INTRODUCTION TO JOB

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INTRODUCTION TO JOB
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• Victor Hugo said, The book of Job is perhaps the
  greatest masterpiece of the human mind.
• Tennyson called it The greatest poem, whether of
  ancient or modern literature.
• Thomas Carlyle wrote, I call this book one of
  the grandest things ever written There is
  nothing written, I think, of equal literary
  merit.
• Philip Schaff said, The book of Job rises like a
  pyramid in the history of literature, without a
  predecessor and without a rival.

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Keywords Suffering, trials, tested, patience,
trust, and sovereignty of God.
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Job 1315 Though He slay me, yet will I trust
Him. Job 2310 But He knows the way that I take
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as
gold. Job 2828And to man He said, 'Behold, the
fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart
from evil is understanding.' " Job 3723 As
for the Almighty, we cannot find Him He is
excellent in power, In judgment and abundant
justice He does not oppress. 24 Therefore men
fear Him He shows no partiality to any who are
wise of heart."
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Key phrase For I know that my redeemer lives
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Key chapter is chapter 42
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• 4 hints that it happed in the patriarchal period
• The Law of Moses is never referred to.
• Job takes on the role of a priest and offers up
  sacrifices for his family.
• Jobs long lifespan is typical of the patriarchs
  as he lived another 140 years after God blessed
  him.
• The Hebrew word qesiytah, which is translated as
  a piece of money in Job 4211 is only used in
  reference to the patriarchal period (Gen. 3319
  Jos. 2432).

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• Paul quotes from Job 513 in 1 Cor. 319 and he
  quotes Job again in Rom 1135.
• James talks about the patience of Job in James
  511.
• Ezekiel mentions Noah, Daniel, and Job as being
  real people (Ezek. 1414).

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2 Corinthians 129 And He said to me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I
will rather boast in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for
Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.
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Brief outline of Job 1-2 God allows the devil
to test Job. 3-31 Job and his 3 friends discuss
why he is suffering. 32-37 Elihu gives his
assessment of the situation. 38-41 God speaks
and shows His sovereignty. 42 Job humbles
himself before the Lord and is blessed.
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• The devil tempts Job with a series of loses
• He loses all his material possessions.
• All 10 of his children are killed and many of
  his servants.
• He is given painful boils all over his body.
• His wife forsakes him and tells him to curse God
  and die.
• He has to endure the false accusations of his 3
  friends.

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Job 121 "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 210 You speak as one of the
foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good
from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In
all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job
1315 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
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• 3 different areas Job failed
• He cursed the day of his birth (Job 3).
• He doubted Gods justice (Job 720 1611ff).
• He became self-righteous in answering his
  friends false accusations (Job 3135ff
  338-12).

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James 511 Indeed we count them blessed who
endure. You have heard of the perseverance (KJV
patience) of Job and seen the end intended by the
Lord -- that the Lord is very compassionate and
merciful.
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Eliphaz was the oldest and he spoke from his
experience. He backed up his arguments by a
supposed vision he received (412-21). His
experience had taught him that the innocent do
not suffer like Job (47-8).
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Bildad was the traditionalist and he drew many of
his arguments from what their forefathers had
searched out. He was more direct than Eliphaz. He
told Job that his words were like a strong wind
and if he was pure and upright, God would
increase his prosperity instead of taking it away
(81-3, 6-7).
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Zophar is the extremist. He only spoke twice as
where the other 2 friends spoke 3 times. He
accused Job of lying and mocking and said know
therefore that God exacts from you Less than your
iniquity deserves (Job 116). Zophar also asked
some great questions such as Job 117 "Can you
search out the deep things of God? Can you find
out the limits of the Almighty?
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Elihu was younger than the others and he remained
silent out respect for these older men. When they
finished speaking, he couldnt wait to share with
them his thoughts. In fact, he felt like he would
burst open if he kept his words to himself (Job
3218-19). First, he rebukes Jobs friends for
their lack of wisdom (3212-14). He said Jobs
sin was his self-righteousness (338-12). He said
Jobs pride caused him to question Gods goodness
(349-10). He told him that God would have
already removed his afflictions if it had not
been for his pride, presumption, and wrath
(3616-18).
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The purpose of the book 1. God is all powerful,
all knowing, and is worthy of praise just for
being God. Psalm 183 I will call upon the
LORD, who is worthy to be praised
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2. We do not always understand why we suffer
certain things. Romans 828 And we know that
all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose.
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3. The importance of endurance and patience.
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4. Prepares the way for the coming of the
Messiah. Questions are raised, great sobs of
agony are heard, which Jesus alone can answer.
The book takes it place in the testimony of the
ages that there is a blank in the human heart
which Jesus alone can fill.
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• The anticipation of Christ
• Job longed for a mediator (933 3323) and
  Jesus is our mediator (1 Tim. 25).
• Job said, For I know that my Redeemer lives,
  And He shall stand at last on the earth (Job
  1925). Jesus is that Redeemer (Lk. 168).
• Job asked, If a man dies, shall he live again?
  (Job 1414).

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1 Corinthians 1520 But now Christ is risen from
the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came
death, by Man also came the resurrection of the
dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one
in his own order Christ the firstfruits,
afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
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Romans 324 being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His
blood, through faith, to demonstrate His
righteousness, because in His forbearance God had
passed over the sins that were previously
committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time
His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
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• Jesus suffered like us and therefore He can
  sympathize with us (Heb. 415).
• Jesus is our redeemer, mediator, intercessor,
  and advocate (Eph. 17 1 Tim. 21,5 1 Pet.
  118-19 1 Jn. 21).
• Thanks to Jesus, we can cast all cares on God.
  because He cares for us (1 Pet. 57).
• Jesus assures us of eternal life
• John 1126 "And whoever lives and believes in Me
  shall never die.

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Job 141 "Man who is born of woman Is of few days
and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a
flower and fades away He flees like a shadow and
does not continue. Job 76 "My days are swifter
than a weaver's shuttle, Job 925 "Now my days
are swifter than a runner Job 2422 no man
is sure of life.
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• Six truths that we learn from this grand book
• Satans power is inferior to Gods power and his
  knowledge is less than Gods knowledge.
• Suffering is not always the result of sin.
• The righteous can and do suffer.
• The ones who are really poor and wretched are
  those who reject God and trust in themselves or
  things.

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Luke 1215 "Take heed and beware of
covetousness, for one's life does not consist in
the abundance of the things he possesses." Revela
tion 317 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have
become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and
do not know that you are wretched, miserable,
poor, blind, and naked -- 18 "I counsel you to
buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you
may be rich and white garments, that you may be
clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not
be revealed and anoint your eyes with eye salve,
that you may see.
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5. Momentary problems must not turn us from
eternal values. 2 Corinthians 416 Therefore we
do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is
perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed
day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while
we do not look at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
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6. Material possessions and earthly ties do not
endure. Matthew 619 " Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy and where thieves break in and
steal 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21
"For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
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