Reading: The First Act (Video Slides)
#6 Understanding the Dramatic Development of the Book of Job: The First Act
Remember the Structure
- The Setting (Job 1-2): mostly prose
- The Dialogues (Job 3-41): almost entirely poetry
First Dramatic Dialogue (Job 3-31)
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- Three rounds of conversation with three friends
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Second Dramatic Dialogue (Job 32-37)
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- Elihu takes on everyone
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Third Dramatic Dialogue (Job 38-41)
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- God speaks without answering
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- The Conclusion (Job 42): mostly prose
The Drama of Job
- First Dramatic Dialogue (mostly poetry): Condemnation & Confusion (2:11-31:40)
Introduction: (2:11-3:26)
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- Job’s Friends attend him (2:11-13)
- Job’s Lament (3)
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Round #1: (4:1-14:22)
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- Eliphaz’s (“My God is strength!”) Testimony: (4-5)
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God is pure & just! (4)
Humans bring trouble on themselves! (5)
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- Job’s Response: (6-7)
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Show me where I’ve sinned! (6)
God, forgive me if I’ve sinned! (7)
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- Bildad’s (name meaning uncertain) Challenge: (8)
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Only the ungodly suffer! (8:1-19)
If the shoe fits, wear it! (8:20-22)
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- Job’s Response: (9-10)
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God is wise and powerful! (9)
God, why do you punish me?! (10)
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- Zophar’s (“Leaping” or “Chirping”) Plea: (11)
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God is in control! (11:1-12)
Turn back to him! (11:13-20)
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- Job’s Response: (12-14)
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I’ve never left him! (12)
You’re no help to me! (13)
God, will you help me?! (14)
Round #2: (15-21)
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- Eliphaz’ Attack: (15)
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Humans are wicked! (15:1-16)
The fate of the wicked is sure! (15:17-35)
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- Job’s Response: (16-17)
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You’re no help to me! (16)
God, I plead my case before you! (17)
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- Bildad’s Harshness: (18)
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Who do you think you are?! (18:1-4)
The end of the wicked is sure! (18:5-21)
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- Job’s Response: (19)
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Have pity on me! (19:1-12)
God, vindicate me! (19:13-29)
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- Zophar’s Condemnation: (20)
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You make me angry! (20:1-3)
The wicked will be cut short! (20:4-29)
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- Job’s Response: (21)
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But many wicked people prosper! (21:1-33)
So all your arguments are false! (21:34)
Round #3: (22-31)
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- Eliphaz’ Accusation: (22)
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Submit to God!
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- Job’s Response: (23-24)
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But I can’t find God!
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- Bildad’s Rebuke: (25)
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You can’t be righteous—nothing is righteous before God!
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- Job’s Response: (26-31)
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God is great and just and wise! (26-28)
Remember how good life used to be?! (29)
But look at me now! (30)
Still, I maintain that I am innocent! (31)
Note This: The First Dramatic Dialogue seems unfinished!
- Eliphaz and Bildad make their same cases three times over, but in the third round, Zophar is nowhere to be found!
- Job’s response in Round #3 is much longer than it was in Rounds #1 and #2, and seems to plead for another view!
- The three friends immediately disappear as a new character emerges on center stage: Elihu (“You are my God!”)
- Note: the three friends (but not Elihu!) will reappear in the final prose wrap-up
- The implication at this point is that the three friends do not have the answer for Job’s situation, nor provide true religious wisdom; another voice is needed