The Book of Job

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The Book of Job
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The Book of Job

• A picture of an evolving God (God and humans in
  terms of relationship therefore BOTH change).
• A drama of the inner life (spiritual journey)
• Job Everyman (meaning he is an archetype)
• Hero Job
• Author is anonymous (author combined a Hebrew
  folk tale, written in prose, own ideas, written
  in poetry)

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Outline of Contents

• Prologue 1-2 (prose)
• Job and his friends 3-31 (Hebrew folk tale/
  Babylonian or Sumerian epic poem)
• Jobs complaint 3
• The first dialogue 4-14 (conversation)
• The second dialogue 15-21
• The third dialogue 22- 27
• Praise of Wisdom (added 400-200 BC) 28
• Jobs final statement 29-31
• The speeches of Elihu (added 400-200 BC) 32-37
• The Lord answers Job 38-426
• Epilogue 427-17

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Conflict

• The Satan (the challenge)/ The bet
• Three friends (Bildad, Zophar, Elihu)

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Themes

• The age old problem of evil (Why? How can He? No
  magic answer!)
• Why do the innocent suffer and the wicked
  prosper?
• How can this be reconciled with the belief in a
  benevolent, just, and omnipotent Deity?

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Solutions offered in Job

• To suffer is-
• A test of mans goodness and faith
• A punishment for sin
• An admonition and restorative God
• A part of the unfathomed mystery of the
  universe, in which evil as well as good are
  ingredients
• A challenge to man to remain faithful to God and
  at the same time preserve his intellectual
  honesty

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Characters

• God
• Prologue and Epilogue depicted as a ruler, proud
  of the loyalty of his servant Job benevolent but
  not merciful to allow his servant to be tried by
  terrible afflictions.
• Voice of the Whirlwind Yahweh of the prophets
  eternal, omnipotent, capable of anger, but
  concerned for each individual that he has
  created.

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• The Satan (Not Lucifer) one of Gods servants
  who goes to and from the earth and heaven and
  associates on equal terms with sons of God.
  (1.6) He is an agent provocateur (troublemaker)
  who functions to observe man, report on his
  behavior and test his genuineness of his
  righteousness.
• The Satan adversary he is the antagonist

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• Job the hero (tragic hero?) the name Job means
  one who turns or returns to God. Ironically, Job
  spelled backward means enemy.
• Beginning completely upright and God-fearing man
  who suffers calamities through no fault of his
  own. Intelligent, honest, and capable of
  reflection.
• Later impatient with the heckling of his
  friends.
• Even Later comes close to blasphemy when he
  dares to question Gods treatment of human beings.

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• The four comforters (really hecklers) they
  dont bring Job comfort, rather they add misery
  by refusing to believe his claims of innocence
  and by accusing him of deceit, pride and
  stubbornness. All are supporters of the
  traditional view that suffering is proof of
  guilt.
• Eliphaz least obnoxious, somewhat sympathetic,
  old, and has visions (412-21)
• Bilidad relies on traditions of the past,
  middle-aged, scholarly, and dogmatic
• Zophar younger and even more dogmatic narrow
  minded and irascible, most forceful
• Elihu youngest conceited and self-confident.
  Thinks he can succeed in persuading Job though
  others failed.

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Setting

• Heaven
• Jobs home
• Ash heap/ dump outside of the city

Plot

• The most important events or actions take place
  in Jobs mind, which is Jobs journey in faith

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- Jobs decision to remain true to God based
in his recognition that God himself will be his
vindicator (1925-29)
- Jobs misfortune and cycles of speakers
- Voice in whirlwind reassures Job
-Action is occurring in Jobs mind
- Challenge/ Wager
- Intro (1-5)
- Jobs property is restored