My Take on Job

Here at the Chronological School of Biblical Studies at the University of the Nations we end before Christmas with the wisdom literature of the Old Testaments. In the last couple of weeks leading to the Christmas break we cover Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job. We have to do this due to time constraints as we only have a short nine months to get through all the books. There are a couple of issues that arise from this schedule. First of all, being a chronological study of the Bible one might question studying Job this late in the school as it is commonly dated back to the time of Abraham and the patriarchs. Secondly, Job and Ecclesiastes might be considered to be depressing books to study as we end the term leading up to Christmas. Personally I have always been very fond of both of those books, I don't think they are depressing at all. and as for teaching Job so late in the school, it just happens to fit into the schedule at that time so that is the way it is. I was tasked with teaching the book of Job, the last book of the quarter.

Everyone knows the book of Job as the reading material of the down and out. When you get laid off from your job or suffer some other loss, you go read Job. The problem with that is that Job is a long book. If you don't get through to the end you'll likely find yourself a little more depressed than you were to start off with and on top of that you'll be confused and wondering how the long discourses of Job and his buddies might help you sort through your own suffering. So you better set aside enough time to get to the end and understand the message at the end. There is another problem with saving Job just for those bad days, Job isn't about suffering, I'll address that later.

Assuming you have read the book (maybe now is a good time to give it a read), let's reflect back on it. What did you learn? What did each of his friends say to him? Usually it is difficult to remember who said what when, if you can even remember who each of the characters are. For our course we typically have each student breakdown the book by identifying each character and then paraphrasing each speech made by each character. This can take a bit of time but it really brings clarity to the the book and I would suggest everyone take the time to do it. HERE is an outline of the book to help you see the structure.

The real key to the book is understanding what each character has to say and I am going to give you what I have come to understand about Job after studying it for a few weeks. I see a series of progressions in the book, and here they are:

1. There is a foundational, unquestionable 'truth' that is the basis for how Job and his three wise friends understand God and life. I like to describe it with some simple math:

A+B=C

A= God is Good

B= I behave righteously/wickedly

C= God blesses/curses me

This is their understanding at the beginning of the book.

2. Upon losing all of the blessings God had given Job, Job had to re-analyze the truth:

A+B=C

A= God is Good

B= I behave righteously

C= God curses me?

Job is certain that he has done no wrong but clearly and repeatedly he conveys his understanding that God has come against him. After Job suffers all his worldly losses I think that his suffering is multiplied by his loss of connection to God, his perceived separation from who he knew to be a good God.

3. Job's three wise friends enter the scene and they clearly hold to their understanding of God:

A+B=C

A= God is Good

B= I behave wickedly

C= God curses me

The only explanation that his 3 friends have is that Job had sinned. Their understanding of God was not up for debate therefore logic leads to the 'undeniable' accusation of wickedness in Job's life. Through all the accusations and ever more animated discourses Job denies any wrong doing and pleads for anyone to identify what he has done that was sin.

4. Finally three quarters of the way into the book Elihu shares. Elihu changed the math:

A+B=C A>B

A= Sovereign God

B= Man

Elihu does not focus on the righteousness or wickedness of Job. Elihu does not address the suffering of Job or the possible causes of it. He correctly rebukes Job and his friends. He rebukes Job for contending with God, for questioning the sovereign God. He challenges the friends of Job to throw out their wrong understanding of God and come to a right knowledge of God.

5. God's speeches to Job drive home the truth that Elihu spoke. He is sovereign over all and there is no contending with Him. The conversation between God and Job is a little lopsided. God's long discourses and Job's short, humble responses reveal that Job has come to understand God rightly. Job 42.1-6 Sums up what we all are to learn from this book:

Then Job answered the Lord:

‘I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

“Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?”

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

“Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you declare to me.”

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.’

So that is it, God is greater, greater to an extent we cannot put into words or truly understand. As I mentioned, the book of Job is not about suffering, I hope you understand why I said that. The suffering of Job is the tool used to call into question the justice of God. There is mention of other perceived injustices in the book, such as the prosperity of the wicked. So what Job and his cohorts are really questioning is God's justice. This questioning of God's justice is answered by Elihu and finally by God himself, yes He is just and He is Sovereign and that in my view is the most important message in the book of Job.

So how can we apply the book of Job?

First of all many of us have done just as Job and his 3 friends had done, we have formed an understanding of God by our life experiences. As is illustrated by Job and his 3 friends, our interpretation of God based solely on what we have experienced can easily be wrong. Thankfully we have the Bible to reference and use to come to a right understanding of God and we can take that understanding and apply it to what we have lived through.

Secondly, most or probably all of us have questioned God at some point in our lives. I would encourage you to consider Job's new revelation of who God is. When Job came to this new understanding he stopped questioning God and praised Him. If we are questioning God, we don't have a right understanding of who He is and HIS LOVE for us. So if you find yourself or a friend questioning God for some perceived injustice my recommendation is for you to read the speeches of God in the book of Job (Chapters 38-41) and pray for a right understanding of our good God!