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INTRODUCTION TO JOB
•Victor Hugo said, “The book of Job is perhaps the
greatest masterpiece of the human mind.”
•Tennyson called it “The greatest poem, whether
of ancient or modern literature.”
•Thomas Carlyle wrote, “I call this book… one of
the grandest things ever written… There is
nothing written, I think, of equal literary merit.”
•Philip Schaff said, “The book of Job rises like a
pyramid in the history of literature, without a
predecessor and without a rival.”
Keywords: Suffering, trials, tested, patience,
trust, and sovereignty of God.
Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; When
He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 28:28And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the
Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is
understanding.' "
Job 37:23 As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him;
He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant
justice; He does not oppress. 24 Therefore men fear
Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of
heart."
Key phrase: “For I know that my redeemer lives”
Key chapter is chapter 42
4 hints that it happed in the patriarchal period:
• The Law of Moses is never referred to.
• Job takes on the role of a priest and offers up
sacrifices for his family.
• Job’s long lifespan is typical of the patriarchs
as he lived another 140 years after God blessed
him.
• The Hebrew word qesiytah, which is translated
as a “piece of money” in Job 42:11 is only used
in reference to the patriarchal period (Gen.
33:19; Jos. 24:32).
• Paul quotes from Job 5:13 in 1 Cor. 3:19 and he
quotes Job again in Rom 11:35.
• James talks about the patience of Job in James
5:11.
• Ezekiel mentions Noah, Daniel, and Job as being
real people (Ezek. 14:14).
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
Brief outline of Job:
1-2 God allows the devil to test Job.
3-31 Job and his 3 friends discuss why he is
suffering.
32-37 Elihu gives his assessment of the situation.
38-41 God speaks and shows His sovereignty.
42 Job humbles himself before the Lord and is
blessed.
The devil tempts Job with a series of loses:
1. He loses all his material possessions.
2. All 10 of his children are killed and many of his
servants.
3. He is given painful boils all over his body.
4. His wife forsakes him and tells him to curse
God and die.
5. He has to endure the false accusations of his 3
friends.
Job 1:21 "Naked I came from my mother's
womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD
gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be
the name of the LORD.“
Job 2:10 You speak as one of the foolish women
speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God,
and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job
did not sin with his lips.
Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust
Him.
3 different areas Job failed:
1. He cursed the day of his birth (Job 3).
2. He doubted God’s justice (Job 7:20; 16:11ff).
3. He became self-righteous in answering his
friends’ false accusations (Job 31:35ff; 33:812).
James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who
endure. You have heard of the perseverance (KJV
patience) of Job and seen the end intended by the
Lord -- that the Lord is very compassionate and
merciful.
Eliphaz was the oldest and he spoke from his
experience. He backed up his arguments by a
supposed vision he received (4:12-21). His
experience had taught him that the innocent do
not suffer like Job (4:7-8).
Bildad was the traditionalist and he drew many of
his arguments from what their forefathers had
searched out. He was more direct than Eliphaz.
He told Job that his words were like a strong
wind and if he was pure and upright, God would
increase his prosperity instead of taking it away
(8:1-3, 6-7).
Zophar is the extremist. He only spoke twice as
where the other 2 friends spoke 3 times. He
accused Job of lying and mocking and said know
therefore that God exacts from you Less than
your iniquity deserves (Job 11:6).
Zophar also asked some great questions such as:
Job 11:7 "Can you search out the deep things of
God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
Elihu was younger than the others and he
remained silent out respect for these older men.
When they finished speaking, he couldn’t wait to
share with them his thoughts. In fact, he felt like
he would burst open if he kept his words to
himself (Job 32:18-19).
First, he rebukes Job’s friends for their lack of
wisdom (32:12-14). He said Job’s sin was his selfrighteousness (33:8-12). He said Job’s pride
caused him to question God’s goodness (34:910). He told him that God would have already
removed his afflictions if it had not been for his
pride, presumption, and wrath (36:16-18).
The purpose of the book:
1. God is all powerful, all knowing, and is worthy
of praise just for being God.
Psalm 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is
worthy to be praised;
2. We do not always understand why we suffer
certain things.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God, to those
who are the called according to His purpose.
3. The importance of endurance and patience.
4. Prepares the way for the coming of the
Messiah.
“Questions are raised, great sobs of agony are
heard, which Jesus alone can answer. The book
takes it place in the testimony of the ages that
there is a blank in the human heart which Jesus
alone can fill.”
The anticipation of Christ:
• Job longed for a mediator (9:33; 33:23) and
Jesus is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).
• Job said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth” (Job
19:25). Jesus is that Redeemer (Lk. 1:68).
• Job asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?”
(Job 14:14).
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from
the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man
came death, by Man also came the resurrection of
the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in
his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward
those who are Christ's at His coming.
Romans 3:24 being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His
blood, through faith, to demonstrate His
righteousness, because in His forbearance God
had passed over the sins that were previously
committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present
time His righteousness, that He might be just and
the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• Jesus suffered like us and therefore He can
sympathize with us (Heb. 4:15).
• Jesus is our redeemer, mediator, intercessor,
and advocate (Eph. 1:7; 1 Tim. 2:1,5; 1 Pet. 1:1819; 1 Jn. 2:1).
• Thanks to Jesus, we can cast all cares on God.
because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7).
• Jesus assures us of eternal life:
John 11:26 "And whoever lives and believes in
Me shall never die.
Job 14:1 "Man who is born of woman Is of few
days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a
flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow
and does not continue.
Job 7:6 "My days are swifter than a weaver's
shuttle,
Job 9:25 "Now my days are swifter than a
runner;
Job 24:22 … no man is sure of life.
Six truths that we learn from this grand book:
1. Satan’s power is inferior to God’s power and
his knowledge is less than God’s knowledge.
2. Suffering is not always the result of sin.
3. The righteous can and do suffer.
4. The ones who are really poor and wretched are
those who reject God and trust in themselves or
things.
Luke 12:15 "Take heed and beware of
covetousness, for one's life does not consist in
the abundance of the things he possesses."
Revelation 3:17 "Because you say, 'I am rich,
have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'
-- and do not know that you are wretched,
miserable, poor, blind, and naked -- 18 "I counsel
you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that
you may be rich; and white garments, that you
may be clothed, that the shame of your
nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your
eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
5. Momentary problems must not turn us from
eternal values.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Even though our outward man is
perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed
day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18
while we do not look at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen. For
the things which are seen are temporary, but
the things which are not seen are eternal.
6. Material possessions and earthly ties do not
endure.
Matthew 6:19 " Do not lay up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21
"For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.