2/15/2024 0 Comments Book of job![]() Job did not reject God, but Job did challenge and accuse Him. God allows pain for good reason, but He may never reveal those reasons. ![]() Job’s plight of undeserved suffering compels us to ask the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The answer given to Job may or may not satisfy the reader. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? / Tell Me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4). The final chapters of Job record God’s masterful defense of His majesty and unique “otherness”-of God’s eternal transcendence above creation-in contrast with Job’s humble and ignorant mortality. Then, through a series of dialogues and monologues arranged in a pattern of threes, human wisdom attempts to explain the unexplainable, until finally God Himself speaks. ![]() The prologue provides a fascinating peek into the back story-why God allowed Satan to afflict Job with such pain and turmoil. The book delves into issues near to the heart of every human who experiences suffering. In addition, the majority of Job is written in parallel lines which are indicative of poetry. The book includes language from ancient legal proceedings, laments, and unique terms not found elsewhere in the Bible. The Israelites categorized Job within their wisdom literature. Scholars believe it was outside of Canaan, near the desert because “the customs, vocabulary, and references to geography and natural history relate to northern Arabia.” 1 Why is Job so important? Job lived in the land of Uz (Job 1:1), but no one really knows where Uz was located. Though we cannot be certain, Job may have lived during the time of Jacob or shortly thereafter. The book of Job does not mention the Mosaic Law indeed, Job’s daughters were equal heirs with his sons, and Job himself, though not a priest, offered sacrifices-things not possible under the Law (Leviticus 4:10 Numbers 27:8). Like the patriarchs, Job used God’s unique title “El Shaddai” (God Almighty). Also, Job’s wealth was measured in livestock (Job 1:3 42:12), as was Abraham’s (Genesis 12:16). His long lifespan generally corresponds to that of Terah (Abraham’s father), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. According to Job 42:16, Job lived an additional 140 years after his tragedies occurred, perhaps to around 210 years total. Though the text does not directly identify its setting, internal clues indicate that Job lived during the time of the patriarchs, approximately 2100 to 1900 BC. But we know little more than that he was stripped of everything, without warning, and that his faith was severely tested. Who was Job? This wealthy landowner and father is one of the best-known biblical heroes. In Old Testament times, authors sometimes referred to themselves in the third person, so Job’s authorship is a strong possibility. While there is no definitive answer, it was most likely an eyewitness who recorded the detailed and lengthy conversations found in the book. Several suggestions have been put forth as plausible authors: Job himself, who could have best recalled his own words Elihu, the fourth friend who spoke toward the end of the story various biblical writers and leaders or many editors who compiled the material over the years. ![]() The author of the book of Job is unknown.
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