the character and workings of God. When we understand that God’s will toward us is good (John 10:10), that God cares and communicates His caring to His children—as He did to Job—this changes everything.
Faith must have a resting place. When deep suffering threatens the foundations of faith, as was the case with Job, an assault on our faith can destroy us unless we are firmly rooted in these truths. 3) In times of tragedy we face the temptation of making God our adversary instead of our advocate. With Job of old, we can focus on declaring our innocence and questioning the justice of God, or we can bow in humility and wait for God to reveal Himself and His purposes to us. 4) The struggle of faith is a personal one. We each enter the crucible of life alone; we must test the mettle of our faith in God against uncontrollable forces and win our individual victories. There will be times when family and friends may be taken from us and we must stand alone.
Christ Revealed. There is no direct reference to Christ in the Book of Job; however, Job may be seen as a type of Christ. Job suffered greatly and was humbled and stripped of all he had, but in the end he was restored and became the intercessor for his friends. Christ emptied Himself, taking on Himself human form. He suffered, was persecuted for a time by men and demons, seemed forsaken by God, and became an intercessor. The greatest difference between Christ and Job is that Christ chose to empty Himself, whereas Job’s abasement came about through circumstances beyond his control.
The Book of James directs the reader’s attention to the patience and endurance of Job. James states that, as God’s intention toward Job was good, so our Lord’s intention toward us is good (5:11).
The Holy Spirit at Work. Elihu, in his debate with Job, makes three significant statements about the role of the Holy Spirit in the relationship of people to God. In 32:8 he declares that a person’s understanding is not due to his age or station in life, but rather is a result of the operation of the Spirit of God. The Spirit then is the Author of wisdom, endowing one with the capacity to know and making sense out of life for him. Thus knowledge and wisdom are the Spirit’s gift to men.
The Spirit of God is also the Source of life itself (33:4). Apart from the direct influence of the Spirit, man as we know him would not have come into existence. From the original creation it was so, and continues to be so. Elihu states that his own existence witnesses to the life-giving power of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life.
Because the Spirit gives life and wisdom to man, He is also essential to the very continuation of the human race. If God should turn His attention elsewhere, if He should withdraw His life-giving Spirit from this world, then human history would come to an end (34:14, 15). Elihu’s point is that God is neither capricious nor selfish. Because He cares for man, He constantly sustains him by the abundant flow of His Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit in the Book of Job is the Creator and Sustainer of life, and He gives meaning and rationality to life.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
JOB
Author: Uncertain; Perhaps Moses or Solomon
Date: Unspecified (Fifteenth-Second Century B.C.)
Theme: The Suffering of the Godly and the Sovereignty of God
Key Words: Sin, Righteousness
Author. The authorship of Job is uncertain. Some scholars attribute this book to Moses. Others attribute it to one of the ancient wise men whose works can be found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, perhaps even to Solomon himself.
Date. The manners, customs, and general life-style of Job are from the patriarchal period (about 2000–1800 B.C.). Scholars differ, however, regarding when it was compiled, as its writing was an obvious recording of a long-standing oral tradition. Those who attribute it to Moses opt for a fifteenth century B.C. date. Others opt for as late as the second century B.C. Most conservatives assign it to the Solomonic era, the mid-tenth century B.C.
Background. Scripture itself attests that Job was a real person. He is referred to in Ezekiel 14:14 and James 5:11. Job was a Gentile, is thought to have been a descendant of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, and knew God by the name of “Shaddai”—the Almighty. (There are 30 references to Shaddai in the Book of Job.) Job was a wealthy man living a seminomadic life-style.
Content. The Book of Job has been called “a dramatic poem framed in an epic story” (J. Sidlow Baxter). Chapters 1 and 2 are a prologue, which give the setting of the story. Satan presents himself, with the sons of God, and challenges the piety of Job, stating, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (1:9). He goes on to suggest that were everything to be taken away, Job would curse God. God gives Satan permission to try Job’s faith by stripping him of his wealth, his family, and finally, his health. Yet, “Job did not sin with his lips” (2:10). Job is then visited by three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, who are so overwhelmed by Job’s deplorable condition that they sit in silence with Job for seven days.
The bulk of the book is taken up with three dialogues between Job and Eliphaz, Job and Bildad, and Job and Zophar, followed by Elihu’s challenge to Job. The four men seek to answer the question, “Why does Job suffer?” Eliphaz, basing his answer on experience, states that Job suffers because he has sinned. He argues that those who sin are punished. Since Job is suffering, obviously he has sinned. Bildad, resting his authority on tradition, suggests that Job is a hypocrite. He, too, takes the inferential approach and says that since trouble has come, Job must have sinned. “If you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you” (8:6). Zophar condemns Job for verbosity, presumption, and sinfulness, concluding that Job is getting less than what he deserves: “Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves” (11:6).
The three men come to the same basic conclusion: suffering is the direct outcome of sin, and wickedness is always punished. They argue that one can ascertain God’s favor or disfavor toward a person by looking at his material prosperity or adversity. They falsely make the assumption that people can comprehend the ways of God without taking into account the fact that divine retribution and blessing may extend beyond this present life.
In his replies to his friends, Job maintains his innocence, stating that experience proves that both the godly and ungodly suffer and both enjoy prosperity. He laments his deplorable condition and tremendous losses, venting his anger at them for accusing him rather than bringing him comfort.
After the three friends have concluded, a younger man named Elihu confronts Job, who chooses not to respond to his accusations. Elihu’s argument is: God is greater than any human being; therefore, a person has no right or authority to require an explanation of Him. He argues that some things that God does are humanly incomprehensible. At the same time, Elihu suggests that God will speak if we will listen. His emphasis is on the attitude of the sufferer, that is, an attitude of humility allows God to intervene. This is the core of his message: instead of learning from his suffering, Job has the same attitude toward God as do the ungodly, and this is why judgment still afflicts him. Elihu’s appeal to Job is: 1) to have faith in God Himself rather than to demand an explanation; 2) to change his attitude to one of humility.
It should not be concluded that all the objections of Job’s friends represent other than the view of God contemporary to their times. As the revelation of God’s nature has unfolded through history and the Scriptures, we find that some of their views have been shown as incomplete. This, of course, does not make the text less than inspired, but gives us a Holy Spirit-inspired report of the incidents as they occurred.
When the four have concluded, God answers Job out of a whirlwind. His response does not attempt to explain Job’s sufferings, but by a series of interrogations, He seeks to humble Job. As we review the whirlwind address we come to three conclusions regarding Job’s suffering: 1) Job was not meant to know the explanation of his sufferings. Some things about human suffering God cannot possibly explain to us at the time without destroying the very purpose they were designed to fulfill. 2) God is involved in human affairs: Job and his grief meant enough to God to cause Him to speak. 3) God’s purpose also was to bring Job to the end of his own self-righteousness, self-vindication, and self-wisdom, so he could find his all in God.
Personal Application. The Book of Job teaches several lessons: 1) God is sovereign. We cannot understand His workings by rational thinking alone; faith must rest in God’s love and our knowledge of Him. Sovereignty means that God is all-powerful; He knows all, He is everywhere present, and His decision is final (Jer. 10:10; Dan. 4:17). God is the author of all the power of the universe. 2) We understand ourselves and our lives in direct relationship to our understanding of the character and workings of God. When we understand that God’s will toward us is good (John 10:10), that God cares and communicates His caring to His children—as He did to Job—this changes everything.
Faith must have a resting place. When deep suffering threatens the foundations of faith, as was the case with Job, an assault on our faith can destroy us unless we are firmly rooted in these truths. 3) In times of tragedy we face the temptation of making God our adversary instead of our advocate. With Job of old, we can focus on declaring our innocence and questioning the justice of God, or we can bow in humility and wait for God to reveal Himself and His purposes to us. 4) The struggle of faith is a personal one. We each enter the crucible of life alone; we must test the mettle of our faith in God against uncontrollable forces and win our individual victories. There will be times when family and friends may be taken from us and we must stand alone.
Christ Revealed. There is no direct reference to Christ in the Book of Job; however, Job may be seen as a type of Christ. Job suffered greatly and was humbled and stripped of all he had, but in the end he was restored and became the intercessor for his friends. Christ emptied Himself, taking on Himself human form. He suffered, was persecuted for a time by men and demons, seemed forsaken by God, and became an intercessor. The greatest difference between Christ and Job is that Christ chose to empty Himself, whereas Job’s abasement came about through circumstances beyond his control.
The Book of James directs the reader’s attention to the patience and endurance of Job. James states that, as God’s intention toward Job was good, so our Lord’s intention toward us is good (5:11).
The Holy Spirit at Work. Elihu, in his debate with Job, makes three significant statements about the role of the Holy Spirit in the relationship of people to God. In 32:8 he declares that a person’s understanding is not due to his age or station in life, but rather is a result of the operation of the Spirit of God. The Spirit then is the Author of wisdom, endowing one with the capacity to know and making sense out of life for him. Thus knowledge and wisdom are the Spirit’s gift to men.
The Spirit of God is also the Source of life itself (33:4). Apart from the direct influence of the Spirit, man as we know him would not have come into existence. From the original creation it was so, and continues to be so. Elihu states that his own existence witnesses to the life-giving power of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life.
Because the Spirit gives life and wisdom to man, He is also essential to the very continuation of the human race. If God should turn His attention elsewhere, if He should withdraw His life-giving Spirit from this world, then human history would come to an end (34:14, 15). Elihu’s point is that God is neither capricious nor selfish. Because He cares for man, He constantly sustains him by the abundant flow of His Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit in the Book of Job is the Creator and Sustainer of life, and He gives meaning and rationality to life.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
