The Book of Job
Lecture Notes (Chuck Pitts)
--Narrative Prologue & Epilogue
--The Prologue sets up the story, providing background, characters, and crisis. The prologue gives the reader the advantage that the participants in the dialogue did not have. The reader can see the larger reality that neither Job nor his combatants can see. Thus, the reading audience is, in a sense, at an unfair advantage.
--The Epilogue concludes the story with Job’s restoration, returning to a more normative wisdom understanding of life. Righteous people prosper, even if they may suffer.
--Poetic Dialogue
--In the dialogue (which includes Job, his 3 friends, Elihu, & Yahweh), traditional wisdom themes are questioned by Job & championed by the others.
--In the dialogue, Job presents themes that stretch OT faith—redemption & resurrection.
--The dialogue is the real story; the narrative simply sets it up. The Book of Job is, in a sense, epic poetry with a narrative frame.
--Outline
I. Prologue (1:1-2:13)
II. Job’s “Birthday Curse” (3:1-26)
III. Dialogue with “Friends” (4:1-31:40)
IV. Elihu’s Discourse (32:1-37:24)
V. Yahweh’s 1st Speech (38:1-39:30)
VI. Job’s 1st Response (40:1-5)
VII. Yahweh’s 2nd Speech (40:6-41:34)
VIII. Job’s 2nd Response (42:1-6)
IX. Epilogue (42:7-17)
--Date of Writing
--Some have dated the Book of Job to the patriarchal period (as early as 2000 BC) because of the apparent setting in that time period & because of the lack of reference to the historical traditions of Ancient Israel.
--This reasoning is flawed because it fails to account for the very nature of Wisdom Literature. The only historical references in Proverbs are the names Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel, only one of whom we know. The author of Job would not have attributed Job to Solomon.
--Some have dated the Book of Job to Solomon’s era because of the connection of wisdom to Solomon & the likelihood that wisdom literature would have been written during a time of prosperity and peace.
--Others date the Book of Job to the late monarchy (ca 700), because is a time often associated with literary traditions of Israel, i.e. 8th century prophets & Hezekiah.
--Many date the Book of Job to the time of exile or the post-exilic period because the suffering of exile caused disillusionment & skepticism. This is certainly true. One has only to look at the struggles in Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, & Nehemiah to see the disillusionment & discouragement of the people.
--Truth—Scholars cannot date the Book of Job with any certainty, which puts it in line with the other books of the wisdom corpus. It is a nameless, origin-less piece of literature meant to express God’s truth, or question that truth, however one wants to look at it.
--Composition
--Possibly composed as a process:
--Narrative is an ancient story, tale, or legend (depending on one’s biases).
--The Dialogues were composed as the main part of the Book of Job to deal with the problem of suffering, i.e. the apparent failure of the common reward & retribution theology, perhaps during the monarchy or exile.
--The Elihu speeches may have been added as a further argument against Job’s harsh words against God, perhaps in the exile or post-exilic period.
--Several poems, such as Job 28 or Job 41, may have been added because they fit into the scheme & theology of the book. These additions could have been made at any time.
--I will teach the book as a literary unity.
--While not ignoring the possibility of a process of composition, these arguments add little to the interpretive process since the problems created by the critical discussions offer many more questions than answers. No real literary evidence dates the book, or its constituent parts, with certainty.
1. Theodicy
--The Problem of suffering in the world. Why does a righteous person like Job suffer? Does he not deserve better than he received? This has been an age-old philosophical & theological problem.
--The problem boils down to our understanding of God:
--Is He a God of love? If so, then why does he allow suffering to continue, esp. among His own people & even righteous people?
--Or is He a harsh, vindictive God who stand on the sideline while His people suffer? This is a difficult picture of God, but one which a reader can possibly perceive in Job 1-2.
2. A Protest against the prevailing Wisdom (&
Deuteronomic) Theology
--According to this theology, if you do good, you can expect:
--long life,
--children/posterity,
--wealth, &
--a good reputation/name.
--Job obviously questions this theological position, suggesting that good, righteous people do indeed suffer along with the wicked. No amount of argument by the sage or friend will change this fact.
3. Job is an Example
--Job is an example of a man of faith, even in the face of suffering & mistreatment. He questioned God, but he never abandoned his faith.
--Later Judaism & Christianity saw Job this way, as an example of patience or perseverance under trial (i.e. James 5:11).
4. Exploration of Faith
--To show how a person can have faith under trial.
--To show that God will come “in suffering” (Rowley).
--To show that God is the only true reality (Pope). This is certainly the conclusion of the book, that God is God. Humans have no real right to question Him because He is God.
--Setting Announced
--Earthly Setting:
--The land of Uz, in “the east.”
--Most scholars probably place Uz in the land of Edom (see Lamentations 4:21), but this is far from certain.
--Some would place it in Aram/Syria. (See Gen 10:23, 22:21; 1Chron. 1:17)
--The “east” could refer to any land east of the Jordan River.
--Significantly, the importance of the reference to Uz as setting is that it is outside of Israel. Thus Job lived in a foreign land.
--Time of the Patriarchs--This is not stated, but implied by the descriptions
--The setting is rural, with no hint of city life,
--Job is responsible for the family, not only the immediate family but the extended family, &
--Job offers his own sacrifices.
--Heavenly Setting (v. 6)
--God’s heavenly council, when the “sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh.” This is apparently God’s heavenly council, purpose unknown.
--The Satan is in this meeting, perhaps as an interloper, but not as a complete outsider.
--Characters Introduced
--Job
--Character—Wisdom’s perfect man!
--“Blameless”—A man of integrity, complete, healthy in all areas
--The root word is used in 1:1, 8; 2:3, 9; 4:6; 8:20; 9:20, 21, 22; 21:23, 27:5, & 31:6. This term is obviously the key term in describing Job’s character.
--It does not necessarily imply sinlessness. It stresses his moral integrity.
--“Upright”—
This describes a man of justice in the social arena. He represents on of our goals of wisdom: justice.
--“Fearing God & turning away from evil”—
--As expected by wisdom, Job submits to God & serves Him only. He truly worships Yahweh & Him alone.
--Possessions
--Family—
--Seven sons & three daughters—Seven sons would be the perfect & complete family.
--Great wealth—
--7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, & many servants. He was called the “greatest of all the sons of the east.”
--God
--He is proud of His servant, Job. He brags about Job in the council, particularly to the Satan.
--He has control & authority. The Satan makes accusations & proposals to Yahweh, but he must defer to Yahweh to act.
--He is willing to have His prize pupil tested by the Satan.
--Is He a sadistic, malicious God who sits by & allows the righteous Job to be humiliated, stripped of all he has, and physically afflicted? Some have suggested that this is the picture of Job as painted in this book.
--Or does He have such trust in His servant Job that He will let the Satan test him? This is probably the opinion of most. But every reader must admit that the turn of events as described in the prologue is interesting.
--“The Satan” (@f;C;h' = hasatan)
--“The accuser”—He is “going about on the earth & walking around in it” (1:7). He is watching God’s people, making accusations against them.
--He is “among” the Sons of God at the heavenly council. He was not one of the Sons of God, rather he had a function in the council. The Sons of God were apparently the angels of God who serve Him in His divine court, for lack of a better description.
--This is not the Satan of later Judaism & Christianity. He is not the ultimate evil, demonic being that we see in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and New Testament. He is the adversary of the righteous, but he still should not be equated with Satan, or the devil, as depicted in NT & Judaism. This concept of heavenly & earthly realms with opposing ruling powers was simply not in their world view at this point, at least not as presented in their literature.
--Job’s Wife
--She does not share Job’s stoic faith; instead she tells him to “curse God & die.” She is pictured as the antithesis of her husband. In fact, perhaps she was spared by the Satan for this very purpose, to be his helper in bringing Job down.
--Job’s Friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, & Zophar.
--They begin as silent mourners supporting their friend. Thus they sit in 7 days of silence, mourning with Job.
--In the dialogue, they argue that Job is in the wrong. He must have sinned to suffer this punishment. Everyone knows that righteousness is not punished, wickedness is. Job must have some sin hiding under the façade of blamelessness.
--Job’s Predicament
--The Satan is given the right to take away the possessions & family of Job, but not to touch him.
--Thus Job lost his possessions & family in rapid-fire succession. The Satan argued that this would cause Job to abandon God & curse Him.
--This is presented as a test of Job’s faith, which he passed with flying colors, refusing to curse God or turn away from Him.
“Naked I came out from my mother’s womb,
and naked I shall return to there.
“Yahweh has given and Yahweh has taken,
Blessed be the name of Yahweh” (1:21).
--This is only use of “Yahweh” in a speech except 12:8, 28:28. Everywhere else in the book, “God,” primarily in the form Elohim, is used. This was probably a quote from a proverb or hymn of some kind.
--The Satan is given the right to afflict his body, but he could not kill him.
--“Skin for skin”
--From trade language, “pelt for pelt,” where Job’s present situation was a fair trade, he would give up his possession & children for his own life.
--“His skin for Your skin”—If you touch his skin, he will curse Your skin (Clines). Either way, the meaning is clear, that if you touch his body, he will curse you.
--Satan caused Job to be afflicted with some type of serious skin disease (leprosy, boils?) all over his body. These caused great pain, which were only relieved by scratching with broken pottery.
--“On the ashes”
--Perhaps in mourning, which could mean that he was in the ashes before he was afflicted with the disease. This would not have been a totally unusual mourning place.
--Perhaps in the ashes because of banishment from the settlement, or camp, because of the disease. Skin diseases were contagious & unacceptable to ancient societies, so this could be the explanation. This would seem the most natural explanation.
--Job still refuses to curse God, even at the urging of his wife, whom he calls a “foolish woman.”
“Shall we indeed receive the good from God
And the bad we will not accept” (2:10).
--In the last prologue to the dialogue, Job’s
3 friends sit with him in mourning for 7 days of silence. This showed great
respect for Job & for his condition. They recognized his pain & sat
with him in reverent silent.
v Job’s “Birthday Curse” (Job 3)
--Job’s sudden outburst
--After the 7 days of silence, Job spoke & cursed “the day of his birth” (lit. “his day”). This cursing of the day of his birth takes on several forms in the chapter.
--He cries out that the day of his birth & night of conception might “perish.”
--Is this possible? Of course not, but in line with poetic literature (i.e. “poetic license”) this makes sense.
--He is wishing that his birth had never taken place. This is an amazing word of contempt for one’s existence. Yet, even while wishing that he had never been born, note that he never contemplated suicide. This was simply not a part of his worldview.
--Job’s “Reversal of Creation”
--“Let there by darkness” (3:4-6)
--This is a reversal of God’s creative command, “Let there be light.” This was God’s 1st creative command, so Job is calling for a return to the pre-creation state of the world, before light was created. He wanted a return to the darkness that existed before God’s creative process began.
--“Darkness”—Five different words are used in Job 3:4-6 for darkness, as well as “let not light shine upon (the day)” in v. 4. These terms include:
--“Deep shadow” (NIV, “dark gloom” NASB, “Shadow of death” KJV)—In some contexts (Amos 5:8, Job 28:3), the term (tw<m;l]x'[1] = tsalmavet) contains no connotation of impending “death,” so most scholars translate it from a word referring to being dark, perhaps the deepest darkness, as the darkness approaching death.
--“Cloud”
--“Blackness of the day”—Perhaps this refers to an eclipse or a foggy mist that darkens the day & causes fear & confusion. In the ancient world, eclipses were taken as omens, primarily for evil.
--“Thick darkness” (NIV, v. 6)—a different word, meaning “deep darkness.”
--Darkness was representative of evil & chaos. The pre-creation world was a dark world of chaos (i.e. Genesis 1:2). Evil acts took place in the darkness. Wisdom was found in the light, folly in the dark. Thus, the ancients had many words for darkness.
--Some have argued that Job here wanted all of creation to suffer in his darkness. That is not necessary. Rather, Job wants his day to be removed & calls upon pre-creation mythology to describe his desire. Not all creation per se, but only the day of his birth is the object of the return to pre-creation chaos.
--“Rouse Leviathan” (3:8)—
--Leviathan was a mythological, 7-headed sea monster in Canaanite texts. (Note Gen. 1:21.) Leviathan belonged to the world of pre-creation chaos. In Canaanite mythology, El/Baal defeated Leviathan & the sea (Yam) to bring created order to the world.
--PS 74:13-14
It was you who split open the sea by your power;
You
broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
And
gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.
--The concept of rousing Leviathan (cf. Job 41:1ff) refers to the belief that Leviathan still had power that God must continue to control. Some had the ability to magically rouse him from sleep, bringing a return to chaos. (This explained eclipses & natural disasters in Canaanite culture.)
--Job longs for death
--Job wishes that he had died at birth (3:10-12, 16). He wishes that his mother’s womb had been closed, that no knees would have caught him, and that no breasts would have fed him. This is a horrible cry of anguish & despair, to long for death in childbirth.
--Job longs for death as preferable to the current situation (3:13-15, 17-19). The place of death is Sheol, even though the word is not used here. “There” in 3:17 must refer to Sheol (see 7:9; 11:8; 14:13; 17:13, 16; 21:13; 24:19; 26:6; 33:18).
--In Sheol he could be at rest. It was a place to “lie down & be quiet” (v. 13). It was a place of sleep. This was not a particularly attractive place, but it was preferable to Job’s present state of suffering.
--It is not a place of punishment, i.e. “hell” of KJV, everyone goes there, kings, advisors, prisoners, etc. The concept of heaven, hell, and eternal life had not fully developed at this point, although Job makes strides in that direction. (=Progressive Revelation?)
--It is a place of peace & tranquility, free from the “raging” of this world. The problems of this world do not reach Sheol.
--(It is also a place without rescue, it is the end, i.e. 7:9.)
--Job’s final lament
--Why is light given to a hopeless man?—
--This is Job’s question. He has longed for darkness & death, but he has been given life instead. God has made his life meaningless & without hope.
--Job’s life is the worst he could have imagined, i.e. “the dread I dreaded has come upon me” (v. 25).
--He longs for rest but receives turmoil or anguish. He ends his opening soliloquy with a final lament over his situation. He is no longer the silent, stoic, wise sufferer; rather he is loudly complaining & questioning God.
--Eliphaz, the Mystic Visionary
--“Consider now” (v. 7): “Those who plow evil & sow trouble reap the same” (v. 8). There is a basic truth in the world: the evil ones perish & are destroyed. The “breath of God” destroys them (v. 9).
--Eliphaz’s Vision (12-21)
--God is righteous (v. 17). In the form of a question, Eliphaz asks the seemingly ridiculous question, “Can a man be more righteous & pure than God?” The question would seem ridiculous, but to the ears of Eliphaz this has been Job’s argument. Job claims to have a better understanding of the world than Go..
--Human wisdom says that Job is wise, but one must compare Job with God, not with other men. He is not blameless before God, thus the suffering. (Of course, we know that this is not true, God called Job blameless!)
--Appeal to God (5:8ff). Don’t argue with man, go to God.
--God knows wisdom. He performs wonders & cares for the world. He controls the world & all the plans of man. No one stop what God plans. Therefore, Job should take his problem to God.
--God disciplines. In fact, a man is “blessed” when God disciplines him. So Job should accept the present suffering as God’s discipline. He needs to accept that God knows best. This is similar to the modern words in the face of suffering, “It’s the will of God.” These words are of little comfort to those in misery, suffering, & despair.
--Eliphaz concludes with a promise: if Job accepts the discipline, then God will also heal him. This is the only positive word that Eliphaz offers. If Job will accept that the suffering is actually his fault then God will heal him.
--Job’s Reply
--Job accuses his friends of undependability (6:14ff). They are like streams in the desert. The streams flow when there is rain (i.e. when life is good), but they become dry and worthless in the dry season (i.e. when things are bad).
--He calls upon his friends to prove their case (6:24ff). He does not dispute the theology of Eliphaz; rather he asks for the proof. This is the beginning of the rewriting of Job’s theology. He sees that the theology is wrong. He wants to see the evidence that his sins have brought this suffering.
--Bildad, the Traditionalist
--Appeal to divine justice, God makes no mistakes
--God is just (8:3). God never perverts justice. In fact, He is incapable of doing so.
--Job’s children sinned, & thus they died (8:4). Don’t you know that this had a positive effect on Job?
--God will restore Job if he seeks Him & makes himself pure (8:5-7). If he admits his wrong & makes restitution, then God will still restore Job, even though he has made unacceptable accusations against Him.
--Appeal to History (8:8-10)
--Bildad challenges Job to seek the wisdom of the former generations. Because of the brevity of life, the cumulative evidence of the fathers was valued. The sages appealed to that heritage as a source of authority.
--Appeal to nature (8:11-19)
--Nature shows that God reveals himself in the past, i.e. reeds, spider’s web, roots, both by prospering & destroying. When a plant is in the wrong place, God destroys it. But a plant in the right place prospers. Thus Job can trust that God will hear Job is he if righteous & blameless.
--Job’s Reply (Job 9)
--Job agrees with Bildad: A man cannot hope to be found just before God. He knows that before God no one is righteous. How can a man answer God? He can’t!
--God is wise & powerful. He has true wisdom. He created the world. He controls creation.
--His only hope is to plead for mercy to the “Judge” (9:15). “Judge” may be more like prosecuting attorney. Job sees God as the one seeking & passing judgment on him. His only hope is to plead mercy from the judge & prosecutor.
-However, he believes that even with a good case, God will not hear (9:16ff). He appears to be accusing God of being a capricious judge who passes sentence against the wicked & the good, regardless of the case presented. This is not a flattering display of faith by Job.
--Zophar, the Dogmatist
--Zophar adds nothing new to the argument. He just reiterates & supports the arguments of his two cohorts.
--Job’s arguments are offensive & must be answered. God cannot be challenged with words like this. He is God & has complete wisdom & knowledge. No one can understand the ways of God. Job must accept the truth! He has sinned!
--God will show mercy if only Job will confess his sins. This offer of mercy is consistent among Job’s friends. They reiterate Job is not beyond God’s mercy. He simply must confess & turn from his sin.
--Job’s Reply
--Job seems to be reminding his friends that he, too, is a man of intelligence & wisdom. He knows the truth of their arguments. “Do I not also have a mind?” (12:3) He knows the greatness of God. In fact, he has probably lived his life believing in the justice of God just like his three friends.
--Still, Job wants to argue his case before God (13:3). He calls his friends “worthless physicians.” He wants to end this discussion & argue the case to God Himself.
--He asks God: What sins have I committed? (13:23). Even after stating that God is above challenge & accusation, he accuses God of falsely punishing him. He even accuses God of hiding from him. It is no wonder that his friends were horrified & indignant.
--In chapter 14, Job reaffirms the hopelessness of man’s existence, “of few days & full of trouble” (14:1).
--There is hope for a tree, but not for a man. This is a fascinating metaphor. A tree can die & then come back to life, because it lies dormant. When the rain returns, the tree lives again. Man does not have that hope. Once a man is dead, he is gone! (14:7ff)
--However, then Job pleads for the opportunity to lie dormant like the tree in order to have a later opportunity to appear before God after His anger has passed (14:13f). This concept of afterlife is fairly unique in the OT.
--2nd Cycle of Speeches (Job 15-21)
--These chapters contain much the same, although there is perhaps a greater emphasis on the fate of the wicked, thus challenging Job as a sinner who needs to repent, i.e. he is receiving his just reward.
--Job presents two powerful & unique images:
--His heavenly witness (16:19)—This witness will present his case before God. This is not a passive witness, but more like a defense attorney before God.
--His Redeemer (19:25ff)—Job suggests that he still has a redeemer, and even after he dies his case will be presented to God. This is quite revolutionary in the OT. It shows a growth in faith, perhaps borne out of desperation. Of course, adversity builds strong faith (although is builds doubt & disbelief in others). This shows something of Job’s strong faith before the adversity began.
--3rd Cycle of Speeches (Job 22-27)
--These speeches, esp. Job 24-27, have experienced some textual corruption and are apparently jumbled. Attempts to interpret them exactly as they stand are less than convincing & always confusing. Apparently some introductions of speaker have been omitted& perhaps the words of one have been into the mouth of another speaker.
--22:12-20—Job among the wicked
--Eliphaz chastises Job for accusing God of lack of knowledge. The wise know that God has all knowledge. The wicked deny God’s knowledge. They claim that God will not harm them.
--Righteous men rejoice at the ruin of these proud, evil men. Job is acting like one of these, not a righteous wise man. If he was wise, Job would repent & receive good from God.
--27:1-12—Job’s obstinate denial of guilt
--Job will cling to his integrity until death. No matter what happens, which certainly will soon be death, Job claims integrity & righteousness, even if God has denied him justice.
--Wisdom’s Inaccessibility (Job 28)
--Man’s ability to find hidden things (28:1-11)
--Man can dig precious metals & jewels from deep within the earth. The dark recesses of the world can be made light. Unseen paths can be made. Riches are discovered & brought to the surface.
--These verses paint man as a resourceful, intelligent being, finding places completely unknown to the great beasts & birds. But what about wisdom, can man dig it out of the earth?
--Wisdom’s inaccessibility (28:12-22)
--Man cannot find it. It is beyond his ability to comprehend its worth or its whereabouts. It cannot be found in the land of the living, but what about the land of the dead?
--The “deep,” “sea,” “destruction,” & “death” do not know of wisdom’s dwelling. These are places of hiding, where man cannot go to find things. But wisdom is not in them anymore than in the sight of men.
--These may be gods—Tehom, Yam, Abaddon, Mot—These were gods in various ANE mythologies. They represented & controlled the realms of the sea & death, places beyond the scope of human understanding & control.
--Wisdom is beyond all earthly wealth. No amount of earthly riches can purchase wisdom: gold, silver, onyx, sapphires, lapis, crystal, rubies, or topaz. These are the best the world has to offer, but they do not compare to the riches of wisdom.
--God’s knowledge of wisdom (28:23-28)
--Nothing is hidden from God. The places of the mines, as well as the abodes of the sea & death, are all seen & known by God. So only he can know wisdom.
--In fact, He set in order the ways of the world, which is the basic understanding of the wisdom worldview. God set up the world to function according to the way of wisdom. He made the plans for the world & confirmed the place of wisdom in it.
--God’s conclusions:
--Fear of the Lord is wisdom.
--Turning away from evil is understanding.
--So the key to wisdom & understanding is submission to God & living a righteous lifestyle. Interestingly enough, these were two of the descriptions of Job in the prologue, using the exact same terminology. Job was described as the godly man of wisdom.
--The Importance of Job 28
--Is it an addition or an original word of Job? It is placed in the mouth of Job, however, this may be a narrator’s speech. Note that Job 29 begins, “Job continued his discourse.” This suggests that Job 28 is a statement of the narrator concerning wisdom. (Of course, it may also be the words of Job.)
--Job 28 serves to delay the harsh challenge & conclusion of Job in 29-31.
--This is excellent use of dramatic pause. By putting off the final words of Job, the reader is able to breathe in the midst of the difficult dialogue that is taking place. This pause enables the reader to more easily hear Job’s final words.
--Job 28 also prepares the reader for the coming of Yahweh in Job 38-41.
--Since God is the source of & the only one who comprehends wisdom, the reader should expect some word from Him concerning this matter, even though answering a direct challenge by an “infidel” would seem out of place in a wisdom text.
--Job’s Final Speech (Job 29-31)
--Job 29—Job’s Past
--“How I long . . .” Job is longing for the past. He is recalling life as it was before he was struck down with the present suffering.
--He longs for the time of blessing (29:2-6). God was with him as an intimate friend & watched over him. His house was blessed with cream & olive oil. His family was with him.
--He longs for his position of honor (29:7-11). He had an important seat at the gate, i.e. the place of public gathering & judgment. The other men honored him with respect & listened to him when he spoke. They spoke well of him.
--He longs for his life of righteousness (29:12-17). He assisted the poor, the fatherless, & the widow. The weak, blind, & lame always had an advocate in him, i.e. he supported their case in the court.
--Note the vivid imagery of v. 17, “broke the fangs of the wicked & snatched the victims from their teeth.” Perhaps he is saying that the wicked were vicious animals worthy of punishment, but he was not. In fact, he opposed the wicked.
--“Righteousness” & “justice” were his clothing. They were such a part of him that he put them on like others put on their clothes. He maintains his claim that he was a righteous wise man in all that he did. This is his consistent claim throughout the dialogue.
--He longs for his hope (29:18-20). His life had been characterized by unmitigated hope. His life would be one of a long & happy life until he died at peace in his home.
--Note the picture of hopefulness in v. 19, “My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.”
--He longs for his place of authority (29:21-25). He returns to the theme of his reputation. When he met with the elders he commanded listened to his counsel, in fact they waited for it. His words were like the “spring rain” to the other elders. He sat as their “chief” or “head.”
--Job 30—Job’s Present
--Honor has turned to derision (30:1-15). Those who once honored him mock him. These are young men who should have respected him. In fact, they are far below Job’s former standing. (Does this point to an underlying problem of pride in the wisdom tradition?)
--Blessing has turned to suffering (30:16-19). His previous life had been one of health & prosperity with an apparent peaceful future. But now Job suffers in agonizing pain brought on by God’s attacks against him.
--From God’s friend to God’s enemy (30:20-23). God had previously been Job’s friend & guide, but now God does not answer him. Instead, he attacks Job, bringing him near death. In this speech, Job seems resigned that death is near.
--From Leading citizen to homeless waif (30:24-31). Even though he had previously helped the poor, no one hears his cry. The elders ignore him. Instead he is a brother of wild animals. (Note the description of his affliction, blackened & peeling skin & fever.)
--Job 31—Job’s Declaration of Innocence
--Job catalogs sins which he has not committed. By this catalog, he is proclaiming his innocence in these matters. Thus he claims that he should not be suffering for sins that he did not commit. (Of course, this assumes the position that all serious suffering comes as a result of sin.)
1. He has not lusted after a young woman, or virgin (31:1-4).
--He is agreeing with later teaching that lusting with the eyes is a precursor to sinful acts (see Sirach 9:5, 8; Matt. 5:28). Lusting after a young woman is especially a problem in societies with slaves. Job had a right to mistreat his slaves, so foregoing desire for a young servant girl was paramount for Job.
--He suggests that God knows all things, even his thoughts, which is certainly a tribute to God’s immanence, even coming from a man who is decrying God’s transcendence.
2. He has not committed dishonest acts (31:5-8). He has acted properly in all of his business dealings. He says that he is “blameless” in these matters.
3. He has not committed adultery (31:9-12). Adultery is shameful. His oath is that if he is guilty of adultery, may his wife be ravaged by another man.
--Adultery leads to Abaddon, “destruction.” Abaddon is parallel to Sheol in 26:6 & death in 28:22. It is apparently another name for the abode of the dead, where those guilty of adultery go.
4. He has not oppressed his servants (31:13-15). He is a servant of God, as his servants are to him. Therefore, he would face God’s wrath if he mistreated them. Since he has not oppressed them, his punishment is, of course, undeserved.
5. He has not denied the needs of the poor (31:16-23).
--He has always shared with the poor, the widow, and the orphan. He treated the orphan as a son. He gave from his own possessions to meet their needs. He clothed & fed the poor and needy.
--He supported the poor & needy before the court. He feared God, so he always treated them fairly.
6. He has never trusted in wealth (31:24-25). Gold has not been his security, nor has he rejoiced over his great wealth, suggesting gloating & pride.
7. He has not committed idolatry (31:26-28). Worshipping the sun or the moon would be a sign of unfaithfulness to God.
8. He has not gloated over his enemy (31:29-30). This shows that the sages took seriously the proverbial advice to treat an enemy well. Job had not cursed his enemy or rejoiced over his misfortune.
9. He has not failed to show hospitality (31:31-32). He opened his door to the stranger/alien, offering lodging for the night. This was expected in ancient times (remember Abraham, Lot, and the man of Gibeah in Judges 19).
10. He has not been a hypocrite (31:33-34). He has not hidden his sin in fear of the crowd. This is what people usually do, but Job was above the normal person & did not hide behind pretense.
11. He has not abused the land or his tenant farmers (31:38-40b). Even the land has no accusation to make against Job. He always pays for what he receives from the tenant farmers of the land.
--Final Declaration of Innocence (31:35-37)—This is one of the most important passages in the book of Job. Here he makes his final stand before God.
--Job signs his declaration of innocence, lit. “Behold my mark (or tav).” He is officially declaring his innocence before the judge, as if he was in court. He will proudly carry this declaration around with him, wearing it as a piece of clothing.
--He calls upon the Almighty (shaddai) to answer him. He will approach like a prince, presumably viewing God as the king & himself as the prince.
--He challenges his accuser to present charges against him. Job 31 has been a bold assertion of innocence. If the judge (God?) has charges, where are they?
--He is certain that the suffering he is enduring is from God & that God has falsely accused him of some sin. His challenge is that God, the Almighty, show himself & present the case (rib) against him.
--Job’s words are ended (31:40c)! Now Job waits to hear from God. But interestingly enough, God does not answer. Instead, Elihu comes on the scene.
v
Elihu’s
Discourse (Job 32-37)
--Elihu—The Original Angry Young Man
--He was angry with Job. Job was guilty of justifying himself “rather than God.” In other words, only God is worthy of the descriptions of innocence which Job has just made.
--He was angry with the three friends for not refuting Job. They had condemned Job, but they were not able to find charges to justify their condemnation. He intended to remedy that situation.
--He was younger than the others. He had not spoken because he was deferring to his elders. This would have been common hospitality, esp. among the wise.
--Elihu’s Message
--Job 32:6-22--Elihu justifies speaking, despite his youth.
--“No one has proved Job wrong”(32:12)—There is no mokiach (j'ykiwOm), an umpire or mediator.
--This term is used many times in Job (32:12, 9:33, 40:2, & other forms of the verb in 5:17; 6:25; 13:3, 10, 15; 15:3; 16:21; 19:5; & 22:4). The word can refer to the judge, a mediator, or either parties in a judicial setting. This explains the difficulty in translating.
--Job longed for a mokiach in Job 9:33, but had little hope of finding one. He wanted an advocate before God.
--Elihu answers him here that in essence he will be the mokiach, but not as Job had desired; rather he will act on the other side of the issue.
--“I am full of words” (32:18)—He is compelled to speak the many words that are in him.
--Job 33:1-33—Elihu calls Job to account
--In 33:8-11, Elihu quotes Job’s speeches. Job has claimed to be pure, clean, & free from guilt. Yet still Job claims that God has treated him like an enemy.
--In 33:12-18 Elihu counters Job’s claims that God does not answer man. God does speak, for example through dreams & visions.
--In 33:19-33 Elihu argues that God actually speaks to man through the afflictions. In order to save a man from going down to the pit in sin, God may send discipline upon him. If the man (Job, of course, in this instance) hears the message, then the “angel” or “messenger” will renew his strength like a child & save him from the pit.
--Job 34:1-37
--Here Elihu chastises Job for accusing God of perverting justice. God does not pervert justice. In fact, He cannot pervert justice. Job’s accusations are without foundation.
--In v. 37, Elihu accuses Job of open rebellion against God. And perhaps even worse than the rebellion, Job is proud of his rebellion (“claps his hands among us”).
--Job 35:1-16
--In this chapter Elihu accuses Job of “multiplying words without knowledge” (35:16). Presumably Elihu plans to supply that knowledge to Job, ironically through multiplying words himself.
--Job 36:1-37:24
--36:21-22—Affliction can be a teacher to the one suffering, but Job has preferred turning to evil rather than affliction. Job should praise God rather than accuse him.
--In chapter 37, Elihu asks whether Job is able to understand the way God controls the thunderstorm, the snow, the light, or the wind. In doing so, Elihu affirms God’s judicious control of everything in the universe. He always prepares the way for Yahweh’s speeches which will follow in chapter 38.
--Elihu concludes his speeches with these two affirmations:
--“The Almighty is beyond our reach & exalted in power” (37:23), and He does not pervert justice & righteousness. Thus Job’s accusations against God are without foundation.
--“Fearing the Lord” is the response of man to God’s justice & righteousness. This was, of course, the description of Job in the beginning of the book.
--Why are the Elihu Speeches Here?
1. The speeches describe the proper response to suffering. Because suffering is sometimes punitive & sometimes instructive, the proper response to that suffering is submission.
--Job’s arrogance & resentfulness border on insubordination against God & require repentance.
2. The speeches form a transition between Job’s final speech & Yahweh’s speeches.
--As a literary device Elihu acts as a dramatic pause, creating suspense in the mind of the reader. His speeches serve to lessen the surprising impact of Yahweh’s sudden appearance in Job 38.
--Elihu also effectively turns the attention of the reader to the issue of divine omnipotence. Elihu is a champion of God’s sovereignty, power, and control of all things. As such, God cannot be accused of injustice. This is much of the theme of Yahweh’s speeches that will follow.
3. Those who see the Elihu speeches as a later addition to the Book of Job usually argue that the speeches serve as a type of commentary on the dialogue up to this point. A later reader was repulsed that the three friends did not properly denounce Job & inserted the speeches of Elihu as a defense of God’s justice. (The problem, of course, is that the speeches do not really do so either.)
4. The Elihu speeches point out the ultimate need for an intercessor, a point that was not lost to Job either. The human & the divine are impossibly separated. Only an intercessor can bridge that gap, an intercessor that can relate to both the human & the divine.
--Samuel Terrien called this “the necessity of a Christ.” Elihu helps the reader to see this need by emphasizing the need for an intercessor.
v
Yahweh’s
Speeches (Job 38-40:2, 40:6-41:34)
--No mention of suffering in Yahweh’s speeches. He seems to simply ignore the very reason for Job’s outburst against Him.
--No reference to the exchange between Satan & Yahweh in the prologue. Yahweh never suggests to Job that the entire event was a test.
--No statement concerning Job’s faith questions & growth, i.e. afterlife, a redeemer, an umpire, etc.
--No answer to the problem of suffering. Yahweh does not mention suffering, or why Job was suffering.
--The speeches at 1st appear to be completely irrelevant to the remainder of the Book of Job. Yahweh seems to ignore all of the major issues of Job. Why? (In the end, Job & the reader find that all that really matters is, after all, God. All of the other issues are minor aberrations. When God appears, He is all that matters.)
--Yahweh’s 1st Speech (Job 38:1-40:2)
--Yahweh questions Job out of the storm or whirlwind. This would suggest a powerful appearance of God, an epiphany.
--Yahweh accuses Job of “darkening his counsel” without knowledge. In other words, Job had questioned Yahweh & interfered with His truth, but Job did not understand himself.
--So Yahweh proposes a test. He will ask Job the questions & let him answer. Job has been questioning God, so Yahweh wants to find out what Job actually knows (as if He really needed to test Job!). This is a direct challenge to Job’s arrogant challenges to God. While Yahweh does not deal with the issues Job brought up, He does deal with the primary issue: Who is this Job anyway to challenge God?
--Job 38:4-38—
--Yahweh asks Job to explain creation. This is a series of ironic, even absurd, questions concerning creation.
--Can Job explain how the earth, the sea, and the stars were created and put in place? Of course not!
--Can Job explain how light was created & controlled? Of course not! These are absurd questions, but this very absurdity would seem to be God’s point. Job cannot possibly understand the ways of God (which makes Elihu right on that account).
--Job 38:39-39:30
--Here is another set of seemingly absurd questions concerning the ordering of the natural world.
--Can Job provide prey for the lion? Of course not!
--Does Job know when & how the wild animals give birth? Of course not!
--Can Job understand or control the ways of the wild animals? Of course not! Once again these are absurd questions. All of these things are far beyond the realm of man to accomplish.
--Yet the ostrich, which does not even have the wisdom to protect her own eggs, can run faster than the horse. Does Job understand this? Can Job explain this? (Perhaps Yahweh is suggesting that Job is acting like the foolish ostrich, even though he should have much greater wisdom.)
--Job 40:1-2—The Pivotal Question
"Will
the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who reproves God answer it." (NASB)
--Here is the true
issue, & the reason that Yahweh does not deal with Job’s accusations
directly. Can this accuser, or “faultfinder,” contend, or take to court, the
Almighty? The obvious answer to this is “No!” Yet Yahweh calls on Job to answer
Him. (For Job’s response, see below.)
--Yahweh’s 2nd Speech (Job 40:6-41:34)
--Job 40:6-14
--Yahweh again challenges Job to answer His questions. “Gird up your loins like a man.” Again the reader is presented with the absurd picture of man preparing himself for battle with God.
--Can Job hand out justice in all the world? Of course not! Yet Job has questioned Yahweh’s justice. Yahweh’s question seems to suggest that Job has no concept of what it is like to be responsible for justice toward everyone & in every situation.
--Job 40:15-24—The Behemoth
--What is the Behemoth?
--Traditionally most have seen the hippopotamus in this description of a large animal lying in the marshes seemingly indestructible.
--Given the connection with Leviathan below, one might look for mythological reflections here. Behemoth & Leviathan are connected in a few Canaanite texts as mythological creatures which battle against Baal.
--Perhaps Yahweh is using common mythological motifs question Job about his abilities to control the created world. Can he control the Behemoth? Of course not, only God can do that. Everyone knows that this is true.
--Job 41:1-34—Leviathan
--Traditionally, many have seen a description of a crocodile here, i.e. scales, water.
--Today, most scholars see a mythological sea creature described here, as seen in Canaanite texts.
--Leviathan is a creature beyond man’s ability to control. One battle will defeat man. He will not try to fight Leviathan more than once. He devours iron, so surely man is no challenge to him. Only God can control Leviathan.
--41:10-11 present the real issues:
--Since no one can arouse Leviathan, why would anyone dare to stand before God? God alone can control the great creature. He defeated Leviathan to bring order out of chaos in creation. Yet Job has dared to challenge the controller of Leviathan!
--God is the owner of everything, so how can Job suggest that God owes him something. He is challenging Job’s concept of entitlement. Man does not deserve anything from God. God has power & authority over all things, be it man or Leviathan, & He has no debts!
v Job’s Response to Yahweh (Job 40:3-5, 42:1-6)
--Job’s 1st Response
--He admits his insignificance. “I am unworthy.” He finally sees that before God he really is nothing. In the face of the Almighty, Job sees the foolishness of his charges, in fact of any words at all.
--Like a person who has spoken without thinking, Job covers his mouth. He has spoken too much already, and he will not repeat the mistake now. He will be quiet and learn from God (although the truth probably is that he wished God would just leave!).
--Job’s 2nd Response
--Job has a new appreciation for God.
--He sees God’s power & authority & withdraws his charges against Yahweh. Job has seen that the issue is God, not his problems.
--Job has a new revelation of God.
--He had heard, but now he has seen God. Once a person gets a true revelation of God’s greatness & holiness, the things of this world, whether good or bad, will shrink away to nothing. This is what happened to Job after Yahweh appeared to him.
--Job has a new understanding of himself.
--Job “despises himself” (possibly “retracts his case”) & repents. Of what is he repenting? Apparently his act of condemning & accusing God. He sees that God is bigger than his problem, or even the world in which Job operates. So Job turns away from the arrogance of his questions.
v
Epilogue
(Job 42:7-17)
--Judgment of the Three Friends
--God chastises the three friends because they spoke incorrectly concerning Him & His ways. How did they speak incorrectly & Job speak correctly? Job certainly isn’t presented in his responses as the one in the right.
--Job was correct that the righteous sometimes suffer. The three friends’ insistence that this scenario was impossible was their sin. They obstinately held onto a false theological position.
--God forgives the friends after sacrifices & Job’s intercession.
--Job’s Restoration
--Job is given 10 children back & double his former possessions.
--Does this contradict the message of the book? Does Job’s restoration support, at some level, the theology of the 3 friends? After Job repents & accepts the verdict of Yahweh, he is restored. This was the very thing the friends told him would happen.
--God is simply choosing to bless his child. The message of the book is that God can choose to do as he wishes, whether good or bad.
--Job’s Faith
1. Job desires death (Job 3). He is in utter despair & desires only to die & be at rest.
2. Job affirms the current theology, that death is final (7:9-10, 21). His afflictions will soon take him to death.
--Sheol is the place of death, & once a person goes to Sheol he does not return. This is the theology of death in the great majority of the OT. When a person dies, existence ends. He goes to Sheol & that is the end.
3. Job sees the need for an “umpire” or “arbiter” (9:32-35). Job suggests that if he only had someone to stand between him and God, then he might be able to present his case & be heard by God.
--This eventually became a need for messiah & redeemer. Certainly we cannot say that Job was looking for Christ, but we can say that he saw the need for a “messiah” type figure to mediate for him before God.
4. Job questions whether a man can live after he dies (14:11-17). Job’s tradition tells him that death is final, but Job questions whether God’s justice would allow this. If his case cannot be heard in this life, then perhaps God will hear him on the other side of the grave.
5. Job discovers a heavenly witness (16:19-21). Job asserts that he has a witness and intercessor in heaven, who will plead his case for him. This is, again, a call for a “messiah” type figure.
6. Job, for his part, knows that his redeemer lives (19:23-27). Job longed for someone to present his case before God.
--Who is the “Redeemer”?
a. The “umpire” or “witness” of earlier passages. This would seem most likely. Job longs for, now even believes that he has, a mediator before God.
b. God Himself—God is sometimes called “redeemer” in OT, but here this would seem to run counter to Job’s words. God would be working against Himself. This would lean toward a messianic figure, like Jesus.
--When will the redeemer appear?
a. Before death, but after the severe sufferings. Before he dies, the redeemer will appear to present his case to God. This seems unlikely.
b. After death. Job believes that even after he is dead & gone to Sheol, he will have a redeemer to take his case to God. He does not develop how this process might take place, so we should not put word in Job’s mouth.
--H. H. Rowley: “Though there is no full grasping of a belief in a worthwhile afterlife, this passage is a notable landmark in a progress toward such a belief” (Book of Job, NCB, 140).
7. Job had previously heard, but now he has seen God (42:5). This changed Job’s perspective. He now has met God face to face. His only reaction to the meeting is fear—submission, worship, & obedience. But how has his worldview changed?
--A New Worldview?
--Job’s traditional worldview led him to stand in contempt before God. He challenged every presupposition of that faith: that wisdom leads to prosperity, that suffering is the result of sin, that God is just, that God is beyond our accusation, etc.
--In the end, a new worldview emerges which allows for undeserved suffering. The center of this new worldview is not a theological system, but God Himself. This allows for a certain amount of flexibility because God cannot be placed in any box.
--In the end, this the lesson Job learned: Follow God faithfully without giving up your integrity. He did the latter, but almost failed at the former.
--What is the Proper Attitude toward suffering? (From G. W. Harrison, Class notes, 1986)
1. Suffering is inevitable and inescapable in a world of free choice and blind chance.
2. Suffering is magnified and extended by vain efforts to explain it, even though by well-intentioned men.
3. Suffering is complex and compound, combining elements of punishment, discipline, refinement, example, and substitution.
4. Suffering cannot be solved, but may be resolved by lifting the perspective from the isolated individual to the larger whole, to see eternal consequences rather than mere temporal causations.
--“The Necessity of a Christ”—What can Job show us about the Christ?
--We do need a mediator before God. Job struggled with bridging the transcendence of God. We must also struggle with that problem, and we will find that we cannot bridge that gap any better than Job.
--Jesus was sent to be our mediator & redeemer (see Hebrews 9-10).
--Job’s example of suffering serves as a model for Jesus, & possibly other righteous sufferers as well. Some suffering is unjust, & some suffering has greater purposes (cf. Isaiah 53).