Doctrinal Significance
Perhaps the main importance of the book of Job is to answer the simple question as to why a loving God permits evil. Viewed from this standpoint, Job represents mankind grappling with the facts of sin and death around him. As representing man, Job can only be used in a limited sense. Man’s condition is a direct result of his own sin. Job had done mostly noble deeds and lived an upright life when his evils befell him.
Job however, like all mankind, has been pushed into an ever more defensive posture by false arguments that has caused a measure of self-righteousness. Faultless as Job was at the beginning of the book, he was justifying himself by the conclusion of the debates.
The final remedy of a double restoration required five components:
1. The need for a ransom, as pointed out by Elihu (Job 33:24). Even then, there is always a possibility of sinning to such a degree, after being redeemed, that there is no more ransom available (Job 36:18).
2. The need for man to recognize the supremacy of God, and therefore his own sinful and undone condition (Job 40:4). As the Apostle Paul worded it, it is possible, even after knowing God, to glorify "him not as God" (Rom. 1:21).
3. The need to proceed beyond such a recognition of personal sin to a full repentance of that sin (Job 42:6).
4. The necessity for man to forgive and accept those who have been counted as their enemies (Job 42:10).
5. The need of man of full instruction in the laws of God so that he may do them—rendering "unto man his righteousness" (Job 33:26).
Two other doctrinal points are worth mentioning in the book of Job.
1. The resurrection of the dead—"If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands"—Job 14:14, 15
2. Resurrection dependent upon redemption – "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (Job 19:25, 26).
The Contrast of Job and Solomon
The lives of Job and Solomon yield a sharp contrast. Job was a righteous man who was afflicted through no direct cause of his own. Solomon was a man who often strayed far from God, and yet was a man of fabulous wealth. On the surface, Job was a good man who suffered bad things and Solomon was a bad man who enjoyed a majestic life style. Yet both had some things in common—both desired to be servants of God, both had a relationship with the Creator, and both earnestly sought what it was that God desired of them.
Solomon writes three books on his search for this relationship. In his first writing, The Song of Solomon, he reveals his search for emotional security. In his second, Proverbs, he reveals the progress of his mental being. But it is final book, Ecclesiastes, that opens his heart as he notes the vanity of riches and discovers the true meaning of serving God: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Eccl. 12:13. 14).
The book of Job arrives at the same conclusion: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:28).
Job as an Allegory
In the allegory, Job represents natural Israel in the harsh experiences of their Diaspora. What happens to Israel is really a microcosm of the experiences of all mankind. Therefore the lessons are almost the same—the reason why God permits evil.
Allegorically the three comforters represent three different, though closely related, opinions as to why man’s, or Israel’s, troubles have come. Eliphaz ("my god is gold") giving the materialistic or mercantile answer, prosperity is the indicator of divine favor; Bildad ("disputant, or son of contention") the philosophic explanation; and Zophar ("sparrow, or twitterer") the reply of organized religion. The young man Elihu, in contrast, gives the theologically sound answer of ransom and redemption, representing the answer of the true church.
God’s answer is given from the midst of the storm, even as he sends his breath upon Israel from amidst the four winds (Ezek. 37:9, 10). And as the vision of the dry bones (Ezek. 37) further shows, there is one series of developments that brings about a partial reconciliation with Israel (the gathering and putting on muscle and tissue) the full restoration begins after the further act of the "four winds."
The final restoration of Job 42 is replete with allegorical pictures of this rehabilitation, including:
1. Job’s enemies must come to Job, acting as their priest, to have him offer their sacrifice for them. The Gentiles must come through Israel to approach God. In this manner, he will be working with Israel as priests and Levites (Isa. 66:21).
2. As Job’s prosperity was not returned until he prayed for his comforters, so Israel will have to pray for those who have been their persecutors in order to receive their full blessing.
3. All Job’s acquaintance and kin must dine with him, bewail, and bemoan him, and give him two gifts—a golden earring and a piece (literally "a lamb") of money. So all mankind must dine with, or make "a covenant of salt" with Israel, express their sympathies for Israel’s unjustified evil treatment, and bring two gifts—their "ears" by paying attention to the teachings of restored Israel and a "lamb" of money, the recognition of the value of what Christ, the "lamb of God," has done for Israel and for all mankind.
4. Job’s original count of 12,000 animals—7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (or 1,000 total) oxen, and 1000 asses (assuming each of the 500 "she" asses was accompanied by a "he" ass) was doubled to 24,000. So Israel’s original 12 tribes will be considered as "doubled," or duplicated when the kingdom work is complete and the Gentiles are all grafted in to the original "olive tree" (Rom. 11).
5. Job’s three named daughters may show three works of the holy spirit through Israel in the future since all three names are oft-used symbols of the spirit. Jemima (dove) showing the peace making work with Israel, Kezia (cassia, one of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil—Exod. 30:23-25) representing the anointing of Israel to a special work in the kingdom, and Karen-happuch (horn of cosmetic oil) the sweet aroma of the blessing that will come about through them.
6. As Job’s life was extended to the third and fourth generation, so Israel shall carry on their work among restored mankind until all men are brought back to full perfection—covering man’s sin unto "the third and fourth genration" (Exod. 34:7).
Character Lessons
In addition to the doctrinal, allegorical, and historic lessons to be gained from a study of the book of Job, there are a number of important character attributes illustrated therein.
1. The patience of Job—bearing up over the removal of all our temporal possessions and even our health, still praising the Lord.
2. The dangers of the "wedge"—allowing ourselves to react to criticism and thus seeking to defensively justify ourselves.
3. The danger of questioning God’s dealings with us, as Job so frequently did in the later part of the dialog with his friends.
4. The tact of Elihu in his kindly approach to Job before leveling his own criticisms.
5. The carefulness to seek always to speak, as Elihu did, in the "uprightness" and sincerity of our hearts.
6. The avoidance of the harsh spirit of superiority or judgment over our fellows, as was used by the three so-called comforters.
7. The appreciation of the greatness of God which he demonstrated in showing Job the power and wisdom that went into the creative process.
8. The recognition that when we condemn God’s people it is him that we are speaking ill of, and not just the person we criticize.
9. The necessity of praying, even for our enemies, before we can hope to obtain full divine favor. "Forgive us our debts we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12).
Job, for all his natural faults and failings as a natural human being, is still a remarkable example of righteousness and faith. Though at times his faith faltered, it never failed. His hopes, even though dim for a season, became fully realized. He was a doer of righteousness. So we must do the same.
Perhaps the main importance of the book of Job is to answer the simple question as to why a loving God permits evil. Viewed from this standpoint, Job represents mankind grappling with the facts of sin and death around him. As representing man, Job can only be used in a limited sense. Man’s condition is a direct result of his own sin. Job had done mostly noble deeds and lived an upright life when his evils befell him.
Job however, like all mankind, has been pushed into an ever more defensive posture by false arguments that has caused a measure of self-righteousness. Faultless as Job was at the beginning of the book, he was justifying himself by the conclusion of the debates.
The final remedy of a double restoration required five components:
1. The need for a ransom, as pointed out by Elihu (Job 33:24). Even then, there is always a possibility of sinning to such a degree, after being redeemed, that there is no more ransom available (Job 36:18).
2. The need for man to recognize the supremacy of God, and therefore his own sinful and undone condition (Job 40:4). As the Apostle Paul worded it, it is possible, even after knowing God, to glorify "him not as God" (Rom. 1:21).
3. The need to proceed beyond such a recognition of personal sin to a full repentance of that sin (Job 42:6).
4. The necessity for man to forgive and accept those who have been counted as their enemies (Job 42:10).
5. The need of man of full instruction in the laws of God so that he may do them—rendering "unto man his righteousness" (Job 33:26).
Two other doctrinal points are worth mentioning in the book of Job.
1. The resurrection of the dead—"If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands"—Job 14:14, 15
2. Resurrection dependent upon redemption – "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (Job 19:25, 26).
The Contrast of Job and Solomon
The lives of Job and Solomon yield a sharp contrast. Job was a righteous man who was afflicted through no direct cause of his own. Solomon was a man who often strayed far from God, and yet was a man of fabulous wealth. On the surface, Job was a good man who suffered bad things and Solomon was a bad man who enjoyed a majestic life style. Yet both had some things in common—both desired to be servants of God, both had a relationship with the Creator, and both earnestly sought what it was that God desired of them.
Solomon writes three books on his search for this relationship. In his first writing, The Song of Solomon, he reveals his search for emotional security. In his second, Proverbs, he reveals the progress of his mental being. But it is final book, Ecclesiastes, that opens his heart as he notes the vanity of riches and discovers the true meaning of serving God: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Eccl. 12:13. 14).
The book of Job arrives at the same conclusion: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:28).
Job as an Allegory
In the allegory, Job represents natural Israel in the harsh experiences of their Diaspora. What happens to Israel is really a microcosm of the experiences of all mankind. Therefore the lessons are almost the same—the reason why God permits evil.
Allegorically the three comforters represent three different, though closely related, opinions as to why man’s, or Israel’s, troubles have come. Eliphaz ("my god is gold") giving the materialistic or mercantile answer, prosperity is the indicator of divine favor; Bildad ("disputant, or son of contention") the philosophic explanation; and Zophar ("sparrow, or twitterer") the reply of organized religion. The young man Elihu, in contrast, gives the theologically sound answer of ransom and redemption, representing the answer of the true church.
God’s answer is given from the midst of the storm, even as he sends his breath upon Israel from amidst the four winds (Ezek. 37:9, 10). And as the vision of the dry bones (Ezek. 37) further shows, there is one series of developments that brings about a partial reconciliation with Israel (the gathering and putting on muscle and tissue) the full restoration begins after the further act of the "four winds."
The final restoration of Job 42 is replete with allegorical pictures of this rehabilitation, including:
1. Job’s enemies must come to Job, acting as their priest, to have him offer their sacrifice for them. The Gentiles must come through Israel to approach God. In this manner, he will be working with Israel as priests and Levites (Isa. 66:21).
2. As Job’s prosperity was not returned until he prayed for his comforters, so Israel will have to pray for those who have been their persecutors in order to receive their full blessing.
3. All Job’s acquaintance and kin must dine with him, bewail, and bemoan him, and give him two gifts—a golden earring and a piece (literally "a lamb") of money. So all mankind must dine with, or make "a covenant of salt" with Israel, express their sympathies for Israel’s unjustified evil treatment, and bring two gifts—their "ears" by paying attention to the teachings of restored Israel and a "lamb" of money, the recognition of the value of what Christ, the "lamb of God," has done for Israel and for all mankind.
4. Job’s original count of 12,000 animals—7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (or 1,000 total) oxen, and 1000 asses (assuming each of the 500 "she" asses was accompanied by a "he" ass) was doubled to 24,000. So Israel’s original 12 tribes will be considered as "doubled," or duplicated when the kingdom work is complete and the Gentiles are all grafted in to the original "olive tree" (Rom. 11).
5. Job’s three named daughters may show three works of the holy spirit through Israel in the future since all three names are oft-used symbols of the spirit. Jemima (dove) showing the peace making work with Israel, Kezia (cassia, one of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil—Exod. 30:23-25) representing the anointing of Israel to a special work in the kingdom, and Karen-happuch (horn of cosmetic oil) the sweet aroma of the blessing that will come about through them.
6. As Job’s life was extended to the third and fourth generation, so Israel shall carry on their work among restored mankind until all men are brought back to full perfection—covering man’s sin unto "the third and fourth genration" (Exod. 34:7).
Character Lessons
In addition to the doctrinal, allegorical, and historic lessons to be gained from a study of the book of Job, there are a number of important character attributes illustrated therein.
1. The patience of Job—bearing up over the removal of all our temporal possessions and even our health, still praising the Lord.
2. The dangers of the "wedge"—allowing ourselves to react to criticism and thus seeking to defensively justify ourselves.
3. The danger of questioning God’s dealings with us, as Job so frequently did in the later part of the dialog with his friends.
4. The tact of Elihu in his kindly approach to Job before leveling his own criticisms.
5. The carefulness to seek always to speak, as Elihu did, in the "uprightness" and sincerity of our hearts.
6. The avoidance of the harsh spirit of superiority or judgment over our fellows, as was used by the three so-called comforters.
7. The appreciation of the greatness of God which he demonstrated in showing Job the power and wisdom that went into the creative process.
8. The recognition that when we condemn God’s people it is him that we are speaking ill of, and not just the person we criticize.
9. The necessity of praying, even for our enemies, before we can hope to obtain full divine favor. "Forgive us our debts we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12).
Job, for all his natural faults and failings as a natural human being, is still a remarkable example of righteousness and faith. Though at times his faith faltered, it never failed. His hopes, even though dim for a season, became fully realized. He was a doer of righteousness. So we must do the same.
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