Job Archives - Page 2 of 2

Among many who care about such things there is a debate as to the veracity of the story of Job. Succinctly, was Job a real person or is the book about him a work of fiction?

Supporting evidence that Job wasn’t a real person:

Job is not mentioned in any of the historical books of the Bible and only referred to once outside of the book bearing his name.
Job was “blameless and upright” and despite being afflicted, he “did not sin.” Since only God is without sin, this characterization is false (although it could also be hyperbole, a practice that does occur elsewhere in the Bible).

Supporting evidence that Job was a real person:

God, as recorded by the prophet Ezekiel, refers to Job along with Daniel and Noah. Surely, if Job was fictional, God would not mention him in the same context as two people who did live (for whom there is biblical support).
In that same passage, God testifies that Job was righteous. It seems unlikely that God would so affirm a fictitious person.

So was Job a real person or not? Was his story fact or fiction?

The answers to these questions will never be fully resolved, but for me it doesn’t matter. Whether he is fact or fiction, Job’s story is part of God’s inspired word, so regardless we can learn from it, be inspired by it, and be strengthened in our faith because of it. Arguing about its origin is only a distraction from the truth that in contains.

[See Job 1:1, Job 1:22 & 2:10, and Ezekiel 14:19-20.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

A few weeks ago, I mused that the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) might be best understood as a screenplay of sorts. Reading and meditating on it as such gave me new insights and a deeper appreciation of this often-overlooked book.

It seems that the book of Job is not dissimilar in this regard. It, too, could have been an early version of today’s screenplay.

In the book of Job, there are eight characters:

Job, the protagonist
God, Job’s protector and overseer
Satan, Job’s antagonist
Job’s unsupportive wife, a bit part, albeit a painful one
Job’s three “friends:” Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, (with friends like these, who needs enemies?)
Job’s fourth friend, the initially quiet and then verbose, Elihu.

The book of Job opens with a prologue (chapters 1 and 2) that establishes the setting of the story and concludes with an epilogue (chapter 42) that provides for a satisfying ending. In betwixt is all dialogue between Job and his four increasingly critical friends.

Aside from a brief ending summation by Job in the epilogue, the last oration is from God. It is fitting that God has the final word — and that Job listens.