The Book Of Job Essay Research Paper

The Book Of Job Essay, Research Paper

The Book of Job

Job was a righteous man who lived in Uz. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred donkeys and many slaves.

Each year, he held a banquet where Job would have each of his children purified. He did this for fear that they might have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

On the day that the angels came to attest before God, God pointed out to the accusing angel (Satan) Job’s character. He pointed out how righteous and respectful he was toward Him. Satan claims that Job’s character originates with evil and self-serving motives. He claims that Job is so righteous and respectful because he has no reason to act otherwise, but if God were to give him hardship, he would curse Him to his face. Satan then challenges God to test Job. Reluctantly, God accepts the challenge.

On Earth, Job is stricken with misfortune. All of his animals are either stolen or struck by lightning. All his children died of one tragedy or another. Yet, Job did not curse God. He figured that the same way God gave to him, He took away.

Again, God took pride in Job. He bragged to Satan about how faithful and righteous his servant, Job was. Still, Satan doubted him. He claimed that Job was still faithful and righteous because he had not been affected directly by God’s test. He persuades God to test Job once more.

This time, Job’s health is destroyed in a most horrifying form. Job is covered in boils from head to toe so badly, that he uses a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself with.

At this point, Job’s integrity is tested by his wife. She wonders why he is still so faithful to God. She thinks that it is about time that he begins cursing God for what He has done to him. Still, Job rebukes his wife and refuses to sin.

Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite. These three friends heard of what happened to Job and came to offer their sympathy and grief.

After about a week of prayers, Job finally broke down. He curses the day he was born. He figures that if he had died at birth, he would now be at rest. He wonders why life should be given to a person who desires only death, who has ceased to find any value in life, who has lost all hope of escape from continuous terror and torment. His friends answer him in a series of three rounds, the first being the most significant of the three.

Eliphaz answers first by saying that in the past, Job helped others with encouraging words but now that things are not going his way, he impatiently gives up. The righteous living that he had in the past should sustain him through his trials now.

Still, it is not the innocent who suffer, but rather those who deserve it. No man is capable of a totally righteous relationship with God. Job’s resentment of discipline is very unwise.

God will not change your circumstances and a stubborn refusal to learn from them will result in death. A person living foolishly is prosperous for a while, then he is suddenly destroyed. The source of the problem is not man’s circumstances, but his heart.

Eliphaz says that Job should look to God for deliverance. He does astonishing things. He helps those who are hurt and oppressed but destroys the corrupt. He tells Job to accept God’s discipline. He should learn from it and then God will bless him in many ways.

Job replied by saying that his complaint is justified. If only Eliphaz would comprehend his anguish, then he would understand. If he would only see what God had done to him. That was the reason that he complained. Job does not accept Eliphaz’s view that he must have sinned and feels that his speech was inappropriate for the circumstances.

Job wishes God would give him death. That way, he could die with the consolation that he had remained faithful to God all the way to the end. What other hope does he have. Why should he wait quietly for something to happen, when all his resources have been destroyed.

Job also feels that Eliphaz has failed in his obligations toward him. He ought to be loyal to him even if he were to give up expecting help from God. Yet, Eliphaz has proven to be undependable. The implication of Job’s situation terrifies him, causing him to abandon his devotion to Job. This is all not too much to ask.

Job pleads to Eliphaz to show him his errors even if it hurts. He asks him to look at his sincerity and not to accuse him without giving good reason for doing so. Men’s lives are full of burdens, with limited joy, but he has a burden from which there is no relief. His days are nearly over, with nothing good remaining.

Then, to God, he says, that soon he will be gone, never to return no matter how much He desires it. So he asks why God treats him like an enemy. He will not even let sleep ease his pain. He pleads with God to give him a break.

Job asks why God is focusing so much attention on him. Even if he did sin, it would not have hurt Him. So why not, in that case, show mercy and forgive him. Once he dies, it would be too late to do so.

Bildad’s answers to these comments by saying that God does not distort what is right. Job’s children died because of sin. If Job repents, God will not give him death but blessin

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