Wisdom Lecture #5        Diane Jacobson

Job: Prologue and Lament

 

I Job: Introduction to Critical Study

            A. Reading the book of Job, a life-long process, no easy analysis

            B.  Problems reading Job because historical-critical questions are not very productive -

                                    date, place, author, form (when, where, who, what)

            C. What fragments the book

                        1. Two major levels: Prologue/Epilogue vs. Dialogue

                            differences of style, name of God, presence of  Satan,

                            character of Job, children, sacrifice, friends, form, author

                        2. Entry of Elihu                                               

3. Poem in chap.28

                        4. Confused final series of exchanges                

5. Two speeches God

 

II. Prologue (chap.1-2)

            A. Five Scenes – Earth/Heaven/Earth/Heaven/Earth

B. The Character of Job

C. The Character of Satan, hasatan (}f+f&fh)   (see attached)  

                        1. a human adversary - Num.22:22a; I Sam.29:4;

                                    II Sam.19:22a; Ps.109:6; IK.5:4 (Heb. 5:18); 11:14, 23, 25

2. as a denominative verb -- to be or act as an adversary - 

Ps. 38:20; 71:13; 109:4, 20

                        3. Superhuman - Zc.3:1-2; IChr.21:1 (2Sam.24:1)

            D. The Character of God

           

II. Questions that are raised by the Prologue

A. Questions of Integrity - What is it to be “blameless and upright,” “a circle and a line”?

            B. Questions of Undeserved Suffering - Why do the innocent suffer (and not the guilty)?

                                                              Why do bad things happen to good people?

C. Questions of Unselfish Worship of God - Can anyone worship God without wanting

                                                                                          some sort of pay back?

D. Question s of the Nature of True Piety - What does true prayer look like?  What attitude                          does one who is truly pious have toward God and experience?

 

III. Literary and Theological links between prologue and poem

            A. Issue of integrity - tom ({fT) perfect, blameless

                           1:1,8; 2:3,9 // 4:6; 8:20; 9:20-22; 12:4 (22:3; 27:5)

            B. Issue of suffering -

                        1. naga` ((agfn) to strike, touch

                           1:11, 19 // 5:19; 19:21

                        2. bala` ((alfB) to destroy

                           2:3 // (8:18), 10:8

            C. Issue of cause, purpose, intent -  hinam ({fnix)  for naught, without cause

                        (links questions of unselfish piety and unjust suffering)

                           1:9, 2:3  //  9:17 (22:6)

            D. Relationship with God, Theodicy - shakta ba`ado (OdA(ab fT:ka&)  to put a hedge around

                           1:10  //  3:23 (7:17)  

 

IV. Overall structure

 

Prologue  Lament                         Dialog/ Disputation                 God’s Speech          Epilogue

 

 

 


V. The Lament

A.     The Nature of the Lament.  See Psalms and Jeremiah’s laments, esp. Jer.20:14-1

B.     Connection with creation tradition, Leviathan myth, and Genesis.

                                                                                       See Jer.4:23-26; Gen.1

(For more on cosmological concerns see Michael Fishbane, VT, 1971,21,

                        151-167; Robert Alter, The Art of Hebrew Poetry; and Leo Perdue, Wisdom in

 Revolt: Metaphorical Theology in the Book of Job)

C.     Involvement with rest/Sabbath

D.     Tie of personal with cosmic

E.      Question: Is this speech faithful/pious?  What about other/our speech?

 

VI. Preparation for Reading the Rest of Job --three excepts from Joan of Arcadia

 

 

 

 

For Precept:

Dialogue: The Friends

            A. How they view Job

                        1. The Fool or Impious One  - Prov.14:24,26; 18:6; 19:3; 26:4

                        2. Respond with Instruction - musar

            B. Arguments:

FRIEND - CHAPTER       ARGUMENT

Eliphaz,     ch.4-5               

 

Bildad,       ch.8                 

 

Zophar,      ch.11               

 

Eliphaz,     ch.15                

 

Bildad,       ch.18               

 

Zophar,      ch.20               

 

“Satan” in the Old Testament

 

 The Character of (the) Satan, hasatan (}f+f&fh)                      

 

1.      As a human adversary -

Numbers 22:22a  God's anger was kindled because he was going,

and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as his adversary (}Ųf+f&:).

1Samuel 29:4  But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him; and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, so that he may return to the place that you have assigned to him; he shall not go down with us to battle, or else he may become an adversary to us in the battle

2Samuel 19:22a  But David said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah,

that you should today become an adversary to me?

Psalm 109:6 They say, "Appoint a wicked man against him;

let an accuser stand on his right.

1Kings 5:4 (Heb:5:18)  But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side;

                                    there is neither adversary nor misfortune.

1Kings 11:14, 23, 25  Then the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal house in Edom…23 God raised up another adversary against Solomon, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah…25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, making trouble as Hadad did; he despised Israel and reigned over Aram.

 

2.  As a denominative verb or participle -- to be or act as an adversary - 

Psalm 38:20 Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries

because I follow after good.

Psalm 71:13  Let my accusers (yŌ"n:+o&) be put to shame and consumed;

            let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

Psalm 109:4  In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.

Psalm 109:20  May that be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,

of those who speak evil against my life.

 

3.  Superhuman -

Zechariah 3:1-2 Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire

1 Chronicles 21:1   Satan stood up against Israel,

        and incited David to count the people of Israel.

Compare with

2 Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,

        and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”