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Many think the book is fictional
(Very interesting “Testament of Job”)Job probably lived during the time of
Abraham, Issac and JacobJob is never described as a prophet; instead
he is an “everyman”Job is described as “perfect and upright, and
one that feared God, and eschewed evil”
Things to know about Job
…though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God." (Ezek. 14:14.)
Jewish EncyclopediaThe negative result reached by... the Book of Job
may be stated as follows: What hitherto has been called divine justice is merely the display of the omnipotence of God. His decisions are devoid of all moral qualities, and are pronounced indifferently, as blessings or as curses, upon all men, upon the good and the bad alike.
In the same way men are prosperous or unhappy according to the fortuitous events of their lives, quite independently of their ethical qualities. The gifts of fortune and the strokes of calamity are in no wise connected either with God's justice or with man's moral nature.
Translation:
Job’s afflictions appear arbitrary and random-
We just don’t know WHY he suffered!
And we must know WHY!!
(if we know why we can prevent it from happening to us!)
Job’s Three Main Trials
Trial #1- Loss of possessions
"Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:20-22.)
Harold B. LeeTo be poor in spirit is to feel yourselves as the
spiritually needy, even dependent upon the Lord for your clothes, your food, the air you breathe, your health, your life; realizing that no day should pass without fervent prayer of thanksgiving, for guidance and forgiveness and strength sufficient for each day's need. …
It is indeed a sad thing for one, because of his wealth or learning or worldly position, to think himself independent of this spiritual need. It is the opposite of pride or selfconceit. To the worldly rich it is that "he must possess his wealth as if he possessed it not" and be willing to say without regret, if he were suddenly to meet financial disaster, as did Job, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21.)
Job’s Three Main Trials
Trial #2- Loss of Health
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of
dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome." (Job 7:5.)
He then takes refuge with the lepers
Neal A. MaxwellThere is a higher order of suffering in which even the good
pass through tribulation and anguish, which we might characterize as the "trial of the innocent." (Job 9:23.) This is what Peter called "the trial of your faith," and also what he called "the fiery trial." We read how the Prophet Joseph Smith, even though righteous, was sorely tried and was told that what he was passing through would be but "a small moment," and further, that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (D&C 122:7.)
These are hard sayings but they are true, and they help us understand the suffering of the righteous as distinguished from the suffering we undergo because of our own stupidity and our own sin.
Job’s Three Main TrialsTrial #3- The Trial of his friends
Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? . . . Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth." (Job 11:3, 6.)
Conversations (accusations) with Job’s “friends” constitute 29 of the 38 chapters of the Book of Job
Why would so much of the Book of Job be devoted to these conversations?
Question
How are we to support
someone in their afflications?
Do We Listen To Our Words?
Bro. Clark V. Johnson, BYU Professor (diagnosed with cancer)Arrangements were made, and our home teacher and bishop came to give me a
special blessing. At one point in the blessing the bishop said, "I bless you with peace. It is so strong that I can feel it filling your whole being. At this moment I have peace too. I bless you that your body will have power to mend itself." Later my wife and I pondered the truly marvelous and significant blessing I had received.
This blessing had an interesting effect upon my close friends, who asked me about it. I told them that I remembered the bishop saying, "Your body will have power to mend itself."
One person said to me, "Of course you'll stay on the drugs?" I answered, "Well, I am not sure if that is what the blessing meant." He responded, "What are you going to do when you get to the spirit world and the Lord looks at you and says, 'What are you doing here? You're forty years too early'?” [it didn’t mean what it said]
Another good friend said, "That's great. Your body will resurrect your spirit, and you'll be exalted in the celestial kingdom." He had forgotten Alma's teachings that the spirit resurrects the body. (See Alma 39, 41.) [False Doctrine]
The third person questioned, "Are you really a man of faith, or are you afraid of the chemotherapy because it makes you sick?” [You are just being weak]
Even though these people meant well, their counsel undermined the purity of the blessing I had received, until I became confused and lost the spirit of peace that had been with me. I did not know what to do. My friends meant well. They would have done nothing to harm me, but their lack of understanding brought confusion instead of peace.
Job’s Response?
I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." (Job 16:2)
Brother JohnsonYears ago, when it looked as though I was going to
die soon of cancer, I did not want my children to be bitter and blame their Father in Heaven. At Christmastime we returned home to Preston, Idaho, where we spent the Christmas season with our parents. During that week I took my four oldest children to four different places that were special to me while I was growing up and taught them concerning Heavenly Father's love for them. I told them that it looked as though I would have to return to be with him, so I would not have the opportunity of being with them as they grew up. I promised them that if they would live the gospel and go to the temple to be sealed, it did not matter if I lived or died-I would be with them when they went to the temple. After carefully teaching them many things, I gave each one a father's blessing.
While in the Missionary Training Center, our eldest son wrote to us about one of the elders in his district who bore testimony concerning his father's death from cancer. The elder described the bitterness that he had felt, and he told of the years of pain the death of his father had caused him. Then Paul wrote:
"Dad, I remember the time you took me to my great-grandfather's old farm. We talked about the Indian battle that had been fought there. We spoke of other things, and you explained that you were dying of cancer and that it looked as though you would not be here to help me as I grew up. You told me that if I would keep the commandments and get married in the temple, you would be there to see me married. You said that it didn't matter whether you were here on earth or with Heavenly Father. Then I knelt in the snow and you blessed me. I love you, Dad, for preparing a way so that I would not be bitter."
