WISDOM FROM THE BOOK OF JOB
A Study by
Gary Ray Branscome
There was a man in the
and that man was blameless and upright,
one who feared God, and shunned evil
(Job 1: 1).
The
book of Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible. Not only are the
Jews unsure where it came from, or who wrote it, but within its pages there is
no mention of Moses, God’s Commandments, or Scripture. Furthermore, the fact
that Job lived one hundred and forty years after his many troubles indicates
that all those events took place shortly after the Flood, when many still lived
much longer than they do today. If so, the thoughts expressed by Job and his
friends give us insight into what those early worshippers believed about God,
the world, right and wrong, and life after death.
An
Overview of the Book of Job
Because the Book of Job describes Job
as, “blameless and upright, one who
feared God, and shunned evil,” those who trust in works are at loss to
explain his suffering (Job 1:1). In saying this, I realize that they have come
up with explanations intended to explain it, the most common being that God was
testing Job. However, the fact that Job was righteous flies in the face of the
idea that man’s righteousness brings God’s blessing.
Therefore, before going any further, I
need to emphasize the fact that God viewed Job as righteous because of faith in
Christ, not because of works. The Bible tells us that all of our own righteousness
is, “Like filthy rags” in the sight
of God (Isaiah 64:6). Job not only did not have the written Law of God, but, “Without faith it is impossible to please
God” (Heb. 11:6). For that reason, the righteousness that God saw in Job
was not the righteous of works, but the righteousness that, “God imputes… without works” (Rom. 4:6).
The righteousness imputed to all who trust in Christ (
The
Beginning of Job’s Trouble
Because of that imputed righteousness,
God “blessed everything” that Job
did (Job
But, WHY did God take His hedge of protection away from Job? That is an
important question! Job’s three comforters wrongly assumed that it was because
of some sin. And Job argued that his sufferings were unjust because he had not
sinned. However, what neither Job nor his comforters realized is that a person
who is self-righteous is just as unrepentant as someone who sins willfully and
is proud of it.
I am
not saying that Job was totally unrepentant. He must have humbly looked to God
for mercy. Otherwise he would not have believed that he needed a redeemer, and
God would not have regarded him as righteous. [See Job
Job’s
Three Comforters
The book of Job goes on to describe
the tragedy that befell Job as a result of Satan’s attack [Job
Following Satan’s onslaught against Job
three of Job’s friends [Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naama] came to him, supposedly, “To mourn with him and to comfort him” (Job
Now, many of the things that Job’s
“comforters” said are true, and are taught elsewhere in Scripture. For example:
Eliphaz said, “Who
ever died, without sin?” (Job 4:7): Which is another way of saying, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom.
That being said, the purpose of this
essay is not to examine every statement made by Job or his comforters. It is
sufficient to say that time and again Job listened, only to protest his
innocence. And, we are told that, in the end, his comforters, “Stopped answering Job, because he was
righteous in his own eyes” (Job 32:1).
After the first three comforters had
finished, a fourth “comforter” appears of whom we read: “Then Elihu the son of Barachel
a descendant of Buz, of the family of Ram: became
angry with Job, because he had justified himself rather than God. He also
became angry with his three friends, because they found no answer, and yet had
condemned Job… [saying] I said, Age should speak, and
a multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the
inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding. Great men are not always
wise: nor do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I
say, Listen to me; I will also give my opinion” (Job 32:2-10).
“Job has said, I am righteous: and God has
treated me unjustly… far be it from God that he should do wickedness; and from
the Almighty, that he should commit sin… God will not do what is wicked, nor
will the Almighty pervert judgment” (Job 34:5-12).
“In order to turn a person from his actions,
and suppress his pride… He is…
chastened with pain on his bed, and constant distress in his bones… If there is a messenger with him, an
interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man His [God’s] righteousness: Then
God is gracious to him, and says, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I
have found a ransom [Christ]” (Job 33:17-24). [See Romans 10:3-4.] Thus
Job was reminded of the purpose of God’s chastening, and the way of salvation.
And
in the end, when God appeared to Job saying, “Shall he who contends with the Almighty instruct Him? let him who argues with God give answer… Job replied to the LORD with humility,
saying, Behold, I am vile; what can I say to you? I will cover my mouth with my
hand… I have spoken about things
that I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, that I knew nothing
about… I had heard about you from
what I was told: but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I am ashamed of myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 40:2-4 and
42:3-6).
The
Wisdom of Job
There is much wisdom in the book of
Job. In chapter 14 we read, “So man lies
down, and does not arise: until the heavens are no more [see Matt.
24:29-31], they will not awake, or be raised out of their sleep. O that you
would hide me in the grave, that you would conceal me, until your anger passes,
that you would appoint a time for me, and remember me! Once a man dies, can he
live again? All the days of my appointed time I will wait, until my change
comes. You will call, and I will answer you: you will have desire for the work
of your hands” (Job
In chapter 18 we are told that the, “Light of the wicked… will be put out;”
that “Terrors will make him [the wicked]
afraid on every side;” and “He shall
be thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the world” (Job 18:5,
11, 18). Is that a description of hell? [See Matt. 8:12.]
In chapter 19 Job says, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that he
will stand at a future time upon the earth. And after the skin worms have
destroyed this body, yet in my flesh I will see God: Whom I will see for
myself, my eyes will see him, not the eyes of someone else; though my reins are
consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27). These words tell us that Job had the
hope of the resurrection.
There are also passages that seem to
reveal scientific truths lost after Job’s time. Such as the words, “He [God] stretches out the north over the
empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). Or the words, “He [God] inscribes a circle on the surface
of the waters, at the horizon where light and darkness meet”
(Job 26:10). And, the fact that God asked Job, “Do you have an arm like God? or can you
thunder with a voice like His?” Tell us that God designed thunder as a way
of conveying a message to men (Job 40:9).
Job’s
Blessing
In
Chapter 29 Job describes his life before his troubles, a life blessed by God, “saying, I wish that my life was like it was in months past, like it was in the
days when God watched over me; When his light shined on my head, and when I
walked through darkness by his light; As I was in my better days, when the
protection of God was on my home; When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children
were around me; When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured out
rivers of oil for me” (Job 29:1-6).
In verses 11-17 Job describes things
that he did, that were regarded as righteous by his community. “When they heard me, they blessed me; and
when they saw me, they spoke well of me: Because I rescued the poor who asked
for help, and the orphan, who had no one to help him. The blessing of him who
was ready to die came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it covered me: my justice was like a robe and a
crown. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame. I was a father to
the poor: and I championed the cause of those I did not know. And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of
his teeth” (Job 29:11-17).
Job’s
Loss of Status
In
chapter 30 Job describes his loss of respect in the community, saying, “Now those who are younger than I laugh at
me, men whose fathers I would have refused to put with my sheep dogs… They were
children of fools, yea, the sons of worthless men:
they have been scourged and driven out of the land. And now am I their song,
yes, I am a byword to them. They look down on me, they
keep their distance from me, and do not mind spitting in my face” (Job 30:1-10).
Things
Job Saw As Evil
In
the 31st chapter Job outlines things that He and his friends
regarded as evil. However, what he said was aimed, not at humility, but at
emphasizing his own righteousness. As you read this notice that Job describes
adultery as a “terrible crime,”
describes even the slightest affection directed at the sun or moon as “a crime to be punished,” and condemns
trust in riches, yet makes no mention of the Ten Commandments — an indication
that Job lived before Moses.
“If my heart has been deceived by a woman,
or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door; Then let my wife grind grain for
another man, and let another sleep with her. For this is a terrible crime; yea,
it is an crime that should be punished by the judges.
For it is an eternally destructive fire, that would destroy all that I possess.
If I ignored the complaint of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they had
a grievance against me; What then will I do when God
rises up? how shall I answer him when he calls me to
account? Did not he who made me in the womb make my servant? and
did not one fashion us in the womb? If I have kept the poor from getting what
they required, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; Or have eaten my
food alone, and not shared it with the orphan; (No from his youth the orphan
grew up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from her mother’s
womb;) If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or a poor man without
covering; If his loins have not blessed me, or the fleece of my sheep did not
keep him warm; If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, because I knew
that the judges would support me: Then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade,
and my arm be broken from its socket. For God’s judgment and destruction
terrifies me, and because of his majesty I could not do these things. If I have
placed my faith in gold, or said to the fine gold, You are my confidence; If I
rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much; If I
looked upon the sun when it shined, or the moon moving along in its splendor;
And my heart has been secretly enticed by them, or threw them a kiss with my
hand: That too would be a crime to be punished by the judge: for I would have
denied the God who is above. Have I rejoiced at the ruin of one who hated me,
or thought of myself as superior when evil overtook him: No I have not allowed my mouth to sin by
asking for his life with a curse. Have the men of my
household ever said, Oh that we could eat of his food! we
cannot be satisfied. The stranger did not sleep in the street: but I opened my
doors to the traveler. If I concealed my sin like Adam, by hiding my guilt in
my heart: Because I greatly feared the crowd, or was terrified by the families
that might despise me, so that I kept silent, and did not go outside? Oh for a
hearing! my desire is, that the Almighty would answer
me, and that my adversary would write his accusation on a scroll. Surely I
would carry it on my shoulder, and wind the scroll around my head as a crown. I
would count out to him the number of my steps; I would approach him as a
prince. If my land cries out against me, or its furrows likewise complain; If I
have eaten its fruits without paying for them, or have caused the death of its
tenants: Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. Here
ends what Job said” (Job 31:9-40)
The
Way of Salvation
Notice that all Job says in chapter 31
is aimed at convincing his “comforters” that he has not sinned and is suffering
unjustly. And, that is why Elihu rebuked him saying, “I heard you speak, and listened when you said, I am
clean without transgression, I am innocent; nor is there iniquity in me” (Job
33:8-9). “God speaks time and again, yet man does not
notice” (Job 33:14). “If there is a messenger with him, an interpreter, one
among a thousand, to show to man his righteousness: Then God is gracious to
him, and says, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom
[Christ]. His flesh will be fresher than a child’s: he will return to the days
of his youth: He will pray to God, and he will be favorable to him: and he will
see his face with joy: for he will render to man his righteousness. [See Rom. 4:6.] He looks upon men,
and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and did not
receive the punishment I deserved; God will deliver him from the grave, and his
life will see the light. Lo, God often does all this with a man, To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be
enlightened with the light of the living” (Job 33:23-30).
A
Final Word
Consider the end of Job’s chastisement. It
is important to understand that Job was not chastened because of sin, and he
was not chastened to get him to perform works. The end of his chastening was to make him see that his own works
were as filthy rags, or as he put it, “Behold, I am vile; what can I say to
you? (Job 40:4)”
God
keeps us from losing salvation, “We are, "kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation,” (1Peter
1:5). So it is not a matter of it not being possible to lose it, God
actively keeps us from losing it. Here
are some passages that teach God's chastening; it is a neglected but important
teaching of Scripture.
Ps
94:12 “Blessed is the man whom you
chasten, O LORD, and teach from your word.”
Re
Heb 12:5-6 “Do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly, or
faint when he rebukes you: for the Lord disciplines those he loves, and scourges every son that he receives.”
1Cor.
The book of Job, and all the troubles
that he endured, illustrate the truth of the words, “All things work together
for good for those who love God, for those who are the called according to his
purpose” (Rom.