In the story preserved in the book of Job the Lord draws back the curtain of a great man's heart and lets us behold the struggle that took place in his soul as he grappled with one of the universal problems of life__that of suffering without any known cause. When one has lost everything he has__ his possessions, his children, his health which leaves him suffering in excruciating pain__when he loses his wife's support and faith in God's concern, endures the accusations of his friends and becomes an outcast from society, how is he to harmonize this with the providence of an all-wise, all-powerful and loving God? Job cries to his friends for sympathy and help but receives only accusations of being a great sinner who is reaping the just harvest of his sinful life. He cries out to God, seeking an explanation and companionship with Him, but receives only silence as answer to his search and questions.

Probably no one of us has suffered at one time as Job suffered, but each can relate to one or more of the calamities that befell him. Should one or more of these evils fall upon one of us with the same intensity that they fell on Job, would we not raise questions of God's providence and benevolence, especially if we knew not the cause? Job represents the individual, but suppose a series of disasters should fall on a community or nation, or international conditions should become such that all peoples suffer in some measure, even though the cause could or might be known, even then questions would loom large before us. Judah illustrates the broader national problem (II Kings 23-25): their good king was slain in a battle the nation lost with Egypt (23:28-30), and the people became subject to that nation (23:31-35); in 597 B.C. the king of Babylon conquered Judah carrying many into captivity, and the remainder who were left in Judah were made tributary to Babylon (24:10-17). In 587/86 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed, and the remnant was carried to Chaldea (25:1-12). All of this occurred because of sin, yet this was not fully realized by the masses.
Similar experiences, personal or national, raise such questions as how the divine goodness can be compatible with the existing condition of things, and how can we harmonize the harshness of nature and the cruelty inflicted by the brutality of man with the greatness and goodness of God? Does God love; does He care; does He have the power to control His world? In this study of the book of Job we may not find answers to all the questions we raise, but we can learn how to live with existing questions of suffering while maintaining our faith in God.

The book of Job is something of a microcosm of man's efforts to learn and understand the true wisdom with which to meet some of life's struggles and problems. The battle must be fought out in the heart of man. He must endure the pains of physical suffering and the anguish of mental and spiritual grief and despair, grappled with on the ash-heaps of dead and lifeless philosophies and theologies which have become static in the thinking of men. In his effort to learn truth man must endure the physical and mental torture of the struggle; but, also he must have the boldness to think for himself and the courage to face the sneers, ridicule and false charges of the dreamers, the traditionalists and the dogmatic assumptions of the sponsors of error and slaves to the status quo.
Job symbolizes this spirit. It must characterize men of all ages if ultimately we are to arrive at divine truth. The road is not smooth nor the achievement easy. As Job pointed out in the great chapter on wisdom (ch.28), it must be sought for and then dug for in all the remote sections of God's physical, spiritual, and moral world. Even then perfect wisdom cannot be attained by man; it is a possession of God alone. In writing of Jesus, Paul said that “in [Him] are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden”(Col. 2:3); neither wisdom nor knowledge is lying around on the intellectual and spiritual surface any more than precious metal or gems of the physical world. They are to be found by only those willing to count the cost and pay the price; they are acquired only through the crucible and discipline of suffering and effort, enduring the ridicule and opposition of the ignorant and prejudiced. Job and Jesus faced these and set the pattern for meeting them for all time.

Job has long been recognized as one of the world's masterpieces of literature, but for some reason it has not received the study and enthusiasm of Christians that it should. Rather it has been neglected, it has even become a sealed book to many, though it is a part of God's great library and revelation to man. There are many reasons for this; one is the difficulty the western mind has in appreciating and understanding oriental thought, especially when it is expressed in poetry. Furthermore, even when translated by the best scholars, the language of Job may be strange and difficult to the average student (to which class most of us belong).

Another possible reason for this neglect may be the apparent monotony of the book; the speeches appear to be repetitious even to the point of becoming wearisome. However, this may have been intentional; the monotony of a long protracted illness is realized by the poet and skillfully woven into the poem by the speeches themselves. But if one is willing to spend the time and labor necessary to explore this rich field of spiritual wisdom, he will find himself abundantly rewarded for his labor.

DISCUSSION OF THE BOOK

The book falls into the following general divisions:

I. The Prologue, Chs. 1,2.

The prologue is the historical introduction, written in prose, which raises the issues dealt with, and prepares the reader for the discussion that follows. All but one of the eight persons involved in the book are introduced in this section: Job, YHWY, Satan (mentioned only here) Job's wife, and the three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Only Elihu is not introduced; for he is only a bystander until he appears in chapter 32.

II. The body of the poem, - written in poetry, Chs. 3-25

After Job's passionate outburst in which he lamented the day of his birth (ch.3) three cycles of speeches follow in which each of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, spoke in that order, followed by a response from Job, except that at the conclusion of the third cycle Zophar did not respond. In their speeches the friends set forth their view of suffering as God's punishment for sin and their charges against Job as a great sinner. Although Job had no doubt held the same view, the intensity of his suffering and the knowledge of his innocence convinced him that the doctrine was totally false. Job denied their charges and challenged them to prove their charges by producing evidence. They failed to do this; and so in the absence of evidence, Job being conscious of his own innocence and righteousness before God, saw God as his enemy who was punishing him unjustly. In this Job fell into the same error as his friends. They charged Job without any evidence or knowledge whereof they spoke; likewise, Job charged God wrongfully, not knowing whereof he spoke. This is a trap into which all of us can easily fall; it is a danger to be guarded against.

III. Job's final speeches to the friends Chs. 26-31.

In these speeches Job acknowledged the greatness of God, but at the same time defended his own righteousness (chs. 26-27); he delivered a beautiful and impressive eulogy on Wisdom (ch. 28) and closed by recalling his past happiness, expressed again his present wretchedness and made a final protest of his innocence (chs. 29-31).

IV. Elihu's four speeches, Chs. 32-37

Elihu was convinced that he represented youth and fresh ideas. He justified God, pointed out the sins of the friends and Job, presented a new idea and concept of the use of suffering and introduced YHWH. He is the greatest enigma in the book__praised by some writers as truly great and dismissed by others with a wave of the hand. In the commentary we shall try to be fair to him.

V. YHWH's speeches to Job and Job's responses to the Lord, Chs. 38:1 - 42:6..

In these speeches the Lord addressed to Job a series of questions drawn from both the inanimate and animate creation, none of which Job could answer. God's purpose was to impress on the patriarch the fact that if he could not answer questions concerning the creation of which he was a part, he was in no position to sit in judgment on the Creator. Also, God would impress him further that in all of His providence there is purpose; therefore, if in His wonderful creation there was a place for suffering, then it fulfilled a purpose. In his responses Job acknowledged his ignorance and sin.

VI. Epilogue is in prose, 42:7-12

YHWY vindicated and blessed Job and rebuked and forgave the friends. Job now had a perspective of God and His providence that he could never have had apart from the experience through which he just passed. This made him twice as rich materially as before and gave him an insight into and a knowledge of God that is greater in value than physical possessions and is produced only through the refining and purifying fires of suffering.

Date and Authorship

Two factors are considered in determining when Job was written: Dates for the book of Job fall into two categories: the setting in which the patriarch lived, and the date in which the book was written. Data on which to determine the latter are scant and somewhat perplexing; opinions span a difference of over a thousand years from extreme to extreme, seemingly with little chance of reaching unanimity on a definite conclusion. Evidence for the setting in which Job lived is easier; it seems that he lived in patriarchal times, possibly in the period of Abraham and Melchizedek.

That such an historical character as Job lived is verified by two unimpeachable witnesses, Ezekiel of the Old Testament and James of the New Testament. Ezekiel says, "The word of YHWY came unto me saying...though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job,were in [a famine], they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord YWHY" (Eze, 14:14, see also v, 20). God said that Job was a man, as Noah and Daniel, possessing a soul. James introduced him as an example of patience (steadfastness) under trials of suffering (James 5:11). The setting of the book is in the time of the patriarchs when the desert was the home of men and great flocks and herds were their possessions and wealth. The general atmosphere is that of a period when society was not so complex as it later became; however, throughout the book there appear allusions to certain customs and experiences which indicate that its composition was a later date.

Internal evidence for the book itself for a setting during the patriarchal age may be summed up under two headings__negative and positive. Consider first the negative evidence.

1. There is no mention of the law, covenant, priesthood, or rituals which originated at Sinai, but there is revealed a well developed acquaintance with God's moral law with which man lived under from the time of Adam (cf. Rom. 1:19, 20; 2:12-16; 5:12-13, 19-20).

2. There is no reference to a covenant people; the three friends and Elihu are all from outside Palestine and the covenant people of God. The only local geographical term mentioned that falls within the national boundaries is "a Jordon" (40:23).

3. Significantly, no mention is made of the tabernacle, the temple, or the altar of Jerusalem. These all come from a later period.

Viewed from the positive side of the picture, the following indicate the patriarchal background term for the time of Job.

1. Job's large flocks, herds, and great number of servants remind us of the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob__the age of the patriarchs.

2. The Chaldeans and the Sabeans are represented as roving marauders who fell on Job's flocks and herds, carrying them away. Both of these became strong nations later.

3. Job offered sacrifices for his children (1:5), fulfilling a priestly function characteristic of the patriarchal age. In the Epilogue, the friends were to bring their sacrificial animals to Job who would pray for the three men (42:8).

4. Job repudiates the worship of either the sun or the moon (31:26-27). In the days of Abraham, Ur and Haran were noted especially as centers for moon worship. Other than this, idolatry does not appear in the book.

5. A unit of money (kesitah) of unknown value, mentioned in 42:11, occurs only here and in Genesis 43:19f. (repeated in Josh. 24:32), further indicates that Job lived in the patriarchal age.

6. Job's gift of an inheritance to his daughters among their brothers (42:15) adds another argument for the patriarchal period similar to that of the kesitah. In the case of Leah and Rachel (of that age) who had brothers (Gen. 31:1) the two claimed that they were being deprived of "any portion of inheritance" in their father's house (Gen. 31: 14), as though it was custom. Whereas, under the Mosaic law there was no provision for a daughter to claim an inheritance of her father's estate if he had no sons. Following Zelophehad's death, his five daughters were being deprived of their father's inheritance. They brought the case before Moses and Eleazar on the ground that their father "had no son" (Num. 27:3-4); therefore, they hand no brothers. The matter was settled by a word from YHWH (vv. 6-11). The parallel between what Job did and the claim of Leah and Rachel versus the situation under Moses argues for the patriarchal period for Job.

7. The use of Yahweh and Almighty (Shaddai) in the book may be suggestive of the time setting of the book. Yahweh, God's personal name, occurs 32 times in the book; 18 times in the Prologue, 8 in the Epilogue, and only once in the dialogues (12:9). In the YHWH speeches, "Yahweh answered" occurs three times, and " Job answered YAHWEH" two times. The numerous occurrences of the name in the Prologue and Epilogue indicate that a Jew wrote the book, for the name Yahweh would be out of place on the lips of an Edomite or other non-Jew. Whereas the name "the Almighty" (Shaddai) occurs 31 times in the book; it is repeated by the three friends, Job, Elihu, and once by YHWH, but it does not occur in the Prologue or Epilogue. The name "God Almighty" (El Shaddai) occurs 8 times in Genesis; 3 of those in association with the covenant-promise to Abraham (17:1-2), Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 6:3). Some contend that association of "God Almighty" with the covenant promise made to the three Patriarch's and the frequent use of "Almighty" in the body of the book of Job lends credence to the early origin of the story; whereas, the occurrence of "YHWY" in the Prologue and Epilogue point to its later composition by a Jew.

When Written

The date of the writing or composition of the book of Job is unknown. It is placed by scholars from before Noah's flood to the 4th century B.C.; a span of several thousand years. A point to be considered in an effort to solve the problem is that throughout the book there is an atmosphere of peace, affording time for reflection and meditation. There is no indication of hurry, war, or the general pursuits of society in normally balanced times. This has led some to believe that the book was was written in a period of national prosperity such as that of Solomon, others conclude that it was written in a period of prosperity and adversity when the wicked were prospering and the righteous were suffering as in the days of the early writing prophets. The same conditions have lead others to identify the period as the days of the Babylonian captivity; and others date the book as late as the Greek conquest or sometime during the 4th century B.C.. Consideration of a few dates suggested by different writers for the final drafting of the book will reveal the uncertainty of determining a definite date or period.

Rawlinson quotes a commentary by Mill and Lee who advance the theory that Job wrote the book and that Moses discovered the poem while in Midian, added the prologue and epilogue himself and preserved it for his people-a unique view to say the least. Rawlinson's own view is that the book was written "not very long after the Exodus." Canon F. Cook, a writer of the past century after discussing the question at length concluded "The book was written before the promulgation of the law." And it is here we stop with Brother Haliey's comments since his conclusion as well as ours is simply that it is impossible at this time to date the book of Job. We now turn to:

Authorship and Unity

It is at this point that we will abandon Homer Haily's outline and try to summarize. We can save a lot of space and time on this section buy just saying the authorship of Job is anyone's guess. There are endless theories out there that claim that Job is not all one book but several books added together over a period of time. Of course, this like all other theories are but speculation. In specific, the claim is that the "Elihu" speeches have been added. It is my view that they are not. We have the book in its present condition then because others also have the view that the book is one unit.

THE PROLOGUE AND THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING

Job was perfect and upright and one who feared God and turned away from evil (1:1). Why then the suffering? Not only was he a good man he was deeply interested in the welfare of his children since he offered burnt offerings for them (1:5). His goodness was not spasmodic, but habitual (1:5).But here then is a snap shot of what happened to Job.

He suddenly found himself bereft of all his possessions. Even to the point of losing his children and his health. Instead of having great prosperity, he was affected with the loathsome disease of black leprosy (some say, although this can't be proved). He was forced to sit as an outcast in the ashes of the city dump, separated from his friends and loved ones, and suffering excruciating bodily pains. Added to all this there was the humiliating anguish of being reviled by all who passed by. Then to, there was the mental pain caused by simply not having an explanation for why these things happened.

Once again, we must ask the question, why do the righteous suffer? If God is "good" and "wise" why does He allow such things to happen. Behind the scenes in this book there are other questions that lead to the one above. In this case, Satan has asked a question. "Does Job fear God for naught?" That is, does a man serve God only for the pay God gives him? This questions prompts a second related question. "If a man serves God for the pay in it, can God trust the man to serve Him when there is no pay in sight? We realize that from Job's point of view these questions might be asked as so: "Can a man trust God when He is suffering such unexplainable pain as Job was where there is no apparent cause? Can man continue to believe in God's goodness?

In response to the report that his flocks and herds had been killed or stolen and that his ten children had perished in a storm, Job said, "YHWH gave, and YHWH takes away; blessed be the name of YHWY" (1:21). When his friends came to comfort him and saw his condition they sat speechless for seven days (2:13). This silent treatment is a condemnation of Job given what we know about his friends theological position. That is, how can we speak to such a sinner as Job? This leads to five more questions.

1. Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked seem to prosper?

2. Can God trust man to serve Him simply for righteousness sake? That is the problem as propounded by Satan.

3. Can man trust God when his suffering is inexpressible in its intensity?

4. Are Job's friends correct? Is all suffering because of sin? (wrong doing)

5. Is Job's conclusion correct? YHWY gives and YHWH takes away. Man can receive evil at the hand of God (1:21; 2:10).

The Theological Position of the Friends!

Eliphaz

Apparently the oldest and most mature who opens the discussion. Eliphaz gives us his philosophy of suffering based on the ancients. His position may be summed up in a short sentence. It is the wicked who suffer. They suffer because of sin. However, the suffering may be disciplinary. Elihu will develop this line of thought more fully. Eliphaz insisted that if a person turns to God and does what is right his suffering will cease. In the form of a syllogism his position is:

1. All suffering is punishment from God for sin.

2. Although apparently you Job have been a good man, yet you suffer.

3. Therefore, you suffer because you are a great sinner!

In his second speech, Eliphaz even steps up his accusations. His position seems to be as follows:

1. Wicked men shall be cut off speedily.

2. Job, you have been cut off speedily.

3. Therefore, you are a wicked man!

In his third speech, there is no doctrinal change. However, the third speech is more intense yet. Job is charged with "great" wickedness and specific charges are made without a shred of evidence. He urges Job to "confess" his sins and return to God.

Bildad has essentially the same theological position as Eliphaz his elder associate. In his first speech he accuses Job of receiving just punishment for his sins. He then repeats the charges of Eliphaz. In his second speech he does no more than depict the awful lot of sinners.

1. The lot of all sinners is terrible.

2. Job, your lot is terrible.

3. Therefore, you are a terrible sinner.

Zophar is the most direct and harsh. He tells Job that his suffering is not even as great as it should be :

Not only had Job committed sins that brought his all this punishment, Job made it worse by denying he was a sinner!

Job here admits he did things wrong in his youth. The only concession that Zophar makes is found in 20:5.

Aside from their erroneous view that all suffering is punishment from god for sin, Job's friends seem to think that reward for goodness is economic prosperity with the one exception (22:21-30). In this section, Eliphaz sees spiritual blessings coming to Job if he comes to God.

The Position of Job:

From the start to the finish, three points stand out.

1. Job always maintains his integrity. "I am innocent."

2. He is enduring terrible suffering beyond all power to describe.

3. He continues to go back to God as the cause and he can see no other source.

Job is perplexed about his suffering. He blames God for being unmerciful and unjustly hard on him (ch.6). He further charges that there is no moral government in the universe; God makes no distinction between right and wrong. (9:22-24). Job knows that all power belongs to God but God uses that power to further bad as well as good (ch.12). Later Job will see that his accusations about God are unjust.

Beginning in chapter 13 we see a attitude change in Job. He charged the friends with "seeking to shield God with falsehood, affirming that "a godless man shall not come before Him" (v.16).

However, this changed attitude before God raises three more questions.

1. "How many [what] are my iniquities and sins? (v.23)

2. "Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy. (v.24)

3. "Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble? Or will You pursue the dry chaff? (v.25)

Job's friendliness toward God seems to develop from this point on. Job appealed to God to witness on his behalf (16:18 - 17:2) at the same time lamenting his condition. In 19:22-24, this attitude of friendliness reaches a summit when Job becomes confident that God will vindicate him (19:22-24).

Job's Position (contention) reaches a fourth phase.

1. Job is innocent though suffering.

2. God is behind all this suffering.

3. God will vindicate him in his suffering.

Job now proclaims God's greatness and admits that God is beyond the plane of suffering man. In Job's new arguments, he turns his friends ideas on them.

The conclusion of Job may be stated as follows:

1. I am righteous: I have not been convicted of sin.

2. God is all powerful, all wise, all knowing, and good.

3. Therefore, my friends must be wrong and the solution to this is somewhere else.

Throughout this entire ordeal, one can see that Job is disgusted with his friends and yet he treats them in a decent manner. Only once in the story do they make a gesture of friendliness to Job but Job turns from them and appeals to God (ch.19).

As far as the theology of Job's friends, Job has won the debate. The two questions growing out of Satan's challenge to God are answered in chapter one. 1) There is a heartfelt service that men offer to God for righteousness sake. One may questions some of Job's motives at times but his story proves that man can praise and worship God with no immediate reward in sight.

2). Man can trust God. Although we do not understand suffering at times, it is plain that God does not affilict man for no reason at all. The place of Elihu and YHWH speeches will be discussed in chapter 32.