the voice from the whirlwind interpreting the book of job session 4 shirley fong
TRANSCRIPT
The Voice from the Whirlwind
Interpreting the Book of Job
Session 4Shirley Fong
The Voice of Wisdom Psalm (Ch 28)vv 1-11 Gold, silver, iron, copper have their places
Birds and animals cannot but man can find the
ways to dig them out
vv12-19 Where can wisdom be found?
Wisdom appears inaccessible and nothing can
be compared with it
vv20-28 Where can wisdom be found?
Only God understands the way to find it
Fear the Lord and shun the evil is the key to find wisdom and understanding it.
The Voice from the Whirlwind/StormJob’s understanding of the present of God:
29:2-6 God watched over him in good days
30:16-20 God distances him when he was
in suffer
The Lord answered and spoke to Job out of the storm/whirlwind 38:1, 40:6.
What kind of impression do you have about whirlwind or storm?
Why did God speak to Job out of the storm?
Job’s struggles
1) 19:6b-20; 23:13-17 Job thought God had wronged him and terrified him
2) 21:6-21; 24:1-12 Why? Why have the wicked prospered and the poor being treated unfairly? Why didn’t God do anything?
Job brought his case before God and asked God to answer him: 23:3-5; 31:35-37
38: 1 God answered Job out of the storm
38:2 “… darken my counsel … without knowledge.”
38:3 “Brace yourself… and you shall answer me.”
38:4-38:38 Questions about cosmos
38:39-39:30 Questions about animal kingdom
40:1-2 God asked Job that how he could challenge the Almighty?”
40:3-5 Job’s response to God
40: 6 God spoke to Job out of the storm
40:7 “Brace yourself… and you shall answer me.”
40:8-14 “Do you challenge my justice?”
40:15-24 God used behemoth to challenge Job
41:1-34 God used leviathan to challenge Job
41:10b-11 God asked that who could stand before Him
42:1-6 Job’s response to God
The speech of God
What is the purpose of God’s speeches Did God answer Job? Remember Job still
had no idea of the heavenly scene. Why did Job have a total change in his
attitude? Did he find the answer? Where was the turning point?
Was Job satisfy with God’s answer? What is the main purpose of suffering?
Christian life
Formation Reformation
Transformation (spiritual characters) Construction Deconstruction
Reconstruction
(theology/understanding of God)
Epilogue
What is the purpose of Epilogue? Why did God ask Job to pray for his friends? What had happened in Job’s community? What kind of picture the Epilogue is trying to
portrait? What is the purpose of it? If God did not give back anything to Job or
remove his suffering at the end, then what do you think Job’s response will be? Why?
Reflection
What is your initial respond to suffering? Have you gained new insights/perspectives after studying the Book of Job?
What is/are the most important thing(s) in helping you to go through difficult stages of life?