The Book of Job Christian Formation Series- The Prose section of Job


Segment:


Outline:

·      The prose section of Job covers 1:1-2:13 and 42:7-17.
o   This is the beginning and end of the book.
Notes:
·      1:1- Uz believed by many to be Edom, but don’t know for sure.
·      1:5- Sin offerings are covered in Torah
·      1:6- Satan is actually ha-satan in the Hebrew
o   ha= the, satan= accuser or adversary
o   Implied this is some being that is part of the heavenly court
o   The word in Hebrew is used for both human and divine beings.
·      1:9- Hebrew for fear- yara
o   Means “fear” more in the sense in honor and deep respect/ awe.
·      2:9- “Curse”- barakh- actually means to bless as in to praise (cf.1:21)
·      2:12- Tearing one’s robes in Hebrew Scripture is a sign of mourning.
·      42:11 evil- raah- evil in the sense of misfortune or distress
·      42:12- same word for bless as in 1:21 and 2:9.
·      42:15- giving inheritance to women would’ve been unusual in this age
·      42:17- “died, old and full of days”- same ending for Isaac and David
o   cf. Genesis 35:29 and 1 Chronicles 23:1
o   Davidson in New Interpreter’s Bible- Neither Issac or David had happy ends to their lives “Perhaps this is the storyteller’s covert way of saying that although Job may have appeared appeased, he never fully recovered from his tribulations.”

Discussion Questions:
1.    Why is Job righteous? Is it in his nature or is it his way of surviving?
2.    Is he a character you can connect to? Why or why not?
3.    What do we think of the set up with ha-satan?
a.     Is he part of the heavenly court?
b.    Is this a sign that God is completely in control of all things?
c.     Is this at all similar to our idea of Satan today?
4.    Is Satan trying to inflict harm on Job or show he’s not really just?
5.    Do we need to go through trials to truly acknowledge God as Lord?
6.    What are your thoughts on Job’s words in 1:21?
·      “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
7.    Do you believe ha-satan that people will give all they have to save their lives?
8.    Job’s friend sit with him in silent mourning. What do you do with your friends or loved ones in their mourning?
9.    What do you think of Job’s fortunes being restored at the end?
10.  Do you think that Job was restored or did he still hold on to his pain?
11.  Could there be a sense of resurrection in this story? (cf. Long)

Sources:
Davidson, Lisa ed. “The Book of Job”, The New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2003.
Long, Thomas G. What Shall We Say?: Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011.