The Book of
JOB
An Instructional Commentary
By
Pastor Eric J. Hanson
HIS
Booklets
INTRODUCTION
For a period of about four years, I have desired to produce a course on the book of Job. What brought this about was a careful reading of this book together with note jotting in the margin of my Bible.
I soon discovered that much of what has been traditionally taught about this book is not correct. There has been much damage done to believers down through the years due to such teaching.
Probably the worst and most common abuse of this book has been the unthinking quoting of the ramblings and ragings of Job and his companions as though their words were from God. Near the end of the book, God sharply corrects and rebukes these men. People, who have taught the words of these men as though they were true doctrine, have many times caused people to get a warped view of what God is like. Please know that all of these men spoke much error together with some truth.
As you study the book of Job, bear in mind that Job was not an Israelite. He did not have the Abrahamic covenant. He did not have the Law of Moses, and in fact, he lived prior to Moses.
Job did have a covenant with God, and it did provide this specific benefit: his life was protected from premature death. He did not, however, have the promises given to Israel in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. This is important for us to know!
It is my prayer and steadfast hope that the Lord will use this course on the book of Job to clear up some very muddied waters and to strengthen the faith of many. May God bless you as you study it.
In Jesus Christ our Lord,
Eric J. Hanson. (1988)
HOW TO USE THIS COMMENTARY AS A GROUP BIBLE STUDY
At my own home church, we have found that this works well as a course used the following way. (Pray first of all, inviting the Lord to teach and direct things.)
1. Someone reads a group of verses, such as Chapter 24, verses 5-12 (on page 13).
2. That person then reads the commentary remarks connected to those verses.
3. Discussion may be sparked by this.
4. The group leader keeps things from going too far off the subject.
Using this method, a Home Fellowship group or a Sunday School class can cover three chapters per session in about 30-40 minutes of reading and discussion. At the end of the course, there are life applications to take away from this book. –Pastor Eric (2005)
DEFINITIONS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB
Job: “One ever returning to God” from the Hebrew “Ayeb”.
Uz: The eastern area where Job lived. The people there could trace their line back to Nahor, not Abraham’s grandfather of that name, but his brother of that name. The area was named for a man named “Uz”. He may have founded Damascus and Trachonitis. The area where Job lived was located in the Syrian Desert between Damascus and Edom
Eliphaz: One of the three friends of Job. His name means “God is strong.” He was probably the least patient of these three friends. He was descended from Esau, and was a distant cousin to Job.
Bildad: This friend of Job had some Israelite blood through either Asher or Judah. He seemed to be quite patient and knowledgeable of God. The meaning of his name is not certain.
Zophar: This third of Job’s friends seems to have been the most patient of the three. His name simply means “chirper”, but the name Naaman (from whom he was descended) means “pleasant, a delight”. My assessment of Zophar is that he would have been good to have around. Through the tribe of Benjaman, Zophar also had some Israelite blood in him.
Elihu: The fourth man to come and be Job’s “friend”. This man’s name means “He is God.” His Father’s name meant, “blessed”, and indeed Barachel was blessed to have Elihu for a son. The tribal name, “Buz” means contempt, and indeed Elihu showed contempt for his older companions with all of their false assumptions. He too was related to Abraham, descended from Nahor, and was therefore a distant cousin of Job.
All four of these men were distant cousins to Job.
HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE DEVOTIONALLY
1. Pray before each session. Ask God to open your eyes and speak to you.
2. Quiet yourself and approach the Bible with faith and expectancy that the Lord will meet you there.
3. Read a few verses. Then read the commentary connected to those verses. Take your time and let things sink in.
4. Finish the course of the study, and think about the lessons to be learned. Be blessed and equipped!
Commentary on the Book of Job
Pastor Eric J. Hanson
Chapter 1
Job lived before Moses did. He did not have any scripture, nor did he have the promises God gave to his people through Moses, as recorded in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. All Job had for his knowledge of God was oral tradition. He did not know that the Devil exists. Job did not have a revelation that each man is responsible before God for his own sin. This bit of background knowledge is essential if we are to gain an accurate perspective on this man’s experiences, words, and friends.
Verses
1-2. Job did the best that he knew.
3. He was the richest man in that part of the World.
4. Job’s adult children, who had their own homes, did not fear or serve God.
5. This act did not accomplish what Job hoped it would. Job should have taught his children to serve God while they were little. Perhaps he tried to, and they had now rejected it. At any rate, they were now adult hedonists. Job’s intentions were good, but each of his children was 100% responsible for his or her own condition before God.
6-7. Interesting insight into Satan’s activities.
8. God brags a little.
9-10. Satan speaks poorly of both God and Job.
11. The challenge is laid down.
12. Satan will do the damage. Satan is “the god of this World”, “the Prince of this age”, and “the Prince of the powers of the air”. He attacks people with war, disease, and such.
The Attack
13-15. I. The Sabeans, who were godless servants of Satan, found no
opposition when they attacked. They were able to destroy the means of production of wealth in one effort thanks to the adult sons of Job being not vigilant.
16. II. A Satanic destructive miracle here is incorrectly attributed to God
by a distraught servant. The servant himself is being unwittingly used by Satan to undermine Job’s confidence in God.
17. III. The Chaldeans (Forerunners of the Babylonians) have now taken away the remaining actual wealth. They too were warlike servants
of the Devil.
18-19. IV. This is another satanic miracle. This one is similar to ones that will
Occur in the last days. Satan will then attempt to fool people into following the anti-Christ rather than the real Christ.
20-22. Job is not sinning here. He is incorrect however. Satan is the destroyer here.
Chapter 2
1-2. This repeat performance by the Devil may give us insight into what he does often. He is the “accuser of the brethren”.
7. God reminds Satan of his previous claim.
4. Satan, rather than saying “You were right God, and I was wrong.” Issues another challenge.
5. This is the ultimate test of anyone. The Devil knows it too.
6. God, knowing that Satan is a murderer, puts a limit on here. Remember that it is Satan and not God who will attack Job.
26-1. The attack comes and Job begins to suffer in his body in addition to his mental anguish.
9. Job’s wife sins here. She had mere conditional love for him, which isn’t love at all. She may be the reason that their children turned out ungodly.
10. Job spoke with great character here, although in a certain amount of ignorance too. The basic positive building blocks that God can use later to undo this mess are obviously in place in this man.
11. Here are good intentions.
12. They cared about Job.
13. Here is empathy which grows out of sympathy.
Chapter 3
Job’s First Speech
1-24. Job has convinced himself that all of the dead are better off than he is. He now has neither hope nor faith. Since he has no vision for the future at this point, he has nothing to live for. (“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18) He resents life.
25. This verse gives an amazing insight to us. Fear has always been there under the surface. Even the upright Job had not been perfected in love because “Perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18) Fear is the opposite of faith.
17. This sums up Job’s view of his lot in life.
Chapter 4
Eliphaz’ Reply
8-9.1. Is this a subtle accusation? Is it defensiveness perhaps? This man has been sitting there for seven days wondering why this calamity may have come upon Job. Now he has heard Job’s complaint.
3-4 This man knows Job’s life and reputation.
5-6. He appeals to Job’s good works and piety as something to place confidence in.
7. The answer to this question is that many of the innocent have been wiped out, not by God, but by sinful man or impartial disaster.
8-11. This describes God’s judgment on the wicked, but that judgment is often postponed until after this life is over.
12-16. Apparently Eliphaz was attempting to build credibility concerning spiritual realities by sharing frightening “spirit” experiences he had gone through. His line of reasoning here is suspect as to its impact or relevance.
10-16. Eliphaz was now assuming that God was punishing Job. After all, God even punishes angels who sin…
Chapter 5
1-6. Eliphaz, continuing his lecture, attempted to stop Job from exercising resentment or envy. He noted them as marks of fools who are headed for destruction.
7. This was a general statement about the lot of mankind.
5-7. This was good advice. Job needed to pray about his situation.
11-13. This is amazingly similar to the book of Proverbs. It was good stuff.
17-18. This is a good principle, but, in fact, God was not correcting anyone here. Eliphaz assumed that God was correcting Job through calamity. This mindset will become more evident later.
19-22. This passage is amazingly similar to Proverbs chapter 3 and to Psalm 91. Sometimes Eliphaz was right on about God’s basic nature.
23-27. This was a foreshadowing of later blessing covenants God would bring forth for His people.
Chapter 6
Job Speaks Again
1-3. Job sought to explain why his words had been the way they were in his previous speech.
4. This was not correct, but Job honestly thought that it was.
14-21. Job was connecting illustrations to show why he had spoken as he did.
5-8. Job was wishing for the wrong thing here. Notice that he still had not prayed, though he was talking much about God.
1-6. Job stated his frailty and lack of hope for a brighter future.
3-4. In rebuking is friends, Job rejected Eliphaz’ good advice as well as his bad assumptions.
22-30. Here Job was pleading for pity from his friends. He invited them to actually show him how he was wrong. He opened himself to actual instruction. He repeated his assertion that he walked in integrity always.
Chapter 7
Job Continued to speak.
Job wove together a tapestry of error in this chapter.
5-7. He rehearsed again his condition.
7. He attempted to inform God concerning his future and his final condition.
5-9. He justified his railing against God.
12-21. He attempted to show that God is unreasonable. He assumed that he was being punished by God for some unknown sin. He also “informed” God of his soon coming death.
Chapter 8
Bildad’s first Speech
Bildad told the truth in this chapter.
1-2. This was a terse and accurate assessment of Job’s speech.
13-19. Bildad correctly summed up part of the situation with Job’s adult children. Of course God did not kill them, Satan, who is a murderer, did.
20-22. Here was god advice coupled with accurate predicted results.
5-10. Our shortness of life and need of wisdom
1-14. The folly of trusting other things rather than God
25-29. A reminder of God’s goodness and justice
Chapter 9
Back to Job
8-17. Job correctly assessed the matchless splendor, power, and creative ability of God.
15-20. He incorrectly assumed that God is a tyrant.
21-24. He attributed Satan’s doings to God.
1-6. Again, Job indicated that he was being punished for something unknown to him.
30-35. Job cried out for a mediator between God and man. We are blessed to have such a mediator. The book of Hebrews clearly outlines that aspect of the present day ministry of Jesus Christ. (I Timothy 2:5)
Chapter 10
5-8. Job worked up to accusing God again.
7-11. He intimated that God made him in order to torture him. He went so far as to say regarding God’s plans for him: “I know that this was in your mind.”
18-22. Job’s only hope was death. He had no concept that better things could possibly come his way. Many people today have the same mind set, and it poisons their outlook. Job’s longing for death reprises his words in chapter 3.
Chapter 11
Zophar’s First Speech
Zophar gave good advice. He told the truth.
11-25. Zophar rejected Job’s judgment of the way things were, and of God.
3-13. He described God’s character and judgment.
12. Interesting observation. Many men die without ever becoming wise.
1-2. Once again a friend told Job to pray, repent, and ask God to bring deliverance. Again a friend says that God will deliver from this trial if petition is made to Him directly.
20. God’s judgment against the wicked contrasted with the preceding verses about God’s judgments on behalf of upright people.
Chapter 12
Job’s Reply
1-4. Here Job compared himself to Zophar and basically said “I’m as good as you are. What makes you think you have anything to teach me?” Job exhibited an unteachable spirit at that time. He should have thanked Zophar and gone to prayer.
18-19. Job again accused God of letting the wicked live in ease and of bringing misfortune on the innocent.
20-28. Job presented true facts, but with a cynical perspective. This brings warpage.
Chapter 13
Job continues, but finally prays.
This chapter starts off with a great deal of defensiveness. Job denounced all of his friends, even though Bildad and Zophar had both given him excellent advice. He denounced them along with Eliphaz, who had been insensitive in his speech to Job. Job was also none too charitable toward God in this chapter, but at least he prayed.
18-22. He reiterated his contention that they were no better than he was.
1-10. This was a real put down of his friends.
14-17. Here is some correct insight concerning the next life, for those who have loved and served God in this one. Of course Job was still assuming that God was oppressing him and may yet kill him.
11-1. Now my prayer will prove my rightness.
12-13. A prayer fraught with accusation
Chapter 14
Job’s Prayer Gets Long.
The key verse of this chapter is 13 wherein Job asks to die.
1-14. Even though Job expressed much despair here, and actually stated that no resurrection will ever come for men as long as the Earth endures, nevertheless, he expressed hope for that very thing in verse 14 after asking to die in verse 13.
15-17. Here is a universal longing expressed. Even though Job was sure that God had done all sorts of bad things to him in this life, he said that “surely” things would be better in another life where our sins will not be remembered by God.
1-2. Return to hopelessness and gloom.
Chapter 15
Round 2 of speeches: Eliphaz Scolds Job.
1-6. Eliphaz pretty much accused Job of being totally prideful.
13. Eliphaz had heard the excellent words of Bildad and Zophar. Perhaps he was aware that he had been hard on Job in his first speech, but now Eliphaz was really angered because of Job’s foolish words.
1-6. Much of Job’s prayer had accused God. Eliphaz was very bothered by this.
14-19. The depravity of man was here mentioned as being a well known truth. Even the concept of angels sinning and being judged by God was known to these men.
20-35. Once again Eliphaz repeated the fallacy that the wicked are hunted down by God himself in this life, and that he makes them miserable and sees to it that they die prematurely and uneasily. This simply is not true most of the time. Was Eliphaz intimating that Job must be secretly evil? Perhaps, but he was being subtle about it.
Chapter 16
Job Responds
1-4. Job placed all three men together in a bad light. He did not distinguish among the tones of their various speeches.
5. Job has missed the comfort in the good advice of Bildad and Zophar. Perhaps he would have listened to them more thoroughly if their good remarks had been prefaced by compassionate expressions of sorrow concerning Job’s undeserved misery.
6-14. Here Job once again expressed his frustration stemming from what he thought was the attack of God against him. It is interesting to note that he did not know that the only reason he was alive instead of dead was because God had told Satan that he could not kill Job. God knew that later, He was going to immensely restore and bless Job. Not knowing this, Job, repeatedly stated that God was keeping him alive only for the purpose of making him suffer misery.
15-18. Job again contrasts his sad condition with his innocence. He is pleading for vindication in verse 18.
19-21. Suddenly there was supernatural prophetic insight concerning the future ministry of Jesus, our Great High Priest, our advocate, who is in the throne room of Heaven ever making intercession on our behalf. Could this be a response by God to Job’s plea in verse 18? In God’s mercy, this could indeed have been true, even though Job had just accused God of terrible things.
22. Suddenly his thoughts came back down.
Chapter 17
7-17. Return to despairing words
3. I don’t think Job had any idea what he just had said. Many years later God would provide the pledge that is needed for our deliverance from wrath. The blood of Jesus Christ the righteous is that pledge. Only God could give it.
4-5. Bitterness broke through in these two verses. Verse five is “folk religion”, and is absolutely false. Even today people tend to think things of this nature, however.
6-8. Return to rehearsing his situation
9. Suddenly he proclaimed something with hope in it.
1-7. Here was a return to bitter thinking and utter hopelessness. Job also really spoke badly of his friends in this passage.
Chapter 18
Back to Bildad
1-4. Bildad scolded Job. He appealed to him to be reasonable about denouncing his friends, and about his level of anger.
5-21. This is a Proverbs style litany on the fate of evil men. Of course it is “Folk Religion” for the most part, with Bildad insisting that everything gets bad in this life for evil doers. Bildad, who was pretty worked up at this point, may have also been insinuating that Job must be secretly evil, or he may simply have been trying to incite Job to proper petitionary prayer.
Chapter 19
Job’s Reply and More
1-3. Bildad has in fact reproached Job once. He has been reproached three times total by his friends at this point.
4-12. Once again Job said that God is the wrongdoer here. Verse six could not be clearer.
13-19. Job’s wife had indeed done wrong by him. She was not loyal in time of deepest need. His friends, however, Job was driving away with blistering words.
20-22. This deeply felt outburst could have been averted by Job’s friends prefacing their good advice with true pity, compassion and love. As for their judgmental comments; those should have never been said.
23-24. Job believed that all of his own comments were perfectly justified and true. His perspective was, of course, warped by his pain. This was the warpage that caused him to say he had been reproached ten times when it was actually three.
25-27. Suddenly Job proclaimed more spiritual truth, He seems to have had a pretty good understanding of the afterlife. This insight was not ruined by his suffering either.
Chapter 20
Zophar: Round two
7-18. Zophar was now offended. He had been unjustly accused, as though he was another Eliphaz.
Zophar sought to correct Job, but he made the usual incorrect assumptions, which are:
w. The wicked are inevitably punished in this life.
x. Possibly Job is reaping the fruit of his own evil.
Job could catch the subtle, underlying half-accusations. This was very hard on him. Of course Judgment day is on the way here. It will come, and there is not escape for those who do not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the savior.
Time Out for an Insight
Job appears to have had a problem of internal disunity. At the John 17:21 Convocation held at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in the fall of 1980, one of the speakers, Dr. Ronald House, spoke of a level of unity within the individual person, which emulates that which is found in the Godhead. Remember that God is three persons, yet one entity. In a somewhat similar manner, we human beings are three major parts, but one being. God is always in perfect unity within Himself. We, oftentimes, are not.
Job went along railing at God at some length in his various speeches. Then, suddenly there would come a gem of prophetic insight regarding such things as the resurrection of the dead, eternal judgments, the role of Jesus Christ as the believer’s advocate at the right hand of the Father, or some other wonderful thing.
I believe that Job did not have his soul and his spirit reconciled to one another, and that most of the time, the soul, rather than his spirit, was in control of his thoughts. From time to time, however, the spirit man would break through long enough for some gem of godly truth to come out of the mouth of Job. These short bursts of supernatural insight were clues. They point to the types of prayers that Job should have been engaging in during the first 20 chapters of this book.
How very often, we like Job, though being genuine believers in Jesus Christ, and really having a desire to love and serve God, have not taken time to be quiet in the Lord’s presence. We have not taken the time for contemplation of and meditation on God’s word. We have not prioritized a reliable and deep daily prayer time. All of these are things which we need, in order that our soul (our mind, will, and emotions) be transformed, so that our spirit and our soul can be in true unity and agreement. This schism within our own being creates endless problems for ourselves, and for others who are around us. We tend to get grouchy, pessimistic, opinionated, spiritually lazy, etc…
I believe that if Job had been totally tuned in to his spirit, he would have listened to Bildad and Zophar the first time that they spoke, and that he would have quickly prayed in a way that repented of any unknown sin, and called upon God to rescue him from the hand of the destroyer. I believe that the days of his distress would have been greatly shortened by this personal unity.
Chapter 21
Back to Job
1-3. Job’s introduction to his “turn” in the speechmaking was abrupt. He was obviously annoyed with Zophar’s philosophy regarding God and wicked men.
4-6. Job’s observations contradicted those of Zophar.
7-15. Job’s ideas on how the wicked prosper and are at ease. Bad things never seem to come their way.
14-16. Here Job intimated that God prospers those who want nothing to do with Him. This directly contradicts Deuteronomy 28, but Job did not have the Bible, only oral tradition coming down form the days of Noah and some of Abraham’s story.
17-18. Job directly challenged Zophar’s assertions.
19-21. Here was more “folk religion” under discussion. God deals with this matter very clearly in Ezekiel 18: 19-20. Each person is responsible for their own sin before God, and He required that in Israel’s justice system as well. By the way, those of us who know that our children and grandchildren will one day stand before God at the final judgment, care greatly about what becomes of them after we die.
22-26. After taking one moment to touch on the fact that God knows all, and that we can’t teach Him anything, Job then described the similar fate of the dead bodies of those who had an enjoyable life, and those who had a miserable life. There was no joy or hope in this account.
27-36. This is the “wrap up” of Job’s argument and his total dismissal of the opinions of his friends. He was not going to agree with any intimations of guilt on his part.
Chapter 22
Eliphaz once again
1-3. Basically, “You are of no use to God.”
4-11. This stream of invective was baseless, but Eliphaz truly believed that if anyone was in catastrophe, it was because God was getting them for their many intolerable sins.
12-14. Eliphaz accused Job of saying things about God, which he, in fact, did not say. In verse 22 of the prior chapter, Job had indicated that God knows all. He never intimated that God does not see us.
15-20. Here Eliphaz repeated the assertion that God surely punishes the wicked in this life. Verse 18 was a mocking of Job in Chapter 21 and verse 16.
21-30. Strangely, (since Eliphaz’ attitude and his set of assumptions were both wrong), in this passage, he gave really good advice, except for throwing away one’s gold. (Job was not worshiping gold.). Verse 30 is a little off the mark too.
Chapter 23
Back to Job
1-7. Job had given up on trying to convince his friends of his innocence. He wistfully yearned to stand before God Himself to present his case.
8-12. Job acknowledged that fact that we cannot go to God’s throne room here on Earth, but he returned to two of his repeated themes, using different words and imagery this time. He found a new way to say: 1. God knows the truth. 2. The truth is, I am innocent.
13-17. Again, Job admitted his terror. Again, he assumed that it was God who was crushing him with severe afflictions.
Chapter 24
Job Speaks some Philosophy of Life
1. His initial premise here was that God does not intervene.
2-4. Description of the evil things men do.
5-12. The severe misfortune of the poor of the land
13-17. Back to what evil people do, this time in the dark.
18-25. Here Job took some comfort in death as the great leveler, seeing it as God’s way of dealing with sinners who had enjoyed success in this life.
Chapter 25
Bildad’s Brief Comments
1-3. God’s greatness
4-6. Bildad is right. No one stands pure before God in their own merit, but, Bildad’s attitude here is negative against Job.
Chapter 26
Job’s Response and Some Amazing Insights
1-4. He dismissed Bildad’s authority to have opinions about God’s dealings with people.
5-6. This seems to be an insight into the reality of Hell. Considering the insights that come next, this may have been inspired.
7-14. This was a wonderful discourse. Even the fact that the Earth is hung on “nothing” is in here. (In the centuries after the time of Job, people would make up theories about the Earth riding on the back of a giant tortoise, on the shoulders of the giant Atlas, and other such fanciful nonsense.) The Bible also speaks of the “circle of the Earth”. (Isaiah 40:22). Thousands of years ago, God’s word told us that the Earth is round and in space.
Chapter 27
Job Returned to Pessimism
21-25. Job returned to speaking about his own situation.
7-12. Job again positioned himself as the knowledgeable one in the situation. Like the others, he again stated that God hunts down and destroys the wicked.
6-10. Job’s eloquent but unwarranted conclusion on that subject.
Chapter 28
Know How and Hard Work Contrasted with Wisdom
1-7. The amazing reality of mining even in those long ago times, hard work, determination to extract treasure form the rock.
12-22. Fabulous speaking that made the awesome value of true wisdom very clear
23-28. This part of the discourse is very similar to the early parts of the book of Proverbs. Verse 28 in particular is echoed in Proverbs more than once. This passage is superb.
Chapter 29
Job’s Yearning for His Glorious Past
31-33. Job’s previous estate of plenty and happiness
5-15. Job was again rehearsing his own righteousness, but with a wistful melancholy rather than hot anger as in previous chapters.
11-2. This expectation was consistent with the folk religion that all of these men, except Job, believed, to the effect that God always hunts down and punishes sin in this life, and that He also rewards right living with unbroken success in this life. (There are principles which God has set up, which lead to success. Living contrary to them also leads to failure of many kinds; financial, marital, business, moral, health etc. God does bless those who are true to Him, and He does resist the proud, but not in the almost mechanical way that these men all assumed. Again, we’ve all seen many wicked men and women live to old age and die rich. Of course what comes next will be a different story.)
16-21. Where were all these people now? Were they all simply appalled by Job’s situation, and felt that he must have had some terrible secret sin? Probably that’s what they thought. It’s also possible that some would like to have brought some comfort, but stayed away because they just couldn’t imagine what to say or do.
Chapter 30
Bitterness of soul poured out here
1-8. Here was a graphic description of people of desperate poverty. Verse one also reveals that Job did have some class related conceit.
9-15. This description is typical of how those who have been at the lowest rung of life tend to act toward others who had once been “high and mighty” but are now brought low and defenseless. Is this natural? Yes, of course. Is it right? Absolutely not, no matter what century it happens in, or what name it does by.
16-23. Back to accusing God and making negative predictions about the future
24-31. Despair and puzzlement: “After all I cared for the poor…”
Chapter 31
Job’s Final Defense of Himself
7-19. Somehow, without the Law, Job knew that it was wrong to lust after a girl who was not is wife. Many things about right and wrong had come down through the oral tradition.
5-15. Job was so sure of his innocence that he again invited God’s judgment against himself if he was guilty of any of these evils.
16-23. Even social right and wrong was known by Job to be important to God. He recognized the importance of the rich and strong helping the poor and weak.
24-28. Idolatry too was known by him to be sin against God.
29-34. General kindness and refraining from revenge
35-37. A final appeal to God Himself.
38-40. This was A final invitation to judgment if Job has been unjust to the laborers, then he rested from his speaking.
Chapter 32
Elihu, Son of Barakel Speaks.
7-20. We don’t know when Elihu walked into this situation. He had apparently been listening for some time. In all ancient societies, the young adults would speak in forums, only if the older men did not resolve issues successfully.
22-33. He began by claiming wisdom for himself.
1-8. Elihu’s assessment of the words of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar
16-22. Here was a man about to explode. In 21 and 22 he betrayed a high opinion of his own uprightness, particularly regarding his words.
Chapter 33
Elihu turned to Job and…
1-7. He prefaced his personal remarks to Job.
8-13. He challenged Job’s basic assertion regarding God’s dealings with men.
14-22. Elihu claimed that God spoke through things as diverse as dreams and disease.
23-30. Elihu did not realize it, but he had just described the mediation, healing, and restoration ministries of Jesus Christ. Verses 23-30 are one of those sudden breakthroughs to the Heavenly plane of thought which pop up here and there throughout the book of Job.
1-1. Once more he betrayed a rather high opinion of himself. This time it had to do with wisdom.
Chapter 34
Elihu turned to all four older men and…
1-4. He prefaced his remarks to the group.
5-9. Elihu pronounced judgment against Job.
10-15. This was truth. Of course there was also a false linkage to Job’s suffering in Elihu’s thinking on this subject.
16-28. a Mixture of truth and assumptions
29-30. It is true that no one can pronounce judgment on God. It is not true that God never allows a godless man to come to power and harm people. God hates it, but he allows it on the Earth, for now…
31-37. Elihu had now declared Job to be a sinful rebel who accuses God falsely.
Chapter 35
He Turned back to Again Address Job.
1-8. Do you think that you can hurt or benefit God? (Note: He saw God as being above us, not physical, like a carved idol, but transcendent.)
9-16. He rambled a little, but came back to accuse Job again.
Chapter 36
Elihu Now Talked as Though He Knew All Things.
1-4. Really over the top this time
36-1. More eloquent presentations of folk religion with its assumptions
10-11. A Return to putting down Job, Verse 21 is slanderous.
12-21. More thoughts on the greatness and exalted state of God
Chapter 37
Eluhu’s Concluding Words
1-13. Elihu got excited telling of God’s greatness. He was certainly eloquent, though conceited.
14-20. Putting down Job some more…
21-24. Elihu had no idea that God was about to SHOW UP. “Out of the North He comes in golden splendor”…
Chapter 38
Suddenly God is There!
1. Suddenly…GOD! Notice that he addressed Job rather than Elihu.
2-3. Get ready, you who have spoken about me without knowing the reality of my dealings. Here come the tough questions…
4-11. Questions with no answers, showing forth God’s total transcendence…
12-15. Here God makes plain that he had indeed intervened against wicked people in the Earth.
Only God can create each new morning.
16-18. More things that only God can know or do
19-21. Even a wise and successful old sage of a man is a baby who knows nothing when ` compared to God.
22-30. Look how much the Lord spoke about water related realities. Apologists for God’s
Existence point to the nature of liquid water, and the fact that it expands rather than contracting, when frozen, as a strong indicator of intelligent design. This characteristic of water makes life possible. No other substance is like water. Most non metals go directly from a solid to a gaseous state when heated up. Not water, which has a wide temperature range of liquid existence. Water has other unique and amazing properties as well which make it the support system of life and the renewal agent of the land.
31-33. God alone designed the magnificent layout of the stars. Even the precise location of our
Solar System within the galaxy is of great importance for the sustenance of life, and especially for the ability of people to discover the true layout of the macro Creation. God indeed placed us in the perfect spot for all these things! We are about half way out one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way, and a little above its plane and out “in the open”. This gives us a very clear view in all directions, and a lot of protection from major objects getting too close.
34-35. God, not Job, designed the system of the weather.
5. God alone created the mind of man and endowed us with the ability to obtain wisdom.
37-38. Only God can bring the needed rain in drought. Man cannot do this.
39-41. Only God can equip the animals with their needed instincts and abilities to gather food.
Chapter 39
More of God’s Singular (unique) Abilities
1-4. God knows all these things about animal reproduction. He designed it!
5-8. God designed and built habitat that is just right for the donkey, and for each creature.
9-12. Here God pointed out the limits of man’s abilities to control the great animals.
13-18. God’s discourse on the weakness and the strength of the ostrich
19-25. God reminded Job that the magnificent horse was not designed by man, but its strength
and spirit are from God.
26-30. The hawk and the eagle did not need man to train them or tech them to hunt, find their food, or take care of their young.
Chapter 40
A Challenge from God, Job’s Humble Answer, then God Continued…
1-2. This challenge must have caused Job to quake with fear. It was certainly a testing moment also, as the opportunity to answer the almighty and all knowing God came onto the scene.
3-5. Here was some real humility. The “once-twice” couplet in Job’s reply intimates “I’ve said too much already.”
6-8. Certainly God was referring back to Job’s previous accusations against Him. He was not about to let the matter go without dealing with it.
9-14. God turned up the pressure of his speech and made it much more personal than in the
previous chapter. This was a clear way of saying “You are not God.”
15-24. God returned to his animal descriptions, but on a more massive plane. Perhaps behemoth was the elephant or the hippo. It was certainly a strong and mighty beast.
Chapter 41
God’s Description of Leviathon as He Concludes this Speech
1-9. This was an untamable beast, amazingly strong.
1-14. God cannot be forced to do things. Nobody has any claim against the owner of all.
1-14. Could this be a dragon? Did such creatures exist or was God using colorful language here in order to “wow” Job. Scholars disagree, but since we now know of incredible undersea creatures who have built in lights, electric shock organs, and other “beyond belief” attributes, believing that these fire attributes may have literally been part of the Leviathon is not such a stretch.
12-22. More amazing things, not matching any living creature today.
Chapter 42
Conclusions at Last, and Wonders From God, to Ponder
1-2. Job gave glory to God as the almighty.
3-6. Job was clear. God is overwhelming to be with. Job had no answers for God’s questions.
7-8. God was clearly displeased with these men who had each sought to speak for God, as though they knew the Judgments of the almighty one, and the internal counsel of the Godhead.
9. God accepted their obedience and Job’s prayer for them. Thus they were now humbled also.
10. This verse is the key to overthrowing about half of the terrible theology that clings to this book. In this verse, we see the Father heart of God. The next time anyone for whom “everything always goes wrong”, tells you that they are a modern Job, please ask them if they have read the book to the end. Most never have. Folk religion clings to this story like grime clings to an iron frying pan. It was God who restored Job twofold, in spite of Job’s multiplied accusations against God.
11. Here is a demonstration of supernatural favor. This is how God began restoring the fortunes of Job. He did it through people, placing the desire to comfort, give, and share into them.
12. Great wealth. He was the richest man in that part of the World. This level of wealth was like a king, and not any private citizen in ancient times.
13-15. These were seven very blessed sons and daughters. Jemimah means a dove, Keziah means cassia which is the wood that the Ark of the Covenant would later be made from. Keren-Happuch means the horn of paint. Job’s life became beautiful and colorful, filled with the closeness of God and family. His daughters were all beautiful too and gained an inheritance along with their brothers.
16-17. After all this man had gone through, he ended up seeing his great grandchildren, some 140 years after his encounter with God. How awesome! God is the great restorer!
Learning From This Book
We can take a great many valuable lessons away from this study. Each one of us can learn directly from God as His Spirit speaks to us. We can also learn some things that are general and apply to all of us. Here are some such thoughts.
I. Don’t blame God when bad happens. Don’t become embittered. God is good. There is real spiritual warfare going on. There are casualties in this hidden but real struggle. War, murder, epidemics, hunger, disloyalty, falsehoods, alienation, and even mysterious deaths all are here because of the Fall of Adam and the presence of sin in the Earth. Do your best to become an effective soldier in God’s army, not a thought casualty in the Devil’s prisoner of war camp.
II. Don’t be like Job’s friends who condemned him. Be a shock absorber when someone is hurting. Job’s friends could have comforted him, but they never really did. Mostly, they condemned and accused him. There are people around you who need you to encourage them, while also exhorting them to draw close to the Lord.
III. Learn from chapter 42 what God is like. He is redemptive, truthful, just, and loving.
May God bless you richly today and every day. Jesus Christ is Lord!
Pastor Eric J. Hanson.
HOSANNA CHURCH
109 Schoolhouse Road
Oxford, ME 04270
539-2295
Pastors Dallas E. Henry and Eric J. Hanson
dmhenry40@verizon.net ehanson1@verizon.net
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK (larger version c. 1988)
1. People assume things about God
This crew did not have a full Bible revelation of God. Like the people described in Romans chapter 1 who have never heard the Bible taught, they deduced things by observation and made assumptions that their own reasonings were correct.
This leads to the disastrous practice of saying things such as: “God did this and God did that.” when in fact, God did not do this or that. Our understanding of what God does, must always and only be founded upon a thorough grounding in the Word of God.
2. Common false assumption about God, were made by people in this book:
n. Sin is punished by God, during this life.
Usually this is not so. The wicked will stand before the Great White Throne for judgement in the next life. (Revelation 20:11-15) The Law of Sowing and Reaping is real, but this is not the same thing as direct intervention by God. Sometimes God does judge directly during this life, but that is the rare instance, not the rule.
a1. If someone is suffering, they are being punished for some sin.
a2. If a man is righteous, he will not have big problems.
These are both offshoots of the main assumption that God punishes people for their sin during this present life. These are not truth.
o. Man is not important to God
It is assumed that our obedience doesn’t bring Him pleasure, and our sin does not hurt Him. This terrible assumption is blown away by Psalm 8 and many other passages in the Bible.
3. We need the scriptures to understand God at all.
Unlike Job, we have the scriptures. Job didn’t even have the books of Moses, who was not even born yet. His covenant with God cannot compare with that which we have through Jesus, or even with the Abrahamic and Mosaic pre-cursers to our Covenant.
We need to get to know the Covenants of God well. We need to understand the implications, requirements, benefits, and penalties that go with them. Then we will not “darken counsel without knowledge” the Job and his friends did.
Many Christians today do not have a clue who they really are in Christ, As a result, they walk in assumptions rather than in knowledge. They “darken counsel without knowledge”, and, as a result, miss out on God’s best. It is a sad thing when a New Testament Age believer comes to a trial in life and foolishly proclaims false assumptions about God, rather than the covenants of God, and who we are in Jesus Christ in this age of Grace.
PARTING THOUGHT
We can learn much from the book of Job. This book does ned to be understood within the overall framework of “God’s Plan for Man”. This plan has been unfolded progressively across the ages, through His successive covenants with people. When understood properly, this book of Job shows us mistakes to avoid, as well as God’s patience and love.
God loves you too, and is patient with you. Please respond to His love by learning and walking in His ways as revealed in the Bible, taken as a whole, and culminating with the Lordship of Jesus Christ in this New Testament age.
Blessings to you.
Pastor Eric.
