In the book of Job, Job walks through life making sure his actions and words are carefully chosen, and even goes as far as to burn offerings for sins yet committed. The book of Job, and then later the modern take titled J.B., was a new display from God, showing that bad things can happen to good people. The book of Job made it clear in the bible that God was not giving or taking anything because of our own achievement, but that all things good and bad are from God. Archibald Macleish tries to reenact Job in a more modern version that new readers today might find easier, and although so aspects might be off from the original text, the story of J.B. follows closely to Job’s story line. One area that can be compared when looking at both texts …show more content…
What Job and J.B’s comforters do is talk with the characters and act in dialogue with the one suffering as to answer their questions with their own wisdom and understanding. In both J.B. and Job, the main characters have comforters join them during their time of suffering, and while they may miss the point of God’s testing J.B’s comforters drift away from a deeper Biblical understanding. The first comforter to speak up when the friends and Job are in the ash pit is Eliphaz. Eliphaz is one of the more unique comforters in the book of Job as he is the only one who speaks with Job over a dream that he had, which in the Bible would suggest a vision from God. Eliphaz has many words for Job over his current suffering as Job keeps asking why something like what he is experiencing is happening to him. Eliphaz begins his response to Job in a very encouraging way, and in doing so reminds Job of who God is: “Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright …show more content…
J.B’s comforters add nothing meaningful to the conversation of suffering and why God has acted in the ways he did, and one might even question the role of the comforters in J.B except mimicking the book of Job. The book of Job keeps itself continuous and even though the comforters miss the overall point of the testing, they still root themselves in the word and use past examples of God and how he acts to attempt to aid Job during his state of suffering. This distinction between comforters is critical as one story truly adds meaning to the reader's life and has a discernable
The Book of Job dives into the life of a blessed and faithful man in which his life takes an unsuspecting turn. From the loss of property and loved ones, to only be accused of wickedness by friends as the explanation of this calamity that has befallen Job. Author J. Gerald Janzen, whose personal struggle has opened a corridor that creates a connection with the life of Job takes us on a walk with Job through his journey from prosperity, to loss and bitterness then into the presence of God. At the Scent of Water will open our mind to the possibility of hope and grace to anyone who has gone through suffering in the past or is going through times of difficulty in the presence.
The Book of Job is of wisdom genre. Job was a righteous, rich man. God and Satan have a confrontation regarding Job’s faith in God. God allows Satan to test Job by taking away his family, sheep, camels, and servants. Job was passed the test. Job was tested again. This time it was his health that was taken away. Job speaks to his three friends and curses the day he was born. The four of them have a lengthy conversation as to why Job is being punished. Elihu enters the conversation and becomes somewhat angry with Job’s lack of faith in God. God speaks to Job in question form. Job repents. God speaks the three friends and advises them to sacrifice a burnt offering. Job was them made prosperous and was “given twice as much as he had before” by God.
Just like the story of Job where god takes away Job’s animals and family, J.B’s five children are now gone along with his job as a banker. Fortunately, J.B still stays strong despite the fact that his family is corrupting, because he believes that God will show him his guilt as one of “God’s puppet” so he can be released from the prison of anxiety.
The theme of the Book of Job is the perseverance of the human spirit. Job loses everything but he does not lose his faith in God. “Job refuses to curse God” (Book). Job has not done anything to deserve this, but it is a test from God and Satan to see if Job is actually as
Job is a man very limited by God. As illustrated, he has only a negligible amount of agency to begin with. By the time God and Satan finish with him, he has virtually no control over his own life. The fragment of agency he does cling to is his ability to choose whether or not to curse God. No one, except himself, could prevent Job from cursing God. Yet, he refuses to curse God, even though He is responsible for his suffering.
As the book opens, “And that man was greater than all of the dwellers of the East.”(Job 1) This opening line is telling the audience that Job is viewed as unique compared to other servants. “And the man was blameless and upright and feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1) Job is presented to the audience as God’s favorite servant, for Job is a man who is free of sin. He not only fears God but is also and because he is both, “blameless and upright”. “Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his own life. Yet reach out and pray, your hand and strike his bone and his flesh. Will he not curse you to your face?”(Job 2).When Satan questions Job’s loyalty to the Almighty king, God takes this challenge with pride for he knows how faithful of a servant Job is to him. Satan believes Job is only obedient to him because he has no other reason not to be, but if God were to strike him with hardship, Job would turn against him and curse his name. “Here he is in your hands. Only preserve his life” (Job 2).Though God puts Job into Satan’s hands, he tells him not to kill him to prove his point. Satan strikes Job with a burning rash that spreads from head to toe, takes away all of his animals, kills all his children and yet, Job still does not curse God. Job refuses to let such words past his lips because he still believes in the good of God and says he shall not accept evil. God then sees Job true loyalty of him and restores
Troubles in life sometimes seem to go against everything a person knows about the world, and results in either a stronger or weaker worldview. Paton compares Kumalo’s life to the story of Job in the Bible to show how people can survive misfortunes with their worldviews still intact. Though troubles overtake people’s lives, they can overcome them through faith and love. To elaborate on how people can continue “to believe” even amidst trials, Paton writes, “But I have learned that kindness and love can pay for pain and suffering” (261). The positive actions of others can renew a person’s faith in humankind when one sees the darker parts of human character. To most, one small sign of goodness in a world of heartache and misery can give them hope to carry on. Consequently, Paton uses small acts of kindness throughout the novel to show how although people can doubt the humanity of the world in times of darkness, light always appears to restore
The purpose of this research paper is to compare the public view of suffering in the Old Testament with the public view of suffering in the modern world. In order to properly achieve this comparison, I will explain the relationship between God and His believers in the Old Testament. More specifically, I will elaborate on the opinion that God is the cause of everything, including suffering and relate it to the first poetic book in the Old Testament, the Book of Job. However, influenced by the changes in science, upbringing, and multiculturalism this commonly held view changes. Therefore, I will explain the meaning of each of these three factors as well as their negative impact on religion. Finally, I will use three television shows as examples
“The book of job” is poetic literacy, filled with knowledge, wisdom and inspiration. The book of job tackle very deep subject matter one all human being tends to do at some point of our life as “why righteous people suffer”, how god do nothing. In chapter 38 – 42 is perfect example of it. The author uses poetic dialoged between god and job to dig into the subject matter, illustrate how little, selfish we human being are. In Job demands god to answer the question. In response to job question the Lord spoke out of the storm. God reply to job, who is you to question me I will ask you question and you, shall answer me. (38.4)“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, job realize that did doesn’t have enough knowledge nor
The book of Job is a book that tells a story about a reach man who lived in Uz. The book is filled with the suffering of Job. Job was a righteous man who feared God but lost everything he has got including his health. And he suffered financially, relationship wise and also with different kinds of diseases. The author of the book then tried to show in a poetic dialogue the reaction of job himself and the reaction of his friends to the disaster. And in the last chapters we God communicate with Job.
Eliphaz responds first in chapter 15 accusing Job of attacking piety itself and speaking as if he was the first man who enjoyed the knowledge of the gods. Eliphaz affirms that Job’s words are meaningless, that he is quality, and that he is like the wicked because he is in distress.
The Book of Job has been praised but also neglected all at the same time. Its literary work is written in a poetry sense with a prose format and considered one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time. The Book of Job is one of first book of five generally called "The Books of Poetry", which contain Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. The Book of Job is written in the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible and the main theme that is seeks out is "Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?" First of all I will be talking about the origins and history of the book, and then I will give a brief summary on the story and theme of what the Book of Job is addressing. I will then be breaking down, in
The Book of Job is a story like none other. A story written so that it combines the elements of a poetic drama, wisdom literature, and tragedy. The book for the most part is split into two different categories of literature: prose and poetry. The reader is able to see both sides of the story through the two elements. While God and the Advisor speak to each other in prose, Job speaks in a poetic dialogue along with his three friends and wife, the only other characters in the story.
Angie: We see quite clearly that Eliphaz prove himself as a false comforter to use a false tongue, he attempted mislead Job to false conclusion, he misrepresented Jehovah God as a harsh Judge who punished Job with sicknesses because he must have sinne . However, Job wasn't deceive because in Job 16:2,3 he likely consider Eliphaz as a false comforter. So that is what Job's reaction.
The Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible is characterized by the misery of a faithful servant of God, and how it relates to this character's ability to praise God. Job is an unwaveringly loyal and righteous subject of God, blessed with immense wealth and a beautiful family. One day God boasts to Satan of the innate goodness of Job, to which Satan questions “does Job fear God for nothing? … you have blessed the work of his hands … but stretch out your hand, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (The Bible, Book of Job, 1:6-12). If Job has faced no trials and tribulations, and only experienced the bounty that