The Old Testament's Book of Job

The Old Testament's Book of Job is a highly controversial part of the Biblical text. The book of Job is part of the collection of Wisdom Literature, along with Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Like the other Wisdom books Job is primarily composed of poetry. The Book of Job is not simply a story, but a fable, rich with meaning and lessons to be learned. Job attempts to rationalize human suffering and the ways of the Lord. The actual Book in the Bible is for its purpose in teaching us that we must endure what troubles we are given, because it is the will of God. This essay will give a brief outline of the book of Job, and exemplify the issues concerning the lessons of humility, prosperity, and the value of suffering.

Job was a virtuous man who lived in Uz with his seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, and five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred donkeys and many slaves. Each year, he held a feast where Job would have each of his children purified; for fear that they might have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. On the day that the angels came to prove before God, God pointed out to the accusing angel (Satan) how righteous and respectful Job was to Him. Satan claimed that Job's actions and character originated with evil and self-serving motives: Job is so righteous and respectful because he has no reason to act otherwise, but if God were to give him adversity, he would curse the name of the Lord. Satan challenges God to test Job, and unwillingly, God accepts.

On Earth, Job was suffering with misfortune. All his children died of one tragedy or another; his animals were either stolen or struck by lightning. Job did not curse God, he rationalized the act, what God gives, and He can also take away. God boasted to Satan about how faithful and righteous his servant Job was. Again, Satan continued claiming that Job was still faithful and righteous because he had not been affected directly by God's test. He persuades God to test Job once more. This time, Job's health is destroyed in a most terrible form. Job is enclosed in boils from head to toe so badly, that he uses a piece of broken pottery to scratch the dead flesh off with.

Job's faith in the Lord is then tested by his wife, who wondered why he is still so faithful to God. As we all know, the hardest part of faith is to believe when others around you do not, and can persuade you to think that they are right while you are wrong. Still, Job rebuked his wife and refused to sin. Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite. These three friends heard of what happened to Job and came to offer their compassion and grief. After about a week of prayers, Job finally gave in and cursed the day he was born. He wondered why life should be given to a person who requests only death, who has ceased to find any value in life, who has lost all hope of escape from permanent terror and torment. His friends answer him in a succession, the first being the most significant.

Eliphaz answered him first, saying that Job helped others with heartening words but now that the tables are turned, he impatiently gave up. The righteous living that he had in the past should maintain him through his trials now. No man is ever able to have a totally righteous relationship with God; it is a cycle of sin and forgiveness. Job's hatred of discipline is very foolish; During God's lesson of humility he will not change your circumstances and a stubborn refusal to learn from them will result in death. Eliphaz says that Job should look to God for liberation. God does amazing things; He helps those who are hurt and broken but destroys the corrupt. He tells Job to accept God's discipline, he will gain knowledge from it and then God will bless him in many ways. Job still defying his lesson of humility argued that his complaint is reasonable, and if Eliphaz would comprehend his suffering, then he would understand that what God had done to him was wrong. Job does not accept Eliphaz's view that he must have sinned and feels that his speech was out of place for the circumstances. Job wishes God would give him death, so he could die with the comfort that he had remained faithful to God all the way to the end. Job also feels that Eliphaz was unsuccessful in his obligations toward him as a friend, because he doubts Job in his time of need. Job asks Eliphaz to point out his errors, to look at his seriousness and not to accuse him without giving good cause.

Job asks why God treats him like an adversary, why he will not even let sleep ease his pain. Job asks why God is focusing so much interest on him. Even if he did sin, it would not have hurt him in this extreme fashion. Once he dies, it would be too late to do so. Bildad's answers him by saying that God does not alter what is right. Job's children died because of sin. If Job repents, God will not give him death but blessings beyond thoughts. Job believes he is without sin. Job agrees that God does not pervert justice but does not understand how he can demonstrate his righteousness to him. Job speaks of God's power in creation and how he works in catastrophic events. His works are beyond comprehension. These events are all merely the effects of His presence. In all, God does as he pleases, and no enemy can oppose him or even question him. Because of his greatness, Job is helpless to defend