Wisdom Outline #6         Diane Jacobson

Job: Job’s Case and Scholarly Responses

 

·          Alternative question #4 for Job written assignment:

Picture yourself in a grocery store parking lot collecting charity for a new half-way house being sponsored by your home congregation.  A distraught woman first drops some money into your collection can and then turns and says, “So you clearly are a religious leader.  What is God up to any way?  He is supposed to be a loving father.  How can he let his children suffer?  Why doesn’t God do something?”  What might you respond and how would your response be informed by your study of the book of Job?

 

I. 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

 

II. Dialogue: Job

            A. How he argues and how he views the Friends

                        1. The lament; structure of the lament - see Ps.13

                        2. Friends are enemies -- 6:14; 12:2-4; 19:1-5; especially 41:5-9

                        3. Self-lament -- 7

            B. God in the lament/The trial - 9:1-2,15-35; 13; 14:7-17; 16; 19; 23:1-7

 

Redeemer Passages in Job

Job 9:33-35
33There is no umpire between us,

  who might lay his hand on us both.

34If he would take his rod away from me,

  and not let dread of him terrify me,

35then I would speak without fear of him,

  for I know I am not what I am thought to be.

Job 9:33-35
 ;Uny×"n:$-la( wØodæy tÙ"$æy axyÕikOm UnyØ"ny"B-$¢y )Øol 33

 

 ;yéN×atA(ab:T-l×a) wèotfm")ºw÷ wÕo+:bi$ yØalf("m rØ"sæy 34  

UNÕe)fryi) )Øolºw hfr:Bad×a)ø 35Ý  

 ;y×idfMi( yèikïnf)÷ }Û"k-)ol yÛiK     

Job 16:18-21
18"O earth, do not cover my blood;

   let my outcry find no resting place.

19Even now, in fact, my witness is in heaven,

   and he that vouches for me is on high.

20My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to

   God, 21that he would maintain the right of a

   mortal with God, as one does for a neighbor.

Job 16:18-21
 ;y×itfqA(áz:l {wèoqfm÷ yÛihºy-la)×:w yÕimfd yØiSak:T-la) jere)ø 18

 

 ;{y×imOr:MaB yèidAhf&ºw÷ yÕid"( {éyØamf<ab-h¢Nih hfTa(ø-{aG 19

 

 ;y×iny"( hÛfp:lfD ahwèolE)÷-le) yÕf("r yÛacyil:m 20

 ;Uh×"("r:l {Ûfdf)-}ebÒU aHwÕolE)-{i( rebØeg:l xØakOyºw 21


 

Job 19:23-27
23"O that my words were written down!

   O that they were inscribed in a book! 

24O that with an iron pen and with lead

   they were engraved on a rock forever!

25For I know that my Redeemer lives,

  and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 26and after my skin has been thus destroyed,

   then in my flesh I shall see God,

27whom I shall see on my side,

  and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

   My heart faints within me!

Job 19:23-27
 yÕfLim }UØb:tfKéyºw Op")ø }Ø"Téy-y×im 23

 ;Uq×fxõyºw repØ"SaB }Ù"Téy-y×im     

 ;}U×b:cfx¢y rUÛCaB dèa(fl÷ terÕfpo(ºw lÛez:raB-+"(:B 24

  

÷ yÕfx yilA)ØoG yiT:(adæyø yØinA)áw 25

 ;{U×qæy rÛfpf(-la(  }wèorAxa)ºw     

÷ t)Õoz-Up:Qén y×irwÙo( rØaxa)ºw 26

 ;aHw×olE) hÛezEx×e) yèirf&:BimU     

rÕfz-)olºw UØ)fr yØany"(ºw yèiL-håzEx×e) yíinA) rÜe$A) 27

 ;y×iq"x:B yØatïy:lik UÙlfK     

 

            C. The disputation speech – 23

           

 

II. Scholarly reactions

            A. Tsevat’s Triangle     

                                                  G - God is Good

 

 

 

 


                                                J                                   R

                                       Job is Good               Retribution Law: Good is rewarded

                                                                                                    Bad is punished

 

            B. Fingarette’s notion of law and magic

 

            C. Other