Our Day in Job

Session #1: Approaching the book of Job

Session #2: The Prologue: launching into Job

Session #3: Examining a theme: poverty in Job

Session #4: God’s speeches and conclusions

NIKOLAI: You made that up, didn’t you? I am talking to you like a normal person, and here you are giving me all this… Is that a fairy tale?’

PRIEST: No, it’s from the Bible.

Session #1

Approaching the Book of Job

Key background issues

The importance and relevance of the book

Approaching the Book of Job

Wonderful

Challenging

Approaching the Book of Job

Important

Relevant

Job ‘speaks to and for all humanity’ (Pope)

Job in the Ancient Near East

‘Retribution’

Similarities and Differences

Job speaks a true and distinctive word of hope: an encounter with Yahweh

Session #2

The Prologue (chs. 1-2): Launching into Job

A close reading of the Prologue

The artistry of the book

The centrality of Job for life and mission

The pastoral potential and pitfalls of Job

The Prologue: Launching into Job

Scene one – on earth (1:1-5): Who is Job?

Scene two – in heaven (1:6-12): The question is raised

Scene three – on earth (1:13-22): Tragedy strikes and Job responds

Scene four – in heaven (2:1-6): The question raised again

Scene five – on earth (2:7-13): More tragedy, a further response, and the views of others

The Prologue: Launching into Job

Question:

How does Job help us to process pain and what does this mean for life, mission and ministry?

… at home… at work… in church communities…?

Session #3

Exploring a theme: Poverty in Job

Three passages

Five challenges

Poverty in Job

Three passages focusing on the treatment of the poor

Job 24:1-17

Job 29:11-17

Job 31:13-23

Poverty in Job

Five challenges concerning poverty put on the agenda by the book of Job:

Challenging God

Challenging the friends

Challenging the wicked

Challenging the self

Challenging the world

Session #4

God’s speeches and conclusions

Speech one (38:1-40:2)

Job’s response (40:3-5)

Speech two (40:6-41:34)

Job’s response (42:1-6)

Conclusions (the Epilogue – 42:7-17)

God’s speeches and conclusions

Where does the conclusion of the book leave us?

How does the book of Job equip us for life and mission?