General Info

1. Who is the author?

A. The author of the book is unknown.

B. The text does not identify an author but Rabbinic tradition suggests that the author preceded Moses.

C. Some suggest that Moses wrote the book but this is unlikely for the following reasons:

a. Moses uses the name Yahweh often whereas Job uses other names.

b. Job uses Arabic words.

c. Moses would not have been familiar with Arabic customs, opinions, and manners.

Evidences against Moses Authorship

General Info

D. Most likely Job, or someone close to Job wrote the book.a. The date of the book leans toward

a patriarchal age.b. The foreign tone of the book suggests it was written by Job. (Arabic words, nomadic habits,

awareness of nature and the arts)

c. Job was from Uz, which was located in northeast Arabia.

General Info

2. When was it written?

A. Probably pre-Mosaic, possibly patriarchal (2000-1800 B.C.)

a. The offering of sacrifice by the head of the family rather than a priest.

b. The mention of the Qesiytah as a type of money.

(Job 42:11 & Gen 33:19)

a. This was the view of the Talmud.

b. The lifestyle and longevity of Job’s life are similar to the patriarchs in Genesis.

c. The literary style matches that of the patriarchal era.

d. The name of Job is found in the Egyptian Execration texts from 2000 B.C.

More evidence for patriarchal time authorship

Conclusions for Authorship & Date

1. Job or a contemporary of Job wrote the book.

2. Was written during the patriarchal time period (2000-1800 B.C.)

Science in Job

Job gives us descriptions of several different animals that are very interesting to study.

Does the bible mention dinosaurs?

Job 41 talks about a creature called Leviathan.

Science in JobCanst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a

cord which thou lettest down? Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round

about. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they

cannot be sundered. By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the

eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or

caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

Science in JobWhat does that describe to you?

It could very well be a plesiosaur.

Science in Job

Job 40 give us a description of the Behemoth

“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.

Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.

He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.”

Science in JobWhat does that describe to you?

The description fits a brachiosaurus.

Who was Job?

Job was a very wealthy man from the land of Uz. (Uz was most likely in northern Arabia, which is now a part of Saudi Arabia)

He had 7 sons & 3 daughters. He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of Oxen, & 500 donkeys.

Who was Job?

The bible calls Job a perfect, and upright man who feared God and eschewed evil.

The Hebrew word for perfect is Tam (Strongs #08535) and it means “one who is morally and ethically pure”

The Hebrew word for upright is Yashar (Strongs #03477) and means right or righteous.

God and Satan Conversation

God asks Satan to consider his servant Job who is upright and perfect.

Satan says the only reason Job worships God is because God blesses him so abundantly.

God tells Satan everything Job has is in his hand except he was not allowed to touch Job himself.

Job’s world is crushed

Servants inform Job that all his sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, etc… have been stolen and most of his servants killed.

Then he is told that all of his children were having a party in his son’s house and the wind caused the roof of the house to fall and kill them.

Job 1:20-22

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

    And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

    In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

God and Satan Conversation

God tells Satan that even though he has tried to destroy Job, that Job sinned not.

Satan tells God that if he touches Job’s bone and flesh that Job would then curse God to his face.

God gives Satan permission to harm Job’s flesh but he is not permitted to kill Job.

Job’s body is harmed

Satan gives Job horrible boils from the top of his head to the sole of his foot.

Job’s wife is of no comfort

Job 2: 8-10“And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself

withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still

retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”“But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one

of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Job’s 3 friends

Job had 3 friends that came to comfort him.

At first they did very well. They just sat silently with him for 7 days.

Job’s friends judge Job

Job finally breaks the silence and tells them he doesn’t understand why God is punishing him. He eventually wishes that he had never been born.

The men take turns accusing Job of having sin in his life and that’s the reason he’s suffering.

Job rebukes his friends

“But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace ! and it should be your wisdom.”

God speaks

Finally God speaks out of a whirlwind.

1. God questions Job as to why he is questioning what he has done.

2. Job repents and realizes that we cannot understand God’s infinite wisdom.

3. God rebukes Job’s friends.

4. God instructs Job’s friends to offer sacrifices to cover their sins.

Job 42: 7-9And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these

words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

Job’s health and wealth are restored

Job was given twice what he had before.Job 42: 12-16

So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

He had also seven sons and three daughters.

Job’s health and wealth are restored

And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.

Job looks for Christ

Job ponders how God and Man can have a relationship.

He wishes for a mediator.

Job looks for Christ

1. Job is looking for a pardoner in Job 7:21

“And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”

Job looks for Christ

2. Job is looking for a daysman in

Job 9:32-33

“For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.”

Job looks for Christ

3. Job is looking for a Savior in Job 13:16

“He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.”

Job looks for Christ

4. Job is looking for a Redeemer in

Job 19:25

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”

Lessons to be learned

1. Don’t be like Job’s wife.

2. Don’t be judgemental like Job’s friends.

3. Realize that we can’t understand God’s infinite wisdom, so we should not question what God is doing.

4. Even Job who was called perfect and upright by God still needed a pardoner, a daysman, a savior & a redeemer.

Conclusion

“For I know that my redeemer liveth”

The redeemer that Job was speaking of 4,000 years ago is the same redeemer

that we have today.

Our Redeemer lives!