The document provides an overview of the book of Job, outlining the key characters, plot elements involving Job's suffering and debates with his friends, different positions taken by Satan, Job's wife, his friends, Elihu and God, and objectives of studying the book including exploring why God allows the righteous to suffer.

7. Job:
An Integrative Study

8. Chapter 1-2
Chapters
3-31
Chapters
32-37
Chapters
38-41
Chapter 42
Historical
Prologue:
Job’s test
Job’s
three
friends
Elihu’s
speeches
God speaks Historical
Epilogue:
Job’s
restorationDialogue & Discourse
Overview of the book of Job

9. Setting for the
Story
Uz

10. Why an Integrative Study?
o An integrative study provides a most
complete framework for the study of Job
o Allows us to consider facts and theology
while not losing the practical implications
of the book of Job

11. Objectives of this Study
 To demonstrate that God is worthy of love apart from
the blessings he provides.
 To explain that God may allow suffering as a means to
purify and strengthen a person in godliness.
 To explore the justice of God who treats the righteous
with suffering.

12. Characters
 Job
 Mrs. Job
 God
 Satan
 Three Friends
 Eliphaz
 Bildad
 Zophar
 Elihu
Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar
Job’s wife

13. Job And The Problem of
Suffering
Why do the righteous suffer?

14. Introduction
• Often, we wonder why a
loving God would allow
suffering to exist in the
world
• Further, we ask, why do
the righteous suffer?
• In the book of Job, we
have an example of a
righteous man who
suffered greatly

15. • Why does God allow Job to
suffer?
• What can we learn from Job
that will encourage us today
while suffering?
• Many so-called Christians
teach that God has promised
Christians would be healthy
and rich
• If we are not healthy and rich,
then we lack faith
• Account of job denies such
claims

16. The Dilemma of Job (1:1-2:13)
 Job is not a logical candidate for disaster (see
1:1, 8). His moral integrity and his selfless
service to God heighten the dilemma. Behind
the scene, Satan ("accuser") charges that no
one loves God from pure motives, but only for
material blessings (1:10). To refute Satan's
accusations, God allows him to strike Job
with two series of assaults. In his sorrow Job
laments the day of his birth but does not deny
God (1:21; 2:10).

17. The problem for Job
His friends’ wrong views
Job’s understanding
The Lord answers Job
The Lord restores Job
Job And The Problem of
Suffering

18. Theme(verdict):
 The reasons for suffering in a believers life
are not necessarily related to human
explanations of personal unrighteousness,
but are within the scope of God’s good and
powerful providence resulting in the defeat
of evil and glory to himself.

19. A Blind Man Is Healed
 Another Example Of An
Afflicted Person In Scripture
Was A Man Born Blind.
John 9:1-3
“As he went along, he saw a man
blind from birth.
His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who
sinned, this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents
sinned," said Jesus, "but this
happened so that the work of God
might be displayed in his life”.

20. God’s Work Is Seen
 Some Thought This Man’s Blindness Was
Punishment For Sins Committed.
 Jesus Said The Blindness Happened So That
God’s Work Could Be Seen.
 This Man Suffered The Affliction Of Blindness
From Birth So God’s Power Could Be
Demonstrated When Jesus Healed Him.
 We, Too, Might Face Suffering So That God May
Be Glorified In The End.

21. A Study of Positions
What is a position?
A position is a theological or philosophical
stand regarding an issue.
Who had positions in the book of Job?
Satan, Mrs. Job, Job’s friend, Job, Elihu,
and God.

22. Satan’s Position
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” 1:9
“Skin for skin, a man will give up all he has for his
own life”2:4

23. “Are you still
holding on to
your
integrity,
curse God
and die”
Chap 2: 9
Mrs. Job’s
Position

24. Position of Job’s Friends
In three cycles of speeches they
rebuke Job:
1) Cycle 1 of Speeches and Job's
Response-
God Punishes the Wicked
and Blesses the Good: 4:1--
14:22
2) Cycle 2 of Speeches and Job's
Response- -
The Wicked Suffer and
Perish because They Are
against God: 15:1--21:34
3) Cycle 3 of Speeches and Job's
Response—
Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

25. Eliphaz versus Job
 Eliphaz 1: Eliphaz accused Job
of being inconsistent since
suffering results from sin and
no one is pure before God;
thus he urged Job to ask God
to help him and affirmed that
God would deliver him after He
had disciplined him 4:1--5:27
 Eliphaz 2: Eliphaz affirms that
Job's words are meaningless,
that he is guilty, and that he is
like the wicked because he is
in distress 15:1-35
 Eliphaz 3: Proclaiming God's
disinterest in Job for his social
deviations and spiritual
defiance, Eliphaz urges him to
repent for God is great 22:1-20
 Job: Job responded by affirming
that his suffering was causing his
rash desire to die, Eliphaz's
response has disappointed him,
and by asking for forgiveness if
he has sinned 6:1--7:21
 Job: Job responds rebuking his
friends for being no help, desiring
to plead his case with God, and
affirming is situation of despair
16:1-- 17:16
 Job: Job longs to plead his case
before God 23:1--24:25

26. Bildad versus Job
 Bildad 1: Bildad affirmed that
history has confirmed that if Job is
righteous God will restore him,
unlike the ungodly who perish 8:1-
22
 Bildad 2: Bildad rebukes Job for his
arrogant words about them, and
affirms that the wicked, like he, are
weakened, ensnared, diseased,
insecure, forgotten, hated, and
alone 18:1-21
 Bildad 3: Bildad affirmed that
because God is great and man is
small and impure there was no
hope for Job to be just and clean
25:1-6
 Job: Job responds by affirming
God's wisdom and power, asking
why He is against him, and
requesting to die 9:1--10:22
 Job: Job rebukes his friends for
tormenting and insulting him,
affirms that God has wronged
him, urges his friends to have pity
on him, and affirms that God will
prove his innocence after his
death and judge his friends 19:1-
29
 Job: Job affirms that his friends
are not help to him since he
knows that God is great and
powerful over nature 26:1-14

27. Zophar versus Job
 Zophar 1: Zophar
rebukes Job by
affirming that God
should show him true
wisdom and by
affirming that if he
would turn to God, he
would be blessed 11:1-
20
 Zophar 2: Zophar
accuses Job of insulting
him and reminds him
that the wicked may be
blessed, but they will
then loose their riches
20:1-29
 Job: Job responds by
criticizing Zophar for not
telling him anything
new, not helping him,
and not representing
God well, whereupon,
he again asks God to
let him die 12:1--14:22
 Job: Job retorts that his
impatience is excusable
and reminds Zophar
that the wicked prosper
and live (unlike he)
21:1-34

28. Job’s Final Remarks
 Job affirms that although man is skillful in
mining, wisdom is harder to find for it is
God who knows where wisdom is 28:1-28
 Job wishes that he was in his former days
of spiritual blessing, material prosperity
and social prestige which occurred
because he helped the needy, exercised
justice and counseled others 29:1-25
 Job proclaims his misery as he is mocked
by poor young men and vagabonds, and
his humiliation as he is in pain and
nobody helps him 30:1-31.
 Job's Ultimate Challenge--An Oath of
Innocence which 'Legally' Calls God to
Answer" 31:1-40
Job & Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar

29. Elihu’s Position
i. Four Speeches by Elihu: 32:1--37:24
ii. Introduction of Elihu: 32:1-5
iii. Elihu's First Speech- God Instructs people
through Affliction: 32:6--33:33
iv. Elihu's Second Speech to the Three Friends
and Job—God is Just and Prudence is
Vindicated: 34:1-37
v. Elihu's Third Speech to Job—There are
Advantages to Piety: 35:1-16
vi. Elihu's Fourth Speech to Job (and Friends)–
God is Great and Job is Ignorant: 36:1--
37:24

30. God’s Position
God interviews Job in two speeches:
1. First Interview with Yahweh-- Job is Limited in
Knowledge: 38:1--40:5
1) Yahweh Challenged Job: 38:1-3
2) Yahweh Questioned Job Regarding Two Areas of
Creation: the physical and animal world.
Here God asks Job to listen.
2. Second Interview with God –Job is Limited in
Power: 40:6--42:6
1) Yahweh Challenged Job to Listen: 40:6-14
2) Yahweh questioned Job Regarding Two animals
of Creation: the Behemoth and the Leviathan
“Brace yourself like a man, I will question
you and you shall answer….” 38:9

31. Job’s Reply
 Job Replied with Repentance: 42:1-6
 “…Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

32. God’s Response
 Once Job has seen God, admitted God’s charges,
worshiped Him, the test is over.
 God then praises Job, humbles his friends.
 Job’s other “friends” come back.
 God gives Job double what he lost.
Two times the wealth
Same number more children
 God is no cheapskate.
Though we serve Him for nothing …
… He will not send us away empty-handed.
But the full reward cannot come till the test is over.

33. 33
Testing Of Our Faith
James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because
you know that the testing of
your faith develops
perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its
work so that you may be mature
and complete, not lacking
anything.”

34. 34
Things Here Are Temporary
The Troubles We Face Here Are
Temporary But God Has Promised A
Tremendous Reward With Him Forever In
Heaven.
He Says That This Brief Moment Of
Difficulty And Separation Will End And All
Of Life’s Hard Questions And
Circumstances Will Be Answered And
Explained In His Presence.

35. 35
2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-9
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home
in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are
confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with
the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in
the body or away from it.
Your Earthly Body Is Described As A Temporary Tent.
Tents Are Not All That Comfortable
Or Secure And Living In One Can
Be A Real Struggle.
But God Has A Mansion Prepared
For You In Heaven (John 14:2).
That Is His Promise To All Those
In Christ Jesus.

36. 36
Romans 8:18
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”.
Paul Says Volumes In This
Verse About This Subject Of
Suffering.
God Wants Us To See Our
Suffering As Small Compared
To How Wonderful Heaven
Will Be.

37. 37
The Victory Is Ours
Fans At An Athletic Event
Are A Good Example Of
This.
Even If The Game Is Not
Over But The Victory Is
Sure, They Begin To
Celebrate, Knowing They
Have Won.
The Same Is True For A Believer Still In
The Midst Of Hurtful Struggles; He Knows
The Victory Is Already Secure And Soon
To Come.

38. 38
John 16:33
“I (Jesus) have told you these
things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the
world”.
This World Will Always
Have Trouble, But He Has
Overcome This World And
Enables Us To Be
Overcomers, Too.
“He Overcomes
The World For Us”

40. Open Forum
Questions and Comments