Job Introduction

Poetry Very remarkable & marvelous book 1 st Poetic book Poetic books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations

Job Introduction Poetry Denotes form Not imaginative content Not capricious content Form with purpose Not necessarily rhythmic

Job Introduction Poetry Hebrew poetry is achieved by repeating an idea... “parallelism” Dialog in the book is poetry All conversation in poetic form

Job Introduction Poetry Hebrew poetry is achieved by repeating an idea... “parallelism” Dialog in the book is poetry All conversation in poetic form

Job Introduction Poetry Secular literary examples: Homer's Iliad Homer's Odyssey Scottish epic Bruce French epic Roland Shakespeare sonnets

Job Introduction Author Unknown Moses has been suggested Also Ezra, Solomon, Job, Elihu Elihu: “miserable comforter” of Job Elihu: Job 32:16-17

Job Introduction Author Job 32:16-17 Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand there with no reply? I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know.

Job Introduction Author Job 32:16-17 Not said in context of conversation Author expresses own thoughts Then conversation resumes Elihu speaking, vv. 18ff So perhaps Elihu is author

Job Introduction Setting Not sure when Job was written Not sure where, either Says land of Uz Not sure where Uz is Other books time & place essential Not given here

Job Introduction Setting McGee suggests during Patriarchs Possibly Job knew Jacob No reference to Mosaic Law So probably before Exodus

Job Introduction Setting Reasons Job among Patriarchs: (1) Length of Job's life span: long Like Patriarchs Job 42:16-17

Job Introduction Setting Job 42:16-17 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years...

Job Introduction Setting Reasons Job among Patriarchs: (2) Job acted as family high priest Job 1:5

Job Introduction Setting Job 1:5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job... early in the morning would sacrifice a burnt offering for each... thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned..." This was Job's regular custom.

Job Introduction Setting Reasons Job among Patriarchs: (3) Eliphaz descended from Esau's eldest son. Gen 36:10

Job Introduction Setting Gen 36:10 These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. (So perhaps Job was contemporary of Jacob)‏

Job Introduction Issues Issues raised & settled in Job: (1) Why the righteous suffer Gives one of reasons why... McGee believes that this is not primary teaching of Job, though many Bible scholars take that position

Job Introduction Issues Issues raised & settled in Job: (2) Rebuke slander of Satan against mankind. (3) Reveal Job to himself.

Job Introduction Issues Issues raised & settled in Job: (4) Teach patience. James 5:11b You have heard of Job's perseverance. (Was he patient? Difficult to see how! We'll consider this at end of book.)‏

Job Introduction Issues Issues raised & settled in Job: (5) Teach repentance. McGee: I think that the primary purpose of the Book of Job is to teach repentance. (Disagree if you will, but stay with us to the end of the book and then draw your own conclusions.)‏

Job Introduction Issues “You see, when men want to talk or write about repentance, they always pick a character who has had a sinful beginning.” Manasseh; Nebuchadnezzar Jonah; Saul of Tarsus Augustine; Francis of Assisi

Job Introduction Issues “God didn't pick a man like that in order to teach repentance. He could have! But God selected the best man who ever lived with the exception of Jesus Christ. God chose this man and showed that he needed to repent.”

Job Introduction Issues Job 42:5-6 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.

Job Introduction Acclaim Tennyson: “Greatest poem,whether of ancient or modern literature” Carlyle: “Grandest ever written with pen” Luther: “More magnificent and sublime than any other book of Scripture”

Job Introduction Prose “The prose section of the Book of Job is a gigantic sweeping drama that encompasses earth and heaven.” Not fiction Job is historical Ezek 14:14,20; James 5:11 Paul quotes Job in 1 Cor 3:19

Job Introduction Who Job Was “The Book of Job reveals a man who was very conscious of God, but who could find nothing wrong with himself, maintaining his righteousness in the face of those who were around him. Job felt that before God, he was all right.”

Job Introduction Who Job Was “In fact, he wanted to come into the presence of God and defend himself. When Job did that, he found that he needed to repent!”

Job Introduction Who We Are “Modern man refuses to take the blame for his deficiencies, inabilities, and sins. He tries to put the blame on somebody else. He will not accept responsibility for himself and his own actions.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “Now, there is One Who bore all of our sins. Until you and I recognize that we are sinners and need to turn to Him, my friend, we are only putting blame on the wrong person.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “Psychiatrists have told man today that his problem is that his mother or father didn't love him as she should have. There may be some truth to that. However, we cannot shift the blame to others.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “I think that it is pretty low for any man to put the blame for his sins on his mother. But that is what we find today... blaming his sin on others, and he can find no place to go to find the comfort that he craves. Instead [he turns to] materialism and secularism.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “The problem with modern man is that he doesn't have God in his conciousness. He doesn't know that there is a Savior to Whom he can go. That is different from Job.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “God will put Job through the mill, as we shall see, and finally will bring him into His very presence. God stripped Job of all his securities in order to bring him to Himself.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “You cannot just say, 'Lord, Lord'. First He must be your Savior!” He died for you. If you don't begin with Jesus Christ at the cross, you will not begin with Him anywhere.”

Job Introduction Who We Are “I have spent time on this because I think it is important. Job [was very much aware of] God [unlike modern man]. What Job could not understand was why God permitted him to be put through the mill. Job did not recongize that he needed to repent – until God dealt with him.”

Job Introduction References J. Vernon McGee Commentary