Its author is unknown yet it is possible that job himself wrote it. Satan, an associate of god, has the job of wandering the earth, gathering the worst of humanity. Analysis of sussman s article deals with the idea of framing the message essay. Job 4 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the church of christ, presents a verse level look at the bible. The book of job is a book in the ketuvim section of the hebrew bible, and the first poetic book in the old testament of the christian bible. Reflections on the book of job by john telgren the book of job is typically oversimplified. Introduction to the book of job society of gilbert keith. Smaller schools, in which the interviewers were from vastly different specialties, required me to explicate my arguments within a broad context.
In my first reflection here, i have attempted only to breakdown the book in order to better understand its structure and message. I want to spend a few moments of reflection on some of these types of questions. Job is one of the finest and most respected men on earth. It includes the operations and tasks of a specific job. It is the philosophical riddle that concerns us in such an introduction as this. The book of job challenges the simple equation of suffering with punishment. The book of job is classified as a work of hebrew literature, but some scholars have pointed to evidence of arabic influences within the hebrew text. The division of the book of job the division of the book of job is not difficult to make. The book of job begins in an unreal, fabulous landscape. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. The book is not about job s history but about job s life and the way we relate to god as a result. Job 4 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on.
The100c 10614 reflection on the book of job the book of job from the old testament is a reading ive found very interesting and truthful in the sense in which the power of god was emphasized and our roles as believers of god. Archbishop fulton sheen simone weil explained that we do not know anything without suffering. Instead of doing a versebyverse commentary on the book of job, i want to look at. Reflections on suffering from the book of job 3 undeserved suffering, therefore, serves as a dependable, useful model 12 for the believer of any generation in dealing with the problem of theodicy.
Penetrating questions from the book of job by wayne jackson the book of job is one of the most profound pieces of literature ever to grace human existence. A comparative and critical analysis of the story of job as. With the book of job being part of the hebrew bible, it took place sometime between 300 b. Book of job paper the100c reflection on the book of job. The book of job is among the other old testament books both a philosophical riddle and a historical riddle. God is playing games, using job as a pawn to prove the goodness of humanity. Five truths for sufferers from the book of job the gospel coalition. Key personalities of this book include job, eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, zophar the naamathite, and elihu the buzite. In wisdom literature, we can find a recurring theme that the righteous shall be rewarded. We are not to assume god has rejected all those that suffer. 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. Job pronounced jobe, was a rich farmer living in the land of uz, somewhere northeast of palestine.
The poetry is complex, but the description of the rising sun chasing the wicked away v. Judging from the description of leviathan in this chapter, the imagery of a. Job analysis data is collected in several ways with only the specification of the person who is going to carry out the job analysis. Job book of job religious belief and doctrine scribd. The big picture of job is that there was a man who was, in one sense, blameless in gods sight. The book of job journal reading reflection the book of. Before going into these two sets let us talk about a few definitions of job analysis. There is first a prologue, that is followed by the main portion of the book, and in conclusion we have an epilogue. We divide the book into seven parts which we shall follow in a closer analysis with the annotations on the most important truths. The podcast identified the string of attachment between job analysis, to job descriptions, and last to a job specification.
It has been widely praised for its literary qualities, with alfred lord tennyson calling it the greatest poem of ancient and modern times. Literary analysis on the book of job essay 3073 words cram. The book of job opens portraying job as a wealthy and righteous nobleman. An examination of all of the stories, fables, proverbs, and histories of the bible, the book of job is one of the most compelling due to its unique literary style and the complex treatment of the issue of suffering. The book of job, named after its protagonist apparently not an israelite. Job s final speech in his own defense is probably where the book originally ended. The book of job is a book in the ketuvim writings section of the hebrew bible tanakh, and.
The book of job, one of the wisdom books of the bible, deals with two issues crucial to every person. This book is so called from job, whose prosperity, afflictions, and restoration, are here recorded. 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 job a particularly pious manwill abandon his piety and curse god if all his wealth and wellbeing are taken away. Just listening to this text again gives me the shivers. It is easy to overlook this prose epilogue to the book and assume that it simply. Other search committees, composed of specialists closely allied with the job description, asked detailed questions about argument, analysis, historiographical context, and other authors interpretations. And there is a reality called satan who challenges god that his man is not as good as he thinks he is. Where did you encounter struggles today, and what did you do to deal with it. As the story progresses, the main setting becomes job s burned house, where he sits among the ashes and speaks. Another meaning of job analysis is a complete examination of activities in a job. Reflections on suffering from the book of job 437 gested that theodicy is the theme of the book of job. This is a written statement that specifies the personal qualities, traits, skills, qualification, aptitude etc.
But i will happily give away a bigger surprise, the revelation that this story is not to be compared with the biblical book of revelation, but rather with the book of job, the book which chesterton considered the greatest riddle in all of literature. Gods answer to the problem of undeserved suffering grand. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a. Is god to be held to a strict set of regulations based on human inter. 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. The book of job is one of the most problematic portions of the bible and has called forth a variety of interpretations. It is possible that job is the oldest of any book of the bible written approximately 21001800 b.
His ways are so far beyond human analysis that they cannot be fully fathomed job 28. I attempt to clear that up by offering a different perspective than most people know today. The skeptical character of the symposium, with its challenge to timehonored views, most likely would have kept the book of job out of the canon of old testament writings had some additions not been made to the original book. The poetical masterpiece that confronts the inexplicable mystery of good and evil can be a companion on your own spiritual journey. My reflection by during my work experience at, i was fortunate enough to have experienced firsthand and learned, many different sides of what goes into a project, the general process. How does the book of job help disciples of jesus christ remain faithful to god as they sufferor walk.
Literary features of the book of job 215 his polyphonic workwisdom types, a genre from psalms, and a genre from the legal sphere. For all of his yammering throughout the book, once god starts speaking, job. But have no fear, i wont tell you who sunday is, even if you think you already know the answer. Book of job is accounted by most christians among the wisdom literature but not under major or minor prophets. Often workers from the hr department participate in job evaluations. A reflection on the book of job and suffering suffering love alone can bring us to our senses and the real meaning of life ven. There is a dramatic arc in the story as the arguing and insults from the friends intensify against job s. He worships god sincerely and regularly, and most importantly, is a truly righteous person in the sight of god job 1. In the beginning of the book one realizes that gilgamesh is an arrogant person. The book considers the impact of the growth of information technology it on the human labor market, and how the trend towards greater automation could eventually eliminate a substantial number of jobs. The chief purpose of the book of job through careful analysis and thought poses the main purpose of the book of job. This is especially true of the suffering of the righteous. But this story is about more than just mass destruction. Overview of the book of job reformed answers to bible.
The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it. Whether there was a booming echo, we cant be sure, but it sure shuts job up. Job is an interesting book, which offers more questions than it does solutions. None the less i gave job a second chance and picked up the book and read this story. The book of job is essentially a long dialogue between job, four people who come to sit with him, and god. Dont get us wrong, the mourning rituals we get after job. Reflections on interviewing perspectives on history aha. The book of job is one of the writings in the hebrew bible old testament. Jobs description of his prior life suggests a man who held very high.
A major difficulty in understanding the meaning of the book is, what insight leads job to submit so humbly to god at the end. According to many scholars, it dates back to between the 7th and 4th centuries bce. I, like many others was familiar with the prose sections of job the beginning and end, but very unfamiliar with the lengthy dialogues throughout the center of the book. Many circumstances arise that call for deeper reflection and struggle beyond the guidance of proverbial wisdom. Job 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Theres a lot in in the book of job that i consider to be disturbing. For the first time i understood why anyone should think it. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of bible. The book of job gives the readers a sense about suffering as. Read job 1 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible concise. The job analysis process discussed above is now delineated in figure 5. Student reflection questions page 2 categories for reflection questions to consider reflections questions to ask at the end of class reflect on your thinking, learning, and work today.
Abstractthe book of job is often viewed as a story of unnecessary and undeserved suffering. Review and reflection i recently read martin fords rise of the robots with the umd cs faculty book club. He has a large family, many flocks of animals, many servants, a large home, perhaps an estate. Study the bible online using commentary on job 1 and more. The book of job is one of the most misunderstood books in the bible. Little wonder, then, that renowned novelist victor hugo once suggested that if all the worlds literary efforts were to be destroyed, and he could save but a solitary sample, it would be. The main character in the book the epic of gilgamesh, is gilgamesh himself. Preface and books 15 cistercian studies gregory the great, kerns ocso, brian, delcogliano, mark on.