Our Thursday Matters group will be studying the Book of Job via Zoom for a month starting the week of January 27.
Anyone interested in joining the discussion is welcome to participate. Please contact Jim Gisselquist ([email protected]) and he will add your name to the Zoom invitation..
Participants are asked to please read the book of Job before we begin our discussions. We realize this is not an easy task. It is written mostly in Hebrew poetry* (see note below) and many unusual words are used, resulting in various translations and interpretations about what a given verse means.
To understand the “message” of Job, the whole book must be read in its entirety. Individual verses and excerpts will not make sense without the larger context.
Here are some tips and background information to help with your first reading:
- Job is a book about wisdom, as are Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Wisdom literature is usually associated with sages, who are mentioned along with priests and prophets as an important part of Israelite society. Sages, or “the wise,” generally focused on practical aspects of life, whereas priests and prophets dealt with religious and moral concerns. Parents would send a child to a wisdom teacher if their finances allowed.
- Although most of the book consists of the words of Job and his friends, Job himself was not the author. The unknown author was likely an Israelite who had access to a tradition (oral or written) about an ancient righteous man who endured great suffering with remarkable perseverance. Some believe the book may have been written by Moses. Whether Job existed is debatable. The book may have been written to teach a parable. There are three theories about the time of writing: 700 BCE, 550 BCE, and 400-300 BCE. Job apparently lived in the land of Uz, but no one knows where this is. It could be outside of Canaan, near the desert, in Northern Arabia. Uz is sometimes identified with the kingdom of Edom, roughly in the area of modern-day southwestern Jordan and southern Israel. It should be noted that these details and theories do not play a major role in the book or effect its theological message.
- Summary: Job is a good man overwhelmed by sudden calamities. He doesn’t know why. Only the reader knows what is happening in heaven. Three friends visit Job to comfort him, and the four heatedly debate why Job has been so afflicted. Failing to persuade Job, the friends finally fall silent. Job still insists his suffering is unjust and demands redress from God. Elihu appears with more advice, but few new insights. Finally, God himself appears, asks Job questions and shows him the wonder of the natural world. Job’s attitude changes, God rebukes Job’s friends and praises Job, and Job is given double what he originally lost.
- One of the basic tenets of wisdom at the time was that God punishes the wicked and blesses the righteous. Job’s plight of undeserved suffering compels us to ask the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
- Literary structure, specifically the “sandwich structure” of Job, consists of a prologue and epilogue written in prose, and the main body written in poetry. (See note below about Hebrew poetry.)*
- Prologue (Ch. 1-2:13): Job is tested.
- Main body or poetry (Ch. 3-27): Job’s friends arrive; series of dialogue and debate with three cycles of speeches with his three friends.
- Interlude on wisdom (Ch. 28).
- Monologues (Ch. 29-42:6): Job’s call for vindication, Elihu’s speeches, Divine discourses.
- Epilogue (Ch. 42:7-17): God’s verdict and Job’s restoration.
*Notes about Hebrew Poetry
Hebrew poetry is based on parallelism of ideas. Successive lines intensify an idea by repetition or contrast. For example, Job 27:4 says: “my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.” Note the parallelism of lips-tongue; will not say anything-will not utter; and wicked-lies.
As you are reading, look for the gist of a passage, and look for the overall themes in the book. Note what resonates with you, first impressions you had, and reflect on how this applies to your life, either now or in the past. Jot down any questions you would like to discuss during Thursday Matters.