This book has been the toughest one for me to get through, so far. Not just reading it, but trying to organize the thoughts into a way that fit the structure of what I’m trying to accomplish with the Journey Through the Book. I think what has been so difficult with this book is that up until now its been very easy to deal with the content of each book in their historical context, but this writing of the Ketuvim is so steeped in theological ideas and philosophical arguments that it’s difficult to avoid getting sucked into the debate between Job and his friends in the process.
Before even getting too deep into the content of the book I was struck by how hard it was for me to actually read and comprehend the message in the text after chapter 3. I think it was because it is actually an old Hebrew poem from chapters 3-42:7 that is translated into English I tried many different translations until I settled on the NIV and just took it slow.
The Talmud states the book of Job was written by Moses even though the text doesn't really give any indication of who the author is. Yet, there are also other statements in the Talmud that hint that Job may have been a story from the days of the Patriarchs considering the importance of Job’s wealth being based off land and livestock and the fact that it took place in the land of Edom. In fact, the Talmud contains many differing opinions of the origin of this story including the possibility that Job ‘never existed and was never created; it is a parable’.
The poem itself could be based on a story that is older than the days of Egypt. Stories are fascinating things. The human brain is actually designed to learn through storytelling. The activity in the brain that occurs during the storytelling experience is astronomically more intense than what happens when the brain takes in simple statements of information. When the brain is engaged in a story the activity is equal to that of actually participating in the events. The concept of the Righteous Sufferer is an archetype that goes back to the first written recordings of human history and is an idea that we struggle with into this age.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the schemes of evil hearts seem to succeed while the innocent are trampled under their feet? I think this question burns in the hearts of people all across the world these days.
In the old days these questions were also asked. The Sumerian people had a story that they wrote down in the Akkadian language. A language that predates the Ancient Assyrian and Egyptian languages by a couple thousand years in written form and in spoken form by tens of thousands of years. The Sumerians believed in many gods, some good and some evil, but they too had morals and concepts of right and wrong within their cultural frame. They had a story called A Man and His God that concerned the unjust suffering of a good and honest man. The Babylonians even had a version of the story they called the Poem of the Righteous sufferer with the same theme befalling a man named Shubshi-meshre-Shakkan. There is even an old Palestinian folk tradition that says that when Job was finally healed of his afflictions it was at a ‘fountain of youth’ type spring located in the town of Al-Joura. There is a four day festival every year where people from all faiths come to bathe in this spring.
The Hebrew version of this story replaces the pantheon of gods with the monotheistic name of YHWH. This book mentions the name Satan, but the character is a little different than how our culture recognizes him. In this story the ‘sons of god’ (angels) present themselves before God and among them is one named Satan. The name in Hebrew, Ha-Satan, translates to the Adversary or the Accuser. It would seem he is a member of this Divine Council of Angels and his role seems to be one that is sent to tempt mankind and report back to YHWH regarding all who break his decrees. Ha-Satan states that he has come from roaming the earth and offers a challenge to YHWH when asked about the Lord’s favored. He states that Job only praises YHWH because YHWH has showed him favor. If he was afflicted with suffering he would curse the name of the Lord. YHWH accepts the challenge. Already in the first two chapters we see the reason for Job’s affliction. Job may not understand and his friends can not fathom the underlying reasons for the events they are speculating about, but we can. Through Job’s suffering and continued allegiance to YHWH the Accuser is rebuked and his power over the oppressed will be lifted in the fullness of the story arch. If Job does forsake YHWH not only is he lost, ‘cause Ha-Satan sure isn't gonna take care of him, he will become a beacon of darkness and hopelessness for all those who come after him and suffer in this broken world. There is a reason for Job’s suffering and in the end as with most of the Books in the Bible it is ultimately for the benefit of humanity and the Glory of YHWH in the long run that suffering is allowed to happen in the short term. However, in the end evil is defeated and the righteous are restored. Spoiler!
Talmud: Second in importance to the Torah in Judaism. It is a mixture of the first written collection of Jewish Oral Law as well as theology and history of the Hebrew people.
Patriarchs: Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.
Before even getting too deep into the content of the book I was struck by how hard it was for me to actually read and comprehend the message in the text after chapter 3. I think it was because it is actually an old Hebrew poem from chapters 3-42:7 that is translated into English I tried many different translations until I settled on the NIV and just took it slow.
The Talmud states the book of Job was written by Moses even though the text doesn't really give any indication of who the author is. Yet, there are also other statements in the Talmud that hint that Job may have been a story from the days of the Patriarchs considering the importance of Job’s wealth being based off land and livestock and the fact that it took place in the land of Edom. In fact, the Talmud contains many differing opinions of the origin of this story including the possibility that Job ‘never existed and was never created; it is a parable’.
The poem itself could be based on a story that is older than the days of Egypt. Stories are fascinating things. The human brain is actually designed to learn through storytelling. The activity in the brain that occurs during the storytelling experience is astronomically more intense than what happens when the brain takes in simple statements of information. When the brain is engaged in a story the activity is equal to that of actually participating in the events. The concept of the Righteous Sufferer is an archetype that goes back to the first written recordings of human history and is an idea that we struggle with into this age.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the schemes of evil hearts seem to succeed while the innocent are trampled under their feet? I think this question burns in the hearts of people all across the world these days.
In the old days these questions were also asked. The Sumerian people had a story that they wrote down in the Akkadian language. A language that predates the Ancient Assyrian and Egyptian languages by a couple thousand years in written form and in spoken form by tens of thousands of years. The Sumerians believed in many gods, some good and some evil, but they too had morals and concepts of right and wrong within their cultural frame. They had a story called A Man and His God that concerned the unjust suffering of a good and honest man. The Babylonians even had a version of the story they called the Poem of the Righteous sufferer with the same theme befalling a man named Shubshi-meshre-Shakkan. There is even an old Palestinian folk tradition that says that when Job was finally healed of his afflictions it was at a ‘fountain of youth’ type spring located in the town of Al-Joura. There is a four day festival every year where people from all faiths come to bathe in this spring.
The Hebrew version of this story replaces the pantheon of gods with the monotheistic name of YHWH. This book mentions the name Satan, but the character is a little different than how our culture recognizes him. In this story the ‘sons of god’ (angels) present themselves before God and among them is one named Satan. The name in Hebrew, Ha-Satan, translates to the Adversary or the Accuser. It would seem he is a member of this Divine Council of Angels and his role seems to be one that is sent to tempt mankind and report back to YHWH regarding all who break his decrees. Ha-Satan states that he has come from roaming the earth and offers a challenge to YHWH when asked about the Lord’s favored. He states that Job only praises YHWH because YHWH has showed him favor. If he was afflicted with suffering he would curse the name of the Lord. YHWH accepts the challenge. Already in the first two chapters we see the reason for Job’s affliction. Job may not understand and his friends can not fathom the underlying reasons for the events they are speculating about, but we can. Through Job’s suffering and continued allegiance to YHWH the Accuser is rebuked and his power over the oppressed will be lifted in the fullness of the story arch. If Job does forsake YHWH not only is he lost, ‘cause Ha-Satan sure isn't gonna take care of him, he will become a beacon of darkness and hopelessness for all those who come after him and suffer in this broken world. There is a reason for Job’s suffering and in the end as with most of the Books in the Bible it is ultimately for the benefit of humanity and the Glory of YHWH in the long run that suffering is allowed to happen in the short term. However, in the end evil is defeated and the righteous are restored. Spoiler!
Talmud: Second in importance to the Torah in Judaism. It is a mixture of the first written collection of Jewish Oral Law as well as theology and history of the Hebrew people.
Patriarchs: Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.
