The nature of god in the book of job

The book of job is gods timeless illustration of human suffering, and author ray stedman helps you find fresh truths and encouragement in the midst of your own trials and helps put them into perspectivegods perspectiveto guide you toward healing and peace. Dec 17, 2019 the book of job is often upheld as an example of godly patience while suffering. At the end of the book, god gives job twice as much wealth as he had before, along with seven sons and three daughters. He wanted explanations to things for which he had no answers. By means of some thirty rhetorical questions, the lord challenges job to try to comprehend the exclusive realm of the divine. Job s story invites us to consider what it means that god runs the world by wisdom, and how this truth can bring peace in dark times. All through this book job has been crying out of his pain, his bewilderment, and his tortured heart for an interview with god, asking god to explain what is happening to him, hoping that he could come before him and ask him some questions about what is going on. Can a favored, righteous person hold on to their faith in god when things go wrong. The book of job showed us that humility before both god and men is always necessary. Introduction jungs relationship with religion was influenced by the conflict he experienced in his relationship with his strictly religious, authoritative father, as well as the issues he had with the christian church of his time. The god that job had heard about from tradition is different from the god he experiences.

Literary features of the book of job gordon college. Talking about god is devoted to an elaboration of the nature of god in the book of job. However, job believes in god, and job accepts god s deeds. Pdf the character of god in the book of job hebrew. I counted 66 question marks, so there are at least 66 questions. God rebukes jobs three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. He had an adequate and appropriate theology, but was still mystified about gods ways. The nature of god gleanings series arthur pink and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.

Job is the last of the three books that explore these themes. God asks questions about cosmic nature and job gains insight into human nature. The name job is the english translation of the hebrew name iyov which means persecuted, hated on the surface job is a long, boring, somewhat confusing book and one might question how it ever came to be grouped with the wisdom books as it is hard to ascertain any wisdom in this tale of woe. Whatever view we have of the nature of gods creation both before and after the fall the book of job should provide part of the data.

The book of job is an obvious place to turn when a christian suffers, but it is not easy to discern what god means to teach his people through this difficult book. This is the theological and ethical question being explored in the poetic dialogues to follow in job 327. The book of job teaches us that god is sovereign and god has power over what satan can and cannot do. Once you understand what this verse implies, it should become one of the most profound statements in the entire bible to you, perhaps even changing the way you view life. Job also realizes at this point that god has never given him a hearing, or at least told job why he lost everything.

There are no references to the law of moses, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the judges or kings, etc. By thoroughly examining the crucial problem of job 42. The book of job discusses why god allows pain and suffering. The final voice god s asks the great questions about nature not purely to rouse into selfawareness job s, or our own, lack of understanding, but as an invitation towards transforming it in encounter with wisdom. At the same time, it also asks the question we rarely. Job remonstrates with god, challenging him to explain, as if in a court of law, what transgressions should have merited his severe punishment. In fact, god is silent on the question of divine justice. Jan 10, 2008 god asks questions about cosmic nature and job gains insight into human nature. 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. God was also putting job to grief, not because he was unrighteous or sinned, but to serve purposes known only to god that would glorify him foreverespecially for all who read this book. In the book of job, figures of speech using nature and.

God reminds him that the world has order and beauty but is also wild and dangerous. It is sovereign, it blows where it will, and except a man be. Nature and theodicy in the book of job balboa software. Job explores the difficult question of god s relationship to human suffering, and invites us to trust god s wisdom and character. The creation theme in genesis 1, psalm 104 and job 3842.

Satan then said that job would curse god if everything he had was taken away. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a rich theological work setting out a variety of perspectives. I wasnt sure, and couldnt find a definitive answerso i did a little homework. The book of job is not only the finest expression of the hebrew poetic genius. A graphic account of creation constitutes the bulk of the last four chapters of the book of job.

Jun 07, 2012 creation, according to god as told to job. It teaches humility as god reminds job who is really in control, steadfastness as job refuses to curse god despite his circumstances, and joy and reward when the latter part of. At last, god fulfills jobs desire for a facetoface encounter. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the ketuvim writings. The point of the book of job is to teach us that the mystery of evil is a mystery of a wartorn and unfathomably complex creation, not the mystery of god s allcontrolling will. The book of job is often upheld as an example of godly patience while suffering. What are two aspects of god revealed by the testimony of the. This book tells a story of job who is loyal and obedient to god but has to go through much suffering. Five truths for sufferers from the book of job the gospel. The books theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central. In one day, then, job lost all his material possessions. The book of job is one of the first documents in history to concentrate solely on how a just gd can allow the suffering of innocents. Creation theology in the book of job america magazine.

The book of job, book of hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature. The book of job introduces us to a man who, by gods own admission, is blameless and upright and who suffers for no reason job 2. Consequently it can be concluded that the book of job is a mixed genre in which its author expertly blended a variety of literary types in order to serve the function of the book. God s point to job is that yes, you feel pain, you experience the laws of physics, you live in nature. If so then this direct conversation with god could lead to learning about the inner workings of the job story. Mccann says, by its rejection of the traditional theory of retribution, the book of. If you truly want to get a glimpse into the nature of god, you need look no further than exodus 3. Even after we have gained much knowledge, we have to be careful how we use that knowledge, and how it makes us. At last, god fulfills job s desire for a facetoface encounter. Job was not able to answer a single question not one. Some of the hebrew prophets attempted to deal with this question insofar as it affected the nation as a whole, but the writer of the book of job deals with it on an individual basis. By its conclusion, the true subject of the book emerges. He asks god twice in the book for a presentation of the basis of the ill fortune that he received.

At its beginning, job seems to be a book about human suffering. Now there was a day a certain time appointed by god. The book of job has a strong sense of god s pleasure and delight in nature. Now we know that the god of the frame story and the god of the poetic narrative are pretty different figures. In a conversation with satan, god argues that such a person can indeed persevere, and points out his servant job as an example. Even after we have gained much knowledge, we have to be careful how we use that knowledge, and how it makes us, that is, do we stay humble or do we become arrogant. But this story is about more than just mass destruction. What are two aspects of god revealed by the testimony of. The human author of book of job i believe received a vision and overheard a conversation and through gods grace gave him the wisdom to write the inspiration for purpose of stating that all the action of satan are subject to divine providence. Sep 09, 2012 the book of job is a part of the old testament. It is regarded as one of jungs most controversial works.

Job certainly did suffer, but there is more to his story than just his suffering. The new element in the second cycle is that elihus speech is interrupted by the dramatic appearance of god himself job 38. The book of job tells how one man suddenly awakened to the anarchy rampant in the world, yet his attachment to god outlived the ruin of his tidy system. Job prays for gods forgiveness of them and god accepts his prayer. In answer to job, jung projects his inner conflict around religion and suffering onto the core nature of god. 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.

Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a. Although job was unaware of the interaction between satan and god, job comes to the conclusion that god is just and good. Reflections on suffering from the book of job 3 undeserved suffering, therefore, serves as a dependable, useful model12 for the believer of any generation in dealing with the problem of theodicy. He is author of a great number of books including the ability of god, gleanings in exodus, and the nature of god. Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge. God rebukes job s three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. In the midst of his unexplainable suffering, he called out to god for answers to his prayers. In the books first cycle, jobs friends speeches were halted by the revelation of gods wisdom.

In answer to job, jung demonstrates his indepth knowledge of the bible. Given how christians are yet inclined to look for a divine reason behind catastrophes and personal tragedies, i think its a point we have yet to learn. Final form of the book of psalms, the entire bible, in wisdom you are my sister. God then allows satan to visit terrible trials upon job to test him. The book of job has inspired much commentary about its presentation of the problem of evil, which is the question of how a god that is allegedly 1 allpowerful, 2 allgood, and 3 allknowing. He is not a god of justice but of absolute power, arbitrary and unaccountable to humans. When job says, though he slay me, yet will i trust in him. The wonders of creation that are paraded before job were not unknown to him before this extraordinary revelation. In the book s first cycle, job s friends speeches were halted by the revelation of god s wisdom. In fact one of them claims he heard what appears to be a demonic voice job 4. Is god to be held to a strict set of regulations based on human interpretations of his relationship with mankind. Set in uz, an obscure land far from israel, during an unknown time period, the book of job focuses on questions about god s justice and why good people suffer.

As a whole, the book appears to have been written as a direct challenge to the timehonored doctrine that people are rewarded or punished according to their merits. But the question of god s justice is central to the book of job. Here the voice of jehovah himself is heard, speaking out of the whirlwind. Job, who is sure in his innocence, does everything in order to serve god as good as possible. In response, god put all that job had in satans power, with the exception of job himself 1. God revealed his creative wisdom in all that he had made, in the manifold forces of nature, and he subjected job to a penetrating examination on natural subjects. Satan, the adversary, claims to gd that job is only righteous because he is basically wealthy and comfortable. For example, in god s reply to job from the whirlwind ch. At the beginning of the story, god is just sitting in the divine assembly dealing with creatures like satan. Jobs perspective of god is the most important thing about him. Job 38 the lord speaks then the lord spoke bible gateway.

Job was blameless, meaning no sin was found in him. The wonders of creation that are paraded before job were not. There are many places in the scriptures where god symbolizes his presence by a wind. The christian god is presented as being so transcendent to the world that he could be, in undiminished goodness and greatness, even if the. God rejects the arena of a law court, choosing instead to demonstrate to job the wonders of creation. The human author of book of job i believe received a vision and overheard a conversation and through god s grace gave him the wisdom to write the inspiration for purpose of stating that all the action of satan are subject to divine providence. Job reveals a god whose essence is love, and thus a god who suffers with, for. The book of job defends the character of a loving and righteous god in spite of earths obvious evils and injustices. Satan responded with an attack on job s character, that his fear of god was only because god blessed him. Job is a pious believer who is struck by misfortune so great that it cannot be explained in the usual way as a prompting to repentance, a warning.

Pdf the character of god in the book of job hebrew david. Jehovah challenges job, gird up your loins like a man and let me ask you some questions. All through this book job has been crying out of his pain, his bewilderment, and his tortured heart for an interview with god, asking god to explain what is. This part of the bible touches fundamental question of guilt, punishment, justice, good and evil. The story above is true, though the characters are composites.

Surely chapters 3841 are the climax of this great book of job. Most interpreters agree that the ultimate theme of the book is the nature of the righteous mans faith in god. We find the questions that god asked job in the book of job, chapters 38 through 42. The book, in its present form, loosely divides into five parts. Job is a book not so much about gods justice as about the transformation of a man whose piety and view of the world were formed in a setting of wealth and. Job prays for god s forgiveness of them and god accepts his prayer. Recently, someone asked me if i knew how many questions god asked job. This article interprets jobs teaching on suffering from five broad perspectives. Answer to job was first published in 1952 in german and was included in jungs collected works, as part of volume 11. With god s appearance out of the whirlwind, to unfold before job the vast panorama of creation, we encounter the book s poetry at its most sublime. The book of job teaches us to trust god under all circumstances, even if we do not understand why bad things happen. As leon roth states, the book of job turns on the question of the nature of religion.

Remember that the book of job quotes job s friends who bear a false testimony, so in those sections what they say is not divinely inspired. He had a handful of short term pastorates in colorado, california, kentucky, and south carolina, as well as in australia. The point of the book of job is to teach us that the mystery of evil is a mystery of a wartorn and unfathomably complex creation, not the mystery of gods allcontrolling will. Nature is inherently good as a part of god s creation. The lord speaks then the lord spoke to job out of the storm. Evil and suffering the nature of god and jesus in christianity. Literary features of the book of job 215 his polyphonic workwisdom types, a genre from psalms, and a genre from the legal sphere. On the contrary, god speaks directly to job, just as he does in the patriarchal.