Cheryl: So I am reading Job-a massive undertaking. However, I am on the quest of discovering the treasures of the Word of God and how they apply to my life.Job is a book of poetry and when it is translated I am sure it loses some of its beauty and meaning. To help me understand this intriguing book I am reading "The New American Commentary: Job" by Robert L. Aldern. I am learning that often with poetry second verses often repeat the first line verbatim-and that is normal. I am also slowly coming to understand that the Jewish way of answering a question with another question is completely normal as well. The background of Job may be one of the least known of all books of the Bible but that may make his story of suffering and redemption even more timeless and applicable to everyone.
- Job is the largest piece of literature to come from the ancient Near East.
- No specific date is known but Job probably lived in the time of the patriarchs-he was the priest of his family and made sacrifices for them, suggesting the time before the giving of the Law.
- Moses is thought to be the author because the only books of the Bible written in the ancient Paleo-Hebrew script are those of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and Job.
- Very interesting opening and closing of the book: Begins with "there was a man"-ends with "and Job died, an old man and full of days."
Here is what we learn about Job in the first few verses:
- Job lived in the land of Uz. This is probably in northern Saudi Arabia close to Edom (what is now Turkey).
- Job was extremely wealthy. He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 5,00 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys and a large number of servants (Job 1:3). Compare that to the "very wealthy" Nabal who had 1,000 goats and 3,000 sheep (I Samuel 25:2).
- Job must have been a "pastoral-nomad." He most likely farmed his land because he had "yoke of oxen" suggesting they were harnessed and used for plowing. Job also paints pictures of gates, walls and near neighbors.
- He was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
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