"Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?"
CONTENTS
| Prose | Poetry |
Prose |
| 1 | 3 | 27 | 32 | 38 |
42 |
|
Prologue |
Three "Friends" |
Final Defense |
Elihu |
Yahweh |
Epilogue |
There is clear reason why Job appears with Proverbs and
Ecclesiastes. That of which Solomon wrote with such eloquence, Job lived.
His book is a testimony to the difficulty in applying basic wisdom to every
situation. Before beginning this lesson, review the concepts of basic and
complex wisdom discussion in Lesson 2.
Regarding the historical setting and/or date of writing
of the Book of Job, little can be said with certainty. The setting seems
to be patriarchal (i.e., around the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) in
that there is no mention of the people of Israel, the Exodus, the Law of
Moses, the Kingdom or the Exile. Rather, as is often the case with wisdom
literature, historical and specific geographical data are almost completely
omitted so that the universal principles can be seen more clearly. Perhaps
the original account was passed along orally for several generations and
then set into its poetic verse sometime during the era of wisdom literature
(10th-6th centuries). On the other had, it may have been written by Job
himself at the end of his life. It makes little difference for ones understanding
of the message.
A careful reading of the narrative of Job is important
for understanding the larger poetic portions of the book. What kind of
a man is Job according to the Scripture (Job 1:1, 8)?
The name "Satan" means "adversary."
How does he fulfill this role in Job 1-2?
Summarize the progression of Job's calamity. What happens
in Job 1-2? How does Job's respond?
Three cycles of dialogue take place in this section. Summarize
the counsel given to Job by each of his associates.
Eliphaz (Job 4-5, 15, 22)
Bildad (Job 8, 18, 25)
Zophar (Job 11, 20)
Job's response (Job 6-7, 9-10, 12-14, 16-17, 19, 21, 23-24,
26)
Is there a central theme of Job's counselors? If so, what
is it? How does their message compare with the basic wisdom of Proverbs
(cp. Prov. 3:1-10)? Were they correct in their underlying principles? Were
the principles applied in the right situation?
In Job 27-31 the patriarch defends his position. Compare
this with his replies in the previous section. What is his argument? How
does it compare to proverbial wisdom?
Read the brief narrative (prose) introduction to the speech
of Elihu (32:1-6a). Why did he wait until now to speak? Why does he finally
speak? Do his remarks differ significantly from those of Eliphaz, Bildad,
and Zophar? If so, how?
Notice that Job does not respond to Elihu. Why do you
think this is the case?
The climax of the book is reached in Job's dialogue with
God. Read this section carefully, noting especially Job's replies. Summarize
the main idea in each of the speeches.
Yahweh (38:1--40:2)
Job (40:3-5)
Yahweh (40:6--41:34)
Job' (42:1-6)
The end of the story goes beyond the book's central theme
of complex wisdom, and reaffirms the general principles of basic wisdom.
What two examples are used here? What does the ending (Job 42:7-9; 10-17)
have to say about the relationship between basic and complex wisdom?