Title: The Hebrew word, ‘Iyyob', has two possible meanings; persecution, or persecuted one. The Greek and Latin title is, ‘Iob', and the English is, ‘Job'.

Date: Regardless of when Job was written (pre-Mosaic – or Babylonian captivity, as no date can be proven beyond a doubt), Job was a real person! He lived during the Patriarchal dispensation.

 

Theme: The proving of genuine devotion to God, regardless of circumstances.

No comprehensive answer is given to the problem of suffering, except that the righteous suffer right alongside the un-righteous, thus suffering is not a condition of devotion, but devotion is that which delivers one in the end. Ezekiel; who is the only Old Testament author to mention Job, draws on Job as an example of this very issue (as well as Noah and Daniel), note:

Ezekiel 14:13-14 "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord God .”

Ezekiel 14:19-20 "Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord God , "they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."

 

Outline:

 I. Introductory historical section – Chap.1 - 2 .

 II. Moral and religious discourses – 3:1 - 42:6 .

•  Discourses between Job and his friends – 3:1 - 31:40 .

•  First dialogue – 3:1 - 14:22 .

•  Second dialogue – 15:1 - 21:34 .

•  Third dialogue – 22:1 - 31:40 .

•  Harangue of Elihu – Chap.32 - 37 .

•  Discourse of Jehovah – Chap.38 - 41 .

•  Short speech of Job – 42:1-6 .

The book of Job answers some of the most complicated and difficult questions of life!

•  Is there such a thing as disinterested goodness?

•  On what grounds are prosperity and adversity distributed?

•  Is there anything beyond death?

•  Can a man be just before God?

•  Is it within a man's power to know God?

•  Can a man find devotion beyond the distraction of pain and despair?

 

GOOD READING !