Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Job

[Laughing Cat]

I think I've read Job twice. Anyway, so I'm frustrated that Job's friend was given the obligation to offer a sacrfice for Job. Who was Job?

[jimwalton]

I'm not familiar with the obligation of Job's friend to offer a sacrifice. "Sacrifice" is used twice in Job, once in 1.5 where Job offered sacrifices for his children, and in 42.7-9 where the three friends offer a sacrifice for their own sins. Where were Job's friend's given the obligation to offer a sacrifice for Job? Once I have the reference we can have the discussion.

> Who was Job?

Job is most likely a fictional character. The book is in the genre category of wisdom literature, not historical literature. There is no claim to historicity. It is a book exploring a philosophical theme common to other wisdom literature and a theological theme common to God seekers.

The purpose purpose of the book is how to think properly about God when disaster strikes. And then it deals with the kinds of questions people have: Did I cause this? Is God to blame? Did the devil do it? Was it because I wasn't a good person? Why does all this stuff happen, anyway?

When life is going wrong, we would like to know how God governs the world. In the process, we can find out whether our righteousness stands up. The book of Job makes the case that God's justice (the retribution principle) is not the foundation of how the world operates. We cannot explain all circumstances by investigating them as the result of righteous or wicked behavior (good people get rewarded in this life, bad people have problems in this life). The book offers the alternative that we need to learn to trust God's wisdom. The way God operates the world is more complicated than people can imagine, and His ways cannot be reduced to a simple equation.

Most people read the book of Job and think it's about why good people suffer. But the book isn't about Job, it's about God. It's about the nature of God's righteousness, not about the nature of human suffering.

Anyway, show me the text you're referring to, and we can talk.

[Laughing Cat]

I must have tripped you up, saying "obligation", because you missed the same thing I did, ie., that it was Job who offers a sacrifice for the three friends.

Question is still the same, however: How did Job sin?

Really, I should try google, right? I already have an idea, but then again, it's not a bad question, and somebody might learn something. It's a good question, right? Only my behavior was bad.

[jimwalton]

> because you missed the same thing I did, ie., that it was Job who offers a sacrifice for the three friends.

I didn't miss it. I said in my comments that it the friends offer a sacrifice for their own sins. The only sacrifice Job offers in the book is for his children in 1:5. Job doesn't offer a sacrifice for his three friends. In Job 42.7-9, God tells the 3 friends he is angry with them, and tells them to make a sacrifice for themselves. Job was to pray for them, and the Lord would have mercy on the 3 friends for their "folly."

> Question is still the same, however: How did Job sin?

He didn't. You've read the book twice. Where is the part about Job sinning? In 42.6 Job says he repents, but there's no notion of sin. He regrets his previous statements, his characterization of God, his reliance on his own understanding, and his challenges to God. But then God asks the 3 friends to make a sacrifice, but not Job. Jobs challenges and questionings are not considered sin.

So my question is still the same: Where does the book say Job sinned?

> Really, I should try google, right?

No, Google is filled with all kinds of misinformation alongside the good information. It's tough to sort it out unless you already know what is somewhat legitimate.