Job
God’s sovereignty in suffering
Key Terms/phrases:· Job: ‘hated’ or ‘much persecuted’
· Eliphaz: ‘God is strength’
· Bildad: ‘Son of Contention’
· Zophar: ‘chirping’
· Elihu: ‘whose God is he’ / Themes:
· God’s sovereignty: 1:20-22; 2:10; 9:12; 12:10,16-25; 14:5; 23:13; 41:11
· Majesty of God: 9:1-10; 26:1-14; 36:26; 37:5-13
· Shortness of life: 14:1-2
· Repentance: 42:1-6
Historical Context:
· Land of Uz: Likely in the middle of Northern Arabia
· Events likely took place during patriarchal period due to Job’s lifespan, measurement of wealth due to livestock, etc.
· Others argue for a later authorship: “It does often allude to other biblical passages, especially Genesis 1–3 and certain psalms of David (see Job 7:17–21 to Ps. 8). This implies it was written after David. A good possibility is that the book appeared in the reign of Solomon or Hezekiah, both of whom encouraged the study of wisdom literature.”[1]
· Land of Uz (1:1): To the east or southeast of Palestine and north of Edom / Chapter Divisions/summaries:
· 1:1-5: Man of God: Job
· 1:6-2:13: Job’s testing & afflictions
· 3:1-26: Job regrets his birth
· 4:1-5:27: Eliphaz commentary on the blessing of the innocent
· 6:1-7:21: Job’s response & other thoughts
· 8:1-22: Bildad’s commentary on repentance
· 9:1-10:22: Job’s response & appeal to God
· 11:1-20: Zophar’s condemnation of Job
· 12:1-14:22: Job’s response
· 15:1-17:16: Eliphaz’s accusation & Job’s response
· 18:1-19:29: Bildad talks about the wicked & Job’s response
· 22:1-30: Eliphaz accuses Job of wickedness
· 23:1-25:6: Job’s questioning & Bildad’s response
· 26:1-31:40: Majesty of God & Job’s defense
· 32:1-37:24: Elihu’s perspective
· 38:1-40:2: God answers Job
· 40:3-5: Job is silenced
· 40:6-41:34: God continues his answer
· 42:1-6: Job’s repentance
· 42:7-17: Job’s friends rebuked & Job restored
Literary Devices:
· Laments: 3:1-26; 6:2-7; 10:1-12
· Proverbs and wisdom literature: 5:2; 6:5-6; 8:11-22; 28:28
· Hymns of Praise: 5:9-16; 26:5-14
· Metaphor: 7:6-7a
· Pathetic Plot structure (where a sympathetic character experiences unwarranted suffering
· Dramatic irony
Applications:
· Job’s attitude should be ours in times of loss because it is God who is sovereign over the events of our lives (1:20-22;13:15)
· We must always be confident of God’s redeeming grace (19:25-27)
· Even in our confusion God is in control (23:10)
· We must not make assumptions about or criticize God’s purpose because He is eternally more vast than we are (40:6-9)
References:
English Standard Version Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway 2002
Dr. Constable. www.soniclight.com. Notes on Job
Easton, M. G. (1893). In Easton’s Bible dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.
Dockery, D. S. (Ed.). (1998). Holman concise Bible commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Ryken, Leland. How to Read the Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books 1984
[1] Garrett, D. A. (1998). The Poetic and Wisdom Books. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 203). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.