AN
OUTLINE STORY OF THE BOOK OF JOB
The Bible was written by an unknown author.
It was originally written in Hebrew language. It has two major sections – The
Old Testament and The New Testament. The
Book of Job is one of the poetic books of the Old Testament of the Bible.
Critics divide The Book of Job into five sections i) the prologue written in
prose ii) the debate or the dialogue
between Job and his friends iii) the
speeches of Elizhu iv) The Lord’s answer
to Job and v) the Epilogue
Job is a wealthy man who lives in the land
of Uz. He is blameless and upright. He is a man of integrity and piety. He has
a happy family. He has seven sons and three daughters. He owns extensive
flocks.
In the council of Heaven, Satan appears
before God and argues that Job is only good because God has blessed him
abundantly. Satan challenges God that, if given permission to punish the man,
Job will turn and curse God. God allows Satan to torment Job, but he forbids
Satan to take Job’s life in the process. In one day, Job lost all his possessions
and children. Job tears his clothes and shaves his head in mourning. But his
faith in God remains unshaken. He consoles himself saying it is the Lord who
gave him and He who had taken away. Again in the heavenly council, god grants Satan
another chance to test Job. This time, Job is afflicted with horrible skin
sores. But Job still blesses God in his prayers.
Three of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad
and Zophar come to condole with him. In the three cycles of speeches the
friends accuse him of concealing his sin
and ask him to repent. Job denies his guilt. He wants God to reveal to him the
cause of his afflictions.
Without provocation another friend Elihu
intervens to show that Job is wrong in expressing his charges against God. He thinks
that Job’s excessive talking is an act of rebellion against God.
God finally speaks to Job out of the
storm. He presents before him the splendid pictures of His creation and made
his glory pass before Job. Job acknowledges God’s unlimited powers and admits
the limitations of his human knowledge.
In the epilogue God returns Job’s health,
providing him with twice as much property as before, new children and an
extremely long life.
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