Consider the wondrous works of God Hearken unto this, O Job:

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Consider the wondrous works of God

Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:14

Study 1 Study 1 – – The Prologue The Prologue andand Job’s Dialogue Job’s Dialogue with his friends.with his friends.

Job chs. 1-31Job chs. 1-31

Elihu’s MonologueElihu’s Monologue Job chs. 32-37Job chs. 32-37

Study 2 – God’s Dialogue with Job: His Wondrous Works in Creation Job ch. 38:1-38 Study 3 – God’s Dialogue with Job: His Wondrous Works in Caring for His Creatures.

Job 38:39-39:30 Study 4 – God’s Dialogue with Job Continued and the Epilogue Concluding with Double blessing.

Job 40:1-42:17

Intro.: Intro.: The Background to the BookThe Background to the Book

(I) The Prologue: Job, God and Satan. Job chs. 1, 2 (2) The Dialogue with Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Job chs. 3-31 (3) The Monologue of Elihu: Job chs. 32-37 O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. Job

37:14 (4) God’s Dialogue with Job: Job chs. 38:1-41:34 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will

demand of thee, and answer thou Me. Job 38:3 (5) The Epilogue: Job’s Confession; God’s Command; the

Lord [turning] the Captivity of Job. Job 42: 1-10-17

I. Prologue I. Prologue or The Trial of or The Trial of JobJob. Chs. 1, 2. Chs. 1, 2

A. The Person of Job Job 1:1-5 1. His Perfection Job 1:1b/NIV

a. Personally: perfect cf. I Kg. 8:61; Phil. 3:12 b. Socially: upright = straight, walking in God’s

ways. c. Spiritually: one that feared God d. Morally: and eschewed/shunned evil.

2. His Prosperity Job 1:3 cf. Gen. 12:16 3. His Progeny Job 1:2, 4, 5

a. The Children’s Kinship b. The Father’s Headship


B. The Predicament of Job 1. The Course of “Tragic” happenings... a. To Job’s Possessions. 1:13-

19 b. To Job’s Person. 2:7, 8 2. The Cause for the “Tragic” happenings. The Consequences of two

Confrontations between God and Satan: a. The 1st Confrontation: 1:6-8-11-

19 Outcome: Job lost his Possessions and his Progeny.

1. The Course of “Tragic” happenings...1. The Course of “Tragic” happenings...2. The Cause for the “Tragic” 2. The Cause for the “Tragic”

happeningshappenings.. The Consequences of the Confrontation:

a. The 1st Confrontation: 1:6-19 Outcome: Job lost his Possessions and his

Progeny.

b. The 2nd Confrontation: 2:1-4-8 cf. 9, 10 Outcome: Job’s Person afflicted with Sore boils from Sole to crown. Note: barak = a Call to Curse. 2:9 cf. 11, 2:5 ct.

1:5 an Act to Bless or Adore. 1:10; 1:21 cf. Jas.

3:10


3. The Character that stood out: 1:20-22; 2:9, 10 He Acknowledged God’s Sovereignty in All things

leading Him to Accept and Adore God. a. Job…fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.

1:20b b. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

1:22 c. In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 2:10

4. The Curse that came out : 2:11-3:26 a. Sharing of Silence for 7days and nights. 2:11-13 b. Shattering of Silence & a Self-curse. 3:1-26

i. He cursed the Day he was born. 3:1, 3-10 ii. If only he had Died at childbirth. 3:11-19 iii. For now Death would be better than life.

3:20, 21-26

II. Job’s Dialogue with his three II. Job’s Dialogue with his three FriendsFriends Job chs. 3-31Job chs. 3-31 Three Cycles of Dialogues. Three Cycles of Dialogues.

A. 1st Cycle of Charges: Job chs. 3-14

1. Eliphaz: the Innocent do not suffer; only the Iniquitous get Inflicted. 4:7, 8

Job Replies: He Pleads for Pity 6:14, NIV

2. Bildad: God does not Pervert justice; He does not Punish the Perfect; Patriarchs agree. 8:3, 20, 8

Job Replies: if I say, I am Perfect, it shall also Prove me Perverse. 9:20

3. Zophar: How dare Job Incriminate God with Injustice? Job is not that Innocent! 11:6, 7

Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves…Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? NIV

Job Replies: But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him. 13:3, 15

II. Job’s Dialogue with his three II. Job’s Dialogue with his three FriendsFriends

Job chs. 3-31 Job chs. 3-31 Three Cycles of Dialogues.Three Cycles of Dialogues. A. 1st Cycle of Charges: Job chs. 3-14

B. 2nd Cycle of Charges: Job chs. 15-21 C. 3rd Cycle of Charges: Job chs. 22-31 1. The Gems in Job’s “Faith” Rebuttals:

Job chs. 6-24 a. What is man that You make so much of him,

that You give him so much attention, that You examine him every morning and test him every moment?

Will You never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant? 7:17, 18, 19, NIV

1. The Gems in Job’s “Faith” 1. The Gems in Job’s “Faith” Rebuttals:Rebuttals: Job chs. Job chs.

6-246-24 b. How should man be just with God? If he will

contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. 9:2, 3

c. Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before

Him. 13:15

d. Miserable comforters are ye all… O that one might plead for a man with

God…! 16:1, 21

1. The Gems in Job’s “Faith” 1. The Gems in Job’s “Faith” Rebuttals:Rebuttals: Job chs. Job chs.

6-246-24 e. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that

He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy

this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God…19:25-27

f. Oh that I knew where I might find him!... I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would

know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto

me. 23:3-5

2. The Great Statements in 2. The Great Statements in Job’sJob’s

Final Reply: Final Reply: Job chs. 26-31Job chs. 26-31 a. He stretcheth out the north over the

empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 26:7

b. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. 27:6

c. Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. 28:28

2. The Great Statements in 2. The Great Statements in Job’sJob’s

Final Reply: Final Reply: Job chs. 26-31Job chs. 26-31 d. Job’s Glorious Past: Oh that I were as in

months past, as in the days when God preserved me. 29:2

e. Job’s Present: And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

30:9, NIV f. Job would Plead with God: I would declare unto

Him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto Him….If…then let…

31:37, 40a The words of Job are ended. 31:40b

III. Elihu’s MonologueIII. Elihu’s MonologueJob chs. 32-37Job chs. 32-37

A. Elihu’s Observations: 1. His Friends’ Conclusion: Job had been

righteous in his own eyes. 32:1 2. His Condemnation: The three friends had

found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.32:3

3. His Confession: I am young, and ye are very old…Great men are not always wise: 32:6-9

4. His Comments: Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show mine opinion. 32:10, 17


A. Elihu’s Observations: B. Elihu’s Opinions in four speeches: 32:10, 17 1st Speech: He will Participate but he will not be

Partial. He is Part of them all. 32:21, 22; 33:6

2nd Speech: He invites the “wise men” to evaluate once again Job’s words and actions. 34:2, 34-37

3rd Speech: Job Cries out, but God has not taken up his Cause. God does not Change, Job must wait.

35:2, 12-16


4th Speech: God is Sovereign and in Control. Job must Stand Still and Consider His

Works. 36:22-33; 37:14 Who has prescribed his ways for Him, or said to

Him, 'You have done wrong'? Remember to extol His work, which men have praised in song. All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. How GREAT is GOD--beyond our understanding! The number of His years is past finding out.

36:23-26, NRSV Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and

consider the wondrous works of God. 37:14

See You all tomorrow (DV)See You all tomorrow (DV)

Hearken unto this, O Job:

stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. 37:14

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION

1. The Lord told His disciples:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

Job was perfect with regard to his person (in his self, before God and before men) (1:1).

He was also “perfect” with regard to his family members in praying for his children continually (1:5).

How do you see in Job’s example, how you too can be perfect as instructed by the Lord of His disciples?

2. Look at #II. A. 1-3 – 1st Cycle of Charges in the outline notes. Do you consider the three statements made by Job’s three friends fair comment on Job’s situation? What about Job’s replies? How would you reply to Job’s friends’ charges if you were in Job’s position?


3. God with His foreknowledge already knows the outcome of what will happen when He allows Satan to test Job. Why does He still allow him to do so? Is it fair to innocent Job just so that God’s high regard for Job can be proved true? Will you like to be in Job’s place?

4. Read Job 1:20-22 again. List out Job’s reactions to his predicament when he found out that what had happened to him was sort of irrevocable. Would you react in the same way if you were in his position? Give reasons for what you say.


5. Read Job 2:11-13. Comment and discuss the ministry of Silence with the Suffering. Discuss its role – the times when it can bring about maximum benefit to the one it ministers and how it is to be administered.

Note: When Job’s friends finally opened their mouths to break the silence, to “sympathize with [Job] and comfort him” (Job 2:11, NIV), Job said: “How long will you torment me and crush me with words…” (Job 19:2) and he called them “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2). He even said: “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom” (Job 13:5). What principles can you draw from the above regarding when to be silent and when and what to speak or what you should really DO?

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Consider the wondrous works of God Hearken unto this, O Job: