Video Transcript: The Key Ideas of the Book of Job

So we've taken a look at the contents of the book of Job and we've taken a look at the  background to wisdom literature generally, what we need to do this time is to focus on what  are the messages that come through in the book of Job? What's the wisdom that this biblical  Wisdom literature is trying to convey? What is it that we ought to learn through this, this  process of traveling with Job through sufferings? What are some of the key ideas that come  out, I want to call your attention again to the larger structure of the book of Job that there's an opening setting mostly in prose, in which Job's conditions of life, his wealth, his righteousness, are expressed. And along with that the dialogue in heaven of the observers of our human  race, God and the angels, and also Satan, and Satan's challenge that while God thinks Job is  great, and Job is in fact, great, why Job is great, and what Job does is specifically because God  gives him toys and blessings. Take these away, and Job will curse God. God does not think  that's the answer. And God allows Satan to take away Job's toys in order to more fully assess  whether his perspective Satan's perspectives are right. Out of that comes the dialogues, the  first dramatic dialogue between Job and his three friends in which they accused him of secret  sins, which are now being punished by a righteous God that this world is causing effect. And  good brings blessing bad brings punishment. The second dramatic dialogue in which Elihu  shows up a younger character, a younger friend, who chastises Job's friends for not having  fully addressed the situation, and chastised his Job for not being submissive enough, and then talks about a larger, more complex world in which good and evil both exist not because the  creator intended it that way, but simply because that's the world in which we live, and how  are we going to learn to live in that world. And then the third dramatic dialogue in which God  speaks from the storm clouds and expresses God's power over all things? And then dialogues  briefly with Job about how big do you think you really are. And then the conclusion the final  setting in which restoration is given the Job and all of his possessions multiplied again, Job's  three friends are chastised and dealt with, and there's kind of peace on earth. But the really  critical issue is this. Why does in fact, Job suffer. And the responses given in the book are  more than one, there are a number of different responses to Job's situation that come from  different voices. And I've suggested this you can see in the chart there, that there are a  number of different dramatic persons who speak out of the context of the whole of the  dramatic dialogues in the narration, in order to address and assess the possible answers that  might be given. For instance, there's the narrator up front, who clearly indicates that Satan  brings the specific hurts that Job experiences. Why does Satan do this? Because this is a  spiritual test to see whether Job serves God for the toys that he gets, or because it is essential to his character. What's the outcome expected? That Job either will show faithfulness to God  or will curse God and turn away from God? One or the other? So where does it come from?  Where does the evil come from? It comes from Satan. Why does the evil come as a spiritual  test? toward what and how will Job respond hopefully to show faithfulness, but possibly not  according to Satan? The second dramatic person who enters the scene very briefly is Job's  wife. All is taken away from Job except for his wife and his life. And his life is severely  compromised by sickness and disease. And his wife is severely antagonistic to him saying  that, all your goodness, all your righteousness, all your good deeds, all your presumed  worship of God leads to nothing. Obviously, your God isn't God, you ought to do something  else. There's another power that's arrived on the scene. Somehow, you have gotten the thing  wrong, and you've got to learn your lesson and follow the next great power and get back what we had before. Where does this come from the of the evil that happens from this new power  that arrives on the scene call him, Satan call him, the evil one call him, the bigger power call  him, whatever you want. Why is it happened because the god Job used to serve isn't powerful  enough, another god another, another sheriff has arrived in town, and you better get on the  side of that another gang is taken over go for the new gang. toward what and is this all  happening to Job because he's still trying to serve the Old God who's shown to be power less,  get rid of that God and turn to the new power, and then things will turn around for you in your life. That's the second major answer given to why Job suffers. Then come the three friends  and this dominates the scene. And in effect, this becomes the key idea behind why we think  Job suffers. This is the typical religious response, not just in Christianity, but throughout the  religions of the world. If things are happening badly or wrongly, obviously, there's a power out

there. We need to appease, we need to repent to you can see this in the variety of religious  expressions throughout the history of humankind. The three friends put it in a context of  biblical religion, obviously, there's a creator god, there's a great God who's in charge of all  things. Since this, God is always in control. If Job receives blessings, then this God is pleased  with Job and therefore it's an expression that Job is has done righteous things. If Job is  experiencing ill or evil, it means that the Creator God is not pleased with Job. And that means  that Job has done something wrong. So the whole idea is in this rigid understanding of  religion, a God's in control, good happens to those who do right bad happens to those who do  evil. And what Job needs to do is repent. He needs to get rid of whatever it is that he's done  wrong. make atonement for it, make sacrifice for it, get on with life, get on the good side of  God once again, and start living a righteous life because obviously he hasn't been. Job is the  fourth voice in all of these things. And he stands with his friends, in acknowledging that all  good and ill in this life ultimately comes from God. God is the source of all life. God is the  source of all things that happen. God, Job doesn't blame God per se. But he does  acknowledge that nothing can happen apart from God's sovereign control over life. But why is it happening to him? Whereas the friends say it's because you've sinned? Job himself says, I  don't know. I, I don't know. I haven't done anything really bad. I haven't violated God's  goodwill. I don't know why this is happening. And so the other question toward what end? Are  these sufferings happening to Job? is answered in exactly the same way? I don't know. I don't  know what I'm supposed to learn from this. I honestly don't know what the lesson is all about.  Because I don't know why this is happening. And that's where the fifth voice enters the voice  of Elihu. Coming in chapter 32. He speaks a new word, expanding on these ideas of  righteousness, the righteousness of God. Certainly all things come from God because God is  sovereign. But why did they come? Maybe the friends are right in that sometimes we receive  evil as punishment because of our sinfulness. But that's not the only possibility says Elihu,  and here's where it gets more complex. We live in a broken world, we live in a world which is  already effected by sin or affected by sin. We live in a world which is already wrestling with its original goodness, and the evil that has leached into it. So there are powers that swirl around  us and sometimes we respond positively to them. And sometimes we we respond negatively.  Sometimes we do what's right and sometimes we do what's wrong, and through it all in sort  of this cacophony this the sense of, of noisiness God has to shout Hey, wait a minute, I'm still  here, I'm still in control. And so punishment or rather evil can be not merely punishment, can  be God's megaphone God's voice, trying again to catch our attention in a world in which we're wandering and running around around aimlessly. So a new kind of idea enters to Elihu's  reflections on these things that Certainly God punishes at times. But certainly God also brings guidance through some things, some of these things. And certainly also these things call for  us to surrender to God to reaffirm our dependence upon God, even when we don't have the  answers. Now, that becomes more loudly stated or expressed in the sixth voice, the voice of  God Himself. There is no issue about where all of Job's suffering is coming from God is  sovereign, God is always in control. And so the object lessons that God gives our lessons  about the reality of God's sovereignty, I am the one who created all things. I'm the one who  knows all things, you don't know all things. But that is an affirmation that God is ultimately in  control. So why does Job suffer? Well, there's a sense in which the statements or indications  or ideas ofElihu are affirmed. Yes, it's to confirm your relationship with me. Are you God? Or  are you human, my subject, my object of affection, but lesser than me. And the ultimate end  toward which the suffering takes place, is to bring about that surrender, which then is  affirmed in the wrap up in the conclusion to the book, The Seven voice, again, sort of  reiterating some of these things, all things come ultimately from God, God remain sovereign,  evil, Satan, they're not co powerful with God, they operate out of a context of permission, not  out of context of independence. Why did these things happen? Well, sometimes their  punishment, the friends should be punished because they did wrong. And they were right in  saying that punishment comes when you do things wrong. But that's not the only answer, that there's a sense in which Job has been chastised into a deeper awareness of the meaning of  life and his place in it, ultimately, then toward what end, to surrender a new to surrender  more fully, to retain a sense of creaturely pneus over against the creator's sovereignty, to 

come into a deeper and more profound acknowledgement of our place in relationship with  God. The message of Job is, in several aspects, ours is not an entirely mechanistic universe,  there are spiritual powers that influence our daily lives. Not all pain and problems are the  direct result of our sinfulness as if you can say, if this, then this, that's not possible. Instead,  the normal or natural human identity involves acknowledging and worshipping God. In this  Satan got it wrong. He said, It is not natural for humans to worship God. They only do it  because of what they get out of it. They play with God in order to get God's toys. And Job  proves that that's not the case, that the normal or natural human identity involves  acknowledging and worshiping God, even when the toys are taken away. But the worship of  God cannot be coerced. In other words, this is not a mess mechanistic universe in which God  can force God's own self upon us. And so the great outcome of the book of Job the wisdom of  the book of Job is this, the fundamental challenge to human living, is that of continuing to be  our truest, God worshipping selves, even when the limited evidence of daily experience  seems to speak to the contrary, in other words, do I see God in the room with me? Do I think  God is only with me when things go my way? Do I worship God, even though I can't see God?  And the outcome is that even when we don't see God or feel God or experience exits, ecstasy, in, in worship celebrations, even in the downtimes, I will not turn from God, even when God is  silent, it is right for me, because I am a creature of God, to worship the Creator. Even if all the  world conspires against me, I can do nothing but worship God, for this is what it means to be  truly human. Truly, a response to our God. The Book of Job give us a several options in terms  of how to respond to pain and suffering, which we all experience in different ways, and at  different times, option one, we can accuse God or others of doing bad things and we can  placate God Job's friends, a kind of religious mechanism, there's a cause and effect in this  world. If you're blessed, you've done right, if you're cursed, you've done wrong, Repent, get  on the other side. This means that it's very mechanistic option two change God's who's in  charge, who's more powerful. If you can't get what you want from the God of the Bible, then  go to a different God go to a different religion go to the powers of evil, because obviously, the  God of the Bible is not doing his thing for you, and you deserve something better. So go to a  different power and get what you really deserve. Option three, give up in the face of the  observe. Job's wife kind of does this a sense of fatalism? Yeah, had it you don't anymore. Go  find it somewhere else who can tell option four live with a kind of existential boldness. I don't  know what's happening to me. But I won't give in this I will remain true to that I can, I can be  myself, or Option five, wrestle and worship. And this really is ultimately the profound message of the book of Job, in face of the other options for human existence for human response to  pain and suffering. Here's really, the proper or most profound, most biblical, most righteous,  most godly response, to wrestle with evil, to wrestle with the Creator, but ultimately, to fall  down in worship. Ultimate to our human existence is the relationship between creator and  creature, that we are not God that God remains God, that we are inextricably tied to God and  that our whole beings respond to God. It is the only norming value that endorses our truest  human identity, no matter what happens, how will we live in the face of suffering? The Book  of Job has a very profound answer, and one which we need constantly to think about in our  world which struggles with evil and difficulty and sin and pain. I'd refer you to my book again  to think about how these things may be explored further covenant documents Reading the  Bible Again, For the First Time.