1. The Book of Job

2. Last Week… Prologue (prose) The Satan (HaSaTaN) “What If” setup for theodicy; God doesn’t act like that Questions?

3. The Dialogues I. JobChapter(s) 3 Eliphaz4-5 Job 6-7 Bildad 8 Job 9-10 Zophar 11 II. JobChapter(s) 12-14 Eliphaz15 Job 16-17 Bildad 18 Job 19 Zophar 20 III. JobChapter(s) 21 Eliphaz22 Job 23-24 Bildad 25 Job 26;27-28;29-31 Elihu32-37 YHWH & Job38-42.6

4. Chapter 3 Job wishes he was never born, failing that, he wishes he had been stillborn or had died at birth, and failing that… Read 3:20-26 – God’s fence of protection has now fenced Job into misery & suffering

6. Chapters 4 & 5 Job is a good guy, but no one is perfect Read 4:3-8, 17-19 Suffering is to be expected: “Humans beget suffering for themselves” Read 5:8-9, 17-18 It will all work out!

8. Chapters 6 & 7 Job wants to die quickly before he blasphemes Read 6:11-17 – Fair-weather friends Read 7:11-21 – 17-19 parody of Psalm 8:4, “what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.”

10. Chapter 8 Read 8:1-6 – Job’s children must have done something really bad, because they are dead; Job’s sin must not have deserved death – IF - conditional clauses: IF Job seeks YHWH and IF Job is pure and upright, YHWH will restore him – Look to what past generations know (there is no effect without a cause), don’t rely on your own experience (Job knows he is innocent)

12. Chapters 9-10 Read 9:32-35 – Job wishes for justice and a fair hearing – He wants vindication, not just an end to suffering Read 10:2-8 – Lament: allows a complaint to YHWH, and urges Him to keep His promises Address to YHWHDescription of suffering Petition for helpCursing of enemies YHWH will hear prayerDeclaration of innocence/guilt Divine response will comeSong of Thanksgiving

14. Chapter 11 Read 11:4-6 YHWH knows Job’s secret sin and is punishing him for it – less punishment than Job deserves. REPENT! – “For YHWH knows those who are worthless; when He sees iniquity, will he not consider it?...If you direct your heart rightly, you will stretch out your hand to Him…if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away…Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure, and will not fear.” (11:11, 13, 14a, 15)

16. Questions? What would you want to hear from friends when you are suffering? What sorts of things have you heard? Which are helpful/unhelpful? What is the value of speaking to God and not just about God?