J. Vernon McGee's Notes and Outlines for Job

Poetical Books

Job is the first of the poetical books, which also include Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations. The reference is to the form of the content and does not imply imaginative or capricious content. Neither does the term "poetical" mean that it is rhythmic. Hebrew poetry is acheived by repeating an idea, a technique calleed parallelism.

The dialogue in the Book of Job is poetry because conversation was in poetry in that day. The Illiad and Odyssey of Homer are examples in secular literature.

Job

Writer

Unknown.

The following have been suggested: Moses, Ezra, Solomon, Job and Elihu. That Elihu is the writer seems most likely ( 32:16).

Date

Unknown.

evidently it was written during the patriarchal period. Did Job know Jacob? It is possible. It was written before Exodus, it would seem, as there is no reference to the Mosaic Law nor to any of the events recorded in the Book of Exodus. Here are the arguments which seem to place Job with the patriarchs:

  1. Length of Job's life span ( 42:16)
  2. Job acted as high priest in his family.
  3. Eliphaz the Temanite was descended from Esau's eldest son ( Genesis 36:10,11).

Purpose

Many problems are raised and settled in this book.
  1. To determine why the righteous suffer. (This is not the primary teaching.)
  2. To refute the slander of Satan.
  3. To reveal Job to himself.
  4. To teach patience. Was Job patient?
  5. Primary purpose: To teach repentance.
God selected the best man who ever lived (Christ is the exception) and showed that he needed to repent. In contrast, we usually choose the worst man who repents as an illustration. Manasseh, a most ungodly king, repented; Saul of Tarsus repented; St. Francis of Assisi, a debauched nobleman, repented; and Jerry MacAuley, a drunken bum, repented. God chose the best man and showed that he repented -- "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" ( Job 42:5, 6).

Estimation:

Tennyson said of the Book of Job, "The greatest poem, whether of ancient or modern literature." Carlyle said, "I call that [Job] one of the grandest ever written with pen." Luther said, "More magnificent and sublime than any other book of Scripture." Moorehead said, "The book of Job is one of the noblest poems in existence."

Outline

  1. DRAMA, Chapters 1, 2
    (Prose)
    1. Scene I, 1:1-5
      Land of Uz; Job's prosperity and serenity
    2. Scene II, 1:6-12
      Heaven; Satan's slander of God and Job
    3. Scene III, 1:13-22
      Land of Uz; Job's loss of children and wealth
    4. Scene IV, 2:1-6
      Heaven; God and Satan
    5. Scene V, 2:7-10
      Land of Uz; Job's loss of health and wife's sympathy
  2. DIALOGUE, Chapters 2:11 - 42:6
    (Poetry)
    1. Scene VI, 2:11-37:24
      City Dump
      1. Job's loss of understanding of friends, 2:11-13
      2. Job vs. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, 3:1-32:1
      3. Job vs. Elihu, 32:2-37:24
    2. Scene VII, 38:1-42:6
      Jehovah vs. Job
  3. EPILOGUE, Chapter 42:7-17
    (Prose)

    Scene VIII, 42:7-17
    Land of Uz; Job's blessings doubled

COMMENT:

The prose section of the Book of Job is a gigantic, sweeping drama that encompases earth and heaven. This does not mean it is fiction. Job is treated as an historical character in the Scriptures (see Ezekiel 14:14, 20; James 5:11). Paul quotes from the Book of Job ( 1 Corinthians 3:19; cp Job 5:13). Many writers have used Job as the basis for their plots, including H. G. Wells and more recently Archibald MacLeish in his Broadway hit J.B. Job's problem is a universal problem. Thomas Carlyle called the Book of Job "all men's book."

The poetry section of the Book of Job is a contest in dialogue between Job and his three friends. Later in the book, Bildad challenges Job. A brilliant dialogue in that day was what a baseball game or any other athletic event is in our day.

DRAMA, Chapters 1, 2

(Prose)

Scene I

1:1-5 -- Land of Uz; Job's prosperity and serenity

The land of Uz was somewhere in the Middle East, but beyond that there is nothing specific. Josephus gives us a glimmer of light on the location of Uz. According to Genesis 22:21 the firstborn of Nahor, Abraham's brother, was Uz. He is the founder of the ancient city of Damascus. Job lived somewhere in the Syrian desert, where later the Lord sent Paul for post-graduate studies (see Galatians 1:17).

v. 1

-- "Perfect" in the sense that he had offered sacrifices for his sons (see v. 5). "Feared God" means that he has a high and holy concept of God and as a result he hates evil.

vv. 3, 4

-- He is a wealthy man, and his ten children live in the ease and luxury of the rich.

v. 5

-- Job's one concern is for his children.

Scene II

1:6-12 -- Heaven; Satan's slander of God and Job

vv 6, 7

-- God's created intelligences report to God as a matter of regular routine. They are responsible creatures. The shocking fact is that Satan has access to heaven. Even he has to report. He reports that he had been up and down the earth, which is his domain (see 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 2:13-17; Matthew 4:8, 9). He has never been in hell ( Revelation 20:10, see author's book, Reveling through Revelation, volume 2).

v. 8

-- Satan obviously had been trying to get at Job. Satan found there was a hedge about Job. Satan cannot touch God's man without God's permission.

vv. 9-11

-- Slandering both God and Job, he infers that God is not worthy to be served and loved for Himself alone but that He has to pay Job to love Him. Satan suggests that Job is a time server.

v. 12

-- God grants Satan permission to get at Job's possessions, including his children.

Scene III

1:13-22 -- Land of Uz; Job's loss of children and wealth

Job is stripped of all of his earthly possessions, including his ten children.

vv. 20-22

-- Job's reaction to his tragic circumstances reveals that though his faith is shaken, it is not destroyed. Job is no time server.

Scene IV

2:1-6 -- Heaven; God and Satan

Created intelligences make their report again. Satan has to admit that he has not destroyed the integrity of Job, and he asks for permission to touch his body. He is confident that Job will then curse God to His face. God gives Satan permission to touch his body, with the provision that he may not take his life.

Scene V

2:7-10 -- Land of Uz; Job's loss of health and wife's sympathy

Satan smites Job with a frightful disease. Job's wife suggests that he curse God and commit suicide -- which is the reason Satan did not take Job's wife! Job still maintains his integrity.

DIALOGUE, Chapters 2:11 - 42:6


(Poetry)

Scene VI

2:11-37:24 -- City Dump

Job's loss of understanding of friends, 2:11-13

Three friends of Job come to visit and comfort him: Eliphaz, a Temanite. Teman was a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:10, 11). Bildad, a Shuhite. Shuah was a son of Abraham (Genesis 25:2). Zophar, a Naamathite. Naamah was in northern Arabia.

For seven days they mourn with Job without saying a word. They are real friends, but they are in no position to comfort Job because:

  1. They do not understand God.
  2. They do not understand Job.
  3. They do not understand themselves.

They merely shake their heads in a knowing manner during the seven days of mourning.

Job vs. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, 3:1-32:1

There are 3 rounds of speeches:

  1. By Job, then Eliphaz, and then Job answers him;
  2. By Bildad, and Job answers him;
  3. By Zophar, and Job answers him.
This is repeated three times with one exception -- Zophar does not give a third speech. The dialogue is in the nature of a contest. Under the critical and accusing eyes of his friends, Job finally explodes with his tale of woe and a wish that he had never been born.

First Round

Speaker Chapter
Job 3
Eliphaz, 1st Discourse 4, 5
Job's Answer 6, 7
Bildad, 1st Discourse 8
Job's Answer 9, 10
Zophar, 1st Discourse 11
Job's Answer 12 - 14

Second Round

Speaker Chapter
Eliphaz, 2nd Discourse 15
Job's Answer 16, 17
Bildad, 2nd Discourse 18
Job's Answer 19
Zophar, 2nd Discourse 20
Job's Answer 21

Third Round

Speaker Chapter
Eliphaz, 3rd Discourse 22
Job's Answer 23, 24
Bildad, 3rd Discourse 25
Job's Answer 26 - 31

First Round

Chapter 3

Job wishes that he had never been born or that he had died at birth. Job's tranquility in his days of prosperity were disturbed by the uncertainty of life. He had dreaded the very thing that happened to him (v. 25).

Chapters 4, 5 -- Eliphaz's first discourse

He is the voice of experience. He suspects that there is secret sin in Job's life (4:8). He recounts a terrifying and hair-raising vision (4:12-16). The self-evident truth he received from the vision does not seem worthwhile for all the terror he endured (4:17). He gives some gems of wisdom as all the others do (5:6, 7). He charges that Job is being corrected for some awful secret sin and he should not complain (5:17-22).

Chapters 6, 7 -- Job's answer

His condition is much worse than his friends realize and he wishes God would destroy him, not correct him (6:9). He expected pity and comfort from his friends (6:14). He looked for help when he saw them coming, but it was only a mirage on the desert (6:15). Eliphaz misses the entire problem (6:25). Job is willing to confess any sin he has committed. Why doesn't God pardon his sin (ch. 7) and restore him?

Chapter 8 -- Bildad's first discourse

Bildad is the voice of the past. He rests his argument on tradition (v. 8). Man can know nothing of himself. He must depend on the past (vv. 9, 10). Notice that Paul did not have this philosophy; rather he pointed to Christ and the future.
I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 3:14
Bildad is more candid and crude than Eliphaz. He considers Job a hypocrite (v. 13). He does not know the ways of God (v. 20), nor does he take into account the final outcome (v. 21).

Chapters 9, 10 -- Job's answer to Bildad

Bildad has not met the problem of Job (9:2). Job makes no claim to perfection and knows that he cannot defend himself before God. He needs someone on his side to present his case (9:32, 33). He recognizes his need for a mediator to stand between himself and God. (See 1 Samuel 2:25.)

God knows that Job is not perfect, but He also knows that Job is not wicked (10:6, 7). Again Job resorts to his wish that he had not been born or had died at birth (10:19).

Chapter 11 -- Zophar's first discourse

Zophar is the voice of legalism. He holds that God is bound by laws and never operates beyond the circumference of His own laws. He is probably the senior member of the group, and he speaks with a dogmatic finality that is even more candid and crude than that of Bildad.

He accuses Job of covering his sin with words (v. 2). He even accuses Job of lying (v. 3). He assumes the pious position of being on the inside with God while Job is on the outside, unable to know what He does (vv. 4-11). He urges Job to come clean, that he is hiding his sin (v. 14). He predicts the complete judgement of Job unless he confesses his secret sin (v. 20).

Chapters 12, 13 -- Job's answer

Job becomes bitter and sarcastic. He resents the superior claims of his friends and their accusations (12:1-3).

Job would bypass his friends and appeal to God directly (13:3). He now accuses them of lying about his case and states that they are offering him no help -- they are "physicians of no value" (13:4). The faith of Job stands inviolate in spite of the onslaught of his friends (13:15).

Chapter 14 -- A great elegy on death

Trouble is the common denominatorof mankind (v. 1). Job knows that death is inevitable and that he must depart from this world (v. 10). However, Job has a hope beyone death and the grave (vv. 14, 15).

Second Round

Chapter 15 -- Eliphaz's second discourse

Eliphaz accuses Job of being his own accuser for his words are foolish (v. 6). He defends himself and two other friends by reminding Job of their advantage of maturity over him. He states a great truth, but it is no more applicable to Job than to any other human being.

Chapter 16, 17 -- Job's answer

Job labels his friends "miserable comforters" and accuses them of uttering self-evident truths which are not applicable to him. If their situations were reversed, Job could argue as they have (16:4). Instead of helping Job, they fill him with wrinkles (16:8). He goes too far in defending himself (16:17). Job will stand by his record (16:19). He recognizes the problem of pleading his case before God (16:21). His physical condition is tragic.

Chapter 18 -- Bildad's second discourse

Bildad suggests that Job stop speaking and start listening (v. 2). His second argument follows the same pattern as his first -- since the past teaches that God judges sin and since Job is being judged, he has committed some gross and secret sin. He digs up a few hoary epigrams from the past as proof.

Chapter 19 -- Job's answer

Job recognizes that his friends are becoming strangers to him and that they are growing apart (v. 3). Job is willing for his words to be made into a permanent record and he is prepared to stand by them (vv. 23, 24).

Job expresses his great faith. He is maintaining his integrity. He believes the Redeemer is coming and that he himself is numbered with the redeemed.

Chapter 20 -- Zophar's second discourse

He introduces nothing new. He rests upon his seniority and resorts to the same legalism. He still holds to the theory that Job is a very wicked person because of the law that the wicked must be punished (vv. 3-5).

Chapter 21 -- Job's answer

Job is growing weary of their false charges. He appeals to a higher court (vv. 1-4). He agrees that the wicked will be punished but insists that this does not apply to his case.

Third Round

Chapter 22 -- Eliphaz's third discourse

He accuses Job of being self-righteous (v. 3). His final word to Job is a great gospel invitation, but it does not fit Job's case (v. 21). He admonishes Job to return to God (vv. 22-30).

Chapter 23, 24 -- Job's answer

Job claims that his condition is worse than his friends think it to be (23:2). He would like to present his case before God (23:3-9). Job begins to sense that he is in the sieve of God's testing and that God will bring him through his trials (23:10). Job still maintains his integrity (23:12).

Chapter 25 -- Bildad's third discourse

His answer is brief. He becomes rather thoughtful and begins to wonder why Job has not broken if he is guilty.

Chapters 26 - 31 -- Job's answer

This is Job's longest speech. His friends hav not helped him, but he expresses his faith in God, the Creator.

Job vs. Elihu, 32:2-37:24

Scene VII

38:1-42:6 -- Jehovah vs. Job

EPILOGUE, Chapter 42:7-17

(Prose)

Scene VIII

Land of Uz; Job's blessings doubled

This section is the final scene in the drama. It is poetic justice.

God rebukes the three friends of Job. Job becomes their priest to offer a sacrifice for them (vv. 7-9). God gives Job twice as much of everything as he had at the beginning. Did God also double the number of his children? When his cattle were destroyed, he lost them forever. When his sons and daughters died, he did not lose them:

;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp He has 10 children in Paradise
+ He has 10 children on earth.

God doubled the number of his children.

These notes, prepared by J. Vernon McGee, are for the purpose of giving assistance to the listeners of THRU THE BIBLE RADIO program. They are to be used with the Bible and will be more meaningful as you look up all the Scripture references. Due to the necessary berevity of both the notes and the broadcasts, a list of recommended books is included for those wanting a more detailed study. These books may be obtained from a Christian library or bookstore or ordered from the publishers.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

Blair, J. Allen. Job: Living Patiently. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, n.d.

Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.

Ellison, H. L. A Study of Job: From Tragedy to Triumph. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, n.d.

Epp, Theodore H. Job -- A Man Tried as Gold. Lincoln, Nebraska: Back to the Bible Broadcast, n.d.

Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible.Neptune, Neew Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1917.

Gray, James M. Synthetic Bible Studies. Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revel Co., 1906.

Jensen, Irving L. Job -- A Self-Study Guide. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, n.d.

Mackintosh, C. H. Miscellaneous Writings. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, n.d.

Ridout, Samuel. The Book of Job. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1919. (Very fine.)

Sauer, Erich. The Dawn of World Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951. (An excellent Old Testament survey.)

Scroggie, W. Graham. The Unfolding Drama of Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zoncervan Publishing House, 1970. (An excellent survey and outline of the Old Testament.)

Unger, Merrill F. Unger's Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966. (A concise commentary on the entire Bible.)

Unger, Merrill F. Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981. (Volume 1 covers Genesis through Song of Solomon with a fine summary of each paragraph.)

Zuck, Roy B. Job. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1978. (A fine summary in the Everyman's Bible Commentary series.)

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