OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF JOB

By Gene McCarty

    The book of Job is a very special book as it gives us a window on the patriarchal age. The view is both religious and cultural. It is most interesting to read the book and then note that critics have raved about the literary quality of the book. 
    This book is considered by some critics as the best piece of literature that is available...including Shakespeare. The book is also possibly the oldest writing that we have available today. 
    As we study the book from a religious viewpoint we have an example of one family living under the patriarchal system. We have the details of the life of a righteous man and we notice that in some ways not much has changed. We are introduced to Satan as a being who roams the earth seeking to destroy man. This is the place to begin any good study of Satan, as so much information is given. Satan is clearly pictured as one who has great power, and is a real threat to man. 
    We also see the suffering of man framed in the context of Satan's power, and note that in this case the man has done nothing to cause the suffering. There are many lessons in this book that have great spiritual significance, and it merits much time in careful study. 

1. The story begins with a man who lives in the land of Uz, is very wealthy and is also righteous. He considers the lives of his children as well as his own needs spiritually. In the first chapter we are introduced to Satan as one who presented himself with the angels, and raised questions about the life of Job. By the end of the first chapter, Job's character is obvious and Satan is shown to be a liar, but the torment is only begun.
    

2. Job is soon near the point of death and his friends soon come to his aid and sit with him for seven days and nights as he sits among the ashes. By the third chapter Job is ready to speak and says that his greatest fears have been realized.
    

3. Job's friends begin to speak in chapter 4 and the next 27 chapters detail the discussion of this situation between Job and his friends. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar each take their time to explain to Job how evil he is, and spend time arguing with him as he knows of nothing evil in his life. We learn here the value of the judgments of men. Their only value is when they reflect the judgment of God himself, and these men do not understand the judgment of God. They have come to help Job, but spiritually they have become a discouragement. I'm sure that their presence is an encouragement, but their words have a purely negative value.
    

4. Chapters 32 thru 37 are the words of the young man Elihu as he speaks to Job about his relationship with God. Of the statements of these four men this is the only one that is even close to the words of God. As we read Job's comments we are impressed with the righteousness and understanding of Job.
    

5. The book then turns to a most unusual conversation between Job and Jehovah. One point that is interesting is that man had much more to say in judgment of Job than Jehovah. In this section we have one of the most interesting discussions of the order of the earth that is given in any written account. Two animals are mentioned that are of particular interest. One is called a behemoth and he is said to rank first among the works of God. This animal is thought by some to be an elephant, but the description is more like that of some of larger extinct animals that are only known by their skeletons today. The other is called the leviathan and his description is amazing. Have you seen any animal that breaths fire from his mouth in such a way that it can set coals ablaze and smoke pours from his nostrils. He is so large that nothing on earth can win in a conflict with him. By the description given he also spent time in deep water. Again this surely is now an extinct animal. The presence of these animals would seem to establish the dating of this book to be prehistoric. It is especially noteworthy that Jehovah spends much of his time dealing with nature, and how he is revealed to man by the world around him.
    

6. In the concluding passages of the book we learn that Job was blessed much more after his time of testing than he had been before Satan had afflicted his life. His life is again filled with joy and blessings.