Job:

An Integrative Study

Chapter 1-2 Chapters 3-31

Chapters 32-37

Chapters 38-41 Chapter 42

Historical Prologue: Job’s test

Job’s three friends

Elihu’s speeches

God speaks Historical Epilogue: Job’s restoration Dialogue & Discourse

Overview of the book of Job

Setting for the Story

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Why an Integrative Study?

o An integrative study provides a most complete framework for the study of Job

o Allows us to consider facts and theology while not losing the practical implications of the book of Job

Objectives of this Study

To demonstrate that God is worthy of love apart from the blessings he provides.

To explain that God may allow suffering as a means to purify and strengthen a person in godliness.

To explore the justice of God who treats the righteous with suffering.

Characters

JobMrs. JobGodSatanThree Friends

EliphazBildadZophar

Elihu

Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

Job’s wife

Job And The Problem of Suffering

Why do the righteous suffer?

Introduction

• Often, we wonder why a loving God would allow suffering to exist in the world

• Further, we ask, why do the righteous suffer?

• In the book of Job, we have an example of a righteous man who suffered greatly

• Why does God allow Job to suffer?

• What can we learn from Job that will encourage us today while suffering?

• Many so-called Christians teach that God has promised Christians would be healthy and rich

• If we are not healthy and rich, then we lack faith

• Account of job denies such claims

The Dilemma of Job (1:1-2:13) Job is not a logical candidate for

disaster (see 1:1, 8). His moral integrity and his selfless service to God heighten the dilemma. Behind the scene, Satan ("accuser") charges that no one loves God from pure motives, but only for material blessings (1:10). To refute Satan's accusations, God allows him to strike Job with two series of assaults. In his sorrow Job laments the day of his birth but does not deny God (1:21; 2:10).

The problem for Job

His friends’ wrong views

Job’s understanding

The Lord answers Job

The Lord restores Job

Job And The Problem of Suffering

Theme(verdict):

The reasons for suffering in a believers life are not necessarily related to human explanations of personal unrighteousness, but are within the scope of God’s good and powerful providence resulting in the defeat of evil and glory to himself.

A Blind Man Is Healed

Another Example Of An Afflicted Person In Scripture Was A Man Born Blind.

John 9:1-3“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?""Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”.

God’s Work Is Seen Some Thought This Man’s Blindness Was

Punishment For Sins Committed.

Jesus Said The Blindness Happened So That God’s Work Could Be Seen.

This Man Suffered The Affliction Of Blindness From Birth So God’s Power Could Be Demonstrated When Jesus Healed Him.

We, Too, Might Face Suffering So That God May Be Glorified In The End.

A Study of Positions

What is a position?

A position is a theological or philosophical stand regarding an issue.

Who had positions in the book of Job?

Satan, Mrs. Job, Job’s friend, Job, Elihu, and God.

Satan’s Position“Does Job fear God for nothing?” 1:9“Skin for skin, a man will give up all he has for his

own life”2:4

“Are you still holding on to your integrity, curse God and die” Chap 2: 9

Mrs. Job’s Position

Position of Job’s Friends

In three cycles of speeches they rebuke Job:

1) Cycle 1 of Speeches and Job's Response- God Punishes the Wicked and Blesses the Good: 4:1--14:22

2) Cycle 2 of Speeches and Job's Response- -The Wicked Suffer and Perish because They Are against God: 15:1--21:34

3) Cycle 3 of Speeches and Job's Response—God Is Majestic, but Job is Wicked: 22:1--27:23

Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

Eliphaz versus Job Eliphaz 1: Eliphaz accused

Job of being inconsistent since suffering results from sin and no one is pure before God; thus he urged Job to ask God to help him and affirmed that God would deliver him after He had disciplined him 4:1--5:27

Eliphaz 2: Eliphaz affirms that Job's words are meaningless, that he is guilty, and that he is like the wicked because he is in distress 15:1-35

Eliphaz 3: Proclaiming God's disinterest in Job for his social deviations and spiritual defiance, Eliphaz urges him to repent for God is great 22:1-20

Job: Job responded by affirming that his suffering was causing his rash desire to die, Eliphaz's response has disappointed him, and by asking for forgiveness if he has sinned 6:1--7:21

Job: Job responds rebuking his friends for being no help, desiring to plead his case with God, and affirming is situation of despair 16:1-- 17:16

Job: Job longs to plead his case before God 23:1--24:25

Bildad versus Job

Bildad 1: Bildad affirmed that history has confirmed that if Job is righteous God will restore him, unlike the ungodly who perish 8:1-22

Bildad 2: Bildad rebukes Job for his arrogant words about them, and affirms that the wicked, like he, are weakened, ensnared, diseased, insecure, forgotten, hated, and alone 18:1-21

Bildad 3: Bildad affirmed that because God is great and man is small and impure there was no hope for Job to be just and clean 25:1-6

Job: Job responds by affirming God's wisdom and power, asking why He is against him, and requesting to die 9:1--10:22

Job: Job rebukes his friends for tormenting and insulting him, affirms that God has wronged him, urges his friends to have pity on him, and affirms that God will prove his innocence after his death and judge his friends 19:1-29

Job: Job affirms that his friends are not help to him since he knows that God is great and powerful over nature 26:1-14

Zophar versus Job Zophar 1: Zophar

rebukes Job by affirming that God should show him true wisdom and by affirming that if he would turn to God, he would be blessed 11:1-20

Zophar 2: Zophar accuses Job of insulting him and reminds him that the wicked may be blessed, but they will then loose their riches 20:1-29

Job: Job responds by criticizing Zophar for not telling him anything new, not helping him, and not representing God well, whereupon, he again asks God to let him die 12:1--14:22

Job: Job retorts that his impatience is excusable and reminds Zophar that the wicked prosper and live (unlike he) 21:1-34

Job’s Final Remarks Job affirms that although man is

skillful in mining, wisdom is harder to find for it is God who knows where wisdom is 28:1-28

Job wishes that he was in his former days of spiritual blessing, material prosperity and social prestige which occurred because he helped the needy, exercised justice and counseled others 29:1-25

Job proclaims his misery as he is mocked by poor young men and vagabonds, and his humiliation as he is in pain and nobody helps him 30:1-31.

Job's Ultimate Challenge--An Oath of Innocence which 'Legally' Calls God to Answer" 31:1-40

Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

Elihu’s Positioni. Four Speeches by Elihu: 32:1--37:24 ii. Introduction of Elihu: 32:1-5 iii. Elihu's First Speech- God Instructs

people through Affliction: 32:6--33:33 iv. Elihu's Second Speech to the Three

Friends and Job—God is Just and Prudence is Vindicated: 34:1-37

v. Elihu's Third Speech to Job—There are Advantages to Piety: 35:1-16

vi. Elihu's Fourth Speech to Job (and Friends)– God is Great and Job is Ignorant: 36:1-- 37:24

God’s Position

God interviews Job in two speeches:1. First Interview with Yahweh-- Job is

Limited in Knowledge: 38:1--40:51) Yahweh Challenged Job: 38:1-3 2) Yahweh Questioned Job Regarding Two

Areas of Creation: the physical and animal world.

Here God asks Job to listen.

2. Second Interview with God –Job is Limited in Power: 40:6--42:6 1) Yahweh Challenged Job to Listen: 40:6-14 2) Yahweh questioned Job Regarding Two animals of Creation: the Behemoth and the Leviathan

“Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you shall answer….” 38:9

Job’s Reply

Job Replied with Repentance: 42:1-6 “…Surely I spoke of things I did not

understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

God’s ResponseGod’s Response Once Job has seen God, admitted God’s charges,

worshiped Him, the test is over. God then praises Job, humbles his friends. Job’s other “friends” come back. God gives Job double what he lost.

Two times the wealthSame number more children

God is no cheapskate.Though we serve Him for nothing …… He will not send us away empty-handed.But the full reward cannot come till the test is over.

33

Testing Of Our Faith

James 1:2-4“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

34

Things Here Are Temporary

The Troubles We Face Here Are Temporary But God Has Promised A Tremendous Reward With Him Forever In Heaven.

He Says That This Brief Moment Of Difficulty And Separation Will End And All Of Life’s Hard Questions And Circumstances Will Be Answered And Explained In His Presence.

35

2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-9Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

Your Earthly Body Is Described As A Temporary Tent. Tents Are Not All That Comfortable Or Secure And Living In One Can Be A Real Struggle.

But God Has A Mansion Prepared For You In Heaven (John 14:2). That Is His Promise To All Those In Christ Jesus.

36

Romans 8:18

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”.

Paul Says Volumes In This Verse About This Subject Of Suffering.

God Wants Us To See Our Suffering As Small Compared To How Wonderful Heaven Will Be.

37

The Victory Is OursFans At An Athletic Event Are A Good Example Of This. Even If The Game Is Not Over But The Victory Is Sure, They Begin To Celebrate, Knowing They Have Won.

The Same Is True For A Believer Still In The Midst Of Hurtful Struggles; He Knows The Victory Is Already Secure And Soon To Come.

38

John 16:33“I (Jesus) have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”.

This World Will Always Have Trouble, But He Has Overcome This World And Enables Us To Be Overcomers, Too.

“He Overcomes

The World For Us”

Open Forum

Questions and Comments