The book of job and his friends

Then came his comforters, spoken of as jobs comforters. Job with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of job class 2 of 5 job and his friends youtube. After the lord had spoken these words to job, the lord said to eliphazthe temanite. Misfortune befalls job, and, in three cycles of speeches, his three friends give the explanation that this must be punishment from god for his sins, and they urge him to repent. Job was a wealthy but righteous and godfearing man. Outline of the book of job job undergoes testing job 1. Job accuses god of being unjust and not operating the world according to principles of justice, and his friends believe that jobs sin caused his suffering. The book of job reminds us that theologically illiterate communities are unsafe places for people to process brokenness and suffering. The interaction between job and his friends illustrates the painful irony of his situation. The less you know, the more dangerous you are to people in pain. Most of the book tells about job and his friends talking. The book of job, book of hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature. Largely a dialogue between job and his friends, the book of job contains all sorts of wrong advice and incorrect conclusions as they come from the lips of jobs well meaning comforters.

God does not answer their questions about jobs guilt or innocence, but rather speaks about the created order and contrasts what god can do with what humans are able to do. And in his case in particular he was not an enemy of god and had not committed any grievous sin that would set him up for such. And it appears also that the condition for gods restoring job s fortunes was the same. Although the book of job is best known for its story, only three of the 42 chapters are narrative. This summary of the book of job provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of job. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the ketuvim writings.

What did jobs three friends have wrong, and what did they. Although most of the book consists of the words of job and his friends, job himself was not the author. We too presumably know right from wrong, and have some sense of god s ways. The most hurtful comments of jobs friends bible study. The lord restored the fortunes of job, when he had prayed for his friends v. Jan 31, 2020 an excellent characterexposition study of the trial and restoration of job covering the entire book in five classes. Each time i read through the drama of the book of job, some new theme seems to.

Do job s friends respond to his accusations, or are they just trying to shore up their own worldviews. What did jobs three friends have wrong, and what did they have right. Job rejects their inadequate explanation and challenges god to respond chaps. Yet notice the turning point when job began to emerge from his great adversity. But the writer of the book of job is not satisfied to live that way. Three of jobs friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, come to visit him, sitting with job in silence for seven days out of respect for his mourning. At one point job, weary of their unhelpful rhetoric, told them, you are miserable comforters, all of you.

Job s three friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, have historically been known for offering lengthy speeches that resulted in their being condemned by god job 42. Below is a page from my study notes that i have been working on for quite some time. Jan 04, 2010 the lord restored the fortunes of job, when he had prayed for his friends v. The strange way god arranges to forgive desiring god. I am angry with you eliphaz and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me job. How the book of job makes us better friends and better christians. The book of job begins with a prologue job 12, which describes a wager between satan and god, in which satan the adversary bets god that joba particularly pious manwill abandon his piety and curse god if all his wealth and wellbeing are taken away. Now when job s three friends heard of all this evil that was come on him, they came every one from his own place. Apr 22, 2020 job had defended himself all along by saying, contrary to his three friends opinion, that there is good evidence from all over the world that the wicked often prosper and the righteous often suffer 21.

One of the real challenges of preaching job is that its such a long book. William blakes illustrations of the book of job primarily refers to a series of twentytwo engraved prints published 1826 by blake illustrating the biblical book of job. The book of job covers a multitude of themes reflecting the multitude of individual states of the walk of the believer as represented by the children of israel and their history. Jobs friends accuse him of doing evil job 423 bible. Towards the end of the book, jobs friends start to think that job is not good because a lot of bad things are happening to him. Jun 12, 2017 i think that the main topic of job is not suffering. Job accuses god of being unjust and not operating the world according to principles of justice, and his friends believe that job s sin caused his suffering. How the book of job makes us better friends and better. The reason why job suffered is clarified at the beginning of the book. Dec 29, 2016 the most hurtful comments of jobs friends,barry york study from the bible and be encouraged to grow your faith. This time, job is afflicted with horrible skin sores. The book s theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central character, job. God reveals his power and sovereignty to job job 38. Regardless of their motives, they were a great part of jobs trial.

Watch this video to find out why the word of god is reliable and trustworthy. Job is an unlikely candidate because the books message rests on jobs ignorance of the events that occurred in heaven as they were related to his ordeal. Now when jobs three friends heard of all this evil that was come on him, they came every one from his own place. A lesson in friendship from the book of job hodgepodge. My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant job has. My question is, why was god so angry at jobs friends. What wasnt correct in their speeches about him that angered the lord. But then he turns and puts the blame for jobs suffering squarely on job himself. His three friends, eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite and.

Wayne poplin liberty university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for obst 592 by maurice allan smith sr. Job lived one hundred and forty years, seeing four generations of children and grandchildren. The book begins with the description of job as a just and upright man. Aquinas, emboldened by the dispute between job and his friends, treated the book as a quaestio, or debate, the primary mode of learning at the university of paris, where he was a celebrated. An initial theme found early in the book of job is the concept of fair weather friends lacking true loyalty and a thinly veiled jealousy over jobs wealth. Bildad expresses the view of the mutazillitesjob is being tested to receive a greater reward. God rebukes jobs three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. Oct 16, 2014 heres a window to my world of study this is how i organized my attempt to understand jobs friends.

Job actually feels like his reputation has been damaged by his views. Social standing is the last thing taken away from job, and his friends essentially turn on him. Guidelines for understanding and proclaiming the book of job. Jobs friends simply didnt know enough to offer intelligent comfort. The names of his friends are eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. From chapter 4 to 31 job conversed with his three friends, eliphaz, bildad. Intro to job biblica the international bible society. Elihu contends that god punished job to humble him job 32. The most hurtful comments of job s friends,barry york study from the bible and be encouraged to grow your faith. Job passed his test not because his theology was correct, but because he did not reject god even when his theology told him he should. Job came to really know god deeply, not simply to know about him. There are three cycles of jobs friends responding to him. Jobs three friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, have historically been known for offering lengthy speeches that resulted in their being condemned by god job 42.

The poetic section of the book of job, which makes up the majority of the text job 342, is much more theologically ambiguous. It also refers to two earlier sets of watercolours by blake on the same subject 1806 and 1821. Job rebukes his friends for tormenting and insulting him, affirms that god has wronged him, urges his friends to have pity on him, and affirms that god will prove his innocence after his death and judge his friends 19. An excellent characterexposition study of the trial and restoration of job covering the entire book in five classes. If they had spent the time to really get to know him, they. The books theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central. Do jobs friends respond to his accusations, or are they just trying to shore up their own worldviews. It is remarkable that god would not simply accept the. Book of job simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

And why he complimented job in the end contrary to his friends. The rest are poetic discourses from job, his friends, a young bystander, and god himself. His flocks are destroyed, his camels are stolen, his children are killed in a windstorm and his skin is covered with boils. Towards the end of the book, job s friends start to think that job is not good because a lot of bad things are happening to him. At the end of the book, god gives job twice as much wealth as he had before, along with seven sons and three daughters.

Regrettably, jobs friends are not able to endure the mystery of his suffering, so they jump to conclusions about its source. According to maimonides, a superscholarly medieval, guy, each of jobs friends represents a different position on divine providence. Zophar accuses job of insulting him and reminds him that the wicked. Throughout the book, job, his wife, and his friends speculate on why he, an upright man, suffers. Of course, he is human and he did realize his faults at the end of the book, but his reactions to the death and suffering around him just amaze me. His friends apparently did not know and understand job and his relationship with god. What did jobs three friends have wrong, and what did they have.

Gods ways are often a mystery beyond our understanding. Aug 06, 2012 the book of job covers a multitude of themes reflecting the multitude of individual states of the walk of the believer as represented by the children of israel and their history. When jobs friends heard about the things that happened to him they went to comfort him. So it appears that the condition for job s friends to be restored to god was job s forgiving intercession for them. And the l ord restored jobs losses when he prayed for his friends v. The book of job and the paradox of suffering my jewish learning.

When god shows up to set the record straight, providing us with a three chapter climax of this book, he corrects the thinking of both job and his friends chs 3841. Heres a window to my world of study this is how i organized my attempt to understand jobs friends. And it appears also that the condition for gods restoring jobs fortunes was the same. We may be sure that the author was an israelite, since he not job or his friends frequently uses the israelite covenant name for god yahweh. The difference between job and his three friends knowable word. But satan the accuser comes before the lord, and god allows him to test job. Elihu was one of jobs friendsnot one of the three who had come to comfort job at the beginning of the book, but one who arrives later and offers the last and longest single speech to job. Home ask a bible teacher what did jobs friends do wrong. I think that the main topic of job is not suffering.

Rodney kleyn dear radio friends, today we come to our last study in the book of job. So it appears that the condition for jobs friends to be restored to god was jobs forgiving intercession for them. With his three friends job discussed the problem why a righteous god allows that a righteous man has to suffer innocently. William blakes illustrations of the book of job wikipedia. His story has the same basic outline as in the bible, although the three friends are replaced by his brothers, and his wife stays by his side. There were three friends and they came to comfort job. When job s friends heard about the things that happened to him they went to comfort him.

Jobs friends were telling job that he should not say these things about god and that he should repent of this and his wrong doings, which job would not do, but instead knealt and praised god for all his ways and will for man. The first of the three, eliphaz, acknowledges that job has been a source of strength to others job 4. First cycle of speeches 414 objectives in studying this section 1 to examine the counsel of jobs friends, what their observations were, and upon what they based their conclusions regarding jobs suffering 2 to consider jobs response to his friends, how he took their advice, and how he continued to. The book of job demands that we see ourselves in the faces of jobs friends. But we do not know all of gods ways as they apply in all times and places. What was job arguing about with his friends in the book of. The book of job discusses why god allows pain and suffering. The reformed witness hour the blessed end of jobs lifebroadcast date. Job s three friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar were not able to understand these ways of god. Eliphaz the temanite, and bildad the shuhite, and zophar the naamathite. God rebuked jobs friends and told them that job spoke truth, and returned to job double in all that he had. Jobs opening monologue job 3 seen by some scholars as a bridge between the prologue and the dialogues and by others as the beginning of the dialogues, and three cycles of dialogues between job and his three friends job chapters the third cycle is not complete, the expected speech of zophar being replaced by the wisdom poem of. Job showed us a great model of what we should all look like in the face of the storms and tragedies of this life. Our knowledge that jobs punishment is the result of a contest between god and satan contrasts with jobs confusion and his friends lecturing, as they try to understand why job is being punished.