The Book Of Job - Executable Outlines

1 The book Of Job A Study Guide With Introductory Comments, Summaries, And Review Questions This material is from , a web site containing sermon Outlines and Bible studies by Mark A. Copeland. Visit the web site to browse or download additional material for church or personal use. The Outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God Be The Glory! Executable Outlines , Copyright Mark A. Copeland, 2006. Mark A. Copeland The book Of Job Table Of Contents Introduction To The book 3.

2 Prologue - Job Is Tested (1-2) 8. Job's Soliloquy (3) 13. The Great Debate: 1st Cycle Of Speeches (4-14) 15. The Great Debate: 2nd Cycle Of Speeches (15-21) 22. The Great Debate: 3rd Cycle Of Speeches (22-31) 27. Young Elihu Speaks (32-37) 32. God Speaks To Job (38:1-42:6) 37. Epilogue - Job Is Blessed (42:7-17) 41. Concluding Thoughts On The book 44. This study guide was developed in preparation for teaching adult Bible classes. The objectives for each section are usually things I plan to emphasize during the class. I have found that summarizing and outlining helps me to better understand the Word of God.

3 It is a practice I highly recommend to others. I generally delete the answers to the review questions before printing the material and giving it to the students. But that you might know what answers were intended by the questions, I have included them in these guides. The book Of Job 2. Mark A. Copeland The book Of Job Introduction To The book The book of Job has long been praised as a masterpiece of literature. Consider these quotes: Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work only, I should save Job. (Victor Hugo).

4 The greatest poem, whether of ancient or modern literature. (Tennyson). The book of Job taken as a mere work of literary genius, is one of the most wonderful productions of any age or of any language. (Daniel Webster). What is it about the book that prompts such praise? Most Christians I know don't feel that way about the book of Job. Perhaps it is because many tend to neglect the Old Testament altogether. Yet Paul wrote of the value of the Old Testament scriptures: For whatever things were written before were written for our learning , that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

5 (Ro 15:4). Note that the Old Testament was written for our learning , that it provides patience and comfort, and as such can be a source of hope. This is especially true with the story of Job, to whom James referred when seeking to instill patience (cf. Ja 5:10-11). Because the book of Job is so often neglected, yet presents a valuable lesson and is so highly praised by even people of the world, Christians should certainly take the time to study this portion of God's Word! THE PLACE OF JOB IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Job is the first of five books commonly referred to as The Books Of Poetry.

6 These include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Called such because they are written in poetic style in contrast to the narrative style of most other books, they are also often referred to as Wisdom Literature (especially Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) offered this concise summary of the five books: Job - How to suffer Psalms - How to pray Proverbs - How to act Ecclesiastes - How to enjoy Song of Solomon - How to love Now let's take a look at the book of Job in particular . The book Of Job 3. Mark A.

7 Copeland AUTHOR AND DATE OF WRITING. Who wrote the book , and when? No one really knows. Jewish tradition attributes the book to Moses, and other authors have been suggested (Job, Elihu, Solomon, Isaiah, Hezekiah, and Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe). All that can be said with certainty is that the author was a loyal Hebrew who was not strictly bound by the popular creed that assumed suffering was always the direct result of sin.. (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown) Because the author is unknown, it's date has been hotly debated among scholars. Some think it was written before Moses (pre 1500 ).

8 Others put it at the time of Solomon (ca. 900 ), and some even as late as the Babylonian Exile or later (post 600 ). The uncertainty of author and date does not nullify the book 's inspiration, for it is affirmed in the New Testament. Paul quotes from it on several occasions in his writings (cf. 1 Co 3:19 with Job 5:13; and Ro 11:35 with Job 41:11). For the Christian who accepts the inspiration of the New Testament, such evidence is sufficient. THE HISTORICITY OF THE book . Even though inspired, are we to take the events described in it as historically true?

9 There are several reasons for believing that they are: The style of the opening and close of the book certainly conform to other Biblical narratives that are historical (cf. 1:1 with 1 Sam 1:1 and Lk 1:5). In the book of Ezekiel, Job is mentioned along with Noah and Daniel, two other figures of history (Eze 14:14). James, the Lord's brother, refers to Job as an example of perseverance (Ja 5:11). THE SETTING OF THE book . The historical events appear to be set in the Patriarchal period ( , sometime between Noah and Moses). There are no allusions to the Law of Moses in the book , but there is a mention of a flood (22:16).

10 Job functions as a priest in offering sacrifices for his family (1:5), similar to what we find with Abraham (cf. Gen 12:7). His longevity is typical of the patriarchs (42:16; cf. Gen 11:22-26,32). For such reasons I would place him somewhat contemporary with Abraham ( , ca 2000 ). THE PURPOSE OF THE book . It is common to suggest that the purpose of the book is to answer the age-old question, Why does God allow the righteous to suffer? That is certainly the question Job raises, but it is worthy to note that he himself never receives a direct answer. Nor is one given by the author, other than to answer Satan's challenge, Does Job fear God for nothing?