T he only good news that we ought to know and remember is that Jesus Christ had already won the war against sin and death. He has made it possible for us to join Him in the afterlife. All we need now to do is accept Him as He is. God is alive today and it may be sometimes be difficult to see this. The world and its demonic nature has still made it look like that only worldly things matter and that the ultimate goal of each one is to achieve their own personal happiness. This is the biggest lie of all, that we should do all to make us happy. Individual happiness at the expense of someone else is the biggest deception of all. The truth is, our lives are never really about us. It is ultimately about God and about others. It is about how you can provide and give joy even at our own expense. This is the model of ultimate and genuine love that Jesus shown us at the cross. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s frie...
The Book of Job is a profound and ancient text within the Old Testament of the Bible, grappling with the perennially challenging question of why righteous people suffer. It tells the story of Job, a wealthy and devout man living in the land of Uz, who is blameless and upright in the eyes of God.
Summary of the Narrative:
The book opens with a scene in heaven where Satan (meaning "accuser" or "adversary" in Hebrew) challenges God, claiming that Job's piety is conditional on his prosperity. Satan argues that if Job's blessings were removed, he would surely curse God. God allows Satan to test Job, but with strict limitations: Satan can afflict Job's possessions and family, but not his person.
In a single day, Job receives news of the loss of all his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and, most tragically, all ten of his children, who are killed when a great wind collapses the house they were in. Despite this immense suffering, Job's faith remains unshaken. He tears his robe, shaves his head, and declares: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21).
Satan, undeterred, returns to God and claims that Job still holds to his integrity because his own life is spared. God permits Satan to strike Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job's wife urges him to "Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9), but Job rebukes her, saying, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10). In all this, Job does not sin with his lips.
Three of Job's friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—come to comfort him. For seven days and seven nights, they sit with him in silence, acknowledging the depth of his suffering.
The bulk of the book consists of a series of dialogues between Job and his three friends. Job laments his birth and wishes he had never been born, expressing his intense suffering and desire for an answer from God. His friends, operating under the traditional belief that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, repeatedly try to convince Job that he must have committed some great sin to deserve such calamity. They offer various arguments:
Eliphaz emphasizes that the wicked reap what they sow and suggests that God corrects those He loves. He believes Job is being punished for hidden sins.
Bildad asserts that God is just and does not pervert justice. He implies that Job's children must have sinned and that Job himself needs to repent.
Zophar is the most harsh, urging Job to confess his iniquity and suggesting that God is punishing him less than he deserves.
Job, however, steadfastly maintains his innocence. He acknowledges God's power and sovereignty but questions His justice in his particular case. He longs for a hearing before God, believing he can present his case and receive an explanation. He expresses profound despair but also unwavering conviction in his blamelessness: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face." (Job 13:15).
A fourth, younger man named Elihu enters the discussion. He critiques both Job and his friends, asserting that God is greater than humans and uses suffering as a means of discipline and purification, rather than solely as punishment. Elihu prepares the way for God's appearance.
Finally, God Himself speaks to Job from a whirlwind. God does not directly answer Job's questions about why he suffered. Instead, He overwhelms Job with a series of rhetorical questions highlighting the vastness of His wisdom, power, and the mysteries of creation. God challenges Job to demonstrate a similar understanding or ability: "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." (Job 38:4). This divine discourse humbles Job, who realizes the limits of his human understanding in the face of God's infinite wisdom. Job responds: "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted... Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." (Job 42:2-3).
The book concludes with God rebuking Job's three friends for not speaking what is right about Him, as Job had. God commands them to offer sacrifices, and Job intercedes on their behalf. God then restores Job's fortunes, doubling his previous possessions, and gives him more children. Job lives a long and fulfilling life.
Notable Quotes and Verses:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)
"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face." (Job 13:15)
"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27)
"The
fear of the LORD—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." (Job 28:28) "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." (Job 38:4)
Historical Facts about the Book's Origin:
The Book of Job is one of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, alongside Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Its precise authorship and date of composition are subjects of scholarly debate, but several theories exist:
Ancient Origins (Patriarchal Period): Some scholars suggest that the core story of Job is very ancient, possibly originating in the patriarchal period (around 2000-1500 BCE) due to its setting in the land of Uz (a non-Israelite land, indicating a universal message) and the customs described, which align with that era. Job's longevity and the use of God's name "El Shaddai" rather than "Yahweh" are also cited as evidence for an early date.
Exilic or Post-Exilic Period (6th-4th Century BCE): Many scholars believe the book as we have it today was likely composed or extensively edited during or after the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE). This period was marked by immense suffering for the Jewish people, prompting deep theological reflection on God's justice and the meaning of suffering. The sophisticated philosophical and literary style of the dialogues suggests a developed intellectual environment. The Aramaic influences in the Hebrew also point to a later date.
Author: The author is anonymous. While Jewish tradition sometimes attributes it to Moses, there is no internal evidence to support this. The author was clearly a brilliant poet and theologian, deeply wrestling with fundamental questions of faith and divine justice.
Genre: The Book of Job is primarily a wisdom poem, characterized by its dramatic dialogues and profound theological arguments. It uses a blend of prose (the prologue and epilogue) and highly intricate Hebrew poetry (the central dialogues). It functions as a "theodicy," an attempt to justify God's ways in the face of evil and suffering, though it ultimately challenges simplistic answers.
Place in the Canon: Its inclusion in the biblical canon speaks to its enduring importance in addressing human suffering and faith. It provides a counterpoint to the more straightforward retribution theology often found elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern thought and even parts of the Old Testament.