A Summary of Job
Written by Joel Suarez, published February 2021
Hey Paradox family,
Last week, we finished the book of Job. If you’re just joining us in our reading plan (Prdx365), we’ve organized it chronologically and thematically, meaning it follows a chronological timeline throughout the books of the Bible while simultaneously touching on themes that are paralleled in the Old and New Testaments.
If you noticed, our reading jumped from Genesis to Job specifically for this reason. We don’t know the exact date of the writing of Job or who the author was, but it is believed that the events occurred either right before the time of Abraham or during his time.
Either way, there is no doubt that this is one of the most outstanding texts in the biblical canon, which falls into what is known as the “Wisdom Literature” of Scripture.
As we read the Book of Job, we find that the main theme for the book is the problem of evil and the suffering of the innocent. Robert Gordis states it best when he says, “...the ubiquity of evil and its apparent triumph everywhere give particular urgency to the most agonizing riddle of human existence, the problem of evil, which is the crucial issue in the biblical faith.”
As you read further into the book of Job, you find that the most beautiful picture of Job is not the doubling of his blessing from the Lord after his suffering; rather, it is that in the midst of his suffering, the Lord was present, He listened, and He responded. The book of Job teaches us that there is no easy answer to the problem of evil or to the suffering of the innocent, but that there is room to lament.
Job is an incredibly honest book, showcasing what people actually think and say, not just in church, but in the privacy of their own bedrooms—in tears and whispers as they trudge along through the darkness of their suffering and sorrow. The conclusion is the reality that the Lord listens and is present and embraces your most brutally honest feelings toward him and will engage with you.
Ultimately, Job foreshadows a coming Savior. This book points us to Job, whose suffering makes no sense to him and who ultimately doesn’t get an answer to all of the questions he asks in the midst of it. Job’s suffering is so extreme that it’s difficult to connect personally with it. Kent Hughes encapsulates it best when he says that Job, “...foreshadows one Man whose greatness exceeded even Job’s, whose sufferings took him deeper than Job, and whose perfect obedience to his Father was only anticipated in faint outline by Job.” What a beautiful reminder of the Gospel, and the suffering and obedience of Jesus on our behalf! Rejoice, brothers and sisters! But don’t forget to lament. He is present, and He listens.