Job’s friends try to make sense of his suffering, falling on the proverbial logic that “if bad things are happening to you, you must have done something to deserve it.” How do you hear the core argument of each of Job’s friends? How are they falling into these proverbial logic traps?
Job attempts to defend his position and continues to endure these painful tests. How does Job demonstrate his continued faithfulness in God? What example is the author trying to create for the readers?
How do these dialogues challenge what we have learned about wisdom from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes? In what ways are the arguments similar or different?
Applying the Text:
Dr. Baden reminds us that Job offers more examples of what not to say to a grieving friend than what we should say. How can we use this odd text to learn about effective grief support or pastoral care?
Job asks his friends if they are willing to lie for God, making the claim that by saying he deserved his suffering they are lying in defense of God. This critique could be applied to many later interpretations of the book and theological stances.
When arguing with his friends, Job maintains his innocence. According to the prologue, we know his words to be true, but does this matter? Would a few small mistakes or even “large” sins have justified the horrors inflicted upon him? None of us are perfect, and yet we would be hard-pressed to say anyone we know deserves such large-scale suffering.