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Job Overview

With the book of Job we start a new section of the Bible: the poetic books.

Job is a fitting book after the historical books to begin the poetic books because it begins and ends with actual history.

Now if we were to count the number of chapters from Genesis to Esther we would get 436 chapters. If we count the number of chapters from Job to the end of the Old Testament we get 493 chapters (53%).

That means there are more chapters devoted to the songs and sermons, the poets and prophets of Israel than there are to the history of Israel.  

The events described in the book of Job seem to have taken place at around the time Abraham lived. Job is included in the poetic books because the bulk of it is a debate between Job and his friends about the nature of suffering.

The debate takes the form of three series of speeches between Job and his friends. Job’s friends say Job must be suffering because he had done something sinful and God is judging him.

It’s amazing so many people in our day say they believe in karma. Don’t they know that to believe in karma is simply to say you believe people get what they deserve?

In places where people REALLY believe in karma when they see somebody suffering they often reject that person as a bad person suffering because they had done something wrong in this life or a past life.

Now the Bible does affirm the general principle that people reap consequences from their actions based on what they sow. But the Bible goes on to make clear that reality is more complicated than that general principle.

Because sin is in the world sometimes we suffer because of the sinful choices of others, because of the evil desires of Satan, and because of the depraved world that resulted in the original sin of Adam and Eve.  

Job chapter 1 lets us know that Job was actually suffering with the full consent of God. We know what Job’s friends don’t know: Job isn’t suffering because he is an enemy of God, but because he is one of God’s favorites.

As the book goes along, Job gets increasingly frustrated with his friends and even lashes out at God at the same time he is clinging to his faith.

And because we sometimes find ourselves doing the same thing the book of Job is a treasure for us as we seek to maintain hope in the midst of despair.

The disturbing backdrop of the first set of speeches                     Ch. 1-2

Tell me what we learn about Job in these chapters

He was from the country of Uz; Had perfect integrity; Feared God; Turned away from evil; Loved his children; Prayed for his children regularly; Had a mature faith and biblical worldview

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”                 -Job 1:20

Job praised God even when his circumstances were bad.

Look what he says to his grieving wife in 2:10

Shall we accept only good from God and not adversity?

Job’s faith and biblical perspective are so inspiring!

We live in a day when people reject God because of adversity; Job knew God could have kept all bad things from happening to him, just as he could have allowed Job never to experience any good things.

Job knew that sin happens in a fallen world, and there will be a mixture of good and bad things happen to all people. Instead of blaming God, or cursing God, he trusts God and accepts that this part of his life will involve intense adversity. 

At 2:10 we are told that throughout all this Job did not sin with his mouth. I wish the same thing could be said about me when I have faced adversity!

Tell me what we learn about Satan in these chapters

He has some access to God along with other angels (1:6); He roams the earth looking to do people harm (I Peter 5:8); But can only be in one place at a time; He hates godly people (1:9); He has great power to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10a); But what he can do is limited by God (1:12)

Tell me what we learn about God in these chapters

He loves the godly (1:8); He is proud of the godly (1:8)

What would happen if God said to Satan, “have you considered my servant Danny?” And Satan said…, “Ah, Campbell’s a pushover, too easy!”

I want God to be proud of me like He was of Job- I hope you do to!

We also learn that God…

Allows the godly to experience pain (1:12); Limits what Satan can do (1:12)           

Tell me what we learn about Job’s friends in these chapters

They loved Job a lot; They came to comfort Job, to show their sympathy to him; They wept for Job’s loss; They dropped everything else just to sit and grieve with Job; In the midst of Job’s intense suffering they said nothing for seven days

Job’s first speech: Non-birth would be better than bearing this pain              Ch. 3

These verses help us understand why Job is in the poetic books! He basically says that he has so much pain in his body and heart he wishes he had never been born. What I just said in a sentence he said in 26 verses!

When folks are hurting we need to let them speak words of lamentation.

Eliphaz and Job’s first exchange                                                                       Ch. 4-7

Verse two is hilarious! I shouldn’t challenge what you said why you are hurting? That’s right!                    But I have to!          No you don’t!          But he does!                    And he basically tells Job: “you must be reaping what you sowed.”

Look at verse 7       OUCH!

Then there’s 5:17

See how happy the man is God corrects; so do not reject the discipline of the almighty.           -Job 5:17

What is he saying to Job?

Job, buddy, if you’ll repent, God will stop being angry at you. If Job had sinned that would be relevant, but Job had not!

So many times we say something that has a ring of truth to it but does not apply to the one we are speaking to.

Job’s response:       6:14   

He ends this reply by appealing to God:          7:20-21

BIldad and Job’s first exchange                                                             Ch. 8-10

Highlights:    Or should we call them lowlights!

Come on Job, don’t question God – your kids sinned, he killed them. Repent and do right before He kills you!         8:4-5

Job’s response: Complaints while Clinging to God!

Complaint: I wish I could meet God to question Him about this like a man meets another in court!               9:32-35

Zophar and Job’s first exchange                                                           Ch. 11-14

Highlights: How dare you question God!       

Job, you are suffering because of sin, as all wicked people do. Repent and turn to God, and He will bless you again.

Folks, the saddest thing of all is that this false prosperity teaching is what many preach in America and have exported to places like Africa.

By the time we get through the Book of Job we see how cruel and insufficient that kind of preaching is.

God will bless those who seek Him, but it does not guarantee prosperity in this life.

Job’s Response:       Read 13:1-5!

I love it!  Their theology is too simplistic, and Job calls them on it! But he is still clinging to God.

Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him.                                        -Job 13:15

Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.         -Job 14:1

In Chapters 15 to 31 Job and his comforters have increasingly testy second and third exchanges. Even as he struggles Job expresses his faith in God.

Even in the midst of his physical, emotional, and spiritual pain, Job’s faith anticipates Heaven making a way for him.

Read 16:18-21

He is hoping for a witness, an advocate, an arbitrator, an intercessor; He is anticipating the work of Christ on his behalf.

Therefore He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.                          -Hebrews 7:25

Read 19:23-27

I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.            -Job 19:25

Here at his lowest point Job’s faith is shaken but still focused and hopeful, a great model for us. His affirmation of faith in chapter 19 is among the most important in the Bible.

What does this passage tell us about key doctrines of our faith?

Job describes God as his Living Redeemer; Job anticipates seeing God standing on earth after his own lifetime; Job anticipates having a new body one day; He really is anticipating the coming to earth of Jesus Christ as both Redeemer and Conqueror of Death!

He said to mankind, “Look! The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to turn from evil is understanding.”  -Job 28:28

It could be argued that the Fear of the Lord, along with God’s Faithful love, are the key themes in the Poetic books!

It is at the beginning of Solomon’s instructions to young people in Proverbs.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.          -Proverbs 1:7

It is repeated again after an exhaustive search for meaning recorded at the end of Ecclesiastes.

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.           -Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

And here in Job we see it recorded in the middle of Job’s struggle with suffering.

He is still acknowledging fear of the Lord despite his suffering.

What does it mean to fear the Lord?

It means understanding that He is God, and I’m not. That I am accountable to Him, not Him to me! That He is the one who will judge my every deed, word, and even thought! He is the measure of all things, not me!

Young Elihu Reminds Job of truths he had taught him                 Chapters 32-37

By the end of 31, Job and his friends are at an impasse. They are angry with each other, and everyone wonders what would happen next. At this a younger man comes on the scene.

Some readers have had a hard time understanding this speech by Elihu. They see it as a young guy piling on Job after the older guys have.

But what I see is a young friend of Job’s who tells the older fellows they are wrong and then goes on to remind Job of things Job had probably taught him! In that sense, Elihu helps Job get ready to hear from God!

Back in chapters 1-2, we saw Job bless the name of the Lord whether He gives or takes away. Elihu rebukes Job because he is beginning to justify himself rather than God.

When God is silent, who can declare Him guilty? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both individuals and nations. -Job 34:29

I love that verse!

As finite humans we simply don’t have all the information we need to judge God. Job had probably taught Elihu to trust God when God doesn’t make sense to man. And now Elihu is reminding Job of that!

Elihu’s point in this section is a really good one:

Regardless of what has caused our affliction, the appropriate response is always to turn to God and fully rely on God (FROG).

In his agitation over his friend’s accusations, Job has been justifying himself.

Elihu has sniffed out that even though Job hasn’t sinned in this instance, he is now sinning by wanting an explanation from God rather than wanting God Himself. That’s a very relevant word for us today!

The LORD Himself speaks to Job                                              Chapters 38-41

Job has been saying he wanted to question God. Now God shows up and asks Job dozens of questions! We too speak of questions we’ll have for God!

The book of Job indicates that when we stand before God it will be He who is doing the question asking!

Read 38:1-4

38:7 is cool – picture the angels singing at creation!

38:33 is interesting – speaking of the laws of Heaven that God has the authority to impose on earth.

As God speaks, Job has that “aha” moment.

Job’s repentance and restoration                                                         Chapter 42

Read 42:1-6

I have heard rumors of you, but now my eyes have seen you.

Many of God’s precious saints who have been through affliction and met with God have the same testimony: “I used to know about You; now I KNOW YOU.”

Note that in verses 7-9 God says the three friends were wrong, and needed to go ask Job to pray for them! We don’t read of Elihu having to do that! So don’t forget his role in helping Job get back on track!

The book of Job ends with Job having an equal number of children as he used to have and double everything else. Perhaps it was because the first set of items had perished, but God was keeping the dead children for the time of resurrection.

The hope that Job himself had confidently expressed for himself back in chapter 19.  We don’t always have “happily ever after” endings on earth, but the Christian is guaranteed that even if this life doesn’t end “happily” they will live “Happily ever after” with God!

Two last take-homes from Job for us:

First, because we live in a sin-saturated world, life is not fair, even for people who love God. Faith does not come with a guarantee of no problems. In fact, Christians will experience some problems BECAUSE of their faith.

Second, we must not allow the trials we experience to turn us against God.

“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world.”  -John  16:33