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The book of Job is quite often quoted improperly, in sermons, Bible studies, commentaries, etc. One dream for this project is for those who read the novel, or watch the movie, to effortlessly and enjoyably come to a comprehensive understanding of the book of Job. As a result, it will become completely clear how to properly go about applying each verse, in this holy book, to our doctrine, thus to our lives. In order to properly understand the context for each verse, for this particular book, it is critical to understand the book as a whole.

Let’s say I am preparing a sermon. If I am quickly hunting for verses that agree with a point I am attempting to make, it would be quite easy for me to happen across some verses in the book of Job that seem to fit. Unfortunately, if I am not aware of the context of those verses, I may mistakenly quote verses that God said were folly; oops. It is insufficient to just read the neighbouring verses in Job to get the context, or even the whole chapter.

Next month we plan to post a colour-coded view of the book of Job to aid in clearly seeing such context.

Summary of the key points regarding the proper handling of the book of Job:

  • The folly in the book of Job is context for the astounding insights we get from the first two chapters, and from chapters 32-42.
  • God calls much of the book of Job, chapters 3-31, folly, or words without knowledge, so those verses cannot be used as a basis for doctrine. There are some who think the New Testament quotes from this section of Job, so please see this other article.
  • Though the “folly” and the “words without knowledge” sections of the book of Job cannot be used as a basis for doctrine, they can be studied to find out about the people in Job. This seems to comprise two main topics of study:
    1. Job’s righteousness
    2. What was known back in those ancient days, around 2000 BC?

We hope to inspire exploration of God’s Word, by pointing out the biblical sign posts that direct us in safely navigating the Scriptures. We also aspire to impact society, to change the world for the better. Imagine what it would be like if a good deal more Christians were freed to explore the Scriptures, instead of feeling unsure of how to take the proper safety precautions. This would be like a biblical appetizer, driving a craving for more of His Word.

Want to hear more?