week 2: job: testing the theory - joy of job
TRANSCRIPT
Week 2: Job:
Testing the Theory
A Review
• Jobcravedthepraiseofman.Job29
Jobsaidhehaddonenothing
wrong.Hemadeatleasttwodozenclaimsofwaysin
whichhewasrighteousness
Jobsaidhecounseledthewidowssincehewasborn...Job31:18
Jobsaidherearedthefatherlessfrom
hisyouth.
Job31:18
“Iputonrighteousnessasmyclothing;justicewasmyrobeandmyturban.”Job29:14.
PopQuiz
What populationsdidJobclaimtohavehelped?
1.TheFatherless2.Orphans3.Widows4.Hungry5.Strangers6.Lame7.Blind8.Travelers9.Servants10.Family11.Alloftheabove
Wealsolearnedthat...
Notonepersonagreedwithhisself-assessment.
Wealsolearnedthat...
• Thetownspeople—theverypeopleheclaimedtohavehelped—ridiculedandabandonedhim.
• Hisservants—theverypeopleheclaimedtohavehelped—abandonedhim.
• Hisfamily—theverypeopleheclaimedtohavehelped—abandonedhim.
Welookedat14investigativetoolsthatcanbeusefulinBiblicalexegesis.
InvestigativeTools1. RunaMovieintheMind2. ApplyLogic3. DocumenttheObvious4. AssessCharacterandMotive5. IdentifytheStandard6. ListenforThrowawayLines7. PayAttentiontoMythical
ThirdParties
8. SetAsidetheMetaview9. SetAsidePreconceptions10. UnderstandDelusion11. IdentifyTypesofEvidence12. UnderstandProjection13. ExamineLevelofSpecificity14. TesttheTheory
DiscussionQuestion
WhenconfusedaboutBiblicaltruth,
whatisyourprimarysourceofinterpretation?
TheFirstSourceforFindingTruth...
“IkeepaskingthattheGodofourLordJesusChrist,thegloriousFather,maygiveyouthe
SpiritofWisdomandRevelation,sothatyoumay
knowHimbetter.”
Ephesians1:17
Job’s Relationships A Deeper Dive
Job’s Family
Job’sWife
• UrgedhimtocurseGod• Urgedhimtodie• Willingtoseeherhusbandfaceeternalconsequencesforblasphemy
• FoundJob’sbreathoffensive
DiscussionQuestion
Evenamidstdeepdepression,whywouldJob’swife
urgehimtodie?Whatdoesthatsayabouttheirrelationship?
Job’sWife
“HereisthefateGodallotstothewicked...andtheirwidowswillnotweepforthem.’’
Job27:13,15
Job’sChildren(FirstSet)
• Noindicationtheyparticipatedinhischaritableoperations.
Theypartiedheartily.
Job’sChildren
Whentheypartied,Jobmadesacrificesontheirbehalf.
“ThiswasJob’sregularcustom.” Job1:5
Job’sChildren(FirstSet)
• WereonthevergeofcursingGod–whyelsewouldJobpraythattheywouldn’tcurseGodintheirhearts?
Prayingregularlythatachildrendoesn’tcurseGodinhisheartislikeprayingthatyourchilddoesn’trobabank.Youwouldn’tpraythatway
UNLESSyourchildhadaproclivityforrobbingbanks.
BildadtoJob
“WhenyourchildrensinnedagainstHim,Hegavethemovertothepenaltyof
theirsin.”Job8:4
TwoChoices1.Bildadwascruel—evensociopathic—andmakingupthingsthatweren’ttrue.
OR2.HisstatementaboutJob’schildrenwasgroundedintruth.
Inhumility,Bildadsaid,“Forwewerebornonly
yesterdayandknownothing.”Job8:9
InsightintoBildad’sCharacter
“ButifyouwillseekGodearnestlyandpleadwiththeAlmighty,ifyouarepure
andupright,evennowhewillrousehimselfonyourbehalfandrestoreyou
toyourprosperousstate.”Job8:5-6
InsightintoBildad’sMotives
Job’sChildren
Jobmadesacrificesontheirbehalf—Hiswasaceremonialresponse.
“Whowantsyoursacrificeswhenyouhavenosorrowforyoursins?”
Isaiah1:12-13(TLB)
Job’sChildren
ThereisnoevidencethatJobattemptedtointerveneordisciplinehischildren,eventhoughtheylikelybenefitedfromhiswealth,givinghim
authorityoverthem.
Job’sChildren
“Thosewhosparetherodofdisciplinehatetheirchildren.
Thosewholovetheirchildrencareenoughtodisciplinethem.”
Proverbs13:24
Job’sChildren(FirstSet)
• Nevermentionsthembynameaftertheydied.• Makestwopassingreferencestothem.• Instead,lossofreputationandGod’sinjusticedominatehisgrieving.
Jobstatesaboutthosewithouthope...
“Iftheirchildrenarehonored,theydonotknowit;iftheiroffspringarebroughtlow,theydonotseeit.Theyfeelbutthepainoftheirownbodiesand
mournonlyforthemselves.”
Job14:21-22
Job’sChildren
Job’sOtherRelatives
• Jobclaimedtosharehismeatwithhisrelatives.(Job31:31)• ButEliphazsaidJobwronglytooksecurityfromthem.• HisrelativesabandonedJobinhisgreatesttimeofneed.• Theyre-unitedwithJobmonthsafterthetragedies,but
onlyafterherepented.(Job42:11)
Chief Men and Countrymen
“Whoeverheardmespokewellofme,andthosewhosawmecommendedme....
ChiefMenandCountrymen
ApplyLogic
Isitlogicaltothinkthattheleaderofagreatlandwouldbe
universallycommended?
“Noonecriticizesthemopenly....”
Job21:31(NLT)
Hint:AThrowawayLine
Job,abouttheWicked...
Underwhatcircumstancesmightaleaderbelievehimselftobeuniversallycommended?
ApplyLogic
Apersonwhotriestowinfavorfrom
wealthyorinfluentialpeoplebyflatteringthem.
WhatisaSycophant?
FromT.V.Series“SiliconValley”
Whatkeyattributedoesaleaderwhosurroundshimselfwithsycophants
demand?
Answer:
ExtremeLoyalty
JobtoFriends:ExtremeLoyalty
“Adespairingmanshouldreceiveloyalty
fromhisfriends,evenifheabandonsthefearoftheAlmighty....”
Job6:14-15(CSB)
“WillyouspeakwickedlyonGod’sbehalf?WillyouspeakdeceitfullyforHim?WillyoushowHimpartiality?WillyouarguethecaseforGod?”
Job13:7-8
Elihu(themannotreprimandedbyGod)
“Oh,thatJobmightbetestedtotheutmostforansweringlikeawickedman!” Job34:36
Answer:Theyabandontheirleader.
Whathappenstosycophantswhentheycannolongergainadvantage?
Job’s Servants
Job’sServants
• Jobclaimedtobebenevolenttothem.• Indeliveringnewsofdestruction,theservants’deaths
werementionedafterthelossofhisherds.• Servants—atleastsomeofthem—presumablyworked
withJobcloselyinhishomeforyears.• Nevertheless,theyuniversallyabandonedhiminhis
greatesttimeofneed.
Boys Among the Rocks
BoysAmongtheRocks• Starving• Homeless:Livedinthebroombush• Weak• DespisedJob• MockedJob• Jobdespisedthem• Shoutedatasiftheywerethieves
BoysAmongtheRocks
“Butnowtheymockme,menyoungerthanI,whosefathersIwouldhavedisdainedtoputwithmysheepdogs.”
Job,oftheboysamongtherocks
Job3o:1
BoysAmongtheRocks
“Ofwhatusewasthestrengthoftheirhandstome,sincetheirvigorhadgonefromthem?”
Job3o:2
DiscussionQuestion
• WhydoyouthinkJobwasevaluatingthestrengthoftheseboys?
• Isthisconsistentwiththecharacterofofamanwhofeedsallthehungry?
Job’sFriends
Directlyorindirectly,Job’sfriendsaccusedhimofunethicalbusinesspractices,takingadvantageofthe
vulnerable,andtakingbribes.
EliphaztoJob
“Youdemandedsecurityfromyourrelativesfornoreason.”
Job22:6
EliphaztoJob
“Youstrippedpeopleoftheirclothing,leavingthemnaked.”
Job22:6
EliphaztoJob
“Yougavenowatertothewearyandyouwithheldfoodfromthehungry,thoughyouwereapowerfulman,owningland—anhonoredman,livingonit.”
Job22:7-8
EliphaztoJob
Andyousentwidowsawayempty-handedandbrokethestrengthofthefatherless.”
Job22:9
ElihutoJob
“Butnowyouareladenwiththejudgmentduethewicked;judgmentandjusticehavetakenholdofyou.Becarefulthatnooneenticesyoubyriches;donot
letalargebribeturnyouaside....
ElihutoJob
...Donotlongforthenight,todragpeopleawayfromtheir
homes.”Job36:17-20
Elihu
WhywouldElihuwarnJobagainsttakingbribesordraggingpeopleawayfromtheirhomesinthemiddleofthenightunlessJobwaspronetodoso?
Testing the Traditional Interpretation
Sowhowasright?
TestingtheTheory
1. GodangrilyaccusedJoboftalkingwith“wordswithoutknowledge”andcommendedhimonlyafterherepented.
Job38:2
TestingtheTheory
2. Jobrepentedandhumbledhimself.
“ItakebackeverythingIsaid,andIsitindustandashestoshowmyrepentance.”
Job42:6(NLT)
TestingtheTheory
3. ThereprimandissuedtothefriendsbytheLordwasforspeakingwronglyaboutGod,notJob.
“AftertheLordhadsaidthesethingstoJob,hesaidtoEliphaztheTemanite,“Iamangrywithyou
andyourtwofriends,becauseyouhavenotspokenthetruthaboutme,asmyservantJobhas.”
Job42:7
RightafterJobRepented
TestingtheTheory
4. Elihuwholeheartedlyagreedwiththeothers’characterassessment,butGoddidnotrebukehim.
TestingtheTheory
5. NotonepersonagreedwithJob’scharacterassessmentandfourwitnessesagreedinchallengingit.
TestingtheTheory
6. Thefriends’allegationswerenotcloakedincaveatsorgeneralizedspeculation.Allfourchargedhimwiththesamespecificsins.
TestingtheTheory
7. ThereisnoevidencethatJob’sfriendspossessedsuchevilcharacterorthattheyhadamotivetolie.Theyspentweeksawayfromtheirhomesandtheywishedforhimtoberestored.
“SubmittoGodandbeatpeacewithhim;inthiswayprosperitywillcometoyou.
Acceptinstructionfromhismouthandlayuphiswordsinyourheart.Ifyoureturnto
theAlmighty,youwillberestored...”Job22:21-23
Eliphaz
Meaningofname“Eliphaz”
PureGold
TestingtheTheory
7. IfJob’sfourfriendswereevil-hearted,sowaseveryotherpersoninhislife.Theotherseitherabandonedhimormockedhim.
DiscussionQuestion
Afterlastweek’sdiscussion,didanyonereadpartorallofthebookofJob?
Doesthere-interpretationringtruetoyou?
WhyorWhyNot?