WISDOM FROM THE BOOK OF JOB
A Study by
Gary Ray Branscome
There was a man in the
and that man was blameless and upright,
one who feared God, and shunned evil
(Job 1: 1).
The book of Job is thought to be the
oldest book of the Bible. Not only are the Jews unsure where it came from, or
who wrote it, but within its pages there is no mention of Moses, God’s
Commandments, or Scripture. Furthermore, the fact that Job lived one hundred
and forty years after his many troubles indicates that all those events took place
shortly after the Flood, when many still lived much longer than they do today.
If so, the thoughts expressed by Job and his friends give us insight into what
those early worshippers believed about God, the world, right and wrong, and
life after death.
An
Overview of the Book of Job
Because
the Book of Job describes Job as, “blameless
and upright, one who feared God, and shunned evil,” those who trust in
works are at loss to explain his suffering (Job 1:1). In saying this, I realize
that they have come up with explanations intended to explain it, the most
common being that God was testing Job. However, the fact that Job was righteous
flies in the face of the idea that man’s righteousness brings God’s blessing.
Therefore,
before going any further, I need to emphasize the fact that God viewed Job as
righteous because of faith in Christ, not because of works. The Bible tells us
that all of our own righteousness is, “Like
filthy rags” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). Job not only did not have
the written Law of God, but, “Without
faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). For that reason, the
righteousness that God saw in Job was not the righteous of works, but the
righteousness that, “God imputes…
without works” (Rom. 4:6). The righteousness imputed to all who trust in
Christ (
The
Beginning of Job’s Trouble
Because
of that imputed righteousness, God “blessed
everything” that Job did (Job
But, WHY did God take His hedge of
protection away from Job? That is an important question! Job’s three comforters
wrongly assumed that it was because of some sin. And Job argued that his
sufferings were unjust because he had not sinned. However, what neither Job nor
his comforters realized is that a person who is self-righteous is just as
unrepentant as someone who sins willfully and is proud of it.
I am not saying that Job was totally
unrepentant. He must have humbly looked to God for mercy. Otherwise he would
not have believed that he needed a redeemer, and God would not have regarded
him as righteous. [See Job
Job’s
Three Comforters
The
book of Job goes on to describe the tragedy that befell Job as a result of
Satan’s attack [Job
Following
Satan’s onslaught against Job three of Job’s friends [Eliphaz
from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naama] came to him, supposedly, “To mourn with him and to comfort him” (Job
Now,
many of the things that Job’s “comforters” said are true, and are taught
elsewhere in Scripture. For example: Eliphaz said, “Who ever died, without sin?” (Job 4:7):
Which is another way of saying, “The
wages of sin is death” (Rom.
That
being said, the purpose of this essay is not to examine every statement made by
Job or his comforters. It is sufficient to say that time and again Job
listened, only to protest his innocence. And, we are told that, in the end, his
comforters, “Stopped answering Job,
because he was righteous in his own eyes” (Job 32:1).
After
the first three comforters had finished, a fourth “comforter” appears of whom
we read: “Then Elihu
the son of Barachel a descendant of Buz, of the family of Ram: became angry with Job, because
he had justified himself rather than God. He also became angry with his three
friends, because they found no answer, and yet had condemned Job… [saying] I said, Age should speak, and a multitude of years
should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the
Almighty gives them understanding. Great men are not always wise: nor do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I say, Listen
to me; I will also give my opinion” (Job 32:2-10).
“Job
has said, I am righteous: and God has treated me unjustly… far be it from God
that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit sin…
God will not do what is wicked, nor will the Almighty pervert judgment”
(Job 34:5-12).
“In
order to turn a person from his actions, and suppress his pride… He is… chastened with pain on his bed, and
constant distress in his bones… If
there is a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to
man His [God’s] righteousness: Then God is gracious to him, and says, Deliver
him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom [Christ]” (Job
33:17-24). [See Romans 10:3-4.] Thus Job was reminded of the purpose of
God’s chastening, and the way of salvation.
And in the end, when God appeared to Job
saying, “Shall he who contends with the
Almighty instruct Him? let him who argues with God
give answer… Job replied to the LORD
with humility, saying, Behold, I am vile; what can I say to you? I will cover
my mouth with my hand… I have spoken
about things that I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, that I
knew nothing about… I had heard
about you from what I was told: but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I am
ashamed of myself, and repent in dust and ashes”
(Job 40:2-4 and 42:3-6).
The
Wisdom of Job
There
is much wisdom in the book of Job. In chapter 14 we read, “So man lies down, and does not arise: until the heavens are no more
[see Matt. 24:29-31], they will not awake, or be raised out of their sleep. O
that you would hide me in the grave, that you would conceal me, until your
anger passes, that you would appoint a time for me, and remember me! Once a man
dies, can he live again? All the days of my appointed time I will wait, until
my change comes. You will call, and I will answer you: you will have desire for
the work of your hands” (Job
In
chapter 18 we are told that the, “Light
of the wicked… will be put out;” that “Terrors
will make him [the wicked] afraid on every side;” and “He shall be thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the
world” (Job 18:5, 11, 18). Is that a description of hell? [See Matt. 8:12.]
In
chapter 19 Job says, “I know that my
redeemer lives, and that he will stand at a future time upon the earth. And
after the skin worms have destroyed this body, yet in my flesh I will see God:
Whom I will see for myself, my eyes will see him, not the eyes of someone else;
though my reins are consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27). These words tell us
that Job had the hope of the resurrection.
There
are also passages that seem to reveal scientific truths lost after Job’s time.
Such as the words, “He [God] stretches
out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job
26:7). Or the words, “He [God] inscribes
a circle on the surface of the waters, at the horizon where light and darkness meet” (Job 26:10). And, the fact that God asked Job, “Do you have an arm like God? or can you thunder with a voice like His?” Tell us that
God designed thunder as a way of conveying a message to men (Job 40:9).
Job’s
Blessing
In Chapter 29 Job describes his life
before his troubles, a life blessed by God, “saying, I wish that my life
was like it was in months past, like it was in the days when God watched over
me; When his light shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his
light; As I was in my better days, when the protection of God was on my home;
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me; When I
washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me”
(Job 29:1-6).
In
verses 11-17 Job describes things that he did, that were regarded as righteous
by his community. “When they heard me,
they blessed me; and when they saw me, they spoke well of me: Because I rescued
the poor who asked for help, and the orphan, who had no one to help him. The
blessing of him who was ready to die came upon me: and I caused the widow’s
heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it covered me: my justice
was like a robe and a crown. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the
lame. I was a father to the poor: and I championed the cause of those I did not
know. And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the
spoil out of his teeth” (Job 29:11-17).
Job’s
Loss of Status
In chapter 30 Job describes his loss of
respect in the community, saying, “Now
those who are younger than I laugh at me, men whose fathers I would have
refused to put with my sheep dogs… They were children of fools, yea, the sons of worthless men: they have been scourged and
driven out of the land. And now am I their song, yes, I am a byword to them.
They look down on me, they keep their distance from
me, and do not mind spitting in my face” (Job 30:1-10).
Things
Job Saw As Evil
In the 31st chapter Job outlines
things that He and his friends regarded as evil. However, what he said was
aimed, not at humility, but at emphasizing his own righteousness. As you read
this notice that Job describes adultery as a “terrible crime,” describes even the slightest affection directed at
the sun or moon as “a crime to be
punished,” and condemns trust in riches, yet makes no mention of the Ten
Commandments — an indication that Job lived before Moses.
“If
my heart has been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s
door; Then let my wife grind grain for another man, and let another sleep with
her. For this is a terrible crime; yea, it is an crime
that should be punished by the judges. For it is an eternally destructive fire,
that would destroy all that I possess. If I ignored the complaint of my
manservant or of my maidservant, when they had a grievance against me; What then will I do when God rises up? how
shall I answer him when he calls me to account? Did not he who made me in the
womb make my servant? and did not one fashion us in
the womb? If I have kept the poor from getting what they required, or have
caused the eyes of the widow to fail; Or have eaten my food alone, and not
shared it with the orphan; (No from his youth the orphan grew up with me, as
with a father, and I have guided her from her mother’s womb;) If I have seen
anyone perish for lack of clothing, or a poor man without covering; If his
loins have not blessed me, or the fleece of my sheep did not keep him warm; If
I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, because I knew that the judges
would support me: Then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade, and my arm be
broken from its socket. For God’s judgment and destruction terrifies me, and
because of his majesty I could not do these things. If I have placed my faith
in gold, or said to the fine gold, You are my confidence; If I rejoiced because
my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much; If I looked upon the
sun when it shined, or the moon moving along in its splendor; And my heart has
been secretly enticed by them, or threw them a kiss with my hand: That too
would be a crime to be punished by the judge: for I would have denied the God
who is above. Have I rejoiced at the ruin of one who hated me, or thought of
myself as superior when evil overtook him:
No I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse. Have the men of my household ever said, Oh that we
could eat of his food! we cannot be satisfied. The
stranger did not sleep in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveler. If
I concealed my sin like Adam, by hiding my guilt in my heart: Because I greatly
feared the crowd, or was terrified by the families that might despise me, so
that I kept silent, and did not go outside? Oh for a hearing! my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that my
adversary would write his accusation on a scroll. Surely I would carry it on my
shoulder, and wind the scroll around my head as a crown. I would count out to
him the number of my steps; I would approach him as a prince. If my land cries
out against me, or its furrows likewise complain; If I have eaten its fruits
without paying for them, or have caused the death of its tenants: Let thistles
grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. Here ends what Job said”
(Job 31:9-40)
The
Way of Salvation
Notice that all Job says in chapter 31 is
aimed at convincing his “comforters” that he has not sinned and is suffering
unjustly. And, that is why Elihu rebuked him saying, “I heard you
speak, and listened when you said, I am clean without transgression, I am
innocent; nor is there iniquity in me” (Job 33:8-9). “God speaks time and again, yet man does not notice” (Job 33:14). “If there is a messenger with him, an
interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man his righteousness: Then God
is gracious to him, and says, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have
found a ransom [1Tim. 2:6]. His
flesh will be fresher than a child’s: he will return to the days of his youth:
He will pray to God, and he will be favorable to him: and he will see his face
with joy: for he will render to man his righteousness [
A
Final Word
The
book of Job, and all the troubles that he endured, illustrate the truth of the
words, “All things work together for
good for those who love God, for those who are the called according to his
purpose” (Rom.