What is the song of Moses found in Ex 15, but rejoicing over deliverance from the oppressive slavery, the guilt, power and presence of revealed sin. And the song of the LAMB found in Rev 15 but that which the victorious over-comers, the Israel of God (1 Cor 10:18; Ro 9:6-8; Gal 3:28,29; 6:14-16) will sing Rev 15:3, in the celebration of the final victorious elimination of selfishness which had raised it’s ugly head in this universe of selfless love. The book of Job is the Master Artist’s canvas upon which He emblematized the controversy in which and from which these victorious songs took, and will take root.
The influential Christian writings of Augustine of Hippo in the 5th century, Martin Luther in the 16th century and Carl Barth in the 20th century on the book of Job, all took as truth the arguments of those in the book of Job that God rejected as truth. Specifically the three friends of Job touting that prosperity represents divine approval and life’s challenges divine punishment. Concepts Christ was still battling when He came, as noted in His illustrative parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Lk 16. Worse, their writings also elevated the arguments of the two interlopers who had further developed these concepts into divine transcendence (beyond human comprehension therefore the necessity of blind, unquestioning faith), divine inscrutability ( meaning incapable of being investigated), and divine sovereignty ( described as freedom from all external concepts of justice ). Thus fostering in humans ambivalence or love-hate emotions for God, and often outright appropriate rejection of such a God.
THE BOOK OF JOB REVISITED Why? For a deeper and clearer picture of our wonderful Creator, Redeemer and Friend.
The Biblical book of Job is the oldest written book of the Bible with its authorship generally attributed to Moses, written in the desert of Midian. Yet it is one of the most under-esteemed pieces of literature mankind is privileged to possess. The book’s body of poetry is bookended or framed in brief prose with seven interlocutors or speakers. Three main interlocutors: God, Job, and the group of three friends, then three mostly hidden voices: a narrator, and two interloping accusers: the Adversary and Elihu, then the shortest contribution by Job’s wife for the total of seven. Here we read a likely real event used as a parable {as Christ commonly used realities as the basis of metaphorical parables in Mt 13:3-9; Lk 10:30-36; 24-30; 31,32; 33}, and here an event used as a metaphorical overview of the great controversy between one who wants to be a god and rule by selfishness and accusations, versus the true God who rules by selflessness and affirmations.
Though Job is the name of the book he is not the actual subject of the book. Job himself becomes a metaphor for humans, specifically humans that appreciate and follow, to the best of their understanding, the selflessness and affirmation governing pattern of their Creator God (Rev. 12:17) trusting Him in that which they don’t understand. The name Job means “hated, unloved or actively hostile against,” see 1 Pe 5:8. Yet the alpha frame story reveals Job was well admired by God (Job 1:8; 2:3). Job who had been responding to God in affirming and trusting admiration as revealed in Job’s compassion to his fellow humans 29:11-17, thus found him also well approved by them (see Job 29:11-25; Lk 2:52) even though they ‘all’ later revealed themselves as fickle Job 19:19. Job is again affirmed by God in the ending frame story. So it was not God nor his compatriots by whom Job was hated. It was the Adversary we’ll find who hated Job and although Job is the central and metaphorical human figure, God is the towering subject and laser focus of the book. Introduced in the beginning frame story with His character both in question and in full display. God’s character is also the focus of the entire poetic body of the book, both in Job’s discussions and in the discussion of his three religious, though more spiritually deceived friends as well as Elihu’s self-elevating angry diatribe. A fuller revealing of God’s knowledge, goodness and authority is seen again in both the ending body of poetry and the ending frame prose. Yes, God, not Job, is the subject and plentitude of the book. As Jesus said to the Pharisees in Jn 5:39 “these are they that testify of Me,” the One who is truely God (see Gen 1:1,18; 1 Jn 1:2).
In the book of Job the character, especially the PATIENT CHARACTER OF GOD is what is on full display. Job is a book revealing the patient gracious character, capability and compassion of God, as of unnumbered orders of magnitude above that of the man named Job. Showing a Creator God’s loving respect for the committed, patiently questioning, real yet metaphorical man as well as his three real yet metaphorical friends – and His grace for all. Read though prayerfully and carefully since the book’s contents demonstrate humans variable lack of full knowledge as well as being immersed in copious deceit, so evil is mixed with good like the tree in the middle of the Genesis’ garden Gen 2: 17.
Job 1:1-3 speaks of a man who is blameless and upright and richly blessed. Just as we, not only before the fall but truly after, with all the unearned benefits revealed in Genesis chapters one and two. A man concerned for others as he mediated for his children, “if perhaps my sons have sinned while blessing God in their hearts” translation mine (see Young’s Literal Translation and Strong”s Concordance word #1280 used here which is translated greater than 300 times as “to bless, give thanks, give praise, extol).
The substance of the beginning frame story begins with the Accuser interloping or invading uninvited into a divine administrative meeting. As the authoritative chairman, the LORD remarkably, graciously recognized, then respectfully asked the interloper about his activities, and when answered, asked with congenial affection if the interloping accuser in his journeyings had noticed a person of interest to Him – Job. Job whom the LORD then declared as blameless, yet who, like the LORD will shortly be revealed as unloved hated and experiencing active hostility against him, thus the name Job. Active hostility against him by the interloping accuser/Adversary/Satan. This vendettist, the fallen angel introduced here in the first two chapters, will then be further disclosed by God in chapters 40 and 41.
Not responding to God’s grace with grace, the adversary, Satan immediately attacked, accusing the LORD of making a rice Christian of Job by over-protection 1:10; 2:4; 3:23; Ps 5:12, then over blessing him, so of course Job would superficially/empty headedly/empty heartedly follow Him merely for benefits . Satan then, via attempted authority and action transference, directed the LORD to do evil ( ie. meaning to or causing harm: thoughts and actions intrinsic only to the Adversary; see Jms 1:16), yes, evil to Job, and then in an attempted prophetic role had Job cursing God to His face. Thus impugning by imputation God’s character, attacking His person, and the integrity of the divine-human relationship! This is the first (Job 1:6-12) of two nearly identical interactions with the accusers repeat intrusion again into a second divine administrative meeting as recorded in 2:3-6. Each revealing unbelievable unveilings of God’s unrelenting, respectful kindness even to one who had and has chosen to be His archenemy ( see back story in Isa 14:4-20 and Ez 28:1-19; Lk 22:31; Jm 1:13 ). God graciously allows Satan’s request each time (as He did in Mk 5:7) yet each time, with grace redirecting the origin of the proposed actions back to Satan, while giving permission to the accuser to carry out his proposed test. The LORD did this having full faith in Job’s commitment to the divine governing and government of selfless, other centered love, while authoritatively drawing a line beyond which permission to the adversary was not granted ( as again noted in places such as Dt 23:5; Dan 3,6). You can read the accusers nefarious actions in the rest of the beginning short frame story. Through it all God gave no railing accusations, recriminations, condemnations, nasty innuendos, judgements or threats – giving a glimpse of the unbelievable, the unimaginable, the unmatchable, respectful, cheerful, kind patience of the Creator God. A God of just kindness Job, in the poetic body of the book fully believed in. Yet that poetic body also revealing Job’s confusion due to a lack of knowledge that created an incomplete and thus confusing understanding of God’s character of compassionate, faithful, selfless love. The book is then also of Job, who becomes a metaphor for fallen, yet potentially trusting humans, working through the myriad of obfuscations and duplicities introduced into this life by the Adversary.
The trickery, deceit and action transfers that Satan had unsuccessfully tried on God we note had been working for him on earth, as Job, unaware of the Adversary and the interactions of chapters 1 and 2, reflexively stated incorrectly, though innocently, “The Lord gave the Lord has taken away, praise be the name of the Lord” Job 1:21. A phrase many have blindly used as truth, denigrating thus misunderstanding the character of God.
Then in the shortest contribution Job’s wife weighs in 2:9. In obvious deep distress as all her world crumbles around her, in tears she encourages Job to throw in the towel. Listen up men. A woman primarily wants security and her greatest security comes when she is her husband’s second love! Yes, second, with his greatest love and loyalty being with his Creator God thus in reality solidifying her security in the relationship ( Gen 2:22-25 defines this relationship by definitive, singular, articles). Though a wife’s advice is often well to be heeded, it should always take second place to one’s divine instruction and loyalty. ( Unlike Adam who rejected his appropriate vertical first love and loyalty, and took the horizontal relationship; or Abraham who in self-centeredness told Pharaoh and later Abimelech that Sara was his sister, then rejected the vertical instructions for his wife’s instructions and took Hagar as a partner necessitating his fourth and more severe test involving Isaac on Mt Moriah, which he passed, thus allowing him to be inducted into the Hebrews 11 hall of faith; or even Jacob who took his mothers advice above being loyal to his vertical relationship.) Job here quietly, respectfully not saying she was, but that she was talking like a foolish woman, maintained and grew his and her commitment, loyalty and love horizontally because of his putting the vertical commitment, loyalty, faith and love first. Yes, true trust in and love for God, first begets, and gives the best option for begetting in the horizontal relationship, a renewing of love and courage. Then they, (“we” 2:10) later produced three of the most beautiful daughters this world has ever seen as attested to in the omega prose plus seven sons. Still Job did not know of the adversary/God interactions of Job chapters 1 and 2 making it plain that it is not God who takes away your mother, father, son or daughter, or is the agent of earthly challenges!
Yet as Job thought, he questioned in growing confusion as he again remembered the reasonableness of the Creator God. The evidence all around him “since the creation of the world” Ro 1:20, revealing that God is a God of sense, communication, wisdom and kindness. Remembering this along with God’s forgiveness and justice, Job’s central question, the human chiastic apex in the book of Job arose: “If not He then who?” 9:24b. Yes, the sovereignty of God, He himself limits, granting freedom in full transparency, and supreme completely sensible wisdom for the ultimate good and freedom of each in all His communications and actions. Throughout the poetic body of the book of Job we see the real and now metaphoric person Job developing a deepening belief in a God of sense, reason and compassion, and a developing belief that God will reveal answers to his questions in satisfactory knowledge and justice. Yet, with the burning question “If not He then who?”
Job does this while his three friends become more settled and strident in each of their three rounds of judgmental accusations (Mt 7:1; Jms 4:12). Accusations based on the theology that temporal prosperity means God approves, and temporal trouble that God disapproves, which opens to the theology, that is more fully developed along with more strident judgmental accusations in the poetic body by the temporal interloper, Elihu. The theology that God is transcendent, unapproachable, incomprehensible, capricious, thus an incoherent tyrant, an autocrat void of mercy, grace, compassion and kindness that needs not, and will not interact with mankind.
The first friend to speak was Eliphaz with his elevation ofextra biblical revelation Job 4:13-16 to accuse Job. (one can see how God views extra biblical revelations in Deut 12:32; Isa 8:20; Rev 22:17) [an example today is seen in spiritualism or any Christian or non-Christian who raises any authority including so called science above that of the divine knowledge given through the Bible]. Then it was Bildad accusing through religious traditionJob 8:8-10, (One can review how God views religious tradition in Mk 7:8,9; Col 2:3) [a current example can be seen in one of the major decisions coming from the Diet of Worms – January to May 1521 – conference convened by the major Christian denomination of the time: a decision to continue to follow tradition in their day of worship instead of the day delineated in the Bible – a tradition still followed by many Christians today]. Then Zophar spoke accusing through the use of reason and logic Job 20:3,4 (one can see how God views human supposed reason and logic in Isa 55:8) [an example can be seen today in the wide acceptance, even in Christianity, of the theory of evolution which treats nature as a volitional creator via the concept of natural selection]. After the third round of their same formulaic picture of God from these three different angles, which in essence are the same as the accuser’s in the beginning frame story, that of piety resulting in prosperity from God, and impiety in wrath, but with increasing stridency and accusations, Job then turned their arguments inside out in his ending speech of Job chapters 26 – 31.
What was Job’s supreme fault in the eyes of his friends? Knowing that: 1) he was innocent via divine justification (forgiveness) and 2) he was sanctified (the heart changed to the character image of God reproduced by the Holy Spirit) as attested by his actions to and for his fellow beings and 3) God is an approachable God of sense and justice. Yet he was steeped to a degree in the same formulaic religion common on earth and could only see through a fog a God who invites, “Come now and let us reason together” Isa 1:18, as He did with Nicodemus in Jn 3:1-21, besides not knowing of the Adversary / Accuser on the prowl.
Elihu, the earthly interloper, the temporal intruder into these conversations, like the accuser Satan who invaded the heavenly meetings in the beginning frame story, then steps into the poetic body of the book (chapters 32 – 37) and he, like the divine meeting interloper, in pugnacious anger (affirmed immediately three times in Job 32:3-5) against Job and Job’s three friends while implying a God of anger, accused them all with many words 32:18; 34:8. Repeating the same formulaic theology, though with much self-centered bluster, and logically developing the given theology to then describe God as transcendent (beyond human comprehension therefore the necessity of blind, unquestioning faith), with divine inscrutability (meaning incapable of being investigated), and divine sovereignty (described as freedom from all external concepts of justice), a capricious, autocratic, uncaring God. He then expresses great fear of God, Job 37:20, and emphatically denies that God will give a hearing to a mere mortal, especially an obvious sinner, in his view, as attested to by Job’s world collapsing around him 37:23 (see Lk 6:37; Ro 3:3,10; 1Co 4:5; Col 2:16).
Elihu’s long speech ending, God directly steps in and gives, what Elihu just denied God would – an audience to Job. God revealing Himself as an attentive listener, a relational friend and a willing communicator with patient trust Ps 119:26b. Then God proceeded to give in chapters 38 & 39 a brilliant poetic display of His knowledge and capability encompassing geology, astronomy, meteorology, zoology as well as continuing care for and of each, implying by and through it all, yes, He’s not too self involved or to busy to know and care about you, Job.
Job bows 42:1-6 saying I’m sorry for my unbelief of your compassionate care for me regardless of my lack of full knowledge, and of that I now need no further answer.
In the ending frame story God affirms Job as He had in the alpha frame story. Affirms him as blameless, even in his searching – “If not he then who?” Job 9:24 – which had not involved doubting nor judgmental accusing. Not so for his accusing and judgmental three friends to whom God had also given a listening audience 42:7. He calls them to repentance from extra Biblical revelations, traditions, human reasoning, logic and judgmental accusations. God, still in knowing trust that Job has a heart like His, affirmed in grace (yes grace was part of God’s character from the beginning) to the three friends that He will answer Job’s future prayer for their forgiveness when they would come to Job in confession and repentance [No hopping over the fence like Formalist and Hypocrisy in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress thus by-passing the wicket-gate of repentance.] Yes “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth” (by God’s attentive listening, grace and mercy and power) “much” Jm 5:16
God by totally ignoring the interloper Elihu’s speech and presence in the ending frame story reduces Elihu’s angry, verbose five chapter accusatory self-elevating contribution and prophetic attempts to less than an asterisk. Yet this is especially where many writers, influential in Christian circles since the fifth century, have in their writings misused the book of Job by elevating as truth the arguments of the alpha prose Accuser that were then echoed by each of the three friends, then of Elihu’s logical developing of them, and yes even in anger, thus wrongly implying a God of anger, as well as capricious, inscrutable and of unquestionable choices. Arguments and attitudes denying the foundation stones in God’s government of selfless love, autonomy, liberty, self-government, non-judgmental affirmations, sense and willingness, even to the inviting of communication in close relational loving friendships (see Ge 2:1-3; 3:8 Isa 1:18). Writers presenting and elevating as bedrock truth what God is revealing as a lie: “the LORD takes away,”1:20 and again, “Shall we approvingly accept good from God and not trouble?” 2:10 ( please note again trouble comes not from the Lord Job 1:6-12; 2:3-6 “Very well he is in your hands,” as re-affirmed again in Ps 37: 7-11). These words Job innocently though wrongly said from his admitted lack of knowledge in, “If not He then who?” Writers thus implying that Christians should be content not to know from, about or why from a supposed capricious autocratic God, thus legitimizing human coercion in the past and in the present and future darkening of spurious Christianity and of all humanity, having put a SPIN ON JOB THAT IS NOT THERE. Yes, many traditional and current interpretations of Job, thus of God’s character, need to be turned on their heads!
In reality the book of Job is all about God – His patience, His concern, His kindness, His care, His knowledge, His desire for communication and fellowship with His creation ( like Nicodemus who found Christ to be more than willing to give an audience, or David who found Him to be a “well proved help in time of trouble Ps 46:1 ESV margin) , His compassion, His faithfulness, His grace, His forgiveness, His character of other-centered, other supportive, selfless faithful love even for fallen human ‘Jobs,’ and his ( in our post Calvary era) Christian friends each working through the slew of duplicitous deceits strewn everywhere by the Adversary of all good Jms 1:17.
Since Job stated he would trust even without full knowledge ( 1:20; 2:10; 6:10; 13:15; 16:19,20; 23:10 ) God chose to answer his pivotal question “If not He then who?” through His response recorded in chapters 40 and 41. There revealing poetically the often missed identity of the Accuser in the great controversy between faithless self-love and faithful selfless-love. The Accuser and adversary introduced by the narrator in the beginning frame story is here revealed further through at least these 15 clues:
40:15 “look at the behemoth which I have made”. Behemoth means “the ultimate creature” who is defined in Isa 14:3-17 and Ezekiel 28:1-19 (vs.12 “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty”.
40:19 “he ranks first among the works of God”. see Ez 28:12,15 (“thou wast perfect in all thy ways” KJV)
“yet his maker can approach him with His sword”. see Gen 3:15; Eph 6:17(“take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God”); Rev 1:16 ( “out of His mouth came a two- edged sword”); 2:12; 19:15; 20:10; Mt 4:4,7,10; Ex 19:8; Eph 9:17; Lk 1:37 (“nothing is impossible with Christ”) Rev 5.
40:21 “he lies hidden..concealed ”. see Job 1:11; 2:4; or Elijah in 1Kings 17:20 ( “O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy…”); and Job 9:24 (“if not He then who?”).
40:23 “he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth”. see Job 41:23
……………..
41:1 “can you pull in the Leviathan with a fishhook”. see the leviathan identified in Isa 27:1 (“the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, leviathan the coiling serpent, he will slay the monster of the sea”) ; Dan 7:11,12; Gen 3:1-4,14; Rev 12:9; 20:2; 1:16; 19:15; Ps 74:14; 104:26.
41:4 “will he speak gentle words?”. see Mt 24:4 (“For many will come in my name, claiming,”I am the Christ”), Ro 16:18 (“by smooth talk and flattery they deceive…) – gentle spoken but fiery false words.
41:9 “any hope of subduing him is false.” see Ex 19:8 “Everything the Lord says we will do” – immediately followed by the golden calf of Ex 32 – in Jn 5:30 Jesus, as a human said, “I by myself can do nothing” and in John 17:23 and 14:10 He asks the Father that He may be in those who choose to be His children, His brothers, metaphorical Jobs, as His Father was in him.
41:19 “ firebrands stream from his mouth”. see Jm 3:6 (“the tongue is a fire”); Jn 8:44 (“the devil…is a liar”)
41:21 “His breath sets coals ablaze…destruction”. see Jn 8:44 (“the father of lies”)
41:22 “strength resides in his neck” see Jer 17:23 & 19:15 they were (“stiff-necked” repeated 19 times in scripture). Jn 8:44 (“you are like your father the devil”);
41:24 “His chest was hard…” see Ez 11:19 (“the sovereign LORD says, ‘I will remove their heart of stone”). 2 Ch 36:13 (“stiff-necked and heard of heart”).
41:31 “He makes the depths churn like a boiling cauldron.” The depths, seas, prophetically commonly represents people as in Rev 17:1. “Churn” see Mt 24:5,11,24; Mk 13:6 ( “many will come in my name claiming ‘I am he’”), verse12 (…”children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death”) : Mt 24:6,7 (“wars and rumors of wars”) – churning.
41:32 “one would think the deep had white hair” see Isa 14:14 (“I will make myself like the most high”); Dan 7:9; Rev 1:14 (“ His …hair was white like wool, as white as snow”)
41:33 “nothing on earth is his equal” ( Yes, only by Christ’s forgiveness and “Christ in us” is there any hope Col 1:27.)
41:34 “He is king over all that are proud” see Ez 28:2; 2Ch 26:16 (“ his pride was his downfall”); Ez 28:17 (“In the pride of your heart you say, “I am god”); Jm 4:6; Gen 3:5.
The book of Job: revealing the care, kindness, grace and patience of God: with the Adversary, yes, and with ignorant, yet trusting Jobs, and yes, even with more completely deceived and judgmental humans (the three friends), as well as Elihus given all the blessings of creation plus the freedom of choice. Its also about the Adversary who was first introduced in Gen chapters 2&3, and is here further revealed in Job chapters 1&2, 40&41, his past history to be revealed in Isa 14 and Ezekiel 28, his actions opened up in Dan 7 & 8, illustrated in Zech 3, then succinctly unveiled by Christ in Jn 8:44 Lk 10:18; 11:14-25 who identified him as “the father of lies,” and who then is then fully exposed in the book Revelation chapters 5-20, then removed in Rev 20:10.
The real man Job becomes a metaphor for earthly fallen humans who have trusted Christ here on this earth by asking Christ both to forgive and to be in them as described in Jn 14:10; 17:23 &1 Col 1:27. Bringing them back, here on this earth Job 29:12-17, into the image and likeness of God in which they were originally created in Gen 1:26,27 – His kindness, mercy, goodness, gentleness grace, purity and patience bound together by His other-centered love. Thus making them of greater value to their fellow mankind and all creation. Yes, “this calls for patience endurance” Rev 13:10 in our battle with evil and evil’s deceits and even in the daily challenges of earthly life converting emotions such as Rebekah and Isaac’s of distress and bitterness to the behaviors of Judith, their daughter in law, Gen 26:34,35, to emotions more akin to Abraham’s patient response seen in Gen 26:19 -21. God will work in us, if we ask creating the “cheerful patient endurance on the part of the saints”14:12. [“Saints” being sinners who have focused their eyes upon Jesus and placed their feet on the upward path thus allowing Him to work in them both to will and to do His good pleasure Phip 2:13. His good pleasure which is forever and always for our best good Lev 25:18; Dt 4:40; 5:33; 6:24; 10:13.] He is attentively listening and responding, and He is just, with deep, unrelenting, unbroken, faithful respect for each individual, yes in graciousness even to the Accuser, and giving individual freedom to all. Eventually graciously giving each and all their final freely chosen, and just, rewards. The rewards of our individually freely earned wages, or our freely chosen acceptance of His gift here of Eternal Life in us Ro 6:23 ; Jn 10:28; 1Jn 5:11,12,20, thus life eternal Jn 6:54 with Him forever!
Some may ask about the final end of Elihu. All humans are given more than adequate chance to make right choices and are held accountable only for what has been their opportunity to know. Elihu not only accused, as Job’s friends did, but with much self focus and exaltation ( I, me, my, mine x 49 in the first 209 verses), and like the adversarial Accuser in the alpha frame story expressed his anger (4 x in 32:2-5); condemned Job (32:3; 34:7,8); falsely claiming God moves away from man (32:13, see Ps 23:6); claiming God to be angry** (35:15; 36:33); accused Job of sinning (34:35,36); claimed that it’s God who takes life ( 32:22, see Job 1: 11,12; 2: 5,6; Jn 10:10); along with asking “God to have no patience with a man so perverse” (34:36 Knox); that humans “can not understand” (Bas), “is beyond our minds” (Mof), “can not comprehend God”, “He doth not answer” (YLT) 34:36 (again note Isa 1:18)! It would appear God will allow metaphorical Elihus’ to collect their wages earned from the Adversary’s service in sharing, as the Adversary desires, in the Adversary’s fate (Rev 20:15) “prepared for the devil and his angels”(Mt 25:41; Rev 19:11-16). Yes, “His Maker can approach him” (behemoth/leviathan) “with His sword” Job 40:19 (capitalization and bold mine)!
The book of Job revealing the unparalleled patience of our Creator God, which was illustrated again by Christ in Lk 15;11 in the parable of the patient, loving father with the two erring sons. Then the unspeakable, unmatchable reality of patient, cheerful endurance of the Christ durning His mock trial, on the cross suffering abuse and insult at the hands of the beings He had created and sustained and for whom He was making an infinite sacrifice to be able to offer them, – you and I – past, present and future, a second chance. A patience He calls and enables us too, “Here is the patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints” Rev 14:12.
Job, the most ancient book of the Bible, a book, about the character of God and His grace and mercy and freedom to a real yet metaphorical man, and real yet metaphorical men, and even to ones who have chosen to be His enemies. Also a revelation of the Adversary, Accuser, Satan the enemy of all good, and exhibiting the mixed knowledge of the proscribed tree. A call to admire, trust, desire and adopt the character of our Creator God the LORD which would be more fully revealed in Jesus the Christ. If you hang in there like Job, better times are coming. God will, even if not in this first life, make up for the years the locust have stolen! Joel 2:25.
“All scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable…” 2 Timothy 3:16 – even it’s first book written.
[ Interesting side notes:
1) In English, by far the most widely used language this world has had since before the tower of Babel (Gen 11:6,7), the transliteration from Hebrew of the name of the land in which Job lived, Uz, Job 1:1 is pronounced – Us, as in we.
2) “The people of the East” (1:3), implies fallen humans – those who were sent east from the garden of Eden Gen 3:20; and those sent further East like Cain 4:16; Solomon was wiser than all the sons of the east 1Ki 4:30; and to the new born King, wise men came (not from His people) but from the East Mt 2:1,2; falsity and evil reside in the east in Isa 11:13,14; and soon Jesus comes from the East as theevil conquering; past, present and future – Son of Man as well as Son of God.
3) Job’s question of “If not He then who?” is a predecessor and close relative to the Son of God’s, “ My God, MY God, why have you forsaken me” of Mt 27;46. Both grew out of observing and experiencing an Adversary originated deceitful apparent reality picture that appeared to be the obvious, yet they held unto and trusted what and who they knew to be the true One who is compassionate, and out of who’s heart originates and flows selfless love – a trustworthy Divine Parent. They, Job and Jesus endured and held onto trust that was grounded in evidence, where Eve and Adam and multitudes after them did not, have-not, and do not. Keeping in mind that winners, even in secular matters, are often not the initial fastest or smartest, but the ones who have endured. Realizing to question, as did Peter, “What shall be the end of them that obey (believe/trust) not” (Strong”s) 1 Pe 4:17 see also Isa 41:22? King Solomon revealed the end Peter alluded too, “The ends thereof are the ways of death,” Pr 14:12. Christ while on earth made it plain that, “he that endures to the end shall be saved” Mt 16:22. Yes, believe in the LORD Jesus Christ. Endure in the knowledge of His: revealed concern, His compassion, His grace, His kindness, His mercy, His faithfulness, His goodness, His truthfulness, His perseverance, His knowledge, His self-control, His humility, His selfless love and yet His justice – to the end! Stand like a Job, like a Daniel, like a Caleb or a Joshua, and like the man of Ephesians 6: 10 – 26 who,“having done all to stand firm.” Here is the patience of the saints…that keep the instructions of God and faith in/of Jesus, see Rev 14:12 {translation mine]
>Quoted Biblical texts taken from the common NIV unless otherwise noted.
**Further thoughts on God’s anger at: excogitations.net at “Thoughts on Christianity”: scroll down to “God’s Anger/Wrath is:” and again further to “Another short look at the ancient question of what is the anger/wrath/vengeance of God? A reality, yes, but one that possesses emotions that are 180 degrees from the human emotion of anger Jm 1:20!
LIFE EXCOGITATIONS 