Old Testament survey (18): Job

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 (Job 1:21).

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:1-2)

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:5-6)

Overview

[1] Job, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3), Job: A Man Stripped Bare (PDF)

This book is a great philosophical work. There are many problems that are raised and settled by this book:

1. The Book of Job raises the issue of why the righteous suffer. I really should say that it gives one of the reasons why the righteous suffer. I do not believe that this is the primary teaching of this book, although there are a great many Bible scholars who take that position.

2. Job was written to rebuke the slander of Satan against mankind.

3. Job was written to reveal Job to himself.

4. The Book of Job teaches patience. James says, “… Ye have heard of the patience of Job …” (James 5:11). Was Job patient? I’ll be honest with you, it is difficult to see how this man was patient. We’ll consider this when we get to the end of the book.

5. I think the primary purpose of the Book of Job is to teach repentance. If you want to disagree with this right now, just stay with us until we get to the end of the book, and then draw your own conclusions. (Read the complete article)

[2] Book of Job, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)

The book opens with a scene in heaven where Satan comes to accuse Job before God. He insists Job only serves God because God protects him and seeks God’s permission to test Job’s faith and loyalty. God grants His permission, only within certain boundaries. Why do the righteous suffer? This is the question raised after Job loses his family, his wealth, and his health. Job's three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, come to “comfort” him and to discuss his crushing series of tragedies. They insist his suffering is punishment for sin in his life. Job, though, remains devoted to God through all of this and contends that his life has not been one of sin. A fourth man, Elihu, tells Job he needs to humble himself and submit to God's use of trials to purify his life. Finally, Job questions God Himself and learns valuable lessons about the sovereignty of God and his need to totally trust in the Lord. Job is then restored to health, happiness and prosperity beyond his earlier state. (Read the complete article)

[3] Job, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)

Job is in form a dramatic poem. It is probably the oldest of the Bible books, and was certainly written before the giving of the law. It would have been impossible, in a discussion covering the whole field of sin, of the providential government of God, and man's relation to Him, to avoid all reference to the law if the law had then been known. Job was a veritable personage (Ezekiel 14:20; James 5:11), and the events are historical. The book sheds a remarkable light on the philosophic breadth and intellectual culture of the patriarchal age. The problem is, Why do the godly suffer?

Job is in seven parts:

1. Prologue, 1:1-2:8.
2. Job and his wife, 2:9,10.
3. Job and his three friends, 2:11-31:40.
4. Job and Elihu, 32:1-37:24.
5. Jehovah and Job, 38:1-41:34.
6. Job's final answer, 42:1-6.
7. Epilogue, 42:7-17.

The events recorded in Job cover a period within 1 year.

[4] Job (with chart The Refiner’s Fire), from Uplook Ministries


Discussion

[1] Key verses: Job 1:1; 21; 38:1-2; 42:5-6

[2] Job is a historical character (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; James 5:11; compare 1 Corinthians 3:19 with Job 5:13).

[3] Job and Eliphaz

• Job (chapter 3)
• Eliphaz answers (chapters 4 and 5)
• Job (chapters 6 and 7)
• Eliphaz’s second discourse (chapter 15)
• Job’s answer (chapters 16 and 17)
• Eliphaz’s third discourse (chapter 22)
• Job’s answer (chapters 23 and 24)

[4] Job and Bildad

• Bildad’s first discourse (chapter 8)
• Job (chapters 9 and 10)
• Bildad’s second discourse (chapter 18)
• Job’s answer (chapter 19)
• Bildad’s third discourse (chapter 25)
• Job’s answer (chapters 26 to 31)

[5] Job and Zohar

• Zophar (chapter 11)
• Job (chapters 12 and 13)
• Chapter 20— Zophar’s second discourse (chapter 20)
• Chapter 21 — Job’s answer (chapter 21)

[6] Elihu’s discourse (Job 32:2 — 37:24)

[7] God’s answer to Job (chapters 38 to 42)

[8] Job’s secret sin of pride or self-righteousness (the pronoun “I” appears fifty two times in Job 29)

[9] From the Articles of Faith

Of the True God

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Of the Devil or Satan

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy; the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness - destined however to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

[10] Please review our lessons on God’s holiness and His righteousness and God’s holiness and His love.

[11] Please read Where Was God on Sept. 11? by Dr. Ray Bohlin (Probe Ministries).

Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Materials by David Malick

• An Introduction to the Book of Job
• An Argument of the Book of Job

[2] The Poetical Books, by J. Hampton Keathley, III , Th.M. (also available in Chinese)

[3] The Arrows of the Almighty, by Lehman Strauss, Litt.D., F.R.G.S. (also available in Indonesian)

Sermons on Job (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Living in Light of God's Providence, by Philip G Layton, Gold Country Baptist Church

[2] When All Hell Breaks Loose, by Michael Stark, New Beginnings Baptist Church

[3] Nightmare At The Olympics, by Matt Neace, Jr., First Baptist of Silver Grove, KY

[4] Job-Suffering and Sovereignty Part 1, by Keith Crosby

[5] Investing Talents, by Josh Kelley

[6] Job: Pain & Faith, by Noel Sterne

[7] Trust God anyway - sermon from Job, by David Harp

[8] Sermon illustrations, from bible.org

For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner

Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. (2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.