Job

JOB

Why do we suffer? How can a good and mighty God allow good people to suffer? These questions have bothered humans for eons. The Book of Job gave the readers a big picture unknown to the characters in the story. Thus, it gave the readers an answer unknown to the characters within. It tells that God is not obligated to answer humans, though He has a good reason behind any allowed suffering. Trust in the goodness of God is the ultimate stage of divine-human relationship. Faith answers questions by removing the desire of asking.

Historical Contemporary of Moses—an Introduction to Job

Is Job a historical person? If he is, when did he live? Why did tradition attribute the book to Moses? Is there an overlap between the lifetime of Job and Moses? Did they face the similar issue (the suffering of the righteous without apparent reason)? This introduction uses diverse resources, not only from the Bible, but also Egyptology and Jewish Seder Olam, to provide a systematic plausible answer.

The Righteous Are Blessed and Suffer—a Cosmic Picture (Chap 1-2)

The author of Job, apparently by divine inspiration, gave us a big picture of cosmic proportion. God was making a point to Satan, and Job was a pawn on the board. God says that true believers believe because of what God is, not what He does for them. Satan believes otherwise, for the concepts of love, trust, and noble intentions are beyond him. Thus the sufferings began, seemingly random to people, but under control by God.

Why Should I Live—The Opening Statement of Job (Chap 3)

Job gave the opening speech of his dialogue (Chap 3-27) with his friends by cursing the day of his birth and the night of his conception, then lamenting of his misfortune, which came “out of the blue” literally. Basically, he was asking the questions of “Why Should I Live?”, “Who Should I Blame?”, and “What Can I Do?”, the typical questions we would ask when facing adversities.

You Are Punished for Sins! — Eliphaz to Job (Chap 4-5)

Job’s friend Eliphaz represents reason. He gives kind words that strobe Job’s pride, but challenges Job’s confidence on his fear of God and integrity. He asked Job to be patient, consistent, realistic and submissive to God. While his words are 90% true, and some quoted by NT apostles, but the 10% wrong make his whole approach unfit and hurting. Some of his counseling word from personal experience actually sound like from Satan.

Where Was I Wrong? — Job to Eliphaz (Chap 6-7)

In Chap 6, Job defended his speech in Chap 3, saying that God is hurting him, and he wished that God would rather kill him. He wished his friends are reliable and truthfully tell him where he did wrong, but they were so terrified by his lot and they stopped thinking rationally. Under such a situation, Job felt that he had the right to complain. In Chap 7, Job laments that life as a human is already hard in the laboring. The natural desire for rest and the fruit of work had turned into the desire to die for Job, for he had no rest. Life is already short and quick, but he wanted to go into Sheol with no return. He wondered why God put such attention on him, as if looking for fault. He asked God to leave him alone or give him a pardon.

You Must Repent!—Bildad to Job (Chap 8)

Job’s friend Bildad was an emotional person, and he called Job a windbag. Bildad used simplistic reasoning trying to persuade Job to repent, so that he might be restored to his former glory.

I Will Argue My Case!—Job to Bildad (Chap 9-10)

Job recognized that he would not have understanding from his friends, so he would like to argue his case before God. The problem is that God is too holy to humans to stand before Him. Job dreamed of having a mediator to represent him in Heaven.

You Must Shut up!—Zophar to Job (Chap 11)

Job’s friend Zophar was a willful person. He had enough of Job’s excuses, and believed the Job’s was blaspheming, when he implied that God might be unjust. He wanted Job to shut up, and used “enhanced interrogation” techniques to coerce Job to confess and repent. Otherwise, dying would be his good luck.

You Are Wise, huh? —Job to Zohar (Chap 12-14)

Job fought fire with fire. He pointed out that these friends are not the only wise men in the world, for he (Job) knows the system of a moralistic universe just as much. However, the friends are no wiser than the animals, who can see that Job’s sufferings are acts of God. In contrast to the inept human wisdom, God’s wisdom is powerful, just, and scary. The friends are useless physicians, and Job wanted a hearing with God. He warned his friends not to lie for God, for God will not appreciate their partiality for Him. Job is confident that he could win his case, even if his only hope is in a resurrected next life. He prayed that God would stop the heavy hand, and let him speak. He felt mortality coming near, and the lifeless waiting in Sheol is no good for him or God. Job felt the sadness of insignificance, more than pain.

Who Do you Think You Are?—Eliphaz to Job (Chap 15)

Eliphaz started the second round of the dialogue by pointing out that the words of Job are dangerous and condemning himself. He advised Job to be humbler, admitting his nature as a sinner, and personal guilt as the source of his suffering. He painted a traditional picture of the fate of the wicked, implying that Job’s life is a close parallel.

Who Understands Me?—Job to Eliphaz (Chap 16-17)

Job judged his friends as “sorry counselors” who gave nothing but windy words. Job believed in the same system, and could have said the same if they switch places, but he would not do it. He laid the responsibility on God, who blinded the “friends,” who act as beasts and enemies of Job. He maintained his piety and conscience, and cried out for a mediator to represent him before God. He asked God for a pledge to do justice on those who had done evil, as he felt being at the gate of Sheol.

You Are Dangerous!--Bildad to Job (Chap 18)

Bildad Gave a powerful sermon on the fate of the confidence wicked man who finds himself in hell. However. the artistic prowess is misused, because it is wrong in theology and application: The Law of Retribution does not stand without exception in all of its four logical forms, and God testified that Job was righteous.

I Don’t Deserve This!—Job to Bildad (Chap 19)

Job complained that his friends are masterful torturers of his soul. He believed that God is behind the allowing of this torture. God is one who surround Job, and fights against him as an enemy. All is against him, even his own body. He questioned his “friends” why they were not satisfied by his physical suffering, and hated his soul by being convinced of his guilt. Based on two facts, that God is Just and Job is innocent, Job was convinced of the need of a redeemer and resurrection. He warned his “friends” on being erroneous.

You Deserve It!—Zophar to Job
(Chap 20)

Zophar developed the theme of his friend Bildad, describing the fate of the wicked man in hell, He did it artistically and masterfully, and possibly correct. The problem is that he implied Job as the referent, which is totally opposite to the description by God. This showed the bifurcation of human minds due to different perceptions of reality. How should humans find consensus? The four basic questions of philosophy are revisited, and the importance of the testimony of the persecuted is reevaluated.

Your Theory Is Wrong! — Job to Zophar (Chap 21)

Job challenged the system of Moralistic Universe held by his “Friends” as worldview, by pointing out one glaring failure of the system: The promised punishment for the wicked is not fulfilled in reality. The wicked appear to be blessed and happy in this life, their children multiply as their wealth, and even immediately after death, their legacy are carried on by many admirers for their legacy. The system is crap! It is not true, and it cannot comfort the suffering souls.

You Sinned Big!—Eliphaz to Job (Chap 22)

Eliphaz made up his mind that his worldview of a moralistic universe cannot be wrong. Thus Job must have committed big sins, so that he is receiving just retributions from God. Eliphaz swears that he himself would never go the way of the wicked. Then he advised Job for the last time to repent, in order to be restored to glory. The worldview of a machine-like moralistic universe is a crude approximation of the created fallen universe ruled over by a holy and sovereign God. Absolutizing the approximation results in doing evil by “good-will.”

I Will Sue God!—Job to Eliphaz (Chap 23-24)

Like Eliphaz, Job also refused to be listed among the wicked. Since no men listens to him, he has to bring his case to God. He could not find God, but he was confident that God would receive him. He fears God, but he will not stop his effort. In his case, he charges against the powerful wicked, who committed great sins against the weak. But indirectly, the case is also against God. He asks God when He would judge the wicked. Although it seems too long, Job believes that the judgment is only delayed, but not denied. At the end, he prayed “Thy Kingdom Come.”

What Are You, God?— Bildad and Job (Chap 25-26)

In Chap 26, Bildad exalted God as mighty and holy. Comparing to Him, all men are nothing but worms. He was implying that Job should not be so proud, thinking that he could win a case against God in the court of God. In Chap 26, Job did the same. He called his friends men without wisdom, while he exalted God as almighty and the only source of wisdom. Both sides of the debate ended up in accusing the other side assuming self as God.

I Am Not Guilty!—The Closing Statement of Job (Chap 27)

Job concludes the three round of debate by declaring that he swears on his innocence, even though all his friends disbelieve him, and God stripped understanding from him. He believes that God will judge the wicked justly in proportion to their sins. He implied that his great sufferings do not fit his sins, which he took care of by faith and sacrifices. Greater insight, wisdom, and revelation are needed for full understanding.

Only God Is Wise—The Ode to Wisdom (Chap 28)

How Glorious I Was! – Job’s Soliloquy, pt. 1 (Chap 29)

How Pitiful I Am! — Job’s Soliloquy, pt. 2 (Chap 30)

How I Was Wronged! – Job’s Soliloquy, pt.3 (Chap 31)

Y'All Are Wrong_Job (Chap 32-33)

God Is Right Job (Chap 34-35)

Fear God Job (Chap 36-37)

What Do You Know Job (Chap 38)