The Book of Job
Main Point:
Bad things sometimes happen to good people who’ve done nothing to deserve them.
Writer:
The book doesn’t name the writer.
Date:
It’s unclear when Job lived or when his history has written down. Several clues suggest Job lived about 4000 years ago, in the tie of Abraham or earlier. Some clues: Job serves as the family priest apparently before an established priesthood. His wealth is measured by the size of his herds instead of his currency, and he is raided by Sabeans- a nation of tribe living in that era.
Location:
Unknown. He lived in the land of Uz. But no one knows where Uz was.
Summary Thoughts:
Job is a rich man- at least until a string of disasters take just about everything important to him. In a single day, raiders and a freak firestorm take all of his livestock- 11,000 animals- and kill his shepherds. Worse, a windstorm destroys the house where Job’s 10 children are eating together, killing every one of them. Later, sores erupt all over Job’s body. His friends tell him to repent, since they’re convinced he’s being punished by God. His wife tells him to curse God and die, apparently expecting God to put Job out of misery. Job refuses. He says he hasn’t done anything wrong, and he doesn’t plan to start now. Later, he demands an explanation from God. God without explaining himself asks Job to explain the wonders of creation. Job gets the point: trust in the one whose insight is beyond human understanding. And job decides to do that. By story’s end, Job has 10 more children and herds double the size before. People who later listen to job’s story benefit too. They learn an important lesson in theology: Don’t assume people suffer because God is punishing them for sin. That’s a common misunderstanding in Bible ties-which Job’s story tries to correct.
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