This is an ongoing series of essays on the book of Job. Click here to start at the beginning. At the end of each essay there is a link to the next.

Chapter 1 ended with Job blessing the name of the Lord after the brutal destruction and seizure of his children and business property. In this, job showed great discernment and faith. Faith in God and, perhaps, faith in himself. I will speculate some here. In the introduction to Job, I offered evidence that Job was a self-made man. More than one businessman has faced the loss of all things and recovered. Job was the kind that would do it again if at all possible. He probably would have had help. He faced no more than an temporary setback.

It is gratifying to see that Job did not define himself in terms of his wealth. That, of course, is part of being pure, upright, god-fearing, and one who turns from evil. Job defined his life in reference to his God. 

Satan, who had bet that Job would curse the Lord to His face, lost a round. But, then the day came when the court in heaven convened again:

Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, “Where do you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason.” But Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Indeed, a man will give up all that he has to save his life! But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, and he will indeed curse you to your face!” So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, he is in your power; only preserve his life.” (Job 2:1-6,  The Net Bible)

As before, the Lord completely controlled the exchange between Himself and Satan. He initiated the conversation, "Where do you come from?" and channeled the conversation according to His own ends, "Have you considered my servant Job?" The Lord proclaimed the verdict of the test, "He still holds firmly his integrity, so that you you stirred me up to destroy him without reason." The Lord said in effect that Job had blessed rather than curse. There is still no one like him on earth. 

I have already pointed out that the book of Job is, in part, about God's sovereignty. In the first court encounter, Satan asked the Lord to "put forth your hand now and touch all that he has." He did not ask, "Let me put forth my hand and touch all that he has." In this second exchange, the Lord accepts responsibility for destroying Job. The Lord did not say, "even though you destroyed him without cause." This makes perfect sense. If Satan could do nothing without the Lord's permission, then anything the Lord permitted is from the Lord regardless of the mediator. Later on, Job would say:

“It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’ If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?" (Job 9:22-24)

At this point, you should have a better feel for what Job is about. This is why the mainly unread chapters are so important. Was Job correct in his assessment? Is God the source of evil in the world? If so, what does this tell us about God? The dramatic movement in the main section of Job is to raise these questions in their full force.

In any case, once again Satan asked, "Skin for skin! Indeed a man will give up all that he has to save his life! But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, and he will indeed curse you to your face!" Satan asked the Lord to strike Job and the Lord gave Satan the authority to strike. But He again restricted the scope, "Preserve his life." This last bit was highly ironic. As the horrors of the disease gripped him, Job wished and prayed for death to come over and over. Indeed, I can imagine Satan responding to "Preserve his life" saying to himself, "Just what I was thinking."

Poor Satan. These past two days the story of the white witch in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has been popping into my head. In this short novel, the white witch invoked the "deep magic from the dawn of time" by which if she did not have the now repentant Edmund as a human sacrifice, all the land of Narnia would perish. That deep magic was built into Narnia by its Creator-the Emperor Across the Seas. The lion, Aslan, offers himself instead and thereby invoked the "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" by which his death was reversed. By analogy, Satan was all about whether Job could be brought to the point of cursing the Lord to His face. The Lord was interested in deeper things, the unfolding of which will occupy the rest of the book.

So Job lost his health in a horrible way. As Job progresses we get more and more details about his condition:

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted Job with a malignant ulcer from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes. (Job 2:7-8)

But when they gazed intently from a distance but could not recognize him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. (Job 2:12)

My body is clothed with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and festering. (Job 7:5)

My breath is repulsive to my wife; I am loathsome to my brothers. Even youngsters have scorned me; when I get up, they scoff at me. All my closest friends detest me; and those whom I love have turned against me. My bones stick to my skin and my flesh; I have escaped alive with only the skin of my teeth. (Job 19:17-20)

My skin has turned dark on me; my body is hot with fever. (Job 30:30)

Job had that kind of skin disease that excludes you from polite society. Job sat "among ashes" not because that is all that was left of his house. He was outside the city where the citizens burned their trash and dumped their garbage. What ever hope Job might have had for rebuilding his life was gone. The greatest in the east was now the least of all. His wife, eager to move on to new life, was the first to make a suggestion:

Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” But he replied, “You are speaking like one of the godless women would speak! Should we receive what is good from God, and not also receive what is evil?” In all this Job did not sin by what he said. (Job 2:9-10)

Now we can note some subtle change in Job. When he had lost his property and children, he had blessed the name of the Lord. The Hebrew here for Lord is YHWH, God's personal name. It is the Name always used to denote God's covenant relationship with His people. Disease stricken, Job said, "Should we receive what is good from God, and not also what is evil?" He does not appeal to the name. It is the difference between someone referring to me as "Don" or "that man." Job has distanced himself from the Lord. Job spoke correctly maybe even religiously about the new circumstances, but something was happening to his heart. We are told that "Job did not sin by what he said." Somewhat different from saying, "Job did not sin."

The Stage is Set

The greatest man in the east, the one about whom the Lord said, "There is no one like him on earth." has been crushed to the point of death. We know how the Lord views him, but he does not. We know about the exchange between the Lord and Satan. Job does not. The righteous man is suffering in a bad and hopeless way.

However, even knowing the exchange between the Lord and Satan is not especially satisfying. Is the lot of mankind nothing but pawns in a verbal game between two heavenly beings? I do not think so.

For Job, each day was another day of pain without improvement. Perhaps he thought things could not possibly get worse.

He was wrong.

Monday: Three Friends

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Yesterday I wrote of Job's character. The Lord, Himself, declared that there was no one on the face of the earth with the moral character of Job. Furthermore, in terms of status and possessions, Job was the greatest of all the people in the east. These facts drive the message and drama of this book.

No sooner have we met this man, Job, than his fortunes begin to change.

Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord—and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord , “Is it for nothing that Job fears God? Have you not made a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his cattle have increased in the land. But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will indeed curse you to your face!” So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12, The Net Bible)

This is an intriguing passage. In it, we are given information that Job never receives. In particular, we must note that when the Lord later addresses Job (Chapter 38-41), He never mentions this event. As important as this encounter is between God and Satan, it had no bearing on what God wanted to accomplish in Job's life. Indeed, I have concluded that such knowledge would have interfered His purposes.

The sovereignty of God is one of the great themes in Job. Read the above passage carefully. Who initiates and who responds? Who has authority? Who is in control? The answer, of course, is the Lord. From His opening challenge, "Where have you come from?" to His final, "Do not extend your hand against the man himself," the Lord is Master. Some have said that He is drawing out Satan, but I disagree. The Lord is directing Satan towards a conclusion that fits His purposes for Job's life! The Lord asks, "Have you considered my servant Job...," knowing what effect such a question would have. God knew how Satan would respond to this question. God knew and He wanted that response.

Does such a conclusion surprise you? It shouldn't. As the story of Job unfolds, you will see that the Lord saw a small change in the heart of Job and moved to counter it. Satan was His foil for the task. Do not make the mistake of thinking that Satan ruined Job. Look at Satan's request, "But extend your hand and strike everything he has." Satan did not say, "Let me strike everything that Job has." Rather he requested, "Extend your hand." The Lord directed Satan to do the deed, but in chapter 2 assumed all responsibility for the destruction:

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason.” (Job 2:3)

So the first real lesson that we can glean from Job is that God is Sovereign over His creation. He initiated the exchange with Satan and placed strict limits on what Satan could and could not do.

The other lesson, which is hardly obvious now, is that the Lord was acting from a motivation of mercy. If this were not so, this pure, upright, god fearing, turning from evil man would not find final consolation in the words, "I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6) 

Satan challenged, "Is it for nothing that Job fears God? ... strike everything he has, and he will indeed curse you to your face?" Are we to think the Lord so arbitrary that He would accede to such a request without His own higher motives? Did He have any doubts about the outcome? No: the Lord was even at the beginning seeing the end of the book.

But for Job a dark time was about to begin:

Now the day came when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and a messenger came to Job, saying, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing beside them, and the Sabaeans swooped down and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”

While this one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said, “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants—it has consumed them! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”

While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly there came a great wind across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”

Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he fell down to the ground with his face to the ground. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!” In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety. (Job 1:13-22)

The intensity of this onslaught is horrifying. The repeated phrase "While this one was still speaking..." hammers away and we know that Job had no time to comprehend one tragedy before news of the next arrived. The foreshadowing of the line, "Now the day came when his sons and daughters ..." creates a tension all the while we are told of loss after loss. What about the children we ask until we learn that they too have perished. Two of the catastrophes came from bands of men and two came from heaven.

Satan waited for the curse and Job spoke blessing instead. In this we see the moral strength and the faith of Job. He had endured great loss, but blessed the name of the Lord. Smaller men and women have done less.

But the Lord had only just begun His work.

Friday: Appealing the Verdict

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Introductory Matters

Time and Place

The reference, in chapter 1, to Job offering sacrifices for his children tells us that this story occurs before the time of Moses and the Covenant of Law. Isaac's brother Esau had a son named Eliphaz who had a son named Teman. It is possible that Eliphaz the Temanite in the book of Job was a descendent of Esau. It seems reasonable to place the time of the book between the days of Isaac and Esau and the days of Moses.

Job was from the land of Uz. Noah's son Shem had a son named Aram, who lived just west of Assyria. Aram had a son named Uz. This conceivably places the events in Job around the same area. Today this would be somewhere in northeast Lebanon. This is further confirmed by the references to Wadi's which would be found along the trade routes east of the Jordan river. It suggests that Job lived enough north and east to make the eastern route to Egypt shorter than the western route.

Fact or Fiction

Some have conjectured that Job is a fictional work. Some make a big deal at such a thought. I tend to think that the events actually happened, and then composed into an epic using the literary forms of its day. 

But whether the events actually happened or not, my not be that big of a deal. If one looks at the parables of Jesus, we can note that some, like the Good Samaritan, could likely be based on real stories. Others might be made up, such as the pearl in the field or the parable of the vineyard and the owner who went on a trip. Others could go either way, like the prodigal son. The point is, that no one insists that Jesus' stories be from actual events. We understand that he is teaching through the story.

The story of Job is a parable. He is the man who deserved blessings and received devastation. He is the one around whom we can ask the most ancient of questions, "Why do people suffer?" If Job suffered, what hope do we have of escape. It is the unique combination of character and initial blessing that makes Job fit the bill for such a discussion.

I believe that there was a man named Job who was pure, upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil. I believe that the events surrounding his loss of all things happened. But the force of the story is not lessened if Job were made up to drive home spiritual realities that we must all confront.

The Man

The Book of Job begins:

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was pure and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1, The Net Bible) 

There are few people who could be so described: Pure, upright, fearing God, turning away from evil. But this is how we must know Job in order for this book to reveal its message. Not only is this how others knew him, we are very shortly told that this was the Lord's assessment of the man too:

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.” (Job 1:8)

In fact, the Lord lets us know that Job is morally at the top. There is no one on the face of the earth who is his equal. Job, we must understand, is purer, more upright, more God-fearing, and a faster turner than anyone who lived at that time. The events that follow and the lessons that they teach are best understood in the light of this revelation. It will be easy to lose, but you must not lose sight of it. Job never did.

Job was also wealthy:

Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions included seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east. (Job 1:2-3)

We have to see the list of Job's possessions in business terms. Sheep imply the production of wool and dairy products. Camels imply commerce and trade to distant places. Oxen imply a large agricultural enterprise. Donkeys would be used to travel around his estate and to carry supplies. The great household represents his employees, slaves and servants in his day. And thus he was the greatest man in terms of wealth.

Job was Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, and Bill Gates all combined! He had good character and great wealth.

Job was a leader. Later on in the book, he related this aspect of his life before the troubles came:

When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square, the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing; the chief men restrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands; the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. (Job 29:7-10)

Job was a concerned father. His seven sons seem to be grown and live in their own houses. They have either an annual celebration of birthdays or a weekly celebration of meals together. Job's three daughters might be young, since they are not yet married. They also join in the feasting. Job, as the family priest, watches over their spiritual condition.

Now, his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job customarily did this. (Job 1:4-5)

We see that Job's concern for his children is spiritual above all else.

Job may have had a rags-to-riches-story. Elihu spoke to Job about his being delivered from distress to a full table. Elihu could not have spoken these words about Job's future. Therefore, I infer that he is speaking of Job's past:

He delivers the afflicted by their afflictions, he reveals himself to them by their suffering. And surely, he drew you from the mouth of distress, to a wide place, unrestricted, and to the comfort of your table filled with rich food. But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked, judgment and justice take hold of you. (Job 36:15-17)

And so we meet this remarkable man. He had the respect of God and man. He was great in character and in wealth. If ever there was a man who deserved all the blessings from God's hand, it was Job.

Thursday: The Court in Heaven

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There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was pure and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1)

Today is a small post. I am just back from vacation and what I do to make a living is piled quite high. I should be back in full swing tomorrow.

The basic story of Job is familiar to many. Chapters 1 and 2 describe how Job's sufferings came to be, and chapter 42 describes his restoration. A quick scan of the intervening chapters lets us know that Job had three friends who came to visit him in his distress. Reading deeper causes our eyes to glaze over. I can remember the first time that I listened to J. S. Bach's Air of G String. It was boring. How could anyone possibly write music that moved so slowly? All the notes were long and only the scant punctuated pluck of the double bass strings gave any sense of rhythm. You certainly couldn't dance to its strains. Over the years, it has become a favorite and as I listen, I look forward to certain very dramatic and passionate moments. The same is true of Job. It is a very dramatic book, but it moves at the pace of a culture wherein men will sit for seven days saying nothing.

So this series is going to cover all 42 chapters. You will get to know Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu like you never thought possible. You will learn the literary style of the author. You will learn about compassion and the ways of God. In short, Job will become a most valuable book and one that you will be glad to know.

The book of Job is quite possibly the oldest book in the Bible. The events that it records are not the oldest, but the literary forms and its language suggest great age. The Net Bible has these introductory notes:

The Book of Job is one of the major books of wisdom literature in the Bible. But it is a different kind of wisdom. Whereas the Book of Proverbs is a collection of the short wisdom sayings, Job is a thorough analysis of the relationship between suffering and divine justice put in a dramatic poetic form. There are a number of treatises on this subject in the ancient Near East, but none of them are as thorough and masterful as Job. ... While the book has fascinated readers for ages, it is a difficult book, difficult to translate and difficult to study. Most of it is written in poetic parallelism. But it is often very cryptic, it is written with unusual grammatical constructions, and it makes use of a large number of very rare words. All this has led some scholars to question if it was originally written in Hebrew or some other related Semitic dialect or language first. There is no indication of who the author was. It is even possible that the work may have been refined over the years; but there is no evidence for this either. The book uses a variety of genres (laments, hymns, proverbs, and oracles) in the various speeches of the participants. This all adds to the richness of the material. And while it is a poetic drama using cycles of speeches, there is no reason to doubt that the events represented here do not go back to a real situation and preserve the various arguments.

I would encourage you to start reading the book. Tomorrow, I will get into the study proper. Before I leave, I want to offer the following two syllogisms as a clue to understanding logic of Job's friends. Those of you who have studied logic will see through them right away. In any case, I leave them as a simple puzzle which I will answer later:

All men are mortal.
Socrates is a man.
Is Socrates mortal?

All men are mortal.
Aristotle died.
Is Aristotle as man?

Wednesday: Introducing Job.

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