Job

by The Navigators (Created by)

Overview

Over 3 million LifeChange studies sold

Why?
Relationships. Health. Work. Where have you encountered suffering? Wherever it is, Job knows how you feel. He experienced grief at every level. When we stumble into hardship, the first question we often ask is Why? And while spotting sorrow is easy, escaping it is hard. Suffering is a mystery—an invitation to explore and to listen. Job shows us how. You won’t find sophisticated explanations, easy prescriptions, or simple solutions. But you will find company in his wrestling and struggle. And as you follow his journey, may you also encounter his peace.

LifeChange
LifeChange Bible studies will help you grow in Christlikeness through a life-changing encounter with God’s Word. Filled with a wealth of ideas for going deeper so you can return to this study again and again.

Features

• Cover the book of Job in 13 lessons
• Equip yourself to lead a Bible study
• Imagine the Bible’s historical world
• Study word origins and definitions
• Explore thoughtful questions on key themes
• Go deeper with optional projects
• Add your notes with extra space and wide margins
• Find the flexibility to fit the time you have

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615216239
Publisher:	The Navigators
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Series:	LifeChange , #32
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

The Navigators is an interdenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people "know Christ and make Him known” as they look to Him and His Word to chart their lives.

Navigators have invested their lives in people for more than seventy-five years, coming alongside them life on life to study the Bible, develop a deepening prayer life, and memorize and apply Scripture, The ultimate goal is to equip Christ followers to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2—to teach what they have learned to others.

Today, tens of thousands of people worldwide are coming to know and grow in Jesus Christ through the various ministries of The Navigators. Internationally, more than 4,600 Navigator staff of 70 nationalities serve in more than 100 countries.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Lesson One

INTRODUCTION

Job and God

Map of the Near East

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

(James 5:10-11)

"The patience of Job" is proverbial, but in fact Job wasn't patient. The Greek word in James 5:11 praises Job's perseverance, and that is what he was: loudly, emotionally, impatiently perseverant in the face of suffering that would drive most people to despair. In one man's story, the relationship between man and God is explored profoundly.

The Story

The plot is simple: Job is a good man overwhelmed by sudden calamities. He doesn't know why; only the reader knows what is happening in heaven. Three friends visit Job to comfort him, and the four heatedly debate why Job has been so afflicted. Failing to persuade Job, the friends finally fall silent. Job still insists his suffering is unjust and demands redress from God. Then a young man named Elihu appears, claiming to have the ultimate answer for Job but adding few new insights. At last the Lord Himself appears. He asks Job a long series of questions. This response changes Job's attitude, and he repents of his rash words about God. In the end, the Lord rebukes Job's friends and praises Job, and He restores to Job double what he lost.

A simple plot, but in the course of it the author deals with such questions as:

What is God like? Is He really perfectly good, just, and sovereign as the Scriptures tell us?

What is man in God's eyes? Is he a worm or a prized work of art? An enemy, a friend, or a pawn?

What does God expect of man? What is "righteousness"? How should a person relate to God?

What is faith? Can a person doubt and question God, and still have faith?

Why do people suffer? Is suffering always punishment for sin? Does God let innocent people suffer, and if so, why?

Why do people obey God? Do they do it only to gain rewards and blessings?

Would anyone keep worshipping God if there were no tangible benefits?

How can someone help a friend who is suffering? What are some of the right and wrong things to say?

Questions like these are as relevant now as they were three thousand years ago.

Difficulties

As relevant as it is, Job is not an easy book for modern readers. First of all, it is written mostly in poetry, and Hebrew poetry is different from what most of us are used to reading. Second, it is full of words that occur rarely or never in the rest of the Old Testament and phrases that baffle even experts. A quick comparison of several translations reveals that translators have often come to varied views of what a given verse means. Some versions, such as the Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible, follow a theory that the only way to make sense of Job is to move verses around (putting 24:6 before 24:3, for instance). These difficulties don't mean that non-experts in Hebrew can't study Job; they mean only that we will get more out of the book if we do several things:

First, whenever possible, compare at least two translations. For example, the KJV, NASB, and RSV attempt to be literal, so they are often unintelligible when the original is obscure. The NIV and TEV try to be intelligible, so they often paraphrase or make an educated guess when rendering a difficult verse.

Second, know at least the basic rules of Hebrew poetry. The Study Skill on pages 39–40 deals with that.

Third, understand what wisdom is in Hebrew tradition. Job is a book about wisdom, as are Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. (We will discuss wisdom shortly.)

Fourth, pay attention to the context — the overall gist — of each verse. What are the whole passage, the whole chapter, and the whole book getting at? Remember that in the end, God rebukes Job's friends for their words — does this mean that what they say is always true, sometimes true, or always false? God praises Job — does this mean that what he says is always true, sometimes true, or always false? Passages from other books of Scripture can sometimes help us decide what is true and what is false. For practice in this kind of discernment, you might look at the following verses describing God. The first pair are Job's words, and the second are the words of one of his friends.

Job: "Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason" (9:16-17).

"But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases" (23:13).

Eliphaz: "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?" (4:17).

"What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?

What would he gain if your ways were blameless?" (22:3).

Because translations of Job differ so much, we have given few explanations of individual verses. If you need more help, consult a commentary (see page 123 for some suggestions).

Wisdom

Basically, "Wisdom is the discipline of applying truth to one's life in the light of experience." Wisdom is meant to be not theoretical and abstract but practical and personal. It should teach a person to live responsibly and successfully by learning from his own and elders' experience.

In most developed nations of the ancient Near East, there was a class of wise men and women devoted to gaining and teaching wisdom. In Israel, at least by the time David became king (1010 BC), they became important as the teachers and counselors. A parent would send a child to a wisdom teacher, and the wise man or woman would act as parent to the pupil (in Proverbs, for instance, the teacher addresses "my child"). Of course, most parents taught their own children at home, but anyone with enough money wanted a proper wise man for his son.

Wise men liked to arrive at truth and edify an audience by debating some principle for living. However, the contest was not like a modern debate, where the speakers try to find flaws in their opponents' facts and logic and to support their own deductions. Instead, the winner of the ancient debate was the one with the most "brilliant rhetoric." When you read the debate in Job 3–37, you might feel that the men jump from point to point, repeat themselves, ignore each other's statements until chapters later, and generally talk past each other. However, the result is brilliant and moving poetry. This is the style of an ancient debate.

One of the basic tenets of wisdom was that God punishes the wicked and blesses the righteous. The wise came to regard this not as a general principle but as an absolute law. There was no such thing as an innocent person suffering. Therefore, everybody knew that the prosperous people in town were the godly ones, and the poor and afflicted were impious. This was justice, and because God was just, could He ever fail to obey this law? "No" was the firm response of the wise. But the author of Job, himself steeped in the wisdom tradition, had some radical views on this subject.

The structure of Job

At first glance in English, it looks as though most of Job is in poetry, except for a prologue and epilogue (see 1:1–2:13; 42:7-17) in prose. Recently, however, scholars have been realizing that Old Testament (and other ancient) writers often put narrative in prose and speeches in poetry. This is true throughout the book of Ruth, and so it is in Job. The speeches in the prologue and epilogue are in poetry just like the dialogue; what makes Job unique is that it is mostly speeches. Some understanding of Hebrew poetry is a great help in interpreting Job. If you are interested, read the box on pages 39–40.

Prologue–body–epilogue was a common ancient form because people liked balance. We also find that two tests of Job (see 1:6–2:10) balance two speeches by God (see 38:1–41:34); the dialogue runs in three cycles with introduction and conclusion (see 3:1–27:23); and Job's summary counterweights Elihu's (see 29:1–37:24). The outline on pages 14–15 reflects this analysis.

Author and date

Scholars always want to know who wrote a book and when. For Job we just don't know. Some experts think the book went through several revisions before the current version with the Holy Spirit's seal of authority was produced. Others think one person wrote it, perhaps over several decades.

Dates from the time of Moses to 200 BC have been proposed. Details in the prologue (where Job is his family's priest and his wealth is based on animals) suggest that Job lived in the age of the patriarchs (about 2500 to 1500 BC). Most scholars now date the writing of the book somewhere between Solomon's reign and the exile to Babylon (970–586 BC). Those were the years of wisdom's greatest glory in Israel, so a book that debates the true nature of wisdom seems natural at that time.

First impressions

Most LifeChange studies guide you through a book chapter by chapter, but this one is different. The debate doesn't unfold each side's argument step-by-step; instead, the speakers repeat themselves, digress, respond to a point made five chapters earlier, and so on. Therefore, to help you get a clear overview of forty-two chapters in just thirteen lessons, we've organized the study topically. You'll examine what everyone says about God's power in one lesson and man's nature in another so you can draw your own conclusions on each subject. The prologue, the interlude in chapter 28, God's two speeches, and the epilogue each make sense on their own, so lessons 2, 10, 11, 12, and 13 deal with these.

Many questions list several references from Job so as to give you as full a view of the book as possible. If your time is limited, you can skip some references in each question. If you feel that the selected references are too restrictive and force you to certain conclusions, you can read larger passages and make up your own mind.

Because the study doesn't cover 3:1–27:23 and 29:1–37:24 chapter by chapter, you should read as much of the book as possible before beginning lesson 2. Read at least chapters 1 through 6 and 38 through 42, and leaf through the rest of the book with the outline on pages 14–15 as a guide. If you take even an hour to skim the book and see what goes on in each chapter, you'll find it much easier later to organize and remember what you learn. Also, you'll get a taste of the poetry of Job, which is grand even in translation. It brings alive what can be just an old dry adage:

The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)

As you read, jot here your first impressions of the book, questions you'd like answered as you study more deeply, how the story makes you feel, and so on.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Outline of Job

I. Prologue: Job Tested (1:1–2:13)
A. Job's integrity (1:1-5)
B. The first test (1:6-22)
1. The first assembly (1:6-12)
2. The first disasters (1:13-19)
3. Job's first reaction (1:20-22)
C. The second test (2:1-10)
1. The second assembly (2:1-7a)
2. Job's illness (2:7b-8)
3. Job's second reaction (2:9-10)
D. Job's friends arrive (2:11-13)

II. Dialogue Between Job and His Friends (3:1–27:23)
A. Job's lamentation (3:1-26)
B. First round of speeches (4:1–14:22)
1. Eliphaz (4:1–5:27)
2. Job (6:1–7:21)
3. Bildad (8:1-22)
4. Job (9:1–10:22)
5. Zophar (11:1-20)
6. Job (12:1–14:22)
C. Second round of speeches (15:1–21:34)
1. Eliphaz (15:1-35)
2. Job (16:1–17:16)
3. Bildad (18:1-21)
4. Job (19:1-29)
5. Zophar (20:1-29)
6. Job (21:1-34)
D. Third round of speeches (22:1–26:14)
1. Eliphaz (22:1-30)
2. Job (23:1–24:25)
3. Bildad (25:1-6)
4. Job (26:1-14)
E. Job's conclusion (27:1-23)

III. Interlude on Wisdom (28:1-28)

IV. Monologues: Job and Elihu (29:1–37:24)
A. Job summarizes his case (29:1–31:40)
1. Job's past honor and blessing (29:1-25)
2. Job's present humiliation and suffering (30:1-31)
3. Job's ultimate appeal and oath (31:1-40)
B. Elihu states the human verdict (32:1–37:24)
1. Introduction (32:1-5)
2. Elihu's first speech (32:6–33:33)
3. Elihu's second speech (34:1-37)
4. Elihu's third speech (35:1-16)
5. Elihu's fourth speech (36:1–37:24)

V. The Lord and Job (38:1–42:6)
A. First round (38:1–40:5)
1. The Lord (38:1–40:2)
2. Job (40:3-5)
B. Second round (40:6–42:6)
1. The Lord (40:6–41:34)
2. Job (42:1-6)

VI. Epilogue: The Outcome of the Test (42:7-17)
A. The Lord states the divine verdict (42:7-9)
B. Job restored (42:10-17)

For the group

This "For the group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select what suits your group. The main goals of this lesson are to get to know the book of Job as a whole and the people with whom you are going to study it.

Worship. Some groups like to begin with prayer and/or singing. Some share requests for prayer at the beginning but leave the actual prayer until after the study. Others prefer just to chat and have refreshments for a while, then open the study with a brief prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance and leave worship and prayer until the end.

Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, to get comfortable with each other, and to encourage a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each person hopes to get out of your study of Job and out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together. You can also share what you hope to give as well as get. If you have someone write down each member's hopes and expectations, then you can look back at these goals later to see if they are being met. Goal setting at the beginning can also help you avoid confusion when one person thinks the main point of the group is to learn the Scripture, while another thinks it is to support each other in daily Christian life, and another thinks prayer or outreach is the chief business.

Introduction. Ideally, everyone should have read the whole book of Job before you meet together. However, probably few people will have done this because Job is long and difficult for those who don't often read poetry. Therefore, the introduction is meant to give you some basic background to make studying the book easier. To make sure everyone begins lesson 2 understanding the introduction, ask some questions about it, such as these:

What is the plot of Job? (Have someone tell the story briefly.)

What kinds of questions do the characters discuss in the dialogue? (You might discuss which of the questions are most interesting to group members. This information may help you guide the discussion later.)

What is wisdom? How is the book of Job part of the wisdom tradition?

How is the dialogue in Job different from a modern debate?

When you read chapters 1 through 6 and 38 through 42, what first impressions, questions, and so on did you come up with? (Someone in the group should write the questions down so the whole group can keep them in mind during future sessions.)

Did anyone read about Hebrew poetry on pages 39–40? What are the main things we should understand about it before we start studying Job?

Is everything Job says true? Is everything he says false? How can you tell? Why is this important to remember?

How to Use This Study. Advise group members to read the "How to Use This Study" section on pages 5–8 if they have not already done so. You might go over important points that you think the group should especially notice. For example, point out the optional questions in the margins. These are available as group discussion questions, ideas for application, and suggestions for further study. It is unlikely that anyone will have the time or desire to answer all the optional questions and do all the applications. A person might do one "Optional Application" for any given lesson. You might choose one or two "For Thought and Discussion" questions for your group discussion, or you might spend all your time on the numbered questions. If someone wants to write answers to the optional questions, suggest that he use the margins or a separate notebook. It will also be helpful for discussion notes, prayer requests, answers to prayers, application plans, and so on. State clearly from the beginning how much time you expect group members to commit both for preparation and group meetings. Agree to be faithful about starting and ending meetings on time unless the group agrees to do otherwise.

Invite everyone to ask questions about the introduction or the "How to Use This Study" section.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Job"
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Excerpted by permission of NavPress.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

How to Use This Study 5

1 Job and God (Introduction) 9

Map of the Near East 9

Outline of Job 14

2 The Testing of Job (1:1-2:13) 19

3 Job in Anguish (3:1-27:23) 33

4 The Friends Respond (3:1-27:23) 41

5 God the Enemy (3:1-37:24) 51

6 The Sovereign Lord (3:1-37:24) 59

7 The Judge (3:1-37:24) 65

8 Job Demands a Trial (3:1-37:24) 73

9 What Is Man? (3:1-37:24) 83

10 The Fear of the Lord (28:1-28) 91

11 Wisdom (38:1-40:5) 99

12 An Arm Like God's (40:6-42:6) 107

13 Epilogue (42:7-17 and Review) 115

Study Aids 123