Job

Finally, we're finished with those tedious books of history! Job is considered to be a book of poetry, and is actually an ancient morality play. The character named Job is presented as a paragon of virtue, and the message is that we will see how a real man of faith should react when things go wrong in life. As we'll see, this concept leads to some goofy results. While most people would consider it to be fiction with a good moral message, I know a few people (including other writers of the Bible) who claim this is as factually accurate as any history book you could ever read. By the way, the name is pronounced with a long 'O' sound, as if it should be written 'Jobe.'

Job 1:1 - There once was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
As far as the Bible is concerned, we're already into fiction here! Recall that Solomon stated that everyone sins. Either this book is fiction, or the Bible has yet another contradiction. Take your pick. It's unimportant at this point, but this is for the use of the fundamentalists.

Job 1:5 - And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, an he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job always did.
Why should any parent do this? Why would God be interested in a sacrifice made by a father on behalf of the child? No doubt the real problem would lie with the child!

Job 1:6-12 - One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!" So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Isn't this interesting? God has a pleasant conversation with the embodiment of pure evil, and makes a friendly little wager with him! His man (who sounds an awful lot like Ned Flanders from "The Simpsons") is the best there is. Satan doesn't think so, since God has protected him all his life. God puts his money where his mouth is - and Job is off to Wonderland!

Job 1:20-22 - Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
At least Job knows who is responsible for the disasters being heaped upon him. His possessions were taken by armed invaders, or destroyed by lightening bolts, and his children were all killed.In response to his loss of his property and loved ones, he tells God that he's welcome to them.

Job 2:9 - Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God and die."
So here's Job's wife! She apparently survived, for the time being at least. And she has given us an opportunity to learn a little about Hebrew! The word translated as "Curse" is "barak." It is one of those weird words with conflicting meanings. It can mean "curse" or "bless." Interestingly, this word is translated as "bless" 302 times in our translation of the OT, while it is translated as "curse" only 4 times, counting this verse. The translators had their reasons for choosing this translation, and I am only guessing that it has to do with theological considerations, rather than linguistic - translating it as "bless" could make this a verse supporting suicide. I intend to continue looking into this, and I will update this comment when I get the necessary information.

Job 2:10 - But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Well, it's pretty clear that Job thinks you can receive bad things from God. The author verifies this, saying that Job didn't sin in saying this.

Job 5:12-14 - He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He takes the wise in their craftiness; and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the night.
Here's a nice quote. God works against smart people, making them stupid. This is one of the prime messages of the writings of this period of Hebrew writings (estimated at around 200 BCE, I think) and, later, in Christian writings: trying to become wise or learned is evil - concentrate only on learning about God.

Job 7:20,21 - If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be.
Here, we plainly see that Job is repeating the common belief of God's chosen people that death is the end of existence. Also, Job states that he believes his calamities came about because of his sin, though the book states that this isn't so.

Job 9:5-9 [talking about God] - he who removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south.
It keeps on like this for several more verses. However, we see here some primitive ideas on the subject of cosmology. Job is saying God is powerful enough to move the (presumably stationary) earth, making the pillars it is set on tremble. God can keep the sun from rising (assuming the sun moves around the earth!). God stretched out the sky like a scroll (a concept supported by other passages), and so forth.

Job 12:24,25 - He strips understanding from the leaders of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless waste. They grope in the dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunkard.
Makes one wonder what useful purpose could be served by making the leaders of humanity into worthless, pathetic husks? Or would this be considered entertainment?

Job 14:10-12 - But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they? As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up, so mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep.
Is death the end of existence? There appears to be a little confusion on that score. This passage says a little of both, calling death "sleep" and saying that the dead do not rise again.

Job 24:12 - From the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries for help; yet God pays no attention to their prayer.
This is one of the many problems with prayer. People pray to God, but the results are helpful only part of the time. To read more on prayer, see my articles on Prayer or Death.

Job 26:8-11 - He [God] binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not torn open by them. He covers the face of the full moon, and spreads over it his cloud. He has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke.
More ancient Hebrew science verses! It's true that clouds look solid from the ground - but we know from experience that this is an illusion. Anyone who has lived in mountainous country knows this, but this writer was unaware of this. Odd. Here again, the world is described as a disk amid the waters, and supporting pillars are also mentioned. Good flat-earth verses!

Job 38:22,23 - [God speaking] "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?"
More strange science, here. God is saying that he keeps snow and hail stored up in his closets, and he's planning to use them for a rainy day! (pun intended!)

Job 42:5 - [Job speaking] "I had heard you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you."
Yet another sighting of God! Of course, Job is only a fictional character, but apparently, the Jews had no problem with the thought of someone actually seeing God, as the Christians had later. I wonder why?