The Bridge Church, St Ives, of which I am a member, has recently finished a sermon series on the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. This comprises five books; Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. You will find this material here: www.thebridgechurch.co.uk/media/ and includes my own contributions.
This single sermon on the book of Job started me thinking …
Eliphaz starts where some people start, with divine retribution. “Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?” (4.7) This is neither true nor helpful.
Later, Eliphaz reveals his authority. “A word was secretly brought to me … a spirit glided past my face … I heard a hushed voice.” (4.12-16). He claimed some sort of spiritual revelation. But the form of it allows no challenge. ‘God has spoken,’ he claims, leaving no room for discussion and debate.
Bildad’s conclusion is the same, but his authority is different. “Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned.” (8.8-10). Tradition and antiquity are his authority. The older the better!
Zophar is a mystic. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (11.7-9) Yet his conclusion is the same.
There are many doctrines (teachings) in the world. They all come from somewhere. A Church leader commented that it used to be possible to work out what book a person had been reading from their conversation. That is harder now that we multiply our sources with the internet. One risk is that the many voices can confuse our thinking.
There is much to learn from Job. The divine testimony (42.7) is that Job has spoken what is right about God. Like the Psalmist he is free to bring his complaints before God. And God hears him!
Job comments on the injustice of life. Life is not so black-and-white as his friends suggest; “one man dies in full vigour … another man dies in bitterness of soul … side by side they lie in the dust …” (21.22-26). Like the writer of Ecclesiastes, Job sees that the outcome does not always appear fair.
And, jumping to the conclusion. “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more that the first.” (42.12). This is not a universal promise of material wealth to the faithful followers of God. It is simply the way God manifested His mercy to Job, His servant.
On his sermon on Job 1.1, John Calvin comments that Job maintains a good cause, but pleads it poorly. In contrast his friends maintain a poor cause, but plead it well. It comes as a challenge when truth is poorly argued, but error comes with force and conviction.
My Bible Notes comments start here: www.biblenotes.org.uk/editor/index.php?testament=old-testament&book=Job&chapter=1