The Book of Job

The Book of Job

The Book of Job has been praised but also neglected all at the same time. Its literary work is written in a poetry sense with a prose format and considered one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time. The Book of Job is one of first book of five generally called "The Books of Poetry", which contain Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. The Book of Job is written in the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible and the main theme that is seeks out is "Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?" First of all I will be talking about the origins and history of the book, and then I will give a brief summary on the story and theme of what the Book of Job is addressing. I will then be breaking down, in detail, the book into five parts: the prologue, the symposium, the speeches of Elihu, the nature poems, and the epilogue. Furthermore, I will try to interpret the message that that author was trying to convey and with the issue of Eudemonism. I will also explain the critics' point of view on the book and why there is such ambiguity about the book.

The authorship of the Book of Job is oftentimes debated; the Jewish religion credits the book to Moses whereas other scholars suggest Job, Elihu, Solomon, Isaiah, Hezekiah, and Baruch. Since the author is unknown, the period that it was written in is also highly debated. Some say that it was written before Moses (1500 BC), others suggest a period around the time of Solomon (900 BC) and even as late as the Babylonian Exile (600 BC). There are many factors in proving that the events in this book are true such as the style of narrative which was written matches that of other biblical narratives of its kind. Job is also written about in Ezekiel 14:14 and mentioned as an example of perseverance in James 5:11. The events in the book give the impression that it occurred during the "Patriarchal" period, an era between Noah and Moses, although it does not mention the Law of Moses or the flood.

Job was a wealthy man that lived in the land of Uz. He was a righteous man and worshiped God wholeheartedly and turned away from evil. Job had everything he could ever want, seven sons and three daughters, and a field full of livestock which included seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen and five hundred she-asses. He loved and respected God but also feared him as well. One day Satan came before God and says that he can make God's greatest servant, Job, curse God's name and the only reason why Job feared God was because God had blessed him with everything. So God made this deal with Satan stating that he can do anything to Job, besides harming him, and he still will not curse God's name. Satan agreed and took off on his quest to destroy everything that Job had loved. Satan sent Sabeans to steal all his livestock and conjured up a tornado to wipe out his house along with his seven sons and three daughters. Job was in deep agony but still he did not curse God and continued to worship him wholeheartedly. So Satan came before God once more and made another deal with him, stating that he would curse God if job himself was harmed. So God agreed and Satan strikes Job with painful boils all over his body. Job's wife had lost all faith in God and told him to curse God and kill himself. However, Job remained faithful and still continued to praise God. Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to comfort Job through this time of disaster but did not recognize him because of the boils that had covered his entire body. They sat there for seven days and night without saying a word to him because they were overwhelmed by his grief and suffering. Job finally speaks after the seven days and nights, cursing the day his was born and also the night of his conception, but does not sputter a word of blame on God. He questions suffering and even death and why life is given to those who have to suffer. His friends finally speak and say that God causes suffering only to those who have sinned and Job must repent to end his suffering. Job disagrees and challenges his friends to where he has sinned, for he has lived a righteous life. They then say that God is just and that his sons and daughters had died because of their own sins. Then God appears before Job and curses him asking why he was not there when he created the world or why he isn't omnipotent. God goes on about how Job dares question God's power, wisdom and decisions. God continues to pound him with questions and Job apologizes for questioning God and finally repents to God. God then addresses Job's three friends and tells them that they have angered God and they have to offer seven bulls and seven rams to clear their wrongdoings against God. After all the repenting and prayers, God then gives back all of Job's losses, blessing him with twice the number of livestock he had before and blessing Job with seven sons and three daughters. Job goes on to live joyously for another 140 years before dying.

The prologue of the book, set in prose style, is made up of chapters one and two with the introduction of Job and his family and how successful he is and that he is blessed by God wonderfully. It goes into Job's first test which Satan presents himself before the lord. God said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8). This is when Satan puts up the challenge for God saying, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has...But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face" (Job 1:10). God, confident in his faithful servant, accepts Satan's challenge and says, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger" (Job 1:12). Satan leaves the God and sets off to wreck havoc on Job and his fruitful life. Four messengers came to Job at separate times and told him of the disasters that had happened to his sheep and camels, and of his dead servants, and of the mighty wind that struck the house that his sons and daughters were feasting killing them all (Job 1:14-1:19). Upon hearing the news of his lost loved ones, Job tore off his clothes and shaved his head and worshiped God, " The lord gave and the Lord taken away; may the name of the Lord be Praised (Job 1:21). " In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 1:22). In the second chapter, the meeting between Satan and God for the second time yields that exact same conversation as in the first meeting but this time Satan proclaims, "Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for