Introduction to Job - Suffering and Seeing God

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Today we begin a new study in the book of Job. There are many “reasons” to stay away from this book of Scripture. Sometimes, people are afraid of this book for fear that somehow suffering and difficulty will attack anyone who gets near it. Others find it long and difficult to understand. And when it is understood, it is against the grain of many of our own philosophies and even our theology. But there is without question a set of themes that must be considered by all believers within its pages. The message of the book of Job is both difficult to understand and critical to effective Christian living.

 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; …

 

I.                    Some introductory thoughts to the Book of Job

a.       Nobody ever names their child Job! To do so would be to seemingly curse their life and invoke a life of tragedy on them.

b.      For something to be called a literary classic, it would need to have 1) Universal appeal 2) Timeless theme 3) Matchless language and 4) A lasting moral. With those criteria before us, the book of Job would unquestionably qualify.

c.       Many literary critics have called the unknown author of the book of Job the “Shakespeare of the Bible”.

d.      Soren Kierkegaard said that the book of Job “must be read with the heart”. It is a book that must not just be read or studied. It is a book that must be experienced.

e.       Suffering is a part of the human condition. All encounter it. It is a timeless issue.

f.        Most suffering, if we were to admit it, is “more than we deserve”.

g.       This book would be nothing more than pessimistic and sometimes cruel for the unsaved mind. But for the person who is saved, it can be seen for what it is in that there is communicated both a God who is transcendent and a God who is personal and gives hope.

h.       The book of Job is more than a book about Job. It is ultimately a book about God.

 

II.                 The Book of Job Itself

a.       Most commentaries on the book of Job are both extremely scholarly and critiquing, or they are intensely personal and experiential.

b.      The book of Job is a part of what is referred to as “Wisdom Literature” in the Bible. There are 5 books of the Bible that have this designation: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

c.       Wisdom, by definition, tends to be rationale, objective, precise, and impersonal. The book of Job is just the opposite. It is passionate, contentious, contradictory, and sometimes very painful.

d.      There are many things that add to the “mystery” of the book of Job:

                                                               i.      The author is unknown. (It could be Job himself, Elihu, Moses, Solomon, or even Ezra)

                                                             ii.      The date of writing is unknown. (It depends on which writer you decide on!)

                                                            iii.      The location is hard to pin down.

                                                           iv.      The place of this book in the Canon of Scripture is sometimes argued.

                                                             v.      The book will not offer a “ready-made” answer to the theme that most believe about its writing: “Why suffering?”

1.      While it will not answer this question directly, it may answer a more important question: With Who and how will the believer suffer?

e.       The major characters in the story:

                                                               i.      God – He is the only One that can offer insight into this story and its implications.

                                                             ii.      Job – Was he a real man? Both Ezekiel 14:14,20 and James 5:11 give evidence to this truth. He is in Uz (Edom / N. Arabia)

                                                            iii.      Satan – This is the enemy. He will accuse Job of only following God because “it pays”.

                                                           iv.      Eliphaz – He is one of the friends of Job and a Temanite, from the city of Teman, a city of Edom.

                                                             v.      Bildad – He is one of the friends of Job and a Shuhite, a descendant of Abraham through Keturah.

                                                           vi.      Zophar – He is one of the friends of Job and a Naamathite, a resident of an unknown location in Edom or Arabia.

                                                          vii.      Elihu – He is a younger friend of Job and another of the counselors in the story.

 

III.               Major Themes to be Explored in the Book of Job

a.       There are a multitude of major themes to be explored in this book:

                                                               i.      The question of faith in a sovereign God.

                                                             ii.      The apparently undeserved suffering of faithful individuals.

                                                            iii.      The fact of an enemy who is constantly against God’s people.

                                                           iv.      Trust and obedience even during the toughest of times.

                                                             v.      Help for the faithful in remembering at all times how small a part of any situation they really see.

                                                           vi.      The enablement of the faithful to support and encourage one another in tenderness and humility.

                                                          vii.      The fact that true comfort is found in God alone.

 

IV.              A  Basic Outline for the Book of Job

a.       Mark Dever says, “We often suffer; we sometimes understand; but we can always trust.” While that is a helpful and brief outline for the book of Job, we will try to offer one that is a bit more detailed.

b.      The Drama of the Book of Job

                                                               i.      Prologue (Chapters 1-2)

                                                             ii.      Dialogues and Monologues (Chapters 3-42:6)

1.      3 cycles of speeches between Job and his friends (Chapters 3-27)

2.      Wisdom poem of Job (Chapter 28)

3.      Job’s concluding remarks (Chapters 29-31)

4.      Elihu’s speeches (Chapters 32-37)

5.      God’s whirlwind speeches (Chapters 38-41)

6.      Job’s response (Chapter 42:1-6)

                                                            iii.      Epilogue (Chapter 42:7-17)

 

V.                 An Application For All Of Us

a.       Job’s journey must include a picture of Jesus.

                                                               i.      Adam is the Man of Sin.

                                                             ii.      Job is the Man of Suffering

                                                            iii.      Jesus Christ is the Man of Salvation. Job’s claims of a distant God are cured in Jesus. Only in Him can see any meaning in suffering. And only in Christ can we ultimately see an ending to suffering!