This week we are continuing our study in the book of Job, and will wrap it up next week, then return to the book of Genesis. Many scholars believe that the book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible and occurs somewhere during the period of, or just before, the patriarch Abraham. We will continue to focus on the dialogue between Job and his friends, dissecting what they were saying with the gift of hindsight.

Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors. As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below, with basic answers for your review and, or to use as a leader’s guide.

Presentation

Foundations Bible Study: The Book of Job Chapters 15-31

Review and Reflection

At your table groups, do the following:

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have – Place your card in the prayer box, and pick one up at the end of class.
Review: Reflect on what we have discussed and learned so far about the book of Job
Focus Verse: Job 19:25

From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus!

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”

Job 19:25 (ESV)

Bible Study

Step #3: Chapter Reading for Context – What does it say?

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Going deeper for Step #4: Interpretation – What does it mean?

Go through the conversations, as in the previous chapters, and list the main points Job’s friends make
Do the same for Job’s responses
Include good and bad points they all make
For each section we study look for the two foundational interpretation points: 1) How do we see God’s character and His teachings; and 2) How does it point towards Jesus?
Step five – Application: How do I use what I have learned so far?

Eliphaz Speaks for a second time: Main points –

LAB note: The position established by each participant harden in the second round of speeches, the again align Job’s suffering with the punishment due to the wicked. Job’s responses typically show his refusal to accept responsibility for his situation and characterize the wicked not as sufferers, but as those who proper despite their careless godlessness.

Ch. 15

Eliphaz says Job does not fear or respect God because his words are full of “wind” (hot air) and he does not listen to God, but thinks himself wise (but Eliphaz himself is not listening to God)
He says that Job’s iniquity (sin) guides his thinking and speaking, and he condemns himself
*He does rightly admit: “What is man, that he can be pure or righteous?” (v. 14)
He implies Job’s guilt is due to pride when he says, “wicked men are afflicted by pain because they stretch out their hand against God and because of their stubbornness (pride), they will not prosper”
He says he has learned from wise men, so Job should listen to him (sounds prideful himself)

Job Responds: Main points –

Ch. 16

Job says his friends are miserable comforters, full of windy words; he could do the same thing to them or he could also strengthen them (which they should be doing for him)
He says God has come against him, and men have become his adversary, appalled at his looks
He weeps constantly; he cannot rest
In v. 19 he says there is a “witness” in heaven who can testify for him (an allusion to Jesus as our ultimate redeemer and justifier)

Ch. 17

Job continues by saying his spirit is broken and he is ready to die
5 seems to indicate asking God to remember what his friends have done to him
He cannot accept what his friends are accusing, and feels his only hope is in going to “Sheol”

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Bildad Speaks for a second time: Main points –

Ch. 18

Bildad rebukes Job’s criticism of them, by saying “Who is Job?” This implies that Job’s situation defines him, that he cannot compare himself to his friends.
He continues with an unyielding description of the end of the wicked, which is more of a reactive stance to Job’s defiance of their council.
Bildad seems to be responding to Job’s use of the images of “the light of the wicked going dark” to make the point that Job should take the “darkness” as a warning of his impending doom.
It is ironic in v. 17 Bildad says this about Job: “His memory perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the street” – but we are still remembering Job today!

Job Responds: Main points –

Ch. 19

This is an important chapter where Job alludes to his redeemer living (our focus verse 19:25) “I know that my redeemer lives, and the last he will stand upon the earth”!
Job says to his friends, “are you not ashamed to wrong me?” And, “you magnify yourselves against me.” He is rightly saying that they are being prideful and arrogant.
Job continues to lament towards God, because he, Job, is not understanding why.
Everyone is far from him (staying away from him), including his family, servants and friends, especially his wife whom he offends – yet he begs them for mercy.
23 – “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” This is very prophetic because we are still reading his words today (also evidence for his authorship).
26-27 Job seems to know that he will see God after his death!

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Zophar Speaks for a second time: Main points –

Ch. 20

Zophar now references (again not God) but his own understanding, his own thoughts – and this leads to him saying that ”out of his understanding a spirit answers him” (another example of asking the question: What, or who, is this spirit?)
Zophar claims to be given wisdom of old, that the joy and exulting of the wicked is short, but then he will perish forever – implying Job is this wicked one.
Zophar continues to claim Job is evil and that he will soon disappear with all others who are wicked (but we know in the end that will not prove to be true, therefore Zophar is wrong).
Zophar, and the others, wrongly assume that Job’s circumstances on earth are a transparent indicator of his guilt before God in heaven.

Job Responds: Main points –

Ch. 21

Job agrees that the wicked do prosper, even to the grave, and he gives many examples of such, but insists he is not one of them.
Job asks, “how can you tell the wicked from the good” because it does not follow according to their argument.
Job compares one man who dies with his belly full to another who dies starving, and they meet the same fate; even all mankind follow them. (to what end then?)
Job says that no one can teach God, not matter how much they claim wisdom.
LAB: Many people are fooled by the external circumstances of the evil man into following him in life and honoring him in death. A person’s circumstances are not necessarily a transparent indicator of blessing or judgment.

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Eliphaz Speaks for a third time: Main points –

Ch. 22

Eliphaz starts by saying: Does it make any sense that God would bring suffering on a blameless person? There could be no purpose for suffering other than to indicate judgment.
Eliphaz assumes Job’s guilt and feels justified in describing likely ways that Job had sinned, and he then describes numerous sins (similar to what is later described in the Law).
Eliphaz wrongly equates Job’s attitude with that of the wicked, and says Job’s position is the same as if he was receiving council from the wicked.
Finally, he tells Job to “agree with God” and then he could be at peace, and good would come to him.
Eliphaz says in v. 30 “He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” Ironically (prophetically) this will happen to them.

Job Responds: Main points –

Ch. 23

Job largely ignores what has been said, and instead turns his longing back to God – he wants to come before God and present his case, but feels he cannot find Him.
Job knows God sees him and has appointed something for him, though he cannot understand what it is.
Job is terrified at the thought of God’s presence.

Ch. 24

Job is clinging to his belief in the justice of God, even though the poor suffer and the wicked prosper, and the righteous do not see God on the earth, yet there must be justice because all go to Sheol.
Job says, even though God prolongs the life of the mighty they die like everyone else.

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Bildad Speaks for a third time: Main points –

Ch. 25

In this very short section, Bildad concludes his arguments (and all the others) by saying the choice has only been between God and Job – who is right, who is wrong? To them, obviously Job is wrong and God is enacting justice against him.
The final point is actually correct when he says “how can man be in the right before God?” But, his context of this thought is wrong. Yes, man is not holy and he is sinful in God’s sight because of the fall (Genesis 3), but there is ultimate redemption in Jesus, which is the hope they all were not seeing, including Job for the most part (although he had glimpses of the notion his redeemer lives).

Job Responds: Main points –

Ch. 26-31

Job’s final response covers six chapters and can be summarized as follows:
It appears, in Job’s frustration, that he cuts Bildad off and never lets Zophar have a third speech.
Job criticizes his friends’ approach at this situation, states that they have been no help at all and they had not spoken on God’s behalf.
Job begins by showing that God’s majesty is unsearchable – His creation is under His control, and emphasizes things that are clearly known to God but are hidden from humans: the state of the realm of the dead, the earth’s location (it hangs on nothing), the clouds and moon’s purposes, and the beast of the land and sea, these are all known ways to God, but not man.
Job continues to present his case saying he will maintain his integrity, and insists his friends are wrong.
Job continues to speak on wisdom and its value is beyond measure, citing the understanding of the way things work in the world (it can only belong to God’s wisdom).
In chapters 29-30, Job gives a summary of his overall defense: In chapter 29, Job longs to be in the time before he was afflicted and when he felt blessed by God and honored by men, and gives a list of the things he had enjoyed and accomplished (if accurate, Job was indeed an upright, loyal, well-respected, wealthy, generous and helpful man).
Then in chapter 30 he makes a contrast to the time after his affliction that includes the same people who loved and respected him now mocking and showing disdain and disrespect for him, even threatening to him.
Job ends this section lamenting how he has cried and grieved, and yet no one has stretched out a hand to help him as he once had done for others, and that God has not answered his cries.
In chapter 31, Job makes a final appeal and says one last time that he has lived his life in the pursuit of righteousness, making a covenant with himself, because he believes that is how life should be lived before God, and turning away from God is without benefit.
In the end of the section (v. 35) is a final wish from Job that the charges of wrongdoing would be presented to him so that he could give an account.

Good Points:

Friends:

Eliphaz – He has partially right ideas, “what is man, that he can be pure or righteous?” He does not, however, have the big picture as he will get from God. He also makes a prophetic statement in that Job would actually pray for those who are not innocent (like the friends).
Bildad – Says the choice is between God and Job, and rightly chooses God saying “how can man be in the right before God, although he misunderstands God in everything else.
Zophar – 0

Job:

Job is right in his characterization of God’s sovereignty, power and authority over all creation.
Job is also right in his rebuke of his friends’ characterization of the wicked contrasted with the righteous (reward and punishment).
Job has some vague understanding of the hope of redemption and seeing God after death.

Bad Points:

Friends:

All of them are claiming to understand God’s ways and the idea of reward and punishment for good versus evil, telling Job to confess and repent – they are ultimately wrong.
Eliphaz gets three shots at rebuking Job, but throughout it all he references his own understanding, wise men and visions, but not God’s, his accusations against Job will ultimately be unfounded.
Bildad get two chances and seems to be cut off in the third round. He, like Eliphaz, references his own and others’ experiences, and does not turn to God.
Zophar does not even get a chance at a third try, and his accusations have been off the whole time, and he too references himself and a “spirit”.

Job:

Job continually laments his situation and says God is against him (not the whole picture).
Job wrongly concludes that a person’s circumstances are indicator of judgment (he believes a wrong judgment of himself).
Job wants to go to Sheol, but does not see yet that God will vindicate/redeem him.

Going deeper for Step #4: Interpretation – What does it mean?

For each section we study look for the two foundational interpretation points: 1) How do we see God’s character and His teachings

God is silent throughout this dialogue between Job and his friends
The teacher is always silent during the test – In hindsight we see God’s sovereign hand in all this just like a teacher who is working with and through His child and student

2) How does it point towards Jesus?

We see a need for the hope in a Savior; the fulfillment of the Genesis 3:15 promise
We see a veiled picture of Jesus as the ultimate Redeemer and the one who can present a case before the Father in Job’s defense
There is a picture of Jesus in Job, in that his friends and all those he knows and love have forsaken him

Step five – Application: How do I use what I have learned so far?

Answers may vary, but could include…

-learning to sit in silence and mourn with others without talking can bring comfort

-trying to explain pain and suffering from our human experiences and limited knowledge can bring more pain and suffering upon that person

-be careful not to speak for God

-we have the gift of hindsight with God’s Word being available for us to reference today, they did not

HOMEWORK

Read, for step three context, Job chapters 32-42
Go deeper for step four, Interpretation, by answering the study questions for these chapters…

Who is this fourth friend, Elihu, and what does he have to say to Job and the others (chapters 32-37)?
What are some things we hear from God in these last few chapters; how do we see God’s character and His teachings come through this dialogue for both Job and his friends; and does anything point towards Jesus?
Step five – Application: How do I use what I have learned in this book?

Please continue to join us each week for Foundations Bible Study and the book of Job!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15